View Full Version : Broken RCA (Noveske) Bolt
ken livingston
07-10-16, 15:12
Cleaned and inspected my SOPMOD II inspired build today. One of the parts I veered from the standard was using a RCA (Noveske) Nitride BCG (http://www.noveske.com/collections/parts/products/rca-black-nitride-bolt-carrier-group)I had in my parts bin.
Now I am someone who is guilty of not cleaning my rifles very consistently, it had probably been about a thousand rounds since I pulled this BCG out. I put around 200 rounds through it today and figured I would give the rifle a once over. As I was cleaning the bolt I found a crack by the cam pin hole.
Facts :
This Bolt has between 5K and 7.5K rounds on it, I don't track round count even a little bit and this is my best guess.
I clean approximately every 1K rounds, other that that it just gets a little CLP if things feel like they're getting sticky.
This bolt came out of a flawlessly running gun.
Anyone got a Colt bolt they're looking to get rid of :)
PICS:
40388
40389
40390
40391
Interesting, I was wondering how these BCGs were. I know RCA doesn't have the best reputation but I was hoping Noveske was holding their branded stuff to a very high standard. Have you contacted them? I'm curious what they'd say about it, even though 8k rounds isn't an insignificant amount.
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556BlackRifle
07-10-16, 15:23
That's not good...... gulp...... I have one with a few thousand rounds through it. So far okay...... I think......
ETA: How old is your bolt? Got mine ~3 years ago.
ken livingston
07-10-16, 15:27
Interesting, I was wondering how these BCGs were. I know RCA doesn't have the best reputation but I was hoping Noveske was holding their branded stuff to a very high standard. Have you contacted them? I'm curious what they'd say about it, even though 8k rounds isn't an insignificant amount.
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I have not contacted them, I may give them a heads up but given the use, I don't expect them to do anything about it, I wouldn't.
I am slightly disappointed, I have a Young MFG bolt thats got twice the use of this one and is still going strong, but shit breaks and we move on.
ken livingston
07-10-16, 15:28
That's not good...... gulp...... I have one with a few thousand rounds through it. So far okay...... I think......
ETA: How old is your bolt? Got mine ~3 years ago.
Just checked order date, May 2015.
556BlackRifle
07-10-16, 15:32
Just checked order date, May 2015.
I would ping RCA and see if they'd replace that for you. Maybe there could've been a bad batch. (Like the Relia-bolt breaking lugs a couple of years back.)
Wow! Are you serious that it continued to function even when everything wasn't perfect? How can that be?!?
Wonder how long it can go before cracking the other side?
I know John Noveske was not a fan of treated BCG or bolts. He would only use standard parkerized milspec models.
JMHO but the staking of those gas key bolts looks pretty weak as well. I guess I'm just used to the way Colt really mashes 'em.
I know John Noveske was not a fan of treated BCG or bolts. He would only use standard parkerized milspec models.
Have you spoken with Joel about their QPQ'ed 9310 offerings? A lot of T&E has been done. Also, at the time, nitriders still had some work to do, when Joel and John were working together.
Regarding RCA, their stuff sucks in my opinion. Dimensionally wonky, and the lugs on one of their bolts peened notably. I swapped all the one's out that I bought for friends as gifts.
Anyone got a Colt bolt they're looking to get rid of :)
Get a Sionics NP3 bolt. Quality and easier to clean.
Get a Sionics NP3 bolt. Quality and easier to clean.
Colt is the knee-jerk reaction. OP bought a boutique item, it failed, and now OP has returned "to baseline". Pretty sure OP is set on staying there for a minute until the urge to branch out and experiment strikes again, lol Human nature.
It also doesn't help that noveske overgasses their guns hardcore.
ken livingston
07-10-16, 21:44
Colt is the knee-jerk reaction.
I thought better of it and ordered a couple LMT standards
The barrel is probably nearing the end of its life as well so I'd give it a close look too. Ever since I read all the complaints about nitrogen embritlement with some chrome plated bolts, I've stuck to plain Jane parked bcgs. Glad you caught it before things went south at a bad time.
The barrel is probably nearing the end of its life as well so I'd give it a close look too. Ever since I read all the complaints about nitrogen embritlement with some chrome plated bolts, I've stuck to plain Jane parked bcgs. Glad you caught it before things went south at a bad time.
I'd say the barrel still has another 20k left in it unless OP has it on a FA lower shooting suppressed doing mag-dumps. 5-7K is nothing. I have about 5K on my DDM4 .gov CHF barrel, and can still shoot <1.5moa 10-shot groups with it using a 4x optic, on demand. 75% or more use has been suppressed, and a little less than half with cheap bi-metal jacket Wolf/Tula. High volume courses, etc.
