Who Here Really Breaks Bolts?

[Coal Dragger]

Haven’t broken one yet. Most of my rounds are on issued M16A2 and M16A4 rifles since USMC adopted shorter M4’s and M27’s after I got out. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of bolt failures being a common n occurrence with rifle length gas systems.

None of my personal M4/AR types have had any bolt breakages. Colt M4A1 SOCOM II, carbine length gas no issues. Daniel Defense V7 Pro, rifle length gas no issues. Knights Armament SR-15 no issues (also not a standard bolt). Lastly a Frankenstein CMMG pile of crap with a mystery bolt, has had extraction failures but no breakage.

[joe138]

I broke one that was on an Colt M4 with @ 10,000 rounds , very little was full auto. Since then I've kept an accurate round count. This was a duty gun that started life as an M16A1, and was converted to an M4.

[turnburglar]

Never broken one, or seen one break.

I shoot a lot of local matches so I probably see a couple thousand rounds a weekend get shot.

Also I have two PSA bolts that are past 5k rounds. fwiw

[TMS951]

Since I’m quoted here I feel a certain need to reply. I have two points.

First, people are in fact replying with having broken bolts. It’s a real thing. How about other guns? SCAR, AK, Sig 550, G3? Are people breaking bolts, or ‘breach faces’.

I’d wager not as many. I’d bet those guns over all evenly kind of war out. Or the barrel does. But I’m an AR a bolt can break leaving a gun useless. That gun could otherwise only be 50% worn out.

Nope. It’s an AR thing in guns with a strong gas impulse.

Second, if it wasn’t an issue companies like KAC, LMT, Geissele and others would not be seeking a stronger bolt. It’s basically accepted the Achilles heal of the AR is the bolt. If is was something else, companies would focus on that something else.

Owning a second bolt is a quick fix to keeping your AR up and running.

I’ve also never broken a bolt.

[26 Inf]

The only bolts I've ever seen broken were on LEOSA rifles with who knows how many rounds through them. And that is a sum total of two, both were lugs by the extractor.

[IALoder]

Personally never broken one, but I did see one break off a lug on a buddies while we were shooting some steel. The whole bcg was of questionable origin, and never really ran consistently before it broke.

[markm]

Personally never broken one, but I did see one break off a lug on a buddies while we were shooting some steel. The whole bcg was of questionable origin, and never really ran consistently before it broke.

That seem to be a theme. Garbage bolts break in significantly greater numbers than legit bolts.

[docsherm]

[QUOTE=1168;3025833]TLDR is in the title.



[QUOTE=TMS951;3025678]Absolutely they intend to serialize AR bolts. Honestly quite genius as the bolt is really the Achilles heel of the weapon. They have now made an 80$ fix of a broken bolt replacement need to have an FFl transfer. *SNIP*

I’ve noticed in a couple threads here where people are concerned about bolt life. I’m not interested in debating average life or what the best brand is. I’m also uninterested in “I know a dude that said his cousin in the Unit broke a bolt once.” Just “yeah, I broke one a few years ago; it was a Colt, estimated round count was xx,xxx rounds; ammo used was 262”. Personal experience or direct observation only, please.

To be clear, I’m not mocking anyone’s concern over the potential to break a bolt. I’m just curious about others’ experiences.

I’ll start: Last time I broke a bolt was several years ago, M855, unknown round count, factory Colt M4a1.

I have seen 7 bolts break. All of the Colt and all of them with less then 500 rounds through them. Used in a MK18 and using MK262. This was during PMTs and on two separate teams.

[opngrnd]

[QUOTE=docsherm;3026297][QUOTE=1168;3025833]TLDR is in the title.

Absolutely they intend to serialize AR bolts. Honestly quite genius as the bolt is really the Achilles heel of the weapon. They have now made an 80$ fix of a broken bolt replacement need to have an FFl transfer. *SNIP*

I have seen 7 bolts break. All of the Colt and all of them with less then 500 rounds through them. Used in a MK18 and using MK262. This was during PMTs and on two separate teams.

Was this prior to the redesign of the Mk 262?

[titsonritz]

I've never broken a bolt, but I have six spare Colt bolts just in case I do.