Dont believe the hype.
Quoted: presently i have a mini 14 and have been, to date, dissappointed with its accuracy. i have generally eschewed the ar for, what are probably, the standard reasons: the direct gas action fouling issues
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The AR does not (contrary to popular legend) need to be constantly cleaned to function properly. It does get dirty from the direct gas system, but so does an AK with the long stroke system too.
floating charging handle/ bolt assist arrangement that seems like a solution for a problem that never existed with a more conventional handle on the bolt carrier or operating rod.
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The only problem I have ever heard is the charging handle bending when its been pulled back. But franky you have to be jackass to accomplish this. I saw somebody pull the charging hadle back and up, it will get bent. But extremely rare and difficult to do. If you are really worried about it, get a steel charging handle.
i have also heard that these actions are EXTREMELY sensitive to any foriegn matter and that soldiers in the field have been trained to clean their weapons (recievers) every time they stop moving.
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No thats simply not true. If we were talking about an original M16 in 1965 in Vietnam then maybe. But not with any AR-15 you will be buying, new or used. In nam the original M16 had crap ball ammo, no cleaning kit, and didnt have chrome bore. These factors together combined with the insane jungle humidity caused the fouling and jamming. These probs have since been long remedied.
what i would like to hear are some testimonials on torture tests. how difficult/ vital is the cleaning of the bolt carrier? how many rounds can be fired between cleanings?
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Im sure people will post here about lots of torture tests, do a search and you will come up with something. But heres the one for me that took the cake. When the M-16A2 was adopted (the Ar-15s commercially available are the same but in semi-auto) there was a test in IIRC American Rifleman. They fired continuously rapid fire 2,000 rounds. Not one misfire, jam, fouling, fail to feed, and no cleaning. NOT ONE SINGLE PROBLEM.
As for the 16" vs 20" etc, ask around here, loads of people will give you the two cents. If you are considering accuracy then go with a stainless barrel. I get sub 1" with good ammo. On a standard barrel dont expect much better than 2". Actually more like 2.5" is realistic, despite what you will hear on the boards here.