Andro-Corp Industries Bolt Carrier & Bolt Review

The Bolt Carrier Group (BCG) and bolt, the most underappreciated and overlooked part
of any and all AR-15 style rifles. Why is a BCG and bolt so important? Without one your rifle
is useless; without a good one, your rifle is also useless, so why is this topic so overlooked? This
question has a simple answer, they all look the same and most people dont shoot their rifles
enough to know what it means to have a good BCG and bolt, but dont worry, a small
emerging company out of Florida has solved that problem and has a better than good BCG and
bolt, and better news is, you can actually afford it.

Andro-Corp Industries
Who is Andro Corp Industries? is probably what youre wondering. ACI is a small
firearms company based out of Ocoee Florida.
To access their website visit
www.AndroCorpInd.com and to visit their shop go to 364 Story Rd, Ocoee FL 34761. The
owner, Josh Dewrell is a master at building ARs and sells his uppers on-site and online. You
can order from ACI everything from his Revolution 5.56NATO muzzle device for use on AR
Pistols and SBRs to full uppers and parts to build your own. Josh understands what it means to
be a responsible gun-owner in the United States. He understands firearms are more than just
tools you can use recreationally, he understands these parts and firearms could be used to save

your life or the lives of those around you. This mindset in an owner reflects in the quality of
parts ACI puts out to the public. If ACI wouldnt trust a part with their life, they wouldnt sell it,
its that simple.

Bolt Carrier Group and Bolt Specs

Now for the feature product, the ACI A.O. Precision M16 BCG and Bolt. First, the
specs:
-M16 Carrier-8620 Hard Chrome Lined;
-Bolt: Carpenter 158 High Pressure Tested and Mag Particle Inspected. Bolt is marked
HP/MPI.
-Extractor: 4140 Machined.
-80 Durameter black extractor spring insert with O-Ring.
-Chrome plated firing pin.
-Phosphated cam pin.
-Staked gas key with mil-spec fasteners.
-Chome-lined gas key.
What do these specs amount to? This BCG and
bolt is entirely mil-spec, literally. Now, what is
Mil-Spec? When the military looks for new parts
or weapon systems they start with a rigorous test
and specs benchmark the parts must pass before
they can be considered. The M16 BCG and bolt has been around since roughly the 1960s, and
its still around, and thats no mistake. This same BCG you can order from ACI is the same
BCG you could submit to the military today for trials, and yes, it would pass.
Lets start with the M16 BCG. Some may wonder, is it legal to have full-auto parts in my
AR-15? The answer is yes! Yes it is, and its encouraged. What you get from having a full-auto
M16 BCG is mass. The back part to an M16 BCG is full in that there is not cut to hinder it from
engaging a full-auto sear. Now, with a semi-automatic rifle this would seem useless, however
that is not the case. The benefit of having a full massed, full auto BCG is weight and reliability.
This weight slows down the cyclic rate of the weapon slightly, but this slower rate accounts for
better reliability. Further, since the BCG is heavier it absorbs more recoil. Recoil management
is essential when it comes to faster follow up shots and placing more precise, surgical hits down
range. The phosphate coating of the BCG is also an advantage, but it can be a double-edged
sword. The phosphate finish mitigates heat really well and holds up to temperature change
however, when it comes to the fouling and carbon build-up that comes with shooting a direct gas
gun, it can make for a hassle to clean. I wouldnt let this deter you though, with proper
lubrication this is not an issue for reliability at all.

