Range report: Hodge barrel with LMT Enhanced BCG *UPDATE page 7*

**ABNAK** · 05-26-19, 12:38

Originally Posted by Sry0fcr

5 of 25 is a 20% failure rate... under ideal conditions. I'm assuming some of the other standard symptoms of undergassing were present? Sluggish cycling, weak/forward ejection?

I'd be curious if a standard carrier "fixes" it.

I have no doubt it will.

Yeah, a 20% failure-to-lock rate is indicative of under-powered cycling. I thought I'd have actual short-stroke malfunctions and was surprised I didn't to be quite frank. Ejection was consistently to my 4 or 5 o'clock. All the dings on the brass deflector were on the outer third of it, towards the end. No marks on it in closer to the receiver.

**ABNAK** · 05-26-19, 12:53

Originally Posted by vicious_cb

You really need to understand how and why the Hodge small gas port is the way it is. That kind of porting was designed not just because of hotter ammo but as a system. It takes into account gas block seal, gas key to carrier seal, carrier friction ect to make the gun run reliably with smaller port. The moment you start monkeying around with different carriers you are throwing the system out of whack.

About the only carrier that would affect cycling is the one I tried, or one with a similar function of delayed unlocking (like the Surefire OBC for example). If you are suggesting otherwise the fact that a standard bolt carrier is PVD/CVD coated or hard chrome, as opposed to phosphate, isn't going to make a hill of beans worth of a difference. As was stated by someone else, and acknowledged by me going into this, the Hodge was designed for a standard BCG (i.e. not an LMT EBCG) with an H2 buffer and standard carbine spring. I altered one part of the equation and got a 20% failure-to-lock rate. I have no doubt my Cryptic Coatings or DD chromed standard carriers will fix that issue.

I found it an interesting experiment which made it obvious that the Hodge equation is like it is for a reason, but I discovered a "middle ground" (certainly not optimal but not as bad as I thought it would be).

I'm hoping the use of a standard carrier will bring up the function of the Mk318 as I have 1K of them "on ice" for a rainy day.

**MountainRaven** · 05-26-19, 15:14

If the type of finish on the bolt carrier is going to impact reliability noticeably, then the type and amount of lubrication used will make a noticeable difference. And I don't think that'd be the case.

Also:

Poster: experiments with barrel, BCG, ammunition combo

Other posters: slam OP for being an idiot, because who would shoot that ammo/use that barrel with that BCG/use that ammo with that barrel and that BCG?
Also other posters: wonder why industry professionals don't post regularly on forums any more

Where were you guys when IG was playing with LMT E-BCGs in 20-inch rifle-gas guns?

**RHINOWSO** · 05-26-19, 15:21

Originally Posted by ABNAK

Why not? It adds another element to tinkering, which I find interesting. It's on my dime, not yours.

"Because an 6920 is all you ever need, until you need a custom NVD capable rifle, until you get pissed you spent all this money, then want to give them all away, then begin peacocking / virtue signaling."

Wash, rinse, repeat. It's funny to watch, actually.

**jpmuscle** · 05-26-19, 15:23

Originally Posted by RHINOWSO

"Because an 6920 is all you ever need, until you need a custom NVD capable rifle, until you get pissed you spent all this money, then want to give them all away, then begin peacocking / virtue signaling."

Wash, rinse, repeat. It's funny to watch, actually.

Yes. Let the hate and jealousy flow through you.

Wash, rinse, repeat. It’s funny to watch, actually.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**1168** · 05-26-19, 16:02

Originally Posted by MountainRaven

If the type of finish on the bolt carrier is going to impact reliability noticeably, then the type and amount of lubrication used will make a noticeable difference. And I don't think that'd be the case.

Also:

Poster: experiments with barrel, BCG, ammunition combo

Other posters: slam OP for being an idiot, because who would shoot that ammo/use that barrel with that BCG/use that ammo with that barrel and that BCG?
Also other posters: wonder why industry professionals don't post regularly on forums any more

Where were you guys when IG was playing with LMT E-BCGs in 20-inch rifle-gas guns?

I, for one, am interested in hearing from OP about more experimenting with this gun, since its obviously right on the edge of functioning, while using quality parts.

**ggammell** · 05-26-19, 16:41

Originally Posted by MountainRaven

If the type of finish on the bolt carrier is going to impact reliability noticeably, then the type and amount of lubrication used will make a noticeable difference. And I don't think that'd be the case.

Also:

Poster: experiments with barrel, BCG, ammunition combo

Other posters: slam OP for being an idiot, because who would shoot that ammo/use that barrel with that BCG/use that ammo with that barrel and that BCG?
Also other posters: wonder why industry professionals don't post regularly on forums any more

Where were you guys when IG was playing with LMT E-BCGs in 20-inch rifle-gas guns?

Epic.

**ABNAK** · 05-26-19, 17:28

Originally Posted by 1168

I, for one, am interested in hearing from OP about more experimenting with this gun, since its obviously right on the edge of functioning, while using quality parts.

I plan to run the same round count/type of ammo (40 of M855A1, 20 each of Mk318 and IMI Razor) either next weekend or the one after. I will post results in this thread. This time it will be either the Cryptic Coatings or DD chromed BCG, both of which are standard carriers. I want to see the overall failure-to-lock rate as well as by ammo type. Hopefully there won't be ANY!

**pointblank4445** · 05-26-19, 19:18

Wow...this thread really went to hell.

Gun 3 now runs like a champ after replacing the Springco with a milspec carbine spring. Must've gone back to the smaller gas port spec of a few runs ago; tried it with the A5 setup that the others like and would only properly cycle half the time.

**ABNAK** · 05-26-19, 19:53

Originally Posted by pointblank4445

Wow...this thread really went to hell.

Gun 3 now runs like a champ after replacing the Springco with a milspec carbine spring. Must've gone back to the smaller gas port spec of a few runs ago; tried it with the A5 setup that the others like and would only properly cycle half the time.

So more than just lock-back failures? i.e. FTF, FTE, bolt-overs, etc.? Not in keeping with the A5 love!

Good to hear that as far as something that would, in addition to the BCG, inhibit the Hodge-based weapon from working properly.

I guess I could drop buffer weight incrementally to see if mine functions 100% for lock-back but the $$$ of testing these specific ammo types over and over gets costly (and I would want repeatability of factors for each buffer weight). The 80 rounds I fired yesterday was ~ $115. Think about identical testing with an H, then a standard buffer, finally giving up the ghost and testing/verifying a standard-type bolt carrier.