AR Sponsor
Posted: 3/13/2010 6:22:11 PM EDT
| So I am brand New to AR rifles I just got my first lower and LPK and am tryoing to determine where to go with this. So my question is what does piston system mean. |
| In a piston system a steel rod is slapped back or is driven back by a pulse of gas into a piston this cycles the bolt carrier group to the rear where at the end of its travel the action spring sends it back into battery .a DI gun uses the gas inside the bolt and carrier as a piston it receives from the gas tube to do the same things bit this pits hot gas and fouling into the action. |
Its a different mode of operationg an AR rifle. Original system is called direct impingment,meaning a tube that is tapped into a barrel port directs gas psi into the receiver and into the bolt carrier to cycle the rifle. This type of system which has been around since the AR was introduced works fine but has some side effects,mainly dumping burnt powder by-products directly into the heart of the gun. A piston gun does away with the gas tube setup and uses an operating rod to push the bolt carrier back and cycle the gun. The piston is up front near the barrel gas port and this type of system keeps all the crud out of the action. There are a number of different piston system designs but in the end they all do the same thing,work the action via a mechanical link instead of a hot gas tube that dumps hot gases into the receiver and bolt group. Each type of system has its pros and cons. There are dozens of threads already on that subject with supporters and critics of both types. Some of them can get ugly.
Welcome aboard! 
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AR Sponsor