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Posted: 4/26/2009 10:12:51 PM EDT
| The only weak link in my Sabre Defence AR is the DPMS BCG. I have read that DPMS bolts are known for breaking easier than other brands, not too worried about the carrier though, it is staked just fine. Anyways...I just bought a new RRA bolt and was wondering if swapping it in is REALLY going to create a problem. This rifle has seen about 500-600 rounds with the DPMS bolt. What are the negative possibilities of swapping the bolt out? I know it generally isn't a good idea to do this but what if one's bolt breaks, it can't be THAT big off a deal....can it? Thanks for any help. |
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Just about anything you read or hear about "brand X is worse at..." on the Internet or in a gun shop is guaranteed to be OPINION, and almost as certainly not backed up by real data. Most of us don't have the resources to compare brands exhaustively to determine if Brand X is better than Brand Y, let alone how or why one might be better than the other.
I have read that DPMS bolts are known for breaking easier than other brands... On the flip side, does DPMS actually MAKE their own bolts and carriers? I don't think so. I'm pretty sure RRA doesn't either. The basic rule is that, unless the "maker" is someone like Colt that actually does a significant amount of its own machining, most parts are contracted. Parts like lowers are machined from forgings that come from a limited number of (generally great) forges, and are machined to the OEM's specs-which is why RRA receivers are tighter than Stag's... But parts like bolt carriers are not the kind of thing that companies like DPMS (which is an "assembly" manufacturer) or RRA (also an "assembly" manufacturer) use come from contracted sources. Which may be different from one month to the next. |
| Shot Peening is a Stress Relief process that usually "reduces" the chances of breakage from stress. If you want a bolt that is less likely to break, look for one that was shot peened during production. I agree, you really don't know if a RRA is less likely to break than DPMS other than peoples subjective opinions that can be very wrong. |
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Just use the old bolt. If it breaks then change it. Why do it now? I wanted to do it now because I have read on here that it is generally not recommended to swap a bolt out past a few hundred rounds due the way each bolt forms it's own wear patterns into the barrel extension(b.s.?). So I figured if I was to put a new bolt in I would do it before I ran any more ammo through the rifle. And as far as DPMS vs. RRA bolt quality goes I should have thought about that one before dropping $60 for a new RRA bolt that is probably from the same manufacturer as the DPMS bolt. What I really want to do is swap out the whole damn thing for a Young BCG like on my others ARs. For the use this AR is getting the DPMS bolt will probably never have any issues, let alone breaking, but I have this "top tier" rifle with a DPMS BCG in it. Probably not as big of deal as I am making it though. Just figured if I ever do a carbine course or something similar I would be better to have a "higher quality" bolt. But hey, at least I have a spare now, never a bad thing. 
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I don't think anyone knows for sure who is making the bolt for any AR being sold. But if your buying from any of the large Mfg's I will bet the bolt will not quickly fail. And bolts from a Company like the Bravo company will always be a quality bolt. Not saying bolts won't fail quickly just IMHO it's nots something you should stay awake at night worrying about.
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I don't think anyone knows for sure who is making the bolt for any AR being sold. But if your buying from any of the large Mfg's I will bet the bolt will not quickly fail. And bolts from a Company like the Bravo company will always be a quality bolt. Not saying bolts won't fail quickly just IMHO it's nots something you should stay awake at night worrying about. Buying from a well known company with a good reputation is playing really good odds that your new bolt will hold up really well. |
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Shot Peening is a Stress Relief process that usually "reduces" the chances of breakage from stress. If you want a bolt that is less likely to break, look for one that was shot peened during production. . Actually, shot peening pounds the surface putting the surface metal in a residual compressive stress state. it effectively makes it tougher because before the material can go into tension, it has to "pull thru" the compression state of the material. you are correct though, it is done to reduce the chance of breakage. |
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