AR piston upper?

[DeputyDawg]

Just a quick question. Other than the guts is there a difference between a DI upper opposed to a piston upper? Or Do the both use the seme striped upper?

 

[PappyM3]

Just a quick question. Other than the guts is there a difference between a DI upper opposed to a piston upper? Or Do the both use the seme striped upper?

There are some piston conversions that use the same base upper, but lots of dedicated, ground-up AR piston uppers have proprietary uppers.

 

[Golddiggie]

My PWS upper (long stroke gas piston) is different than a standard milspec upper. Which is also different than the slick side uppers I have. So it really comes down to a 'it depends' answer. All [milspec] AR15 uppers will mate to [milspec] lowers. That's just part of them following the spec.

At most a piston upper will share the same barrel, charging handle, and stripped upper components. There are some that are side charging (various types) which have larger differences including a completely different stripped upper.

All comes down to what the maker decided to do/use. If nothing else, you'll be able to mate it to a standard lower.

 

[DarkJoker33]

A kit from superlative arms will fit just about anything.
The main thing is caliber and handguard clearance.

 

[DeputyDawg]

Ok sounds like it's a bit more of a pain to build compared to a straight-up DI build.

 

[PappyM3]

Ok sounds like it's a bit more of a pain to build compared to a straight-up DI build.

With virtually no benefit. If you’re going to be running suppressed, then it can have some benefit. But with modern flow through silencers and gas blocking charging handles, it’s a bit of a moot point.

Piston ARs seem to be a little more harsh in their recoil too. It’s 5.56 so it’s still nothing crazy, but noticeable.

 

[Golddiggie]

I'm waiting for a decent enough day to test out the PWS long stroke gas piston upper to compare with my standard gas upper. The PWS upper was on sale (from Brownell's) when I bought it, so a good price (IMO).

 

[whatluck]

Theres a problem with pistol retrofit kits related to the bolt tilting, causing premature wear.

Honestly just buy an ak if you want a piston gun.

 

[Golddiggie]

Theres a problem with pistol retrofit kits related to the bolt tilting, causing premature wear.

Honestly just buy an ak if you want a piston gun.

Dude, PWS has the answer. Takes the one 'good' part from the ak and brings it to the AR platform.

 

[NHKevin]

Theres a problem with pistol retrofit kits related to the bolt tilting, causing premature wear.

Honestly just buy an ak if you want a piston gun.

Or, if you're not poor...

MR556A1 - Heckler & Koch

hk-usa.com

 

[Mesatchornug]

Ok sounds like it's a bit more of a pain to build compared to a straight-up DI build.

are you still trying to solve your quest for a bufferless rifle, or is this something else?

 

[whatluck]

Move to a free state and set up a draco with a sb tactical folding