Which BCG?

[Hillbillyhero]

I've bought 5 different BCGs for my builds. Hard to go wrong with any of the newer BCGs. From Aim Surplus to Bravo Company I haven't had a problem with any of them.

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[ACE31]

For nickel boron, the most common criticism pretty much relates to durability. There are some instances/reports of the coating flaking and/or chipping. Sometimes with lower round counts. On the other hand, there are instances with very high round count Nib coated BCGs that do not exhibit any signs of such types of wear. So, I'm inclined to think it may have more to do with proper application of the coating.

Now, if given a choice, I would select nickel teflon over nickel boron. One of the other critiques of nickel boron also relates to wear, but is less overt. No matter what, most coatings will degrade to some degree. When nickel boron wears, it's loss of lubricity (coefficient of friction) is more "aggressive". The BCG will still function just fine. But, the advantages related to a slicker coating have a diminishing value.

Nickel teflon also wears over time. However, it wears in a more uniform way; which better maintains its low coefficient of friction. It also is reported to have a little better corrosion resistance. But, for most, issues with corrosion on their BCG is of little concern. It is a little softer than nickel boron. But that's also somewhat inconsequential, because wear doesn't significantly alter its lubricity.

Both can have some advantages over traditional coatings/treatments when it comes to cleaning and required lubrication. But if the whole point of buying one is for those advantages, I'll opt for the one that's more consistent over time.



^^^There's definitely some truth in this. As far as the nickel boron criticism, those examples provided in this thread don't necessarily warrant a "garbage" designation. It didn't just wipe clean. It requires lube. While valid points, everything indicates that the NiB BCGs still function. At the end of the day, that's all that matters.

Regarding the general tendency of some to argue, the root motivation could be one of many things. In particular, when using your example of cost savings, I think part of the tenacity boils down to justification. There are plenty of instances where someone speaking favorably of a component that's not considered "tier-1" is told that they're just trying to justify buying junk.

Well, that argument can cut both ways. On the other side, there are some who buy the high-end products because they want to feel like they're "in the know". They see others champion the superiority of a product or brand, want to be accepted, and just go along with the popular kids. In application, their shooting experience very well might have been the same regardless of what brand they went with. But they don't want to feel like a sucker for spending twice the money to produce the same results. So, they justify spending more by clinging to the idea that those lesser components would have never performed as well.

Obviously, there are plenty of other reasons for disagreements. Some might be legitimate; others might not. My example isn't meant to declare that justification is the only factor motivating either side. The point is that justification is a two way street with plenty of traffic.

Pretty much spot on, some people like buying the cheaper brand A and some like buying the most expensive brand B. All depends on personal satisfaction or what makes you sleep better at night...LMAO

[Rodan1957]

My baseline for acceptable BCGs is Toolcraft Nib-X

[RichardLips]

Anything made from C-158 is my first go to. 9310 is a close 2nd.