AR15 Roller Cam Pin Reduces Friction and Wear vs. Conventional

AR15 Roller Cam Pin: Reducing Friction and Wear
vs. Conventional Cam Pins

Terry Buelna, Matthew Coyne, John Chen and Darrick Hunting
Hydra-Fire, LLC
September 20, 2015
Abstract
AR rifles rely on a cam-pin driven, lug-lock mechanism to load and unload rounds from the
chamber. This mechanism is actuated by high gas pressures derived from the propellant charge,
and therefore is subject to large loads, which produce wear on key components. Conventional
AR bolts operate by sliding a fixed pin against the surface of a cam groove in the bolt carrier.
This method generates friction and can lead to accelerated wear on components. Hydra-Fire
addresses this issue by utilizing a cam pin with an integrated roller, effectively reducing the
friction created by the cam pin system. Lowering friction allows for operation at lower gas
pressures, which can reduce overall stresses on bolt and carrier components, leading to longer
service life.
Introduction
The design of the AR rifle family was adopted in the 1960s, and the basic bolt mechanism design
has changed little since. While performance has proven to be adequate, new technology should
constantly be evaluated to improve the design for better operating life and reliability. Time, money,
and lives can be saved by improvements in something as simple as the cam pin.
Figure 1: Hydra-Fire Roller Cam Pin Components
terry.buelna@hydra-fire.us
matt.coyne@hydra-fire.us
Problem Definition
The standard AR15 bolt carrier assembly is a highly stressed part prone to wear and fatigue. The
cam pin is subject to high forces created by the propellant gas pressure used to actuate the bolt
mechanism during the initial period of movement required to unlatch the bolt lugs. Excessive
localized wear quickly becomes evident on fixed cam pins after just a few hundred cycles. This
wear condition is illustrated in figure 2. The localized abrasive wear is the result of an edge
loading condition at the misaligned tangential contact between the pin body and the cam groove
surface. The misalignment occurs due to the large stack-up of operating clearances between the
bolt carrier group components. The abrasive pin wear occurs in spite of the fact that the pin body
is hardened. Trapped contaminants and byproducts of combustion further accelerate wear of the
bolt mechanism. By replacing the standard fixed cam pin with a crowned roller cam pin, shown in
figure 1, contact is normalized and wear is reduced, increasing component life many times that of
the original AR design[2]. The bolt carrier can also show signs of wear due to sliding friction, but
it is a much more expensive component that does not wear as quickly, and thus is acceptable as
is. Replacing worn cam pins and associated components is time consuming and costly, and thus a
simple solution to reduce friction and wear would be beneficial.
Figure 2: Fixed Cam Pin vs. Hydra-Fire Roller Cam Pin - Note the excessive wear on the fixed
cam pin
Solution
The Hydra-Fire roller cam integrates a roller element into the standard AR15 cam pin design,
replacing the metal to metal sliding contact. The Hydra-Fire roller cam pin is designed as a dropin replacement for the fixed cam pin, providing the rotation and translation of the bolt required
to latch/unlatch the locking lugs. Using rolling contact rather than sliding contact reduces peak
friction in the bolt carrier group by 34% and increases the life of not only the cam pin itself, but
also the associated bolt mechanism components, as overall system forces are lower.
3.1
Detailed Design
The standard AR rifle bolt mechanism sees frictional wear in a few key locations:
Sliding interface between the bolt lugs and the barrel extension lugs
Piston ring to bolt carrier bore interface
Cam pin to bolt carrier cam groove interface
Bolt carrier to upper receiver anti-rotation key-ways
The total frictional force in the system is all driven by the bleed gas pressure produced by the
propellant charge. When a round is fired, a large impulse of gas pressure pushes back into the casing,
