Who Here Really Breaks Bolts?

[vicious_cb]

I run a Sharps Reliable bolt in both my M4 and MK 12.
I did put a one piece gas Ring JP and 5 coil extractor spring in it with black insert.
Works great !

I would rethink that choice, there is nothing reliable about those bolts. Like the Sharps bolt I broke, the only time Ive broken bolts were because they were defective in the first place. Ive retired many bolts that lasted the life of the barrel, yes carbine gas barrels included.

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...53#post2576153

[1168]

I wonder how much of the experience on this site is due to a certain amount of bias based on the user group here? Not to sound like a smug fart sniffing elitist, but the average M4Carbine.net member doesn’t seem to be buying el-cheapo M4 clones on sale at a big box sporting goods store.

*SNIP*

Bubba and his $400 AR made of mystery parts might break parts, but he’s not posting here because this user group isn’t very tolerant of Bubba, so we don’t have Bubba’s data points. Bubba probably isn’t showing up to 1000 round count 2-3 day classes every year or every other year either, so odds are he isn’t going to break a bolt either.

No, you’re right, not smug. I’d love to hear from Bubba with his BCA here in this thread, as long as he can say “yeah, I broke a bolt” or, “no, I fired 11,000 rounds of XM855 and didn’t break shit”. Not “I shot 500 rounds, and its GTG”. Essentially, the point I am trying to make is below stated by ViciousCB, but I’m also genuinely interested in anecdotes of users here.

. Ive retired many bolts that lasted the life of the barrel, yes carbine gas barrels included.

Yup. And I was wondering when you’d pop up and add that to the two or three other users that have posted about breaking “improved” bolts.

[vicious_cb]

Yup. And I was wondering when you’d pop up and add that to the two or three other users that have posted about breaking “improved” bolts.

Goes to show if something sounds too good to be true, like S7 steel bolts, it probably is. The replacement Sharps lives in the back-up of the back-up that will only be used as a loaner and is the only rifle that keeps a spare bolt in the grip for obvious reasons.

I did bite the bullet and buy an LMT e-bolt combined with a Hodge barrel to see how long a combo like that would last, unfortunately due to the unspecified virus of unknown origin I havent been able to put enough rounds thru it to make any conclusions.

My take on "improved bolts", considering an LMT is 3x the cost of a regular bolt I don't see the point in owning anything more than a good mil-spec especially since you are more likely to retire an AR before the bolt breaks.

[1168]

I did bite the bullet and buy an LMT e-bolt combined with a Hodge barrel to see how long a combo like that would last, unfortunately due to the unspecified virus of unknown origin I havent been able to put enough rounds thru it to make any conclusions.

My take on "improved bolts", considering an LMT is 3x the cost of a regular bolt I don't see the point in owning anything more than a good mil-spec especially since you are more likely to retire an AR before the bolt breaks.

I mainly got into the LMT bolts for the carrier (and its cam path) for suppressor hosts, but they do seem to be very durable. My two LMT bolts have lived in 4 barrels, 3 of which are done and retired. There are other nice features, but probably not worth the money; I’m not saying I think anyone needs to run out and buy one or anything. A standard bolt from a good manufacturer is fine.

If you get around to putting rounds on yours, I’d love to hear about it. I also have a Hodge barrel sorta waiting its turn. Minimal ammo through it so far because I’ve been enjoying my Kino, and lazy about getting a light mount for it.

[ScottsBad]

Not yet, but I have spares for everything. Sometimes the spares turn into another rifle, requiring more spares.

This absolutely happens, and then the problem is: Lets say a new rail accessory attachment system comes out (keymod-->MLOK), well now you feel like you need to convert all 12 ARs to MLOK!

Or you feel like you need to upgrade triggers, install ambi safeties, or upgrade optics on every rifle.

Pretty soon you are shooting only two or three of the most upgraded, up to date ARs in your pile, because its too expensive and time consuming to do the upgrades on all those rifles you built.

This is a vicious cycle, so I've promised myself that I won't build any more ARs and will keep all spares stored away.

[ScottsBad]

Goes to show if something sounds too good to be true, like S7 steel bolts, it probably is. The replacement Sharps lives in the back-up of the back-up that will only be used as a loaner and is the only rifle that keeps a spare bolt in the grip for obvious reasons.

I did bite the bullet and buy an LMT e-bolt combined with a Hodge barrel to see how long a combo like that would last, unfortunately due to the unspecified virus of unknown origin I havent been able to put enough rounds thru it to make any conclusions.

My take on "improved bolts", considering an LMT is 3x the cost of a regular bolt I don't see the point in owning anything more than a good mil-spec especially since you are more likely to retire an AR before the bolt breaks.

Everything you say could be true except using COVID as a excuse for not shooting LOL. Unless you live in NYC.

What kills me is guys who buy $99 mystery BCGs to shoot many thousands of dollars of expensive ammo... They can't spend the extra $80-@100 to get a BCM, DD, Colt, or LMT what have you, but they'll go to the range and do mag dumps.

[vicious_cb]

Everything you say could be true except using COVID as a excuse for not shooting LOL. Unless you live in NYC.

What kills me is guys who buy $99 mystery BCGs to shoot many thousands of dollars of expensive ammo... They can't spend the extra $80-@100 to get a BCM, DD, Colt, or LMT what have you, but they'll go to the range and do mag dumps.

No, I blame the response to COVID for having to ration ammo. 200 rnds per week to 120-150 rnds a month is a big drop in terms of being able to break stuff in a timely manner.

[markm]

What kills me is guys who buy $99 mystery BCGs to shoot many thousands of dollars of expensive ammo...

A mystery BCG pretty much guarantees it's not made to spec. Anyone who specs a BCG correctly is surely not going to keep that a secret.

There are a lot of WTF BCGs out there. Nitrided and all sorts of nonsense variants.

[hk_shootr]

I’ve only had one break. It was an original Bushmaster A2 with just over 8k. It broke at the cam pin hole

[AKDoug]

Sheared a lug off a circa 2012 Daniel Defense V7 at a little north of 6000 rounds of nothing special ammo. Bolt actually still worked fine and I have zero idea where the lug went. Replaced with a Colt and moved on with life.