For the weekend/casual shooter…
Is the DLC finish worth the premium over NiB?
And for the same guy, is the NiB really worth the premium over nitride/chrome?
How many hairs are we splitting? Sure it’s nice to have premium finishes, I’m just not sure how beneficial it is to someone like myself.
For me, all are better than phosphate. I prefer Nitride/chrome, although Nib is super slick and easy to clean. I don’t get hung up on DLC.
to me on a bcg i prefer NiB on mine. its noticably slicker to the touch and seems to run better without having to be oiled as much. DLC im not so sure of as ive not really experimented much with it since i went to mostly NiB Bcgs. I however am cheap, so i only upgrade to NiB Bcg’s when they are on sale for what i would normally pay for a nitrided/chromed bcg. that’s just how i roll though.
I run NiB in everything but my .300 BLK pistol. You can notice the difference between a NiB and nitride or phosphate coated when its cycling, and it drastically cuts down on cleaning time. I’ve used the DLC BCG’s before, and was impressed. But I dont see the need for the casual shooter to have spend the money unless they just want to make sure they have a higher quality. IMO nitrides are great as on their own.
looks like we share alot of the same opinions here. 
I just replaced a Nitride 308 BCG with a Nickel Boron 308 BCG.
BUT I would say I’m intermediate in knowledge.
Maybe someone more knowledgeable could have made the 308 I was experiencing intermittent performance with, work in a different way.
Adjusting the gas block or something.
THE MAIN THING IS: don’t pay too much chasing a Holy Grail.