and thus into the bolt and onto the face of the bolt lugs. This pressure creates a frictional force
between the rear face of the bolt lugs and the forward face of the barrel extension, as highlighted in
green in figure 5, preventing rotation of the bolt, which is necessary to unload the spent case and
reload the next round. Soon after the round is fired, the gas pressure reaches the gas port, where it
is funneled through the gas tube back into the bolt carrier mechanism. This pressure goes through
the gas key, pressurizing the chamber of the piston and forcing the bolt carrier backwards. Because
of the geometry of the bolt, it cannot move rearwards until it has rotated 22.5 , aligning the bolt
lugs with the grooves in the barrel extension. The cam pin is the key to providing this twist as a
function of translation, forcing the bolt to spin as the bolt carrier is forced backwards. Once the
lugs disengage, the bolt and carrier are free to slide backwards and reload a round. Because of
the large pressure force seen at the front face of the bolt, the torque required to twist the bolt is
substantial. This torque is provided by the tangential force on the cam pin, and applying a large
force on a sliding pin produces significant friction on the contact surface, highlighted in orange in
figure 5. This friction turns into heat and component wear, degrading system performance in just
a few hundred rounds.
Figure 3: Contact friction between the bolt carrier, cam pin, gas key, and upper receiver
The Hydra-Fire roller cam pin is designed to eliminate the scuffing and minimize friction that
occurs in conventional fixed cam pins. The roller cam pin is engineered to aerospace standards and
is constructed of aerospace materials. The pin and retainer is constructed of 17-4PH stainless steel
in accordance with AMS 5643, and is heat treated per AMS 2759/3 and then black oxide coated
per MIL-DTL-13924 class 4 with hydrogen embrittlement relief. The roller is constructed of 4340
alloy steel in accordance with AMS 6415, and is quenched and tempered per AMS 2759/2, and
then liquid salt bath nitrocarbuize case hardened per AMS 2753 QPQ. The design uses a roller
with a crowned radial profile to ensure uniform contact stress levels against the cam flank surfaces
of the bolt carrier. By eliminating the metal to metal sliding contact at the cam pin interface,
the bolt carrier group friction is reduced by 34%, reducing required gas pressure and decreasing
component wear. This results in not only decreased maintenance, but also improved reliability and
more consistent cycling.
3.2
Analysis
A complete analysis of the AR bolt mechanism begins with gas pressure in the chamber. First, the
fixed cam pin was analyzed in order to establish a baseline for friction in the system. Note that
throughout this analysis, a coulomb friction model is used, and should provide adequate accuracy
for metal-to-metal contact. Assuming a chamber pressure of 48,000 psi[1], the force backwards on
the bolt is around 1900 lbs, as shown in figure 5. Note that this assumes the case of the round
does not provide frictional grip against the barrel. This assumption is a worst case scenario, as any
amount of frictional grip against the side walls of the barrel will only further reduce the friction
in the bolt mechanism. Once the round passes the gas port and the bolt begins to cycle, there is
a pressure in the piston of approximately 2,500 psi[1], which applies a force of approximately 350
lbs, pushing the bolt carrier rearwards relative to the bolt. Given that the bolt is now being forced
to rotate due to the cam geometry, the 1,900 lb force acting at an effective radius of 0.5 in turns
into a frictional torque of approximately 170 in-lbs (assuming a friction coefficient of 0.18).
Figure 4: Pressure traces for chamber, gas port, and piston [1]
Now that the frictional torque applied at the bolt lug interface has been resolved, the tangential
force on the cam pin must overcome all rotational friction to cause the bolt to rotate. Note that there
4
is also rotational friction between the bolt and bolt carrier at the sliding junction (shown in yellow