Next is the actual bolt. Think of the Bolt Carrier as the person of the rifle, and the bolt
as the heart. The bolt is what makes the rifle function. The bolt grabs and seats the round,
allows the firing pin to strike the primer and
allows for proper extraction of the spent
cartridge. Without a bolt all you really
have a really nice and expensive paper
weight of a rifle. This bolt goes the extra
mile, remember earlier I stated it was milspec, well now you will get to appreciate
what all that means. This bolt is High
Pressure Tested and Mag Particle
Inspected. Every bolt that has gone through
this process is stamped with a mark indicating HP/MPI (see circled area on the bolt pictured
abovethis is the bolt AFTER testing). Why is this done? Its expensive and manufacturers
want you to know the work they have put into their product. MPI and HP testing is a process
where the bolt goes through a test to check for micro-fissures and cracks in the metal. These
micro-fissures and cracks will eventually get larger under stress and could lead to a catastrophic
malfunction. If the bolt shows no signs of cracks then it passes and it goes in your rifle, however
if there is a crack the bolt is scrapped. The good thing about this? Your bolt is guaranteed, out
of the box, to be 100% reliable and safe to operate in any condition. What makes this unique to
other companies? Most other companies do not HP/MPI test every bolt they send out, to do so
would be too time consuming and cut into profits. Most companies test one bolt out of a batch
and if it passes, they all pass. Are you willing to take a chance on your life? I would think not,
and Josh at ACI doesnt want to either which is why he supplies HP/MPI stamped bolts.
Finally, to conclude the specs discussion, lets discuss the gas key and chrome lining of
the BCG. If the BCG is the person and the bolt is the heart think of the gas key as the
lungs. I say this because the gas keys function is to take the cycling gas from the gas tube,
capture it, harness it, and use it to push the bolt back to allow the bolt to extract the spent
cartridge and strip a new round from the magazine when it returns home. If the gas key cant
breath the heart or bolt, cant function.
The gas key sees more stress than any other
part in an AR. The gas key is subject to hot
gasses and slamming into a gas tube over and
over and over again. Having a properly staked
gas key is essential to proper reliability.
Staking is a process where the gas key is
secured by mil-spec fasteners and then metal
from the gas key is pinched over the fasteners
to prohibit the fasteners from walking out(see

picture to the rightstaking is shown in red circlesactual gas key after testing). This keeps
the gas key secure and in the same position. If the gas key is in the same position it will have a
consistent feed of gas from the gas tube furthering the reliability of the weapon. Typically what
you see with non-mil-spec BCGs is either a non-staked gas key, or a poorly staked gas key.
Both of these options lead to the fasteners walking out allowing the gas key to move. This
movement results in a gas key that will not properly mate with the gas tube which can lead to
under gassing (causing a malfunction), or bending the gas tube making the weapon unsafe to
operate. Good thing is, the ACI gas key is staked, and staked very well, so no need to worry.
Many of us think about chrome and relate it to 18-wheelers or 22 inch wheels in rap
videos, but did you know chrome plating is also used in ARs? Yes, even you can bling-out
your rifle with chrome, but itll be done discreetly, and no-one will know you have it, until their
rifle fails because they dont. The ACI BCG and gas key is internally chrome-plated. The
purpose of chrome plating is three-fold; (1) It slicks up with a lot of oils; (2) It cleans easily and
resists carbon build-up; and (3) Chrome plating reduces friction a.k.a. HEAT! So what does this
mean for you, the consumer? It means your bolt is slick where it needs to be, cool when it needs
to be, and always ready to rock and roll. Chrome plating plays a huge role in the feel of the rifle.
Many of you have cycled a rifle that had a sticky or gritty action. Chrome plating the
internals virtually eliminates this problem, even after say, 1,500 rounds.

Testing
Now that you have some
background about ACI as a
company and the BCG and bolt
lets get down to the testing. The
testing was conducted over about a
6 month period in all types of
conditions. The testing was done in
two rifles: (1) 14.5 inch mid-length
BCM/PSA rifle (2L); and (2) 16
inch carbine length PSA rifle
(1L)pictured below. The purpose
of using two different rifles was to
see how the BCG and bolt
performed in two completely
different systems. 1L, the 16 inch
carbine length, is the most common AR style rifle in the United States, so naturally it was the
rifle we had to test with the BCG and bolt. 2L, the 14.5 inch mid-length is the more competition
oriented rifle with higher tolerances and more refined and tuned systems. If I was going to see a
malfunction it was going to likely be in 2L. Many people argue shooting a mid-length gun with

