There is a frequent question, does the installation of a piston system diminish the weapon accuracy.
My long experience with the Rhino shows that the accuracy is more consistent.

Excellent info!

Edmond,

Many shooters on the AR15.COM forum have found otherwise, the piston system did in fact cause their AR's to shoot less accurately. Being on the highly modified rifle gas block being easy to switch out, there have been test down with some piston systems by switching back and forth and testing. A barrel has harmonics when fired and I really can't see how having a piston system atop the barrel wouldn't change the accuracy. The piston rod, at least as firing, is under tension from being pushed by the piston. On the other hand the gas tube is pretty much free floated and all that happens upon firing is a gas pulse is going through it, which doesn't seem to effect accuracy.

I noticed a more consistent accuracy on mine
Maybe because I had installed them mainly on heavy barreled AR 15 with the exception of my first SP1 and CAR 15 and I always shot high quality reloaded or manufactured ammo.
I take these opinions with a grain of salt since I read there that vibrations of the piston or impacting the bolt carrier is cause of accuracy loss. When shooting cheap stuff like most do, I wonder how someone can speak of accuracy.

Edmond,

Well, I think it's more the rigid mass with the piston system rather then the vibrations you mentioned because I figure by then the bullet is gone from the barrel. There's not much barrel left after the bullet passes the gas port and starts the piston system to working.

At any rate it probably doesn't amount to a hill of beans in a military rifle, maybe it would matter to a match competitions shooter.

Joe

Random thoughts.

I have fired several thousand rounds from double rifles, with powder chargers from @ 42 grains to over 100 grains with dacron poly fiber as a filler.
The Poly filler never appeared melted, chared, or otherwise burned.

Also I have fired a few hundred thousand rounds through direct gas AR type rifles, mostly 223/5.56, as well as a few thousand through 308/7.62AR's.

I have fired over 1000 rounds in a single day many many times through M16 and AR15 rifles in 5.56/223. If you keep the rifle lubed with Breakfree, you will have no problems.

I have not seen the reason to go to a piston AR...

Many of these Piston systems create more problems, than the ONE they are supposed to solve...

Just IMHO of course...

adjusting rate of fire between 400 and 800 RPM, the rifle being able to work in any temperature and condition, no overheating, ability to work with any load, no jammed rifle because of carbon

Remember those US Soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan and Iraq because too many M16/M4 jammed in intense firefight?

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
Remember those US Soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan and Iraq because too many M16/M4 jammed in intense firefight?

Who were those?

I too have fired hundreds of thousands of rounds in standard M16/M4 rifles. NE 450 No2 is correct, a little breakfree and a quick wipe of the bolt and firing pin will keep you going almost indefinately. Adding more moving parts to a reliable system is not normally a good idea. There are units in the US military who have looked at many "improved" systems for these rifles but none has been adopted. There is a reason for that.

I do not believe the M16/M4 is a perfect system. Any real improvement in reliability, capability, or performance would be be well received by all who use these rifles. But we are still waiting for that to come along. Replacement by a new generation of rifle will probably happen before we see any significant change to the current rifle.

By the way, the dirtiest weapon I have ever fired , by far, is the Remington 11-87 shotgun.

I just remember it triggered a move to buy some H&K piston weapons as well as trying many others after the report indicated that the sustained firing of weapons had seen them jamming one after another.

I personnaly have fired select fire ARs until they were clicking like an overheated japanese motorbike without any jam.