in figure 5) and at the piston ring to bore (shown in pink in figure 5), but these torques are an order
of magnitude smaller. Given that the system is not strictly determinate, iterative computational
methods must be implemented to fully solve the system. This was done, and frictional torques of
approximately 15 and 20 in-lbs were found for the bolt to bolt carrier and bolt piston ring to bolt
carrier bore rotating friction, respectively. Thus, the tangential force on the cam pin was found to
be approximately 775 lbs. This resolves to a net force of 1100 lbs given the 45 degree pressure angle
of the cam groove profile, showing that the cam pin is in fact a highly stressed part, as expected.
Figure 5: Contact friction between the bolt, bolt carrier, cam pin, and piston rings
Once the force on the cam pin has been resolved, linear friction in the system can be resolved.
There are a few main linear forces in the system: 1) bolt to bolt carrier sliding friction, 2) Piston
ring to bore sliding friction, 3) Cam pin to cam groove sliding friction, and 4) bolt carrier to
upper receiver sliding friction (shown in blue in figure 3). From a simple static analysis, balancing
moments generated by the cam pin across relevant surface to prevent rotation, the four linear
frictions are approximately 59 lbs, 107 lbs, 139 lbs, and 73 lbs, respectively. This means is takes a
peak force of approximately 379 lbs to cycle the loaded bolt with a fixed cam pin.
The analysis is very similar for the cam pin with integrated roller. The only difference is that
the cam pin to cam groove sliding friction is eliminated, and replaced by a torque to roll the roller
about the pin. This essentially assumes that the roller does not slip on the cam groove, and that a
line contact (coefficient of friction of 0.10) between the roller and pin is established. The frictional
force that ensures that the roller does not slip generates a moment about the rollers axis of rotation,
creating rotational motion from linear force. Given these assumptions, the linear force required
to move the roller is reduced from 139 lbs, to around 55 lbs. This means that the net friction to
5
cycle the bolt is reduced from 379 lbs to 250 lbs, a significant reduction, meaning that a lower
gas pressure can be used (by reducing the gas port size) to consistently cycle the bolt. Lowering
the gas pressure will further reduce component stress and frictional wear (data for both original
gas pressures and lowered gas pressures are available in the appendix). Reducing the forces and
friction in the system means that the mechanism will last longer and perform better. Of course,
this assumes the buffer spring and mass characteristics can be adjusted appropriately to maintain
a suitable rate of fire. All data from this analysis is available in the appendix.
Summary
The AR rifle family has been an industry standard for decades because of its robust design and
high performance. While effective, high friction in the system creates excessive component wear,
lowering life cycles and increasing operational costs. Replacing the standard fixed cam pin with
the Hydra-Fire roller cam pin reduces bolt carrier group peak friction by 34%, increases component
life, decreases operational costs, and improves reliability.
Appendix
Tables 1 through 4 contain the data from the analysis of the original AR-15. Note that some
frictional elements are very small, and thus ignored in this analysis.
Gas Pressure Data
Parameter
Value
Piston Gas Pressure
2,500.0
Chamber Gas Pressure
48,000.0
Effective Area - Back of Bolt
0.15
Force - Back of Bolt
368.2
Effective Area - Front of Bolt
0.039
Force - Front of Bolt
1891.6
Piston Ring Expanding Force (from 153.2
Gas Pressure)
Units
psi
psi
2
in
lbs
2
in
lbs
lbs
Table 1: Gas Pressure Data Table
Parameter
Cam Pressure Angle
Cam Effective Radius
Cam Force Axial
Cam Force Tangential
Cam Distance to Piston Ring
Cam Distance to Piston Slider
Cam Data
Value
45.0
0.3
774.6
774.6
0.6
0.5
Table 2: Cam Data Table
Units
in
lbs
lbs
in
in
Linear Friction Elements

