Got and AR 15, check this out!

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10 years 11 months ago #33713 by OleCowboy
Got and AR 15, check this out! was created by OleCowboy
Sharps Relia-Bolt for the AR-15
A bolt for extreme conditions.
Posted January 8, 2014 in Shooting by Major Pandemic with 3 Comments

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Imgp6280
When Sharps reached out to me to review the Relia-Bolt, I got that skeptical look on my face. My eyes squinted as I attempted to imagine the design, but I decided I’d have to see it for myself. In the back of my head I started asking whether this was a solution looking for a problem or a solution to a real issue. The answer to that question depends on you, your rifle, and the environment in which you work.

Sharps Rifles is a household name in the gun industry with manufacturing that dates back to 1840, and they delivered some of the first truly accurate 1,000-yard firearms. Today Sharps is part of the Broadsword sporting group, which includes Sharps Rifle Company, A-Square, SRC Arms, H.H. Heiser, and Merwin Hulbert. The combined resources offer a lot of capabilities and engineering ranging from production to custom. In this case, the company collaboration delivered a new way of thinking about a 100% compatible AR-15 Bolt design.

Fit, Finish, Features, and Functions
Many things about the AR-15 format have evolved and improved since its first introduction. Free float forends, adjustable gas blocks, coating and material technology improvements, new stock and buffer tube lengths, spring rate and buffer weight changes, triggers, sights, optics, new carrier designs and lightweight option… and the list goes on, including things Mr Stoner never predicted.

What has not changed since introduction is the bolt design. There are a few people out there like Barnes Precision, JP, and YM who are making design and steel enhancements, but fundamentally the bolt design has remained unchanged.

After I received the Sharps Relia-Bolt, I had an ah-ha moment where I understood the features. The NP3 coating (hardened Teflon) adds lubricity, self-cleaning, and longer part life, and the upgrade to S7 steel improves tensile strength by 75% and yield strength by 60% over the industry standard premium Carpenter 158 steel. You need the added strength if you are going to fiddle around with the bolt lug profiles, which took a bit of hands-on simulation to understand.

Why the Sharps Relia-Bolt?
The standard $65 AR-15 bolt available anywhere is essentially a non-optimal squares on squares engagement that requires near perfect alignment to work. Luckily the original Stoner design assures that, in most cases, the bolt will turn clockwise to unlock from the barrel extension lugs, and the top of the cam will be held in unlocked position throughout the cycle by a groove in the upper receiver. The BCG cycles picks up another round and relocks with a counter-clockwise twist after clearing the barrel extension lugs. About the same time, the top of the cam pin moves over in the can pin rotation recess in the upper receiver. Ultimately this is what is supposed to happen, but in extreme situations, grit, grime, and wear to the cam pin, receiver, and piston rings can throw everything off and cause problems.

Sharps obviously advocates proper gun maintenance and inspection to avoid and prevent the issues causing operational failure, but there are situations where high rate sustained fire, environmental issues, excessive receiver or cam pin wear/damage, and maintenance are not possible, and that is where the Relia-Bolt will continue to operate.

- See more at: www.alloutdoor.com/2014/01/08/sharps-rel...sthash.RrHfkG2n.dpuf

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10 years 11 months ago #33717 by faawrenchbndr
Replied by faawrenchbndr on topic Got and AR 15, check this out!
Snake oil.........over the last 28 years I must have fired 25-30k rounds through a M16/AR15
Never needed, or have thought I needed a hocus pocus bolt.

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10 years 11 months ago #33720 by OleCowboy
Replied by OleCowboy on topic Got and AR 15, check this out!

faawrenchbndr wrote: Snake oil.........over the last 28 years I must have fired 25-30k rounds through a M16/AR15
Never needed, or have thought I needed a hocus pocus bolt.

:I-agree:
LOL I must agree on that, lord knows we have M 16's in the training units in the Army that must have in the hundreds of 1000's of rds. I had 2 tours as a S-4 (Logistics officer) of combat units. One was a Separate Bde. SB's are treated as if they were a Division sized unit as they are Combat organized as if they were already in a combat theater. These units are the first to see action. They are STRAC units and the equipment is kept in top condition as its go to war.

The other assignment was for the DMZ in Korea. Here I had all of the Army units plus the Marines and the International Forces stationed there. Again combat ready and equipment is in a high state of readiness.

In both assignments I kept tabs on all equipment especially if there were recurring issues or the equipment had to be sent to a higher level of maintenance support than the unit direct support, such as the unit armorer in example. In those 2 assignments and in 12 years in Infantry combat units I saw very few issues with the AR platform. Mostly due to accident, such as a weapon gets run over by a vehicle, improper maintenance or assembly. Rare was there a failure due to just use and when it was the estimated rd count was way into the 100's of 1000's of rds and the weapon was very old, often Vietnam era stuff.

So is there a NEED for this bolt? I would say not, is there a WANT, YOU BETCHA, folks will jump on this like white on rice, for no reason other than bragging rights... Will it hurt, don't think so and if I was NEEDING to replace my bolt would I spent the extra bucks to buy it? Based upon what I know at this time, sure, why not...

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10 years 11 months ago #33721 by faawrenchbndr
Replied by faawrenchbndr on topic Got and AR 15, check this out!
I will say this......I had a LMT that had a hard chromed bolt. Cleaning it was a breeze, basically wiped clean.
I use MotorCraft carberator cleaner, liquid stuff in a can, not the spray. I soak the disassembled bolt carrier group over night. All the gunk and carbon dissolves. Been using the same can for about five years, getting rather nasty.

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10 years 11 months ago #33783 by SOC
Replied by SOC on topic Got and AR 15, check this out!
Nothing you couldn't get from a standard dimension bolt made from S7 or similar and having it coated.

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