a shorter barrel hurts reliability because of under-gassing the gun with lower grain loads, so I
guess well have to see if the BCG and bolt fell to that myth (Hint: It doesnt).
Testing was done with 4 types of ammo: (1) .223 55gr. TulAmmo; (2) 5.56NATO 62gr
Federal Green Tip, (3) .223 55gr. Brown Bear; and (4) 5.56NATO 55gr. Federal (see image
belowactual rounds used in testing). The purpose of using such a wide variety of ammo is
because that is what the consumer does. With the shortage in ammo and the prices of ammo
going up everyone is looking for the cheapest ammo
they can get, regardless as to whether it is dirtier than
another brand or if it can be reloaded. I didnt want to
leave out those who want to shoot a heavier load to
shoot longer distance, so I included some 62 grain loads
just to be sure the bolt and BCG could handle many
different loads.
I used TulAmmo because it is
notoriously dirty and underpowered, therefore, if this
bolt could handle TulAmmo, it can handle anything. I
used Brown Bear because the casing has a lacquer
coating. This coating is a reddish color and tends to
gunk-up rifles and makes a mess out of extractors. This
occurs when the case gets hot and expands the coating
liquefies and collects around the bolt face around the
extractor. So, if the BCG and bolt could extract Brown
Bear, it was going to extract damn near anything thrown
at it. Finally, the standard 55gr. 5.56NATO was used
simply because it the most common round you can find in your local Wal-Mart. It is reasonably
priced for those who dont want to shoot heavier loads or wish not to shoot steel-cased through
their weapons. Ammo was broken down into these approximate totals: (1) TulAmmo: 500
rounds; (2) Brown Bear: 250 Rounds; (3) 55gr. Federal: 500 Rounds; and (4) 62gr. Green Tip:
250 Rounds.
Conditions for testing ranged from beautiful sunny
days, to miserable cold rainy days. The reasoning for this is
because you wont be able to pick and choose your battles. If
your life is in danger and you are called upon to use your
rifle, it could be sunny, it could be raining, it could be dusty,
and it could be in the middle of a beach in the salty air.
Whatever the case, you need to know your rifle can take
whatever it is thrown at it, not matter where you are. Testing
was done from the clay packed soil of middle North Carolina,
to the salty eastern part of North Carolina.

Essential to every AR type rifle, especially the BCG and Bolt is the type of lubrication
you apply to the parts. Lube plays a critical role in the functionality and reliability of the weapon
system. Running a weapon system too wet (over lubing) can result in a muddy, mucky rifle
causing malfunctions. Running a weapon system dry (under lubed) will also lead to
malfunctions creating friction and heat and wear on essential parts. When the BCG and Bolt
arrived from ACI (in two days I might addvery quick shipping) there had already been a thin
coating of lube on the product. I did add a few drops of M-Pro-7 and Frog Lube to the
external and internal parts of the BCG and bolt, however lube was not added throughout testing
and the BCG and bolt were NOT cleaned throughout the test either.

Testing Results
It comes as no shocker given the foundation laid by the stats of this BCG and bolt that it
passed the testing with flying colors. In a sandy environment the bolt cycled flawlessly. In a
salty environment the bolt resisted rust without further lubrication. In the heat of summer in the
middle of hot North Carolina the bolt cycled flawlessly. Even when I froze the bolt (without
cleaning or reapplying lubrication) the bolt cycled flawlessly. There were only two malfunctions
out of approximately 1,500 rounds. These malfunction included a failure to feed and a double
feed. Both of these malfunctions occurred on the same day with the same magazine. The roundcount at this time was approximately 600 rounds. The ammo type was .223 55gr. Brown Bear. I
tossed the Magpul PMag and had no further issues. I attribute this malfunction to the
magazine NOT the BCG or bolt.
Ammo Type

Rifle

Round Count

Malfunction

Malfunction
Type
N/A

.223 55gr
TulAmmo
.223 55gr
Brown Bear

2L/1L

500

None

2L/1L

250

2 Malfunctions
on (2L) around
600 rounds into
test.

5.56NATO
55gr.
5.56NATO
62gr. Green Tip
Fed.

2L/1L

500

None

1Failure to
Feed.
2Double Feed.
(Both attributable
to faulty PMag)
N/A

2L/1L

250

None

N/A

Conclusion
The conclusion in this test is simple, you need this BCG and bolt. The quality versus
price point is excellent. For a completely reliable mil-spec BCG and Bolt you can walk out the
door right now under $150.00 (oh, and shipping is free on ALL orders over $100, and you will
get your product fast, and I mean really fast). Can you get a cheaper BCG, yes, absolutely, but
are you willing to cut-corners on a part that is absolutely essential to the performance and
reliability of your rifle? That is a decision you must make, and I hope you make the correct one.
As far as ACI as a company, you wont find better customer service. Josh is available on
Instagram at @androcorpind and he will answer any and all question or concerns you may have
(try having that at Midway or Brownells). The biggest thing I took away from this experience
and working with Josh is the comfort knowing that ACI is a company that gets it. What I mean
by this is that this is a company built by a shooter, for shooters. John and ACI understands these
parts they place into the market and into the hands of their customers can play a vital role in
whether they live, or die. To have that type of quality control and assurance is priceless.

-Patrick Holmes
Founder, Holmes Armament
@holmes_armament (Instagram)
www.facebook.com/tacticaltraditions (Facebook)
pholmes125@yahoo.com (email)