when it comes time to clean, it will be much easier to clean because, without the gasses going into and around my bolt carrier it simply does not get that dirty
No, it doesn't get that dirty. But it DOES get dirty. Gas residue isn't a major cause of stoppages, but it seems it is a major issue with recreational shooters.
I won't confirm or deny the 40+ rounds in my AR have I shot last October have been swabbed out, either. But that's the entire point.
Why spend $400 for the "privilege" of ignoring what you could ignore anyway? It's not the actual reason people are buying piston. They buy piston because then they can say it is.
Piston dirties up all the action components wherever they are located. Piston does NOT have any documented superiority or durability of design, and the cost to test one and make it public is apparently so high the makers won't even do it. Piston doesn't cure a gas residue problem causing malfunctions, because gas residue ISN'T a problem. Piston only reduces the heat on the bolt face 40-80 degrees, which is functionally insignificant.
Since piston doesn't improve any action based criteria, it's precisely the reason SOCOM pointed out the SCAR didn't bring them anything. The M4 did the same job, and they wouldn't waste our tax dollars on it anymore. It was a noble experiment, it wasn't cheap, but we did find out something when combat weapons are used in the hands of professionals.
When you shoot other humans, it makes no difference whether it's piston or DI.
That just leaves ego, and if you don't have a clue about American marketing, it's ALL about selling ego enhancement. Especially to testosterone influenced young men with disposable cash.
Pistons are sold with weak reasoning and poor excuses for the technology "improvement," but the real focus of piston marketing really isn't function - it's self esteem enhancement. Precisely the same thing that goes on with "tactical" watches, knives, clothing, and accessories.
There's no technical justification for the expense. It's marketing smoke and mirrors with the goal to separate money from the easily influenced. What we read are pronoucements of happy piston owners who find the system allows them to do exactly what they could be doing with DI - ignore cleaning. Well, it's been shown you don't have to spend money to ignore cleaning.
What you do read are a lot of excuses, and they sound exactly like the same ones people justify buying a Rolex over a $25 quartz Timex. Sorry, certified chronometer or not, if you have to leave the house ten minutes early to avoid traffic, spending $$$ to do it is all about the watch, not telling the time.