Salient Arms International Bolt Carrier Group (Review)
I am not LEO or MIL. I also do not shoot competition. I do not have much experience with the wide variety of coatings out there. I am just a guy who likes guns. So with that in mind, consider this purchase as just one of a curious mind. I was considering Nickel Boron, but wanted something more unique to be at the heart of my rifle. Which led me to Salient Arms International. I always was curious about their products, and through Facebook and Instagram i was able to ooh and ahh at their Tier 1 Glocks and Benelli shotgun, but had never given serious thought to ordering one. So i decided to order their cheapest product, their AR15 FA BCG. I called on a monday around 2 PM and a voice answered on the second ring. Sweet! I spoke to Aaron Chavez. He was professional, and all my questions were answered and my order was placed all within 2 and a half minutes, along with a tracking number and order confirmation sent to my email. Salient manufactures these units in house, as well as MPI and HPT's the units. The next day, Tuesday, brown santa dropped off my package. I am glad that SAI utilizes UPS and not USPS, as i never have luck with USPS. It arrived wrapped in bubble wrap, which i felt was sufficient for the product. The coating is extremely smooth, and fit and finish is extremely impressive. Here are some photos:
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Range day! I shot 62 Gr XM855 green tip. Nothing special, typical WalMart stuff.
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I shot 300 rounds at a moderate pace, and most was rapid fire. Only thing i did prior to shooting was a drop of M-Pro 7 where the bolt rides within the carrier. The rifle cycled noticeably smoother, and seemed to get great reception from others who shot the rifle. I am very pleased with the purchase. Then came cleaning....
Heres what it looked like when i pulled it out 8 hours after the range trip. Maybe its my lack of experience with coatings that aren't black but it looked extraordinarily dirty compared to my phosphate BCG. My rifle is a Midlength gas system, if you're wondering.
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2 Minutes with a dry rag produced this:
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http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/a...psbyocvkfu.jpg
With the exception of some stubborn grime behind the gas rings, all was easily cleaned and peachy. No wear marks anywhere on the unit, though round count was admittedly low at 300. I'll update this thread the more i shoot it, but I do not feel i wasted money in the least. I am extremely pleased and will use another on a future build. SAI's customer service was excellent, and when they said they would get it shipped out that day, they meant it. Its refreshing to hear a human voice. I hope this was a help, as there is little information out there on this product. Thanks.