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Posted: 1/16/2011 12:40:48 PM EDT
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With every company out there coming out with their own idea of the perfect piston system...will there every be a mil-spec design?
I have a LMT Defender 2000 and I was either thinking of converting it to a piston system (Adams Arms) or just buying ready built rifle (considering Ruger SR-556C). Are there any safe bets out there or should I wait until the piston wars are over? |
| The military has looked at piston systems for updating its rifles. I think with the budget crisis now and with talks of cutting the DOD budget they might be more likely to modify the current M-4 rather than field a new weapon. If they do adopt a piston conversion, that will be the standard. |
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If you have the money, buy the Ruger. That way, you will have both types. Easist way to compare. When I think of AR I don't think of Ruger, but they are a major manufacturer with state-of-the-art equipment so guess the quality will be there. The only bad I've heard of the SR-556 is that the trigger is awful, but that can be modified. I was interested in the SR-556C which is lighter up front by about a half-pound. I really like the fact that all piston parts that would experience fouling are chromed-lined. The BCG is also chrome. No one else I know does that. |
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If you have the money, buy the Ruger. That way, you will have both types. Easist way to compare. When I think of AR I don't think of Ruger, but they are a major manufacturer with state-of-the-art equipment so guess the quality will be there. The only bad I've heard of the SR-556 is that the trigger is awful, but that can be modified. I was interested in the SR-556C which is lighter up front by about a half-pound. I really like the fact that all piston parts that would experience fouling are chromed-lined. The BCG is also chrome. No one else I know does that. The trigger in my Ruger 6.8 was a little crunchy at first but has since smoothed out nicely with a little bit of use. It's still a little heavy but it breaks cleanly with no creep. |
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I definitely like the amount of options we have out there. Though the price goes down for complete uppers, there will be a place for kits. First of all, the kits in themselves are very different. I'd go as far as saying some are more on the retrofit side and others are more on the kit side. Osprey, ARES/Bushmaster, and TNW fall on the lines of retrofit. They use a standard DI gas block and are relatively quick to install and uninstall. AA and CMMG with their proprietary gas blocks have more of a kit feeling. It's still a retrofit by definition, but it takes a step closer to complete piston uppers. It's not a surprise that those companies offer complete uppers with a pinned version of the system.
As far as there being a "standard." I don't think the current market for kits will be affected much even if the military adopts a particular system. There will be that desire for mil-spec as there is today, but think about the slew accessories for DI ARs. Mil-spec is a great standard to measure other products against, but KAC rails and a FSB gas block is not the end all be all of the DI set up. Even though it's what the military uses, it's hardly the standard in the civilian market. I'm assuming what you meant by a mil-spec piston system was on the operation of the weapon and not simply accessories. Pistons are a bit tricky because people are concerned about replacement parts and such. A mil-spec design would give some sort of assurance of access to parts for years to come but, as I mentioned before, consumers want something "better." I put that in quotes because it's very subjective. "Better" can mean many thing including, but not limited to; brand loyalty, design convenience/features, or simply just being different. Each kit offers something different to the end user. Installing a retrofit is probably more convenient to most versus selling the upper or whole rifle and purchasing something else. Another big thing is barrel choice. With all these proprietary uppers, the majority of consumers are going to be stuck with a particular barrel. People have more choice especially when their piecing together their own upper using a kit like the AA or CMMG with clamp on gas blocks. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with either AA or Ruger. Most of these companies offering piston rifles/kits/uppers are pretty well established in the market and aren't going to disappear anytime soon. Just a heads up though, the AA will add approximately 0.2lbs to your current rifle. |
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I would go for the LMT MRP piston system, you won't be sorry! I agree! Mine will eat any ammo under any condition. Wolf, Tula, Brown Bear, you name it. Couldn't say the same for my DI M&P 15. I did have to replace the ext. tube though... carrier tilt was a problem. The POF ext. tube solved it |
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How about I get a Ruger SR-556C, add a POF extension tube and FRS buffer to take care of any carrier tilt. Add a LWRC "Advanced Cam Pin" to take care of any cam pin wear. There you have it...the perfect piston gun....right?  Probably about as perfect as anything. I wouldn't spend the money on a replacement buffer tube unless you need to. My SR556C has 4,000 rounds through it and shows no carrier tilt damage. |
| I Love the Adams Arms Uppers. The are reasonably priced and the muzzle velocities beat everything else out there. I have done chrono work on the uppers and they rock. These uppers averaged about 200 feet per second faster. The I have shot every type of ammo through them you can think of and they work. I have two Adams Arms Uppers for my SBR's, a 7.5" and a 11.5" I have used both at Tac Rifle Classes and fired over 1000 rounds at each class without a cleaning. The only thing I did was put a few drops of oil on the bolt at the beginning of the day. |
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I Love the Adams Arms Uppers. The are reasonably priced and the muzzle velocities beat everything else out there. I have done chrono work on the uppers and they rock. These uppers averaged about 200 feet per second faster. The I have shot every type of ammo through them you can think of and they work. I have two Adams Arms Uppers for my SBR's, a 7.5" and a 11.5" I have used both at Tac Rifle Classes and fired over 1000 rounds at each class without a cleaning. The only thing I did was put a few drops of oil on the bolt at the beginning of the day. What is your opinion of their conversion kits? |
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I am also a fan of AA. I started off in the CMMG camp, but due to my impatience and backorders I ended up trying AA. I found every comparable aspect on the AA to my liking more than the CMMG.
The big thing for me was I choose to build my uppers from the ground up. The clamp on gas block made things easy since I don't have the tools to pin a gas block. I like the design and how easy it is to access the system. If you don't mind removing your gas block and having a clamp on one, AA isn't a bad way to go for $280. I'd recommend Osprey if you're one of those people who must have the standard FSB or do not have the means to remove the FSB. |
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