BCG upgrades

[ez bake]

What's out there for a BCG upgrade on a semi-decent price?

I've got a CMT on the kiddo's AR with fully shrouded (I think - I'll have to go pull it out to make sure) FP, and its OK staked (not great), but I was looking to upgrade it and was considering this:

http://www.spikestactical.com/z/ind...ducts_id=194&zenid=r0eruaan55m9jppkvv3r02bbl5

I know I swore off Spikes when they started gouging, but they seem to have calmed their prices down quite a bit and I have come to the conclusion that I would rather have them open than closed (even if they did screw everyone during the election scare).

Anywho, I was wondering as to what to look for in a BCG in the first place - I know fully shrouded, and properly staked, but there are a lot of little things that I've read about as being argued as important or not (reading internet debates second-hand is usually entertaining, but don't always informative).

Who makes a decent upgraded BCG and what should I be looking for in an upgraded BCG over a standard spec'd BCG? I'm asking because I don't want to be paying money for "upgrades" that don't get me anything.

 

[CAR-AR-M16]

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/AR-15-Bolt-Carrier-Group-Parts-s/34.htm

 

[KurtM]

What are your end goals for your BCG? If you want a lighter set-up, which reduces muzzle jump and speeds up cycling, get the J.P. Enterprises lightened stainless carrier. If you are looking for a bullet proof set-up get the J.P. regular weight stainless carrier with the Southern Gun Works bolt ( as sold by Leitner Weise Defense) and marketed through J.P. LMT also makes a nice BCG. I guess I am curious as to what is wrong with yours? If the staking of the key screws is all that you are worried about, back them out re-install with red Loc-Tite, and re-stake them yourself, they will never come loose. As long as you aren't trying to change the characteristics of how the carbine functions, any BCG that allows the gas rings to seal, and has a bolt that is in spec will be just fine. KurtM

 

[idleclamp]

I got this one for my SBR from BravoCompany, though it appears the price has gone down a bit since I bought it.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-Bolt-Carrier-Group-MPI-Auto-M16-p/bcm%20bolt%20carrier%20group%20auto%20mp.htm

 

[silenttim]

I had Josh over at aotactical upgrade my stock bolt for me. He stakes them correctly and switches out the factory extractor spring.

HCBG page

 

[gillman7]

I had Josh over at aotactical upgrade my stock bolt for me. He stakes them correctly and switches out the factory extractor spring.

HCBG page

+2 for me....

 

[ez bake]

Woa - I almost forgot about this thread.

Well - I'd like to shoot a carbine course or two and was honestly looking into three-gun shooting (and my son's AR is way lighter than my setup now). My son also expressed an interest in shooting a competition (which is more than likely a long way away), and this all got me to thinking that my stock CMT bolt wasn't good enough based on what I'd read in the charts and on the various forums (thought I didn't have the black extractor insert, an O-ring, or the correct extractor spring).

However, I finally tore it apart and while the staking isn't perfect (the metal from the gas key doesn't even touch the bolts but in two places), it is fully shrouded, has the black extractor insert and the o-ring.

What else should I be looking for? How can I tell if the extractor spring is the appropriate one?

If these are all mil-spec, is there any reason to upgrade (aside from the reasons KurtM laid out - which I've been reading about man - thanks for the info)?

I've been reading several opinions about how with my setup - going with a lighter/heavier BCG could help or hurt me - this is on a 14.5" pencil barrel with a welded 5-hole YHM Phantom and an H-buffer in a carbine stock. I'm not doing any precision shooting with it, and I don't know what a difference the lighter/heavier BCG would make to be honest (I don't think I do enough rapid-fire shooting to need a lighter one, and I can't honestly tell what the point of a heavier one is.

I can't honestly think of a reason to upgrade at this point unless something is wrong with my extractor spring. Its funny, I've had to tear down the BCG before for cleaning but never gave a second thought to paying attention to if everything was spec'd or not.

I bought the BCG from TJ when he was still alive and to be honest, I wonder if I got an upgrade from the standard CMT BCG without knowing it.

This post was honestly just made out of curiosity to be perfectly honest.

 

[Josh-L]

I wouldn't get hung up on the carrier weight issue. CMT does not do black inserts and o-rings so tj must have added them or it wasn't really a CMT bolt. The spring should have four coils.