Friction
Coeffi- Normal
cient
(lbs)
Lug Sliding
0.18
0.0
Bolt to Bolt Carrier Sliding
0.18
330.6
Piston Ring to Bolt Carrier Bore 0.18
597.2
Sliding
Cam Pin to Cam Groove Sliding
0.18
774.6
Bolt Carrier to Upper Receiver 0.15
487.4
Anti-Rotation Sliding
Gas Tube to Gas Key Sliding
0.0
0.0
Firing Pin to Cam Pin Sliding
0.0
0.0
Sum
Parameter
Force
Frictional
(lbs)
0.0
59.5
107.5
Force
139.4
73.1
0.0
0.0
379.5
Table 3: Linear Friction Elements Data Table
Parameter
Lug Rotational
Sliding
Bolt to Bolt Carrier
Rotational
Sliding
Piston Ring to
Bolt
Carrier
Bore Rotational
Sliding
Cam Pin to Cam
Groove
Rotational
Sliding
Friction
Sum
Friction Coefficient
0.18
Rotational Friction Elements

Normal Force Frictional
(lbs)
Force (lbs)
1891.6
340.5
Effective
Radius (in)
0.5
Torque (in-lbs)
0.18
330.6
59.5
0.3
15.8
0.18
444.0
79.9
0.3
20.0
0.18
774.6
139.4
0.3
45.3
170.2
251.3
Table 4: Rotational Friction Elements Table
Tables 5 through 8 contain the data from the analysis of the AR-15 modified with the Hydra-Fire
roller cam, using the stock gas pressures.
Gas Pressure Data

Parameter
Value
Piston Gas Pressure
2,500.0
48,000.0
0.15
368.2
0.039
1891.6
Gas Pressure)
Units
psi
psi
2
in
lbs
2
in
lbs
lbs
Parameter
Cam Pressure Angle
Cam Force Axial
Cam Data
Value
45.0
0.32
610.4
610.4
0.64
0.48
Units
in
lbs
lbs
in
in

Friction
Coeffi- Normal
cient
(lbs)
Lug Sliding
0.18
0.0
0.18
260.5
503.0
Sliding
N/A
N/A
384.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Linear Force to Roll Cam Roller
N/A
N/A
Sum
Parameter
Force
Frictional
(lbs)
0.0
46.9
90.6
N/A
57.6
0.0
0.0
55.4
250.5
Force
Parameter
Lug Rotational
Sliding
Rotational
Sliding
Piston Ring to
Bolt
Carrier
Bore Rotational
Sliding
Cam Pin to Cam
Groove
Rotational
Sliding
Friction
Sum
0.18

(lbs)
Force (lbs)
1891.6
340.5
Effective
Radius (in)
0.50
Torque (in-lbs)
0.18
260.5
46.9
0.27
12.4
0.18
349.9
63.0
0.25
15.7
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
170.2
198.4
Tables 9 through 12 contain the data from the analysis of the AR-15 modified with the HydraFire roller cam, using lowered gas pressures due to lower frictional forces.
Gas Pressure Data
Parameter
Value
Piston Gas Pressure
1,635.9
48,000.0
0.15
240.9
0.039
1891.6
Gas Pressure)
Units
psi
psi
2
in
lbs
2
in
lbs
lbs
Parameter
Cam Pressure Angle
Cam Force Axial
Cam Data
Value
45.0
0.32
604.4
604.4
0.64
0.48
Units
in
lbs
lbs
in
in

Friction
Coeffi- Normal
cient
(lbs)
Lug Sliding
0.18
0.0
0.18
258.0
446.7
Sliding
N/A
N/A
380.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Linear Force to Roll Cam Roller
N/A
N/A
Sum
Parameter
Force
Frictional
(lbs)
0.0
46.4
80.4
Force
N/A
57.0
0.0
0.0
54.8
238.7
Parameter
Lug Rotational
Sliding
Rotational
Sliding
Piston Ring to
Bolt
Carrier
Bore Rotational
Sliding
Cam Pin to Cam
Groove
Rotational
Sliding
Friction
Sum
0.18

(lbs)
Force (lbs)
1891.6
340.5
Effective
Radius (in)
0.50
Torque (in-lbs)
0.18
258.0
46.4
0.27
12.3
0.18
346.5
62.4
0.25
15.6
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
170.2
198.1
References
[1] Ryan E. LeBlanc. An Evaluation of Gas Systems for the AR15/M16 Platform. Masterss thesis,
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hartford, Connecticut, May, 2012.
[2] MIL-DTL-71186A Detail Specification - Carbine, 5.56 millimeter - M4A1
10

AR15 Roller Cam Pin Reduces Friction and Wear vs. Conventional

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AR15 Roller Cam Pin Reduces Friction and Wear vs. Conventional

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AR15 Roller Cam Pin: Reducing Friction and Wear

vs. Conventional Cam Pins

Table 1: Gas Pressure Data Table

Table 2: Cam Data Table

Linear Friction Elements

Table 3: Linear Friction Elements Data Table

Rotational Friction Elements

Gas Pressure Data

Table 5: Gas Pressure Data Table

Table 6: Cam Data Table

Table 7: Linear Friction Elements Data Table

Rotational Friction Elements

Table 9: Gas Pressure Data Table

Table 10: Cam Data Table

Linear Friction Elements

Table 11: Linear Friction Elements Data Table

Rotational Friction Elements

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