When Sharps reached out to me to review the Relia-Bolt, I had that skeptical look across my face. Instantly I had this image in my head. “Uhh, you angled the bolt lugs and are using different steel to improve reliability? my eyes squinted attempting to imagine the design…OK yeah I am going to have to see this thing, because I am not getting it.” In the back of my head I started asking the question was this a solution looking for a problem or a solution to a real issue. The answer is that is depends on you, your rifle and the environment which you work in.
ABOUT SHARPS RIFLE COMPANY
Sharps
Rifles are a household name in the gun industry with manufacturing that
dates back to 1840 and accuracy that delivered some of the first truly
accurate 1000-yard firearms. On the consumers side, Sharps is well known for Tom Selleck's use of a Sharps rifle in the movie Quigley Down Under. Today Sharps is part of the Broadsword
sporting group which includes Sharps Rifle Company, A-Square, SRC Arms,
H.H. Heiser, and Merwin Hulbert. Most of those other divisions are more famous for their engineering and manufacturing than firearms/related parts. The combined resources deliver 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 AR15 Bolt design.
Why an AR15 part from a set of companies most famous for a old-time long range rifle? Simple. SRC Arms is in the process of launching a line of AR15 hunting/sporting rifles chambered in their newly developed 25-45 Sharps round based on the .223 with a heavier larger round flatter shooting than the 300 Blackout. In the course of the development of their rifle line they began to ask why not also develop a better AR15 bolt. The Relia-Bolt is intended for all AR15s. The bolt is compatible with the 25-45 Sharps or any .223 case based round such as 300 Blackout and 5.56 Nato/.223 Remington.
Why an AR15 part from a set of companies most famous for a old-time long range rifle? Simple. SRC Arms is in the process of launching a line of AR15 hunting/sporting rifles chambered in their newly developed 25-45 Sharps round based on the .223 with a heavier larger round flatter shooting than the 300 Blackout. In the course of the development of their rifle line they began to ask why not also develop a better AR15 bolt. The Relia-Bolt is intended for all AR15s. The bolt is compatible with the 25-45 Sharps or any .223 case based round such as 300 Blackout and 5.56 Nato/.223 Remington.
FIT, FINISH, FEEL, FEATURES, & FUNCTIONS
Many
things about the AR15 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 of 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, however
fundamentally the Bolt design has remained unchanged.
After
I receiver 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 AR15 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
can move over in the can pin rotation recess in the upper receiver.
Ultimately this is what is supposed to happen, however in extreme
situations, grit, grime and wear to the cam pin, receiver, and piston
rings can throw everything off and cause problems.
![]() |
Relia-Bolt (top) with standard phosphate and FailZero Nibo Bolts for comparison FailZero Barrel Extension shown for reference |
Sharps
obviously advocates proper gun maintenance and inspection to avoid and
prevent the issues causing operational failure, however 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.
Grit
and grime can build up at the bolt and barrel extension union to the
point where the bolt is not locking or engaging fully. With either
extreme cleaning neglect or very hard use conditions the bolt may not be
able to fully lock due to the crap stuck in the chamber or
bolt/extension lugs. Sharps Relia-Bolt answer to this problem is deliver
a self-lubricating and, for the most part, self-cleaning design. The
bolt is coated with NP3 which for all practical purposes is hardened
Teflon and is essentially self-cleaning which can literally be cleaned
by wiping with a soft cloth. The tapered leading edges of the bolt lugs
in theory also help to plow through buildup around the barrel extension
lugs which could occur during extreme neglectful maintenance or
situation where a high amount of debris may have found its way into the
chamber area.
In
a normal working state, the bolt is held in an un-locked position for
the length of the cycle by the upper receiver capturing the cam pin so
the bolt cannot accidentally lock mid-cycle or as it picks up another
round. There is a notch in the upper receiver which is "timed" to allow
the cam pin to rotate to a locked position after the bolt lugs have
passed and entered the barrel extension lugs. However a severely worn
upper or cam pin can create a situation where the bolt can partially
start its counter-clockwise locking cycle just from the pressure of
picking up a round or a sticky round in the magazine. When this happens
the clocking/timing is off on the bolt and the lugs on the bolt and
barrel extension collide versus interlocking, thus preventing lockup.
The Sharps solution is to taper both the front leading edges and the
left counter-clockwise facing edges of the lugs. This directional wedge
effect drives through chamber buildup and will drive the bolt face back
clockwise slightly back to an unlocked position to engage the barrel
extensions without jamming.
Sharps
decided to stay with a standard Carpenter 158 steel extractor simply
because the benefits of the S7 steel are minimized to that of the
standard Carpenter steel during extractor final heat treatment.
Additionally there was a perception that a NP3 coated extracter would be
too slick and actually decrease reliability. According to testing that
was not the case, however the perception was there so inevitably Sharps
decided on a standard premium extractor.
THOUGHTS ON REALITY & FINAL THOUGHTS
The
Sharps Relia-Bolt is an extreme performance/environment upgrade. In ten
of thousands of rounds in over thirty tested AR15s, I have never had a
chamber area get so dirty or cam/receiver wear so severe to create the
jam situation resolved by the Relia-Bolt’s angled lug face. I do
believe the lubricity, durability, and cleaning of finishes such as
Nickel Boron and this NP3 (hardened Teflon) treated have improved
functioning on rifles I have tested. Bolts with these coatings have been
shown to run longer, smoother, cleaner, more reliability, and some
claim lubrication-free.
The
NP3 coating is what I believe is the most attractive feature, however
bolt breakage does occur and the stronger overall bolt design through
the use of S7 steel could prevent bolt breakage. Bolt breakage is far
more likely a failure than an out of time bolt jam.
I
did simulate the jam the patented Relia-Bolt design could prevent. To
do this, I pulled the cam pin out of a carrier and simulated the
overclocking issue and the Relia-Bolt clocked back into position where
the standard bolt jammed. In short, things would have to be going
horribly wrong with a severe amount of wear on the receiver cam pin
channel and/or the cam pin itself for the lug tapers Sharps Relia-Bolt
to be used. I can see where extreme environment, a long-term fielded
AR15/M4, and/or extremely neglected ARs could develop enough slop so I
term the Relia-Bolt as a “extreme performance/environment upgrade”.
It
may sound like I am saying the Relia-Bolt is a solution looking for a
problem, however I look at it a bit differently. Its an upgrade that can
only improve reliability with the MP3 coating and decrease maintenance
and in a worst case situation still deliver functionality.
Upgrading
your AR15 bolt to the Sharps Relia-Bolt delivers another layer of
reliability just as we all now swear by chrome, nitriding, nickel boron,
and NP3 to deliver longer running, smoother, cleaner, more reliable,
corrosion resistance, and lower lubrication requirements bolts over
standard Mil-Spec phosphated bolts and the S7 steel is stronger as well.
It is doubtful I will ever drive an AR hard enough with such a high
level of neglect to utilize the Relia-Bolt’s leading edge lug tapers
however the Sharps Relia-Bolt still offers the top end of slick,
cleaner, longer running, more reliable, corrosion resistance, and lower
lubrication bolt design that is still at least 60% stronger than a
standard AR15 Bolt. With a lifetime warranty and those specs it is the
most sophisticated AR15 bolt available. For those looking for the
ultimate in bolt design, the Relia-Bolt could deliver the extra bit of
reliability when you need it most.
SPECS
Relia
Bolt is drop-in compatible with all existing .223/5.56 variant parts
groups and bolt carriers. No modification or tools are required for
installation. Also works with all .223 cased variants - 300 Blackout,
25-45 Sharps, ...etc.
The
Relia-Bolt is machined from S7 tool steel, which significantly
increases its strength. When compared to mil spec Carpenter 158, the S7
steel provides a 75% increase in tensile strength, and 60% improvement
in yield strength.
Every
Relia-Bolt is coated with NP3, an electrodes nickels-based finish that
co-deposits sub-micron particles of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene),
commonly known as Teflon. Even after thousands of rounds without
cleaning, carbon residue can be wiped away with a soft cloth.
Lifetime
Warranty - The LW for the SRC Relia-Bolt covers defects in materials
and workmanship, all parts and labor to repair or replace defective
products and return shipment within the continental United States.
MSRP $149
SOURCES
Sharps Rifle Company - SRC - http://www.SRCarms.com
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