Roguard?

[JustBC]

Has anyone sent their M4 to Robar for their Roguard/NP3 treatment? If so how did it come out? Any problems? Was it worth it?

Thanks!

[Lossiter]

WORTH IT ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!

https://robarguns.com/blog/2016/07/07/jonathan-raves-about-his-robar-finishedimproved-benelli-m4/

 

Problems? Yes, the craftsmanship is so astonishing I am now compelled to buy at least one more just like this, possibly two.

[StrangerDanger]

Since getting my FFL, I became a Robar Authorized Dealer. Since then, I have sent in several M4's to build what we loosely coined, the H2O Extreme. We start with the base level M4, add all the desired accessories, then come up with a cosmetic build plan for having everything plated in NP3+.

 

Personally, I have never seen rust on an M4. Benelli did a great job making it corrosion resistant. My main goal for building these NP3+ guns is to enhance performance. Nickel with a teflon substrate is incredibly smooth and wears together nicely. If you have components sliding against each other, NP3+ makes everything better with minimal tolerance stacking issues. I've done nickel boron and Cerakote coatings - they all need fitting afterwards to make them function. With NP3+, you can hand cycle the pistons inside the barrel housing and get everything working together. With nickel boron, I had to polish the pistons in a lathe to get them to fit.

 

When certain components are plated, the result is a smoother recoil impulse. Moving parts rubbing against each other do so more smoothly once plated. We tested this with a side by side testing of M4's configured the same, but one was completely NP3+ plated. The plated shotgun feels like a well broken in firearm. Cocking the bolt to the rear even feels and sounds different. Instead of hitting the hammer hump and feeling it drag, it smoothly goes over that "bump" and cocks to the rear. That same feeling is translated in when firing the weapon. Instead of the mechanical clunk as the bolt recoils to the rear, that smoothed cycle goes from beginning to end of the recoil impulse. If you're a fast shooter, and you're putting one or two rounds on target to make sure it stays down, it's a serious improvement over stock. Another benefit is the bolt cycles faster, making it less likely to end up with a hammer down situation from pulling the trigger again as the bolt cycles forward.

 

One of the M4's I built up like this is in Australia now doing invasive species eradication in New Queensland - mainly as a backup weapon to the SCAR17. The wild bores over there can be pretty aggressive.

 

What parts constitute a smoother operating system? This list will be roughly from most important to least important;

Hammer, Bolt Carrier, Recoil Plunger, Receiver Extension, Receiver, Breech Latch, Trigger Guard Housing (aluminum model,) magazine follower, magazine tube, Shell Elevator, Hammer Spring cap, Shell Release Lever, Shell Stop, Link, Link pin, Disconnector, Breech Latch Pin, bolt, extractor, extractor pin, cam pin, firing pin, firing pin retainer, Disconnector Plunger, pistons, Trigger, and Trigger Pins.

Everything else is cosmetic or for corrosion resistance. Robar doesn't plate the portion of the barrel that is satin chrome plated that enters the receiver.

 

Draw backs of the process.

For one, it's expensive. You're looking at 900 dollars with a full host of accessories sent with it. Yes, we've sent the titanium magazine tubes and had them plated as well. They won't warranty the plating on titanium, but it does work.

 

Second, it takes forever. 3 - 4 months is the average.

 

Third, cosmetics. Not everyone wants a shiny shotgun that appears to glow in your hands. Even being a satin matte finish, it really stands out. What we have started doing for clients who do not want a shiny gun is after the plating process is done, we send the parts out to a professional Cerakote company who preps the surface areas and paints them whatever color they want. That way the NP3+ finish is on all the internals, but visually they are the desired color. This naturally adds more to the cost and time it takes to complete the build.

[StrangerDanger]

This ones mine with a muted finished carriercomp magazine tube. It started out as a 11707.

 

Dark Earth M4 done up with NP3+ components with Cerakoted cosmetics.

[cspcrx]

Had a complete AR done, I mean every single part minus the furniture. Came out great, took a while but I was not in a hurry.

[JustBC]

Thanks everyone!

@strangerdanger, I am thinking about getting the externals done with Roguard, not NP3. I don't fancy a shiny shotgun, at least I didn't until I saw yours. That is a sweet piece of work! :-)

I am not that worried about corrosion. The main reason behind doing this is I have the FFT extended mag tube and the color doesn't match as well as I would like. I was thinking about having the internals coated with NP3 though. Your description pushed me over the edge, NP3 it is! I was going to leave the pistons be, I thought they were stainless. Are they worth plating as well?

Thanks again.

BC