Bradgsxr Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I am very new to the AR world and last year bought a basic M&P 15 to set up for 3 gun. Only has a 16" barrel ( I know a lot of guys prefer longer but I was building on a budget ) but I have set it up to work nicely for 3 gun which is all I use it for. My question is I would like to replace the stock bolt carrier group as it has the plain black phosphate coated one that it came with and I would like to go to something that would be much easier to clean like a nickel boron coated or a stainless etc... I am wondering what is the best as far as ease of cleaning and good wear life etc... and being that it is strictly a 3 gun rifle, is it worth it to go to a " low mass " carrier ? From what I understand, the lighter carriers reduce the recoil but you then have to change buffer etc... is it worth it or should I just stick with a good coated BCG and call it good. Eventually I would like to go to a nice JP with a little longer barrel etc... but for now I am going to stick with the M&P as it is working well for me and my abilities don't warrant better equipment yet just looking to make clean up easier etc... Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, I have looked at the JP's, AP rhino etc.... any other brands I should look at ? - Thanks for any help - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter115 Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 For a lightened carrier to be effective you also need to add an adjustable gas block to your list. If you decide to stick to a full weight carrier the Nickel Boron coated BCG from APF Armory is really nice and represents a great value. http://www.apfarmory.com/ar15-m16-nickel-boron-bolt-carrier-group/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grouse Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Stick to stock and put your money in ammo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ski_dog Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 The low mass system is worth it for the game. Before that though, I would put a muzzle brake on the barrel, and an adjustable gas block as mentioned above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradgsxr Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 Yeah I have a Miculek comp on it and have been pretty happy with it, as far as adjustable gas block, then do you tune it to the loads you are shooting. I usually just shoot federal 55 grain . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StealthyBlagga Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 The advice above is good. Spend $$$ on a brake, a single-stage match trigger, maybe a FF handguard, and increased-capacity mags WAAAYYYY before anything as inconsequential as a fancy finished carrier. The phosphated carrier is just fine - if you don't like cleaning it, just lube it and leave it - it will run just fine. If you must buy a new carrier, spend the money on a JP lightened unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ski_dog Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Yeah I have a Miculek comp on it and have been pretty happy with it, as far as adjustable gas block, then do you tune it to the loads you are shooting. I usually just shoot federal 55 grain . I just opened mine to operate the bolt with the lightest match ammo I would be using. For me, I use a light 62 gr plinker load for anything inside of 100 yds. For anything further, I use a 77 gr handload. I set the gas block to work with the 62 gr load, since it will definitely operate the heavier one then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradgsxr Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 Yeah I guess I should have said I have a nice Lancer carbon hanguard, low profile gas block, Miculek comp, AR gold trigger, Vltor stock and buffer, BCM charging handle, BAD lever with a MTAC 1-4 and PEPPR mount. I have been real happy with it, it is pretty accurate, always runs, not too heavy. I have all the different mags etc... but I just hate trying to get the carbon off that stock bolt carrier and thought maybe it would be worth it to upgrade and go with a low mass if it was worth the money - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradgsxr Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 Shooter 115, Do you or anyone you know run the APF that you provided the link for? That is an awesome price if they are decent quality. I was reading the other threads about lightweight carriers etc... and while they sound like the hot setup, pricing things out on JP's site, I don't think the cost is worth it for this gun, I would love to have a rifle setup like that but I would probably be better off putting that money into upgrading my pistol and down the road buying a JP complete rifle that is better setup than mine. Thanks for the link though, that would solve my cleaning issue for a reasonable amount- Thanks for the input guys - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter115 Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Shooter 115, Do you or anyone you know run the APF that you provided the link for? That is an awesome price if they are decent quality. I was reading the other threads about lightweight carriers etc... and while they sound like the hot setup, pricing things out on JP's site, I don't think the cost is worth it for this gun, I would love to have a rifle setup like that but I would probably be better off putting that money into upgrading my pistol and down the road buying a JP complete rifle that is better setup than mine. Thanks for the link though, that would solve my cleaning issue for a reasonable amount- Thanks for the input guys - Actually I do know their manager of retail sales (whom is a 3-gun shooter), but I wouldn't endorse their product on that alone. Nor would I comment on their's or any other manufacturers product without actually putting my hands on it first. That disclaimer out of the way. The APF Armory BCG is very high quality with an excellent finish. I put one in my last build and it was spot on. It headspaced correctly on my VDI 16.5 ULW barrel and was very slick. I also have one of their T-Mod handguards on one of my rifles and will say they are also a very, very nice. All their stuff is made in house on state of the art equipment. Second disclaimer......I did not get free stuff to rave about their products on the internet. I paid for my gear and am happy I did so. I know their name is fairly new to the industry, so not too many folks know about them yet, but I think that's going to change. They are putting out really top notch gear at very reasonable prices. I know we all like to support companies that support our sport, so it's also worth mentioning that they are becoming one of the biggest sponsors of our matches here in MN. Just last weekend at the Jeff Kirkwold Memorial 3-gun Match they were a huge contributor to the prize table including one of their 3-gun edition rifles. They are also a sponsor of the upcoming Nordic Components Tactical Shotgun Championship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradgsxr Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 Hey Chris, I thought I saw some of their stuff on the prize table at the Jeff Kirkwold match but wasn't sure because like you said the name wasn't familiar. Thanks for the info, I think I will try a BCG from them, gotta support the companies that support us shooters, especially at the local level- Thanks again - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter115 Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Hey Chris, I thought I saw some of their stuff on the prize table at the Jeff Kirkwold match but wasn't sure because like you said the name wasn't familiar. Thanks for the info, I think I will try a BCG from them, gotta support the companies that support us shooters, especially at the local level- Thanks again - You won't be disappointed, it's a nice piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now