My honest opinion, for most users... it's not terribly important what you buy. I've had very expensive ones on match guns, complete total mystery ones, one from one of the cheapest "junk" companies ever, and all sorts in between. And all of them were trouble free.

Coatings; they do make them easier to clean.
Though I'm still not really sure how much easier they make it to clean Vs. how much easier they just make it to tell they're not cleaan.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
As use goes, this rifle will be built as a “casual plinker and occasional hunter,” rather than as a full-time use gun.

There's no need to spend a ton of money for this use. It doesn't mean you can't go with a premium BCG -- it just isn't required. Look for decent steel, properly staked, from a reputable dealer. Parkerized is fine. I don't see the need for gas-control features, and I suppress all my ARs.

The advantages of coatings are (1) easier cleaning, (2) fewer issues with cycling when the bolt is dry & dirty, and (3) reduced lug wear. #1 & #2 are benefits to anyone. #3 may not be applicable for a "casual plinker" rifle. But for a high-use rifle, it's definitely a consideration. My original parkerized bolts were retired due to noticeable lug wear. Maybe not enough wear to inhibit cycling or risk lug breakage, but enough that I replaced them with nickel boron or nitride bolts. The coated bolts show remarkedly less lug wear. If your shooting volume isn't high enough to shoot out barrels, then parkerized bolts are fine.

Thank you, fritz.
I surely don’t get to shoot enough to wear out a rifle or any of its components. At this point, it looks like the BCG and handle from Palmetto (from Mars’ link) — though I don’t yet see mention of it being chromed — are a good option. “It’s always upgradeable,” right?

Thanks, all!

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
At this point, it looks like the BCG and handle from Palmetto (from Mars’ link) — though I don’t yet see mention of it being chromed — are a good option.

If I'm looking at the same item, the BCG is nitride-treated. Nitride treating produces a hard and slick surface -- it reduces metal wear and doesn't add a layer (i.e. make the part larger) to the metal. IMO this is vastly superior to chrome treatment. A nitride-treated part will never be chromed afterwards.

Chrome treatment was one of the earlier ways to reduce friction, harden the surface, and extend metal life. It works. It has been favored by the military for some time. The challenge with chroming is applying the layer evenly, and allowing for the dimensional change of the part. Chrome will also flake off at some point, although that could be a long ways down the road.

Sounds even better. Thank you again, fritz!