If/when they quit making them of unobtainium, help me narrow down a complete piston rifle purchase. It will be my first .308 (or maybe 6.5 Creedmoor), and only my 2nd evil black rifle.
I have a POF 415 I like. I don’t like cleaning so sticking with piston guns.

- I would like a longer range-capable rifle/ammo.
- It MUST have reliability out of the box with lots of brands of factory ammo.
- Looking at mid-range pricing (e.g. NOT FN SCAR, REPR, or Tavor 7) since a long range quality optic is going to be $$$$.
- I will shoot it suppressed most of the time. If I can figure out the caliber, I will put a suppressor on order soon.

Here is my short list (not in any specific order) and concerns:

- POF Revolution 20” 6.5 Creedmoor
I know nothing about reliability except to compare with my POF 415, which may not be valid. Concerned about possible chamber expansion in the light frame for this caliber, though I haven’t found any evidence this happens.  I like the idea of lighter weight but Im kidding myself if I think I am going to carry it very far.

- POF Revolution 18.5” .308
Same comments/concerns as above

-PWS MK218 Mod 1M 18” “308 match”
I saw an older YouTube video about a MK220 (20” barrel) malfunctioning a lot with different ammo types. But noticed PWS no longer offers a MK220. Some comments on the YouTube indicated they only shoot certain types of ammo (hence “.308 match”). Others said buffer weight, or it was just a lemon rifle and PWS would take care of it, etc. One comment says the 20" barrel is the culprit.  Do they call it “308 match” because you need it for accuracy, or reliability, or both? I like the idea of the long-stroke piston shooting smoother (if true), and less metal to metal impulse force compared to the POF offerings.

PWS MK218 Mod 1M 18” 6.5 Creedmoor
Same concerns as above.

- Future ammo availability re: .308/7.62 NATO vs 6.5 Creedmoor?

I’ve owned several POF P308 rifles. They’re very reliable and accurate. I’ve owned PWS Mk216 and Mk220. Both also very reliable and accurate. All were .308 rifles. It’s really a matter of preference. (Finally settled on Gen4 P308 with 16” fluted barrel. Weighs about 4oz more than a Revolution and only about 1.5” longer.)

6.5 creedmoor can be problematic in some autoloaders because of the sharp shoulder at the base of the neck and the long, narrow bullet. A good friend who’s a class III FFL, huge POF fanboy, and avid LR shooter couldn’t get his16.5” 6.5 Revolution to cycle for shit. He tried everything. He was crushed. Got rid of it. As you see, POF no longer produces the 6.5 Revolution in 16” configuration. It’s hard to get right.

Your "Gen4 P308" (Edge?)  is no longer listed on the POF website. Not sure if it is discontinued or what. It is still listed on several sales websites (out of stock of course). I will add it to my list but assume its 16.5" barrel is a compromise on the longer-range preference.

The video I found with lots of malfunctions on a MK220 was a .308, not 6.5.

I have a PWS mk220, waiting on swapping barrel to 16 or 18. It eats everything. I'd personally stay away from 6.5 creedmore, ammo availablity, cost, and barrel life compared to 308.

I had a POF 415 that was awesome, but quite heavy and difficult to accessorize due to the giant honking rail.  It shot fantastically well, and performed well.

I sold it to get a PWS Mk116 that was awesome, nowhere near as heavy, and much easier to accessorize due to the more normal dimensions.  It shoots fantastically well, and also performs well.

Neither ever choked on a steady diet of garbage steel case, both were capable of reaching out accurately.  I just like the PWS long stroke system better.  YMMV.

What are you going to do with the rifle? Long range what targets?

6.5 makes sense for hunting where you take only a few shots so the $2-3/rd won't matter and the improved accuracy can help hit a vital. An AR to me personally is about rapid shots at a man sized target and I tend to shoot them as fast as I can get back on target. $2/rd gets real old real fast shooting like that.

So my advice, only go 6.5 if this is going to be a hunting or precision rifle where you take a shot contemplate it, adjust, make notes, and then take another. Otherwise ouch.

I’ve seen more POFs with problems right out of the box than ones running 100% while PWS is generally solid.


However…

I wouldn’t choose a piston gun for a precision rifle and I certainly wouldn’t choose something with proprietary barrels with a cartridge giving you shortened barrel life such as 6.5CM.

PWS is my choice for piston guns. They have great system. Not just the fact that they use long stroke, but they put a lot of time into making sure their gas blocks had a lot of volume and incrementally bleeds gas. Makes for smooth, reliable operation. For a true precsion gun I'd still go bolt action in 6.5c myself, but of your choices I'd probably get the PWS in .308. .308 can still be found in loadings affordable enough to allow some range fun on top of long range work and won't cook barrels quite as fast.  

>308 all the way. Just an easily found cartridge. For sniping I'd go 300 Win Mag. In a Remington 700.

What I'll be carrying when the s hits... got a nice Remington Model Seven in .223. Behind me will be someone with an ar and ak rifle.

I must of got lucky because my POF AR pistol runs great and also has a great trigger. It is 5.56 and maybe that's the difference.

The answer really depends on your priorities.  I own a Gen 1 POF in .308.  It's a very accurate rifle and has been 100% reliable.  Pretty good trigger right out of the box.  It is also very heavy (and front heavy) and you might not like the girth of the rail.  I also own a PWS in .223 (but not .308).  It has also been 100% reliable and accurate.  It is also pretty light for a piston gun.  I'm sure the  .308 version is the same.  The POF's are ambidextrous, if that's important to you.  Don't know if that's true for the PWS, since I just bought the upper.  So I would say if weight is important to you go for the PWS.  For reliability, I think it's really a toss-up.  For accuracy, maybe POF by a hair, but it may just turn on the luck of the draw with some POF's being more accurate than some PWS's and some PWS's being more accurate than some POF's.  Oh and PWS will probably be a little softer shooting.

As for .308 vs. 6.5CM - it really turns on your intended uses.  The 6.5 has less recoil, will not drop quite as quickly, particularly once you get out beyond 6-700 yards and is less affected by the wind.  So if you're primary objective is making shots at 600-1000 yards in less than ideal conditions and you're without a spotter so you will need to see your misses, go for 6.5.  For everything else (price and availability of ammo, barrel life, reliability) .308 is the way to go.

good luck getting a 308 PWS. I bugged the shit out of them for 2 months about it. They finally called my house and the best I could get out of them was maybe 12 months til they make more. That was a month ago.