Gas piston ar15 worth the extra money?

Hamtaro1085 · Feb 4, 2012

Picked up a stag model 8L love it!!

Gunnar · Feb 6, 2012

People are trying to turn the AR into the AK with the piston system. They are two different systems designed for two different missions. It isn't worth the time and money. If you want an AK buy and AK. For me, I love all AR's. I would rather hit my target with one small (yet just as deadly) bullet than spray 30 around it.

P.S. If you can't keep your gun clean maybe you should be using something less sophisticated e.g. a rock.

PolishedBrass · Feb 6, 2012

Gunnar said:
People are trying to turn the AR into the AK with the piston system. They are two different systems designed for two different missions. It isn't worth the time and money. If you want an AK buy and AK. For me, I love all AR's. I would rather hit my target with one small (yet just as deadly) bullet than spray 30 around it.

P.S. If you can't keep your gun clean maybe you should be using something less sophisticated e.g. a rock.

I think people are always trying to improve on design. Design and caliber rises to the top via innovation and practical function.

Personally I am fine with the AR. However I would rather see a "6.8ppc with a brute simple long stroke piston like the Daewoo" adopted by the US and at least 4 other militaries
with tons of ammo drifting downward cheaply to us citizens.

Seems like it would be a simple enough evolution. (Though the 7.62x39 versions of the Daewoo did run into some problems)

The 6.8 can do cqb and snipe out to 1000 meters depending on design and barrel.

With no buffer tube ... it could really be shortened up and rock in cqb.

Gunnar · Feb 7, 2012

As an engineer I fully understand and support improvements in design, but consider this the AR-15/M16/M4 is one of the two most prolific guns in history. I've seen worked over AR's that can that can accurately reach out and touch someone as far as the 5.56 cartridge is capable. you must also consider that most AR's are production guns with the inherent flaws of production tolerances. The point is that built correctly, the gun is perfect for what it is the way it is.

I vote for a team of crack engineers and a small army of field experienced testers to design the next generation as I see the majority of next gen assault rifles just being an M4 with a piston.

As a side note, I don't buy Korea cars or guns.

PolishedBrass · Feb 7, 2012

DoubleTapDrew said:
Thank you for the pics of the Daewoo, very neat. The piston & spring designs definitely remind me of an AK, just mated to an AR bolt carrier.

Yeah ... pretty neat how they mated them together. Simple and solid.

imandrew18 · Aug 20, 2012

Sorry to open up an old Thread. I think there are a lot people that are stuck in the past and are thinking that DI guns are still good. While i will no longer own one myself (pws mk116, pws mk216). We need to move forward and let technology advance the weapons we love. After all we dont like muskets anymore? and bolt guns in there time were all the rage. Now we are all tired of cleaning our damn guns. Am i right? Who really likes Cleaning anyways? The DI system is great when the average mpg on a standard car is 8, but we are in the future now and expect more from our products

The B · Aug 20, 2012

imandrew18 said:
Sorry to open up an old Thread. I think there are a lot people that are stuck in the past and are thinking that DI guns are still good. While i will no longer own one myself (pws mk116, pws mk216). We need to move forward and let technology advance the weapons we love. After all we dont like muskets anymore? and bolt guns in there time were all the rage. Now we are all tired of cleaning our damn guns. Am i right? Who really likes Cleaning anyways? The DI system is great when the average mpg on a standard car is 8, but we are in the future now and expect more from our products

If DI is a dated system, it's time to advance to a new platform- no piston refit system has ever fixed more problems than it created, on the AR/M4 platform.

eldbillbo · Aug 20, 2012

imandrew18 said:
Sorry to open up an old Thread. I think there are a lot people that are stuck in the past and are thinking that DI guns are still good. While i will no longer own one myself (pws mk116, pws mk216). We need to move forward and let technology advance the weapons we love. After all we dont like muskets anymore? and bolt guns in there time were all the rage. Now we are all tired of cleaning our damn guns. Am i right? Who really likes Cleaning anyways? The DI system is great when the average mpg on a standard car is 8, but we are in the future now and expect more from our products

Yeh man thats why i own one of these

madcratebuilder · Aug 21, 2012

imandrew18 said:
Sorry to open up an old Thread. I think there are a lot people that are stuck in the past and are thinking that DI guns are still good. While i will no longer own one myself (pws mk116, pws mk216). We need to move forward and let technology advance the weapons we love. After all we dont like muskets anymore? and bolt guns in there time were all the rage. Now we are all tired of cleaning our damn guns. Am i right? Who really likes Cleaning anyways? The DI system is great when the average mpg on a standard car is 8, but we are in the future now and expect more from our products

Isn't that bass achwards? Piston rifles such as the Garand, M1 carbine and M14 certainly predate the M16. Piston or DI they still need to be cleaned. Cleaning the DI bolt carrier is no more difficult or time consuming than cleaning the piston and gas cylinder on a piston system.

imandrew18 · Aug 21, 2012

The cleaning requirements for a PWS mk116 and a PWS mk216 are next to nothing and in just seconds i can wipe off the piston and go. Isonite treated parts dont require cleaning either. Look it up
And to speak to the previous gas piston weapons they are to costly to customize, and Then you are destroying a beautiful gun. :s0131:

The B · Aug 21, 2012

imandrew18 said:
Isonite treated parts dont require cleaning either.

No AR should require cleaning.. just generous, frequent applications of lubrication.

Look, people... nobody ever said, "you know, I love my M4, but I just wish it wasn't so smooth shooting and lightweight!" The piston refit was an idea conjured up to separate people from their money- not to solve any problem with the DI system. And, aside from adding weight, felt-recoil, damaging the receiver-extension and occasionally breaking the bolt, that's all it does- separates you from your money.

shooter58 · Aug 22, 2012

I have owned a variety of di AR's over the last 30years and have never had an issue. Some of them I bought over the counter and others I home built. I must admit that I cleaned them regularly so no idea how they might have performed under "bad" conditions. I am a believer in di but I would be lying if I didn't add that I am fascinated with trying a piston AR. I would like to add that to my list of actual experience for sharing in the future.