AR: Direct Impingement or Gas Piston?

AR: Direct Impingement or Gas Piston???

  • Total voters
    204
Status
Not open for further replies.
What are you using it for? If it is a range gun, you get to clen it often, and so on, get a DI, something like a LMT or noveske. But if you plan on taking it to a lot of carbine classes, beating it up, and not cleaning it often, get the GP system, i personally like POF. (but thats because i have one) Noveske and POF are very similar in quality, getting another AR i would be hard pressed to chose. Otoh, GP ARs are WAY easier to clean, espically after a coupla hundred rounds.
 
The AR was designed with direct impingement so that is what I would stick with.
 
I voted for DI before I read...
If money wasn't an object
Click to expand...
The AR was designed DI and it works plenty well. However, I've really come around on the GP system and would love to own a POF, if I had the money to burn. Reliability on that level is astounding. The only drawbacks I see are the availability of replacement parts, POF's customer service, and the relatively small amount of time GPs have been on the market in the AR platform. It has certainly been an application for enough time to be tried and tested, but if it is truly a fad and will be gone with the wind, I don't want to be on board when the ship sails. The benefits of the GP overshadow the current lack of replacement parts and the customer service issue because with time, they both will take care of themselves if the GP is here to stay. I tend to think it is, and I'm a fan.
 
my preference would be piston for SBRs and DI for 16"+ barrels
 
The direct gas is the ONLY thing that has kept me from using an AR as my go-to carbine. I have one for a varmint rig but I don't trust one for a fighting gun. Funds don't allow a gas-piston AR at this time but maybe possible in the future. Wanna make sure all the bugs are worked out of the design too.

Any rifle that [deposits carbon] where it eats just don't make sense to me. It's like routing the exhaust from your car back under the hood near the intake. Hot, dirty and may cause reliability issues. I know I'm among the minority in my opinion, I don't care. My money, my rifle and my [butt] on the line if it doesn't work at the wrong time.
 
Last edited:
Piston. Cleaner, less wear and tear on parts, cooler (Temperature...).

Overall a better design than DI.

Edit: PMbiker, that's a great analogy!
 
Heh, I figured something of the sort would happen.

This is a thread about two gas systems in the AR rifle platform. No need to turn it into another AK v AR contest. Both rifles have their jamming problems, one proven to do so more than the other.

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Would that be the LWRC SABR?
Click to expand...

i was thinking the HK416 when i said it. I'd bet LWRC makes one, I just don't know their model #s
 
If so, why would you go with GP for one of those?
Click to expand...

Lemme take a stab at this.

The way I understand, it has more to do with the shortened gas tube than the short barrel. With the very short gas system the gas reaches the bolt carrier too soon. The pressure is still too high which could cause for sticky extraction due to the brass still being swollen in the chamber when the extractor tries to rip it out. A band-aid for this is the "pigtail" type gas tubes which effectively lengthens the gas tube and allows the pressures to drop before the gas gets to the bolt carrier.

My terminology may be incorrect but I think that's the basic idea.
 
Last edited:
I think this will be a "Ford vs. Chevy" Both work I guess it is more about what you like or are used to.
Click to expand...

No it's not. It's more like an overpriced aftermarket kit that does not enhance the performance of the rifle. DI does not need any more cleaning than any other weapon in the inventory of the US Armed Forces. In fact it requires less maintenance than any of our machine guns, many of which use a piston in their gas system. Those of us that have actually used the rifle overseas can attest to its reliability even in 14.5" barrel format.
 
Any rifle that [deposits carbon] where it eats just don't make sense to me. It's like routing the exhaust from your car back under the hood near the intake. Hot, dirty and may cause reliability issues. I know I'm among the minority in my opinion, I don't care. My money, my rifle and my [butt] on the line if it doesn't work at the wrong time.
Click to expand...
Because the gas cylinder doesn't trap carbon does it? It's not like the gas piston can't be impeded by built up carbon, right? At least some of the carbon from the DI goes out the ejection port so it does have an "exhaust" of sort unlike the piston system.

Your analogy is akin to only caring about your carburetor's function and not keeping your transmission maintained. Either one will keep your auto from going anywhere.
 
Anybody have any luck with the pigtail gas tube? I don't mean to threadjack, but it seems relevant and has already been brought up.
 
If a piston AR was done RIGHT, I'd choose piston. Right as in, a fluted gas tube like an AK uses and being set up to allow some blowby to reduce friction. The problem is these American companies keep trying to build everything with tight tolerances and exacting precision, not realizing that you can relax the tolerances in certain areas and still get a rifle that's just as accurate and a heck of a lot more reliable.
 
Because the gas cylinder doesn't trap carbon does it? It's not like the gas piston can't be impeded by built up carbon, right? At least some of the carbon from the DI goes out the ejection port so it does have an "exhaust" of sort unlike the piston system.
Click to expand...
At one time I owned a Robinson Arms M96 (a piston gun) and it failed because carbon built up in the piston cylinder and cause the two halves of the piston to separate.
 
For me it is an un-necessary solution to a nonexistent problem. Of the 10s of thousands of rounds I have fired over the years in M16 and AR15 rifles, I see no reason to spend more money on a gas piston setup. IF the cost were the same, I may be more receptive.
IF I were firing blanks more than live rounds, I would definitely look at a gas piston setup. Firing ALOT of blanks is the only time I had issues with my rifles.
 
Some of you guys sure do get testy when people don't agree with you. You'd think someone had called your wife ugly or something.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

P
  • Locked
  • Poll
Custom DI AR, Scar/ACR, Custom piston AR?
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
HavelockLEO
H
S
  • Locked
Anyone have a gas piston AR currently?
Replies
4
Views
2K
gvnwst
G
B
  • Locked
Why no talk of the LMT piston AR?
Replies
9
Views
2K
Bartholomew Roberts
B
T
  • Locked
Gas piston ARs
Replies
6
Views
1K
aubie515
A
R
  • Locked
LWRC Rifles?
Replies
3
Views
779
sgtdevildog
S
Back
Top