Sterling R18 Mk2 Bolt carrier question

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SpruceBug

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I've used the search bar and skimmed the review threads for the R18 Mk2 but I didn't see any talk about the bolt carrier and guide rods. On the youtube videos, it looks like the guide rods slide into the same thin metal holes that the wk180 has, and the wk180 bolt carrier has a reputation for chipping and breaking apart on the springs and guide rods.
Here are some examples of what I mean.

https://imgur.com/5rVyHtZ

https://imgur.com/c1IJSsU

My question, is the R18 Mk2 bolt carrier different from the wk180 to avoid this type of damage?
Any info is greatly appreciated!
 
SpruceBug said:
... , it looks like the guide rods slide into the same thin metal holes that the wk180 has, and the wk180 bolt carrier has a reputation for chipping and breaking apart on the springs and guide rods.
Here are some examples of what I mean.

My question, is the R18 Mk2 bolt carrier different from the wk180 to avoid this type of damage?
Any info is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

I believe that 2CentTacical has likely nailed the reason that one particullar manufacturer's Bolt Carriers are experiencing chipping. It is due to overly Brittle parts, which in turn result from the heat-treating and/or Nitriting processes. I think it is safe to say that the R19 Mk2's Bolt Carriers do not suffer from the same shortcoming. I have not heard of any R18's with Bolt Carrier issues like you described, and that includes the high-round-count rifles in use as Range Rental Guns at The Shooting Edge and Target Sports. My pre-production Test Rifle suffered no such issues with the Bolt Carrier, however we did discover that the Nitriting process had rendered the Guide Rods too Brittle, and they were prone to snapping where they threaded into the Buffer/End-Plate if you happened to accidentally drop the Assembly onto a oncrete floor. I'm just glad it was Mike from Sterling Arms who dropped the Assembly and not me! In any case, that issue was resolved by going to Stainless Steel Guide Rods on the production R18s.

My R18 Mk2 shows no sighs of Bolt Carrier failure, although my round-count is admittedly under 1000 rds to date. Still, those Ramge Rental rifles have thousands of rounds on the clock and zero failures, so I don't think that this is an issue for the SAI R18 Mk2. Different (premium) manufacturer, likely different metallurgy, and certainly dfferent heat-treat and Nitriting applicators.
 
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From memory, only the first 1000 or so WKs had defective carriers with bad metallurgy. There was a recall that replaced them, and I haven't seen a single mention of issues on CGN since. The WK is full of other problems, but the carrier no longer seems to be one
 
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