Nickel teflon and nickel boron on bolt/cam pin/carrier

[JediGuy]

I believe it was in Geissele’s older video where the man himself explains every trigger option they and ALG offered at the time.

He mentions that the ALG ACT has competing surfaces: one nickel Teflon and the other nickel boron, because they actually slide better against each other than if both surfaces were the same.

I happen to have a Toolcraft nickel boron BCG in an 11.3” upper that hadn’t yet sold on the EE. I also have a Sionics nickel teflon BCG in my Colt CCU upper.

Is there conceivably an advantage, albeit minute, to switching the bolts or cam pins between the two carriers?

I would “assume” there to be no noticeable impact, but considered the thought interesting and wondered if someone more knowledgeable has an opinion.

[GH41]

I believe it was in Geissele’s older video where the man himself explains every trigger option they and ALG offered at the time.

He mentions that the ALG ACT has competing surfaces: one nickel Teflon and the other nickel boron, because they actually slide better against each other than if both surfaces were the same.

I happen to have a Toolcraft nickel boron BCG in an 11.3” upper that hadn’t yet sold on the EE. I also have a Sionics nickel teflon BCG in my Colt CCU upper.

Is there conceivably an advantage, albeit minute, to switching the bolts or cam pins between the two carriers?

I would “assume” there to be no noticeable impact, but considered the thought interesting and wondered if someone more knowledgeable has an opinion.

I am probably the wrong person to ask. I am old an opinionated. The "G" triggers I own work well without any wiz bang miracle treatment. BTW, my favorite trigger is the Wilson TTU. No fancy treatment either. I don't have anything Toolcraft. I am guilty of googling a manufacturer's address before doing business with them. He may contract the best BCG made but he isn't doing out of a 3 bedroom ranch house. The dirty little secret... Very few people selling AR stuff actually make it. Selling stuff with wiz bang miracle treatments attracts sale to the same people who buy the latest greatest fishing lures who really don't know much about catching fish.

[JediGuy]

I’m with you overall. I’ve held on to the Toolcraft NiB simply because I didn’t want to replace it for a gun (now just upper) that saw little use. The coating seems to be soundly disliked on this site, and I defer to the wisdom of others on that point.

On the other hand, Sionics and Robar are/were both well-respected, and the nickel teflon treatment is held in regard. Necessary? No way, but only positive potential ramifications for using. And Bill Geissele avoids using any treatments on the G line, but mentioned positives for the ACT trigger.

Overall, interested in any technical opinions of potential benefits. I do not expect to mix/match my BCG components. Pure curiosity.

[Kenneth]

From what I have read from guys in where who shoot TONS more then me. A regular phosphate carrier and a nickel boron bolt is the way to go.

Me personally will be using a LMT E carrier and a Sionics NiB coated bolt in my 11.5.

The LMT carrier is impossible to find right now and on a waitlist for 5 months or I would be using it already.


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[MegademiC]

There is some merit to this. Nib against nib wears pretty quickly due to the hardness/brittleness and morphology of the coating. Having it wear against np3 would reduce this, and you can choose which part wears preferentially.

That said, standard steel parts seem to last just fine. I would bet the time it would take to make a determination is going to be years. Doubt you’ll notice a difference good or bad. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it, but would not seek it out either.

[M Sadler]

I am probably the wrong person to ask. I am old an opinionated. The "G" triggers I own work well without any wiz bang miracle treatment. ...clip... Selling stuff with wiz bang miracle treatments attracts sale to the same people who buy the latest greatest fishing lures who really don't know much about catching fish.

Fallin' on deaf ears... CDS (coating derangement syndrome) is alive and well. It shines like a neon sign above their heads.

[SIONICS Weapon Systems]

In our opinion, there is NO comparison between an NP3/Electroless Nickel PTFE Coated Surface and Nickel Boron Coated Surface. After coating tens of thousands of Bolts and Carriers with NP3 over the years, we have NEVER seen one flake. That cannot be said about Nickel Boron Coatings. Close to seven years ago, we were provided the following information which has always proven to be accurate.

NP3 has a coefficient of friction as low as .07-.1 according to test standards LFW-1 and ASTM D-2714. Nickel Boron has a coefficient of friction as low as .08-.2. NP3 has PTFE also known as Teflon® co-deposited in the nickel matrix. As wear occurs, new PTFE particles are exposed and the self lubricating properties continue. Nickel boron has a surface with many high points. Because the high points make all the contact, there is less surface area for friction to occur. The problem with this is once the high points wear down the coefficient of friction increases due to more surface area being contacted. With no self lubricating particles like Teflon® in the Nickel Boron matrix, there is no additional lubrication after the contact points are worn. The bottom line is that if you see wear on Nickel Boron, it has lost its “Self Lubricating” properties at that spot.

Regarding cleaning, NP3 is easy to clean for the same reason that a pan with Teflon® is easy to clean. Teflon® is non-stick and easy to wipe down, therefor carbon does not adhere to the surface. Nickel Boron has many ridges to catch carbon fouling. The ridges in Nickel Boron are smaller than the ridges in Manganese Phosphate that act as a sponge for oil, so compared to Manganese Phosphate, Nickel Boron is easier to clean. This is the same as comparing a rail road spike to a nail in your tire. One is definitely worse than the other, but both will impede function.

Regarding Corrosion Resistance, NP3 has great corrosion resistance twice the amount of Nickel Boron. Nickel Boron is at the same level of corrosion resistance as regular Nickel or Chrome.

There is a lot more to share, but this is a good start. Please don't hesitate to give us a call at the shop if you have any questions.