Nickel Boron worth the $$$ ??

SNOW JW

Sergeant of the Hide
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Mar 4, 2018
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Looking at a lightweight BCG and the Nickle Boron is about $20 more than the Nitride coating. I like the black Nitride but if the Boron is worth the coin I'll buy it.

Thanks
 
I only use JP Ent. BCG's for shit I build, KAC if I just go with a built upper.. It's one of my "secrets" to a solid assembly. The JP FMOS carrier is probably the best aftermarket carrier ever made and they come with an upgraded bolt now that's hard to beat too. I get a good barrel for accuracy, and this part pretty much handles the reliability. I don't know what they coat 'em with but it's slick as goose snot and I've shot 'em dry before with no problems at all. They're that good.

They make a lightweight carrier but if you intend on depending on this rifle, I'd stay away from gimmick shit. JP has had nothing but stellar performance out of their light parts but STILL insist it's wiser to use the full mass parts on a fighting rifle. It makes sense.

FWIW, I don't own an adj. gas block or a lightweight carrier/recoil assy. or use junk or gimmicky parts and I've never had any of the problems I read about others on here having. Just saying.
 
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Thanks. Going to be a gopher gun 20 practical cal that my wife uses we shoot a fair amount suppressed with adj gas block so if it jams a round once in a great while it's not a deal breaker. The goal is to limit movement so she can see the hits aka gut's a flying in the scope.
 
I own a few of each, and I don't notice any operating difference. I don't shoot more than 250-300 rounds at any one given hour at the range, so that may be why.

The NiB does discolor over time
The NiB Is easier to clean with just some CLP
The NiB does 'feel' slippery if that matters to anything ;)

I always ask people, would you buy it again?

That said, the newest BCG I purchased (Dec 2018) was nitirided...
 
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I run JP and BCM BCGs and decided to try the toolcraft NB coated one just for shits and giggles and because they seem to have a following.

I honestly am not impressed other than being easy to clean. It is getting replaced by a BCM and will be a spare BCG.

Your not impressed? What didnt work? How did it differ from any other BCG? Your replacing it because you're not impressed? Lol

Toolcraft makes BCG's for many OEM's out there. I have built countless AR's using them and have never once had an issue. Both their NiB and Nitride...
 
It is a great product and a quality product.

I am not impressed with the NB coating. I prefer JPs coating as I have no discoloring after ~900rds and built up carbon on my JP comes off with soaked rag after every outing. I have to scrap the NB coated bolt.

You have to scrap it because its discolored? Why? Is the finish flaking?

I have bolts from almost all the big name companies here including multiple JP's, from their QPQ to Chromium Nitride to DLC. I am not aware of JP ever doing bolts in NiB but I could be wrong on that. There silver colored bolts are Chromium Nitride..... They dont change color from what I have seen.

Of all the different NiB bolts here, from all the different manufacturers they all have changed color in one way or another. Chrome bolts, not so much. Different coating all together. WmD, FailZero, Spikes, Toolcraft,

I want to make sure you are talking about aesthetics here and not an actual problem with the bolt itself which is what it sounds like.....Toolcraft BCG's carry a lifetime warranty if there were any problems which I never have heard of one.
 
Functionally No issues as I said.

JP Bolt Dirty (~120rds FGMM/~1000rds on it total)
BN Coated Bolt Wiped down a few days ago (60rds FGMM/300rds on it total)
View attachment 7106990

JP Bolt Partially Wiped Down Just Now
BN Coated Bolt Wiped down again
View attachment 7106992

Hence I am unimpressed with BN BCG package.

Note within the carrier aswell using a dry napkin. Carbon doesn’t come off like they portray. Again unimpressed with BN.
View attachment 7106996


So why do you have to scrap the bolt as you say? I see a fired, uncleaned bolt....
 
