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- Alfred Mendoza
- June 1, 2023
If you are bothered with your rifle’s operation speed, cycling, and reliability issues, upgrading your mil-spec bolt carrier could help. With a lot of debates with which bolt carrier to choose, things may be confusing.
Let’s have a closer look at full-auto bolt carrier vs semi to help you understand their differences.
Table of Contents
Main Differences Between Semi & Full-Auto Bolt Carrier
The full-auto bolt carrier has a full-auto lug in the receiver, while the semi-auto bolt carrier doesn’t.
The bolt allows the gun to automatically fire whenever the lug is in contact with the sear release in a full-auto trigger.
Full-auto bolt carriers are heavy compared to semi-automatic.
Semi-Auto
PROS
- Cycles faster
- Improved smoothness
- Lightweight
- Smooth cycling action
- Increased accuracy
CONS
- High recoil
- Bolt bounce may be an issue
Full-Auto
PROS
- Less stress on firing pain
- Increased Dwell
- Low recoil
- Heavier
- Reduced wear and tear on carbine
CONS
- Cycles slower
- Longer
Closer Look at the Differences
Profile
Full-auto bolt carriers are longer and heavier than semi-auto. Full-auto is in a form where the rear lug can hit the sear release to make it fully automatic. A semi-automatic bolt carrier’s rear has some materials removed, making it shorter and lighter than full-auto.
Closed Section Rear Size
The full-auto bolt carrier has 2 inches rear closed section. It will hit an auto sear when in full burst fire. The semi-automatic version has a reduced closed rear section at about a half inches. Some semi-auto versions have completely open bottom making it hard to configure semi-automatic rifles.
Lug
The lug is one of the main differences between the full-auto bolt carrier and semi-auto. A full-auto bolt has a lug that is required to have a full-auto sear function. This lug is one reason it has an increased weight on the bolt carrier. The semi-auto bolt carrier does not have an auto lug preventing the bolt carrier group from being used for full-auto firing.
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Weight
When it comes to weight, full-auto bolt carriers are heavier than semi-automatic bolt carriers.
The additional metal cut-off at the bottom that exposes the firing pin collar of the semi-automatic made it lighter compared to full-auto.
However, the weight of the full-auto gains applause from the users for the increased stability, lower recoil, and reduced damage.
Availability
In full-auto bolt carrier vs semi, full-auto is the most common bolt carrier on the market, while semi-auto are rare these days. The full-auto BCG cannot make a rifle a full-auto; therefore, it is legal to own one. Semi-auto was popular years ago because the manufacturers did not want the “full-auto” attached to the weapon.
Both full-auto and semi-auto are available on the market, but various options for full-auto are mostly available.
Reliability
A full-auto bolt carrier is more reliable than a semi-auto bolt carrier. Based on research, one factor in the reliability of the bolt carrier is the weight. A heavier and longer bolt carrier is more reliable because it increases the cycle time and reduces stress. The added weight also gives significant stability and less recoil, which affects the reliability of the bolt carrier.
Weapon Compatibility
The full-auto bolt carrier and semi-auto bolt carrier are interchangeable with standard rifles. Full-auto and semi-auto profiles may be different, but they are compatible with any rifle, buffer, kit, trigger, upper and lower receiver.
FAQS
Yes, a full-auto works fine in a semi-automatic AR. It may carry more metal that can increase weight and slow dwell time, but it is still compatible and functional.
Yes, it is legal to own a full-auto bolt carrier. Federal law defines a weapon as illegal if the function is to shoot by a single trigger function [1]. The bolt carrier is not a machine gun part, and it does not change the rifle to be fully automatic.
And Our Choice Between The Full Auto Bolt Carrier vs Semi Is…
When it comes to full-auto bolt carrier vs semi, a full-auto bolt carrier is the best choice for upgrading your rifle cycle. Aside from its ease of use, the weight of the full-auto bolt carrier will bring great improvement in reliability, speed, and cycling.
The built and length of the full-auto bolt carrier also gives a durable and excellent heat resistance when firing shots. In addition to this, less recoil gives more stability and less stress on the firing pin.
References:
- https://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/rpt/2009-R-0020.htm
Thanks for the informative article!