The barrel is probably nearing the end of its life as well so I'd give it a close look too. Ever since I read all the complaints about nitrogen embritlement with some chrome plated bolts, I've stuck to plain Jane parked bcgs. Glad you caught it before things went south at a bad time.
Hydrogen, not nitrogen embrittlement.
Op, nice catch. Good reminder to inspect. I don't clean near as much as I used to, but it's good to at least break and wipe down the gun to inspect it.
I knew it was some kinda gen gas.
ken livingston
07-10-16, 23:10
Good reminder to inspect. I don't clean near as much as I used to, but it's good to at least break and wipe down the gun to inspect it.
Thanks... That was really the purpose of starting the thread, I don't do nearly a good enough job of following that advice and happened to get lucky in this instance.
Get a Sionics NP3 bolt. Quality and easier to clean.
I know Sionics is good stuff, but whats the NP3 consensus around here? I was under the impression that phosphate holds lube better and NP3 coating application is hit or miss. Was thinking about getting an LMT enhanced for my supressed SBR, but I see it's not NP3. Would just the sionics bolt provide benefits for lubricity?
So since this is becoming kind of a propriety BCG coating thing, how about that ion bond BCM BCG?
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I thought better of it and ordered a couple LMT standards
Excellent choice.
elephantrider
07-11-16, 04:55
Cleaned and inspected my SOPMOD II inspired build today. One of the parts I veered from the standard was using a RCA (Noveske) Nitride BCG (http://www.noveske.com/collections/parts/products/rca-black-nitride-bolt-carrier-group)I had in my parts bin.
Now I am someone who is guilty of not cleaning my rifles very consistently, it had probably been about a thousand rounds since I pulled this BCG out. I put around 200 rounds through it today and figured I would give the rifle a once over. As I was cleaning the bolt I found a crack by the cam pin hole.
Facts :
This Bolt has between 5K and 7.5K rounds on it, I don't track round count even a little bit and this is my best guess.
I clean approximately every 1K rounds, other that that it just gets a little CLP if things feel like they're getting sticky.
This bolt came out of a flawlessly running gun.
Anyone got a Colt bolt they're looking to get rid of :)
Some folks preemptively replace the bolt at or before your round count. Depending on the barrel, gas port, ammo used, this may just be normal wearing out of a part.
What barrel/upper was this BCG running. Have you taken a look at your cam pin? How much wear was on the cam pin? I doubt that cleaning intervals, or lubrication had much to do with this.
Some folks preemptively replace the bolt at or before your round count. Depending on the barrel, gas port, ammo used, this may just be normal wearing out of a part.
What barrel/upper was this BCG running. Have you taken a look at your cam pin? How much wear was on the cam pin? I doubt that cleaning intervals, or lubrication had much to do with this.
At about 2500 rounds, my QPQ'ed cam-pin is only shiny. There is no "wear". Well, I guess there is, but it's less than my Colt cam-pin after 50 rounds.
ken livingston
07-11-16, 05:35
Some folks preemptively replace the bolt at or before your round count. Depending on the barrel, gas port, ammo used, this may just be normal wearing out of a part.
I'm sure some do. Colt Socom with brass case save for about 1K rounds of wolf. I agree, I'm not bitching just sharing. I Don't expect a free replacement am not putting in warranty claim.
What barrel/upper was this BCG running. Have you taken a look at your cam pin? How much wear was on the cam pin? I doubt that cleaning intervals, or lubrication had much to do with this.
https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7757/28160710461_f8e50257d1_c.jpg
Eurodriver
07-11-16, 06:03
Some folks preemptively replace the bolt at or before your round count. Depending on the barrel, gas port, ammo used, this may just be normal wearing out of a part.
Correctomundo.
Broken bolts are a carbine problem. If you want your bolts to outlive you, run 20" barrels.
Correctomundo.
Broken bolts are a carbine problem. If you want your bolts to outlive you, run 20" barrels.
Shouldn't that be rifle length gas systems?
I would think a carbine length gas system on a 20" barrel would be pretty hard on the bolt as well....
Eurodriver
07-11-16, 07:17
Shouldn't that be rifle length gas systems?
I would think a carbine length gas system on a 20" barrel would be pretty hard on the bolt as well....
Yes, you're absolutely correct.
I forgot that I was on the internet and someone was going to invent a 20" barrel with a carbine length gas system to prove a non existent point.
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