I have Np3, Chrome Nitride a d WMD NiB-X. So far I like all three. Np3 is slicker than goose shit when lubed. So is NiB-X and CrN is about what you would expect from a chrome BCG. So far the NiBX hasn changed colors but I am cleaning as soon as I get home from the range. The rifle that has the NiB-X has a binary trigger in it so it sees a high rate of fire, so far so good but I only have about 1500 rounds of .308 on it.

ETA the NiB-X cleans up the easiest followed by the Np3. CrN cleans up a lot easier than a phosphate carrier but not as easy as the other two.
 
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I have a NiB bolt in the rifle I shoot most often.

After maybe 5 cleanings the coating lost a LOT of its slickness, lubricity & got darker in color.

It still cleans ok (I pretty much only clean it in an ultrasonic tank) but it feels like shark skin now.

I wouldn’t pay extra for it again.
 
I have a NiB bolt in the rifle I shoot most often.

After maybe 5 cleanings the coating lost a LOT of its slickness, lubricity & got darker in color.

It still cleans ok (I pretty much only clean it in an ultrasonic tank) but it feels like shark skin now.

I wouldn’t pay extra for it again.

I actually found the ultrasonic cleaner destroys NiB. It did that very same thing to 2x Spikes Tactical NiB bcgs that I ultrasonic cleaned.

Foe the record, I prefer QPQ, melonite or DLC bcgs
 
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I have heard not all NiB is created equal, Fail Zero and WMD are supposed to be the best. I think this might be why some complain if the parts losing some of its properties.

IDK about Fail Zero but WMD has a lifetime warranty on the treatment. If you have a part that the treatment is failing on you they will nake it right.. Personally I have never read of anyone needing to send a WMD part back....
 
Clean/used NiB on the left
Clean/new NiB on the right

Left one has seen extensive time in an ultrasonic tank.
7CF9E970-71B7-4EE1-AE04-0B51ED7F2A0A.jpeg
 
I have heard not all NiB is created equal, Fail Zero and WMD are supposed to be the best. I think this might be why some complain if the parts losing some of its properties.

IDK about Fail Zero but WMD has a lifetime warranty on the treatment. If you have a part that the treatment is failing on you they will nake it right.. Personally I have never read of anyone needing to send a WMD part back....

There are guys who have had entire guns (let alone BCGs) ruined by WMD. Slides won’t rack, etc
 
I opted for the ion bond toolcraft carrier since it was on sale for under 100 bucks and is supposedly slicker than a nitrided.
I dont shoot it a whole lot but it seems to be holding up well, no chipping Ive discovered. Some spots dont "wipe" clean but nothing a bit of elbow grease added to the wiping cant quickly resolve.

Anyone have any inputs on whether the ion bond/dlc carrier is a worse decision than nitrided? Seems the consensus that the nickel boron isnt an appreciable improvement over nitrided. Wondering where the dlc stands between those two.
 
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IMO skip the NB stuff. If you're looking for "lubricity" or whatever, it's supposed to be awesome. However I tested out a couple NB coated BCG's and didn't notice any real advantage over my Gemtech Suppressed bcg or my BCM Ion Bonded FDE bcg. I run my FN DMR II with the BCM. If you're a 3 gunner running a full JP setup, well heck why not, but I personally haven't seen a distinct advantage in my limited time testing the NB.
 
I own a couple of these, a light weight and full sized.

Oil hardly sticks to it, and neither does grease. It's slicker than wet ice.
Haven't shot them much, maybe a couple hundred on the full sized. No chips, not even a scratch, and they wipe up clean easily.
Plan on buying a bronze one for another rifle that has a regular phosphate coating.
The black coating has the best lubricity, just getting bronze because the rifle is brown.
There are plenty of reviews, and most seem positive.
 
Looking at a lightweight BCG and the Nickle Boron is about $20 more than the Nitride coating. I like the black Nitride but if the Boron is worth the coin I'll buy it.

Thanks
JP Carriers all day everyday. They’re a lot of coin but worth every penny. Paired with their silent captured spring.
 

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