Many of you may have seen me reference Chris Bartocci before in videos and articles (like in the recent Guns of SOCOM: Mk18 Video) or even seen Chris on TFBTV before (he cameos in the Glock 18 Mini-Documentary). Chris is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable AR-15 gurus out there, thanks in no small part to his consulting work for Colt and LMT. I have a great deal of respect for Bartocci and any time I do an AR-15 review, I try to consult one of his numerous publications on the subject to reinforce my content.

As we reported back in June, Chris’s YouTube channel – which had amassed a healthy following – was removed by YouTube as part of the semi-arbitrary YouTube purge of gun content. Well I’m glad to say that Chris has brought Small Arms Solutions (and Big Beard Answers) back to YouTube, where he’s starting all over again. See and subscribe to his channel here.

Not only is Chris on the comeback, but he’s coming in hot with a series discussing and comparing enhanced bolt carrier groups from different companies for the AR-15. The video very appropriately starts with the “standard”; a discussion of the mil-spec bolt carrier group. Thereafter, he uses the mil-spec BCG that one might find in a Colt 6920 as a baseline to compare a series of other carriers and bolts from other manufacturers.

I won’t give the rest of the video away. If you are into AR-15s and don’t check it out now, you’ll inevitably check it out later as this video series will no doubt be a resource for years to come. I also strongly advise any of you thinking about buying or building a new AR-15 to watch this video before you buy.  The bolt carrier group is the chief operating component of your AR-15, and it would behoove you to research the most critical piece of your new carbine before you swipe that plastic.