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#207518 - 09/08/10 09:59 PM DI vs Piston?
dual_primed Offline
Stranger

Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 11
Will be in the market for an AR. Any opinions and experiences on pros/cons of piston driven models? Any recommendations on brand? Thanks for your input.
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"Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result."-Churchill

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#207523 - 09/08/10 10:22 PM Re: DI vs Piston? [Re: dual_primed]
Frisket Offline
Addict

Registered: 09/03/10
Posts: 640
Im sure youll never get a full answer to this just alota opinions because both systems are well proven to do what they do and that's shoot things. Pistons do not get as dirty as DI and the heat is more towards the front. Your best bet is to find what guns are what and read reviews and so forth about them. Often or not Piston vs DI turns into AK vs Ar15 And then AR15 DI vs the newer AR15 Pistons.

For your first AR personally Id go with a DI Ar15 and learn how that works and how to maintain it first since its still a more widely popular (as in the amount out there)System.


As For brand i hear bushmaster alot as a cheap good AR15 brand. (someone correct me if im wrong)
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#207535 - 09/09/10 12:56 AM Re: DI vs Piston? [Re: dual_primed]
LesSnyder Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 1680
Loc: New Port Richey, Fla
I'd like to second what Frisket said about getting the plain ole AR style rifle... I've shot several of the piston guns, and all of them were heavier and had more recoil than my traditional gas tube guns...if you aren't shooting a full auto AR it is really a non issue... if you shoot a lot of Wolff ammo, just clean the bolt every time you come home, and keep the 3 piece ring set and not try to use one of the one piece rings...

the heart of an AR is the trigger... would suggest you look at the Rock River rifles that come with a good National Match trigger as original equipment.... depending on what you are using it for ... would suggest a full float front end (without all the rails, possibly a lower rail only for vertical grip) and if you go with a carbine .. a 16 inch barrel with the intermediate gas system...

my game gun is a RR 16 inch as suggested with 4x32 ACOG, modified Miculek muzzle brake, with a VietNam era A1 stock... it particularly likes S&B 55grain ammo, and will hold 5inches at 400y... I can't see any better than that...

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#207537 - 09/09/10 01:33 AM Re: DI vs Piston? [Re: dual_primed]
Frisket Offline
Addict

Registered: 09/03/10
Posts: 640
Id go with a 20 inch barrel unless your worried about close quarters.
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Nope.......

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#207542 - 09/09/10 02:46 AM Re: DI vs Piston? [Re: Frisket]
dual_primed Offline
Stranger

Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 11
Yeah, I was hoping not to get a coke vs pepsi or ford vs chevy debate. I'm very familiar with the DI system from serving and I grew an affinity for the carbine during deployments. But I did have the occasional double and fail to feed issues (good thing only on the range). Haven't had the opportunity to test a piston one yet, so I was wondering if it lives up to the hype.
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"Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result."-Churchill

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#207543 - 09/09/10 02:53 AM Re: DI vs Piston? [Re: dual_primed]
Frisket Offline
Addict

Registered: 09/03/10
Posts: 640
So far i haven't heard anything bad from actual piston owners cept some may not fire cheaper ammo. Often i see the DI guys are the ones that bash the pistons stating "Just get a AK already" or something to the such.
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Nope.......

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#207573 - 09/09/10 12:09 PM Re: DI vs Piston? [Re: dual_primed]
LesSnyder Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 1680
Loc: New Port Richey, Fla
dual_primed....don't know how long ago your dual feeds/mis feed was, but there are a bunch of new magazine followers out in the last couple of years... I've had really good luck with the MagPul "P" mags...If you still have connections to the military, see if you can get one of the high temp neoprene "O" rings that slip over the extractor spring from the SOPMOD reliability enhancement kit

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#207589 - 09/09/10 03:29 PM Re: DI vs Piston? [Re: dual_primed]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
I've never owned a piston AR. They are heavier and there seems to be a bit more recoil.

Standard, direct-impingement ARs do get dirty but as long as you keep them well-lubricated they're very reliable.

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#207597 - 09/09/10 06:11 PM Re: DI vs Piston? [Re: dual_primed]
oldsoldier Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/25/06
Posts: 742
Loc: MA
I had the opportunity to fire a piston AR about a month ago. I put about 3 mags or so through it. I was shooting cheap ammo-whitbox stuff. Using Pmags (illegal in MA, but I was shooting a buddies rifle, up in NH, where they arent). My opinion? I didnt like it. There were feed issues. I had no issues firing the same ammo through mine-through the piston AR, I would often get double feeds, and FTEs. I had to push the brass out using a barrel cleaning rod a couple of times. I used the same setup on my AR, and experienced to issues at all. I did like the less felt recoil of it, but, the FTF/FTE issues, turned me off.
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#207598 - 09/09/10 06:23 PM Re: DI vs Piston? [Re: dual_primed]
ponder Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 12/18/06
Posts: 367
Loc: American Redoubt
I sell both. If you had an hour I would tell you why I would recommend the direct impingement only.

None of my personal guns are piston.
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Cliff Harrison
PonderosaSports.com
Horseshoe Bend, ID
American Redoubt
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