ScubaCinci Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 When I was in the gun shop the other night, several guys got into a big debate in the store as to which is "better". There were only 2 piston AR's left and I thought there may be a fight over them at one point. It's probably the equivalent of a motor oil thread but I'm sure some people have strong opinions one way or the other. So which do you prefer and why?I think I prefer the DI because it has less weight and you're not stuck with a proprietary piston system. However, the fact that they get dirtier and take longer to clean isn't so great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottb Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 I am looking for info on this too. Maybe not which one is better, but the pros and cons of each style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 (edited) American Riflemanshort story: both work, but piston is attempting to fix what wasn't broken in the first place. Something new will probably come along in the future.AR Operating Systems: Gas Impingement vs. Piston - Can the gas-piston AR system overtake the longest serving military rifle, or will the gas impingement system soldier on?edit: piston is cleaner, but the bolt group is technically designed for impingement, not piston. Edited December 21, 2012 by ReconRat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaCinci Posted December 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 (edited) Recon..your URLs link to the same article.Scott, google the title of this thread and you'll find a ton of comparisons...I came across a link yesterday that give a very good list of pro and cons but I'll be damned if I can find it again.I was more curious as to what the general consensus here was. I should have done a poll.*EDIT* here is a good linkhttp://survivalcache.com/part-3-best-survival-carbine-ar-style-rifle-bug-out-rifle/ Edited December 21, 2012 by ScubaCinci Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 (edited) Recon..0your URLs link to the same article.Scott, google the title of this thread and you'll find a ton of comparisons...I came across a link yesterday that give a very good list of pro and cons but I'll be damned if I can find it again.I was more curious as to what the general consensus here was. I should have done a poll.*EDIT* here is a good linkhttp://survivalcache.com/part-3-best-survival-carbine-ar-style-rifle-bug-out-rifle/It was one title that split itself into the appearance of two. Attempted edit.I'm inclined to stick with the original for AR. Piston is what is found in AK. I'm inclined to leave that alone also.edit: btw, that's a nice set of articles you've linked to at survivalcache Edited December 21, 2012 by ReconRat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swingset Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 DI for me. Nothing wrong with piston guns, but AR's don't need them to run reliably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 The rifle was engineered and designed to use DI. The amount of fouling that occurs as a result is pretty minimal, you get more bolt fouling from blow back through the breech while its opening IMHO. I've shot lots of sks and ak's, both piston guns, and they get just as dirty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottb Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 I will check those links when I get home. Hopefully if nothing happens "ban" wise, I will be better informed when I purchase one in a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDBGoalie Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 (edited) PistonPros:The rifle stays much cleaner because the gas exits at the block.The rifle runs much cooler because the gas doesn't run back through it.A properly set up piston weapon is very reliable even with little to no maintenance. (Ex. Any Kalashnikov)Cons:Expensive to convert a DI to a piston system.Piston system components undergo significant stress in operation and are prone to failure.If the system breaks the weapon is not repairable without parts. (No battlefield remedy will fix a broken piston or bolt carrier surface.Proper timing and tuning is required to get them to run properly.DIPros:Simple system works off recycled gas. No extra moving parts for blow-back operation.CAN be lighter than piston systems.Many battlefield remedys will fix a malfunctioning DI weapon. (Dump enough CLP in it and it will run for a hundred rounds or so even without being properly maintained)Cons:Very dirty operation due to the build-up from the recycled gas.Prone to failure if not properly and continuously maintained.Can become very hot during rapid fire.I look at my weapons with regards to their ability to function in combat. I think that the DI system works well when maintained. I would be very selective in the brand of piston system I purchased. However if the rifle is designed properly to be piston driven they tend to be more reliable and less maintenance intensive. So they both work, with pros and cons for each. I tend to lean towards leaving the weapon the functional way it was designed.My AR Battle Rifle is a DI. They are messy but they work. It's just like a woman, if you take good care of her she'll put out. If you ignore or neglect her she'll just sit on the couch pissed off with her arms crossed and refuse to do anything.However my CQB rifle is an AUG and that is a piston system. However it was designed as a piston weapon and it works very well. Edited December 21, 2012 by BDBGoalie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner75 Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 We had both in my armory on my ship. When we held gun shoots we used both. After 1000 rounds each shoot we had to clean both weapon types. Personally It really makes no difference other then the points mentioned. I personally like the piston better because of the heat difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4DAIVI PAI2K5 Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 Motor oil.I use DI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokey Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 DI for me. Nothing wrong with piston guns, but AR's don't need them to run reliably.+1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokey Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 We had both in my armory on my ship. When we held gun shoots we used both. After 1000 rounds each shoot we had to clean both weapon types. Personally It really makes no difference other then the points mentioned. I personally like the piston better because of the heat difference.So you have your license for full auto and you like to empty one magazine out after another? If not there is no advantage to piston at all, DI AR's and M16's can go crazy full auto all the time with little to no issues. Keep the bolt wet....gun goes bang bang bang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDBGoalie Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 So you have your license for full auto and you like to empty one magazine out after another? If not there is no advantage to piston at all, DI AR's and M16's can go crazy full auto all the time with little to no issues. Keep the bolt wet....gun goes bang bang bang.No, you are not reading his post clearly. He said he prefers the piston system because the rifle stays cool, not because of any functional difference. 210 rnds with DI and your rail will be smoking hot. 210 rnds with a piston and just the gas block heats up. Significant comfort difference, minimal cleanliness difference. He was shooting while serving time as a semen, hence the full auto. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaCinci Posted December 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 He was shooting while serving time as a semen, hence the full auto.I think you mean seaman BTW - looks like you are at Ft Campbell, my son is based there (101st) but is currently in Afghanistan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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