One of the main reasons I looked for a Gas Piston Upper and a different coating for the BCG was the need for less lubrication. Now that I have found a reliable Gas Piston system, I am still curious about the coatings available for the AR-15/M-16 BCG.
Living in a cold, and sandy environment...lubrication can cause it's own set of problems. Using less can help, but can impede the operation of some firearms. One solution for this is a smoother bolt, there are many finishes, coatings and types of Bolt Carrier Groups available, and a lot of them have the promise of being reliable with less lube. Along with my 1911 and 870, I sent a Young Manufacturing Phosphate BCG to Amelon for the
Micro-Slick Coating.
Left to Right: YMFG NM BCG, DPMS Titanium Nitrate BCG, YMFG Phosphate BCG coated in Micro-Slick and an YMFG Phosphate BCG
Because the coefficient of friction varies greatly between elements, finding two that have less friction between the two is optimal, to achieve less kinetic friction, lube is usually applied. Micro-Slick is applied very thin and is very smooth, which in addition to having a Ceramic backbone assists with the reduction of friction between the two elements.
Dan coated the entire Bolt, Carrier and the firing pin with the Micro-Slick. The BCG was noticeably more slippery to touch and had a much smoother surface than the standard Phosphate BCG. It was felt slicker than the Chrome and TiNi BCG.
I went and test fired 200 rounds through my Select-fire M4. I shot 80 rounds in semi with no malfunctions and then shot 80 rounds in Full-Auto with no problems, up until the last bullet. I believe that this was caused by a magazine problem and have had this problem with this magazine in the past. I then shot another 20 rounds in Semi with zero malfunctions and then another 20 rounds in Full Auto with no malfunctions.
The BCG had some fowling but was easily wiped off.
When I cleaned the BCG, there was quite a bit of Carbon build-up in one area, I used Gunzilla and lightly wiped the carbon off with steel wool and it was removed very easily. The micro-slick appeared to come off of the Firing Pin, but it still felt slick. There was no wear to the external area of the BCG. After I cleaned the BCG, I wiped a thin layer of lube over the BCG and it almost slipped out of my hands because it was so slick.
This is a nice upgrade that
Amelon offers and is considerable less than some of the other options of coatings available for BCG's. As time goes on, and after I have a chance test the BCG more and in different Temperatures, I will update the T&E. The Micro-Slick can be applied to many different parts of the firearm, included but not limited to your barrel, slide, frame, guide rods...etc. The application of the Micro-Slick is so thin that it can also be applied to the bore, which can aid in the prevention of Copper fouling and protection of the bore.
This post has been edited by jchtrh: August 7th 2009 8:49 AM
August 7th 2009 8:33 AM
