06-09-2017, 08:18 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-09-2017, 08:21 PM by lawndartmike.)
ahillock Wrote:Everything I have read or seen has DI AR15s as being more accurate than piston AR15s. Not to mention cheaper and lighter.
Any links to what you "have read and seen"?
I have an AR Stoner 16" Grendel barrel that will shoot sub MOA five shot groups at 100 yards with my reloads and the AA piston system installed. I have yet to see any real test (just a lot of post saying that they saw it somewhere) as to what accuracy we give up. Is it .125 MOA?
Putting a piston system on an AR does not automatically give it AK theoretical accuracy. Definitely there are a few ounces added to the weight and the recoil impulse seems a bit sharper than our DI rifles. My son and I shoot an average of 200 rounds through each of our ARs every month. Two are DI (5.56 and 7.62x39) and two are running AA pistons (Grendel and 5.56) and I would say they are all four great shooting and reliable. (Well, the DI 7.62x39 has some rounds that fail to ignite, but I blame that issue on crappy ammo.)
If you shoot as much as we do and clean your rifles after each outing, you will see a big benefit in time saved cleaning. With the piston system you are pretty much cleaning the rifle as quick as if it were a bolt action. There does seem to be some extra wear in the upper but then again we shoot a lot of rounds through them.
If you don't want the extra ounces and/or don't clean your rifle very often then I would say the piston system is of no real benefit for you.
Sorry for rambling, but I am really tired of people talking authoritatively about things that they have no real world experience with. I am no expert but at least I do own both and shoot them enough to recognize the pros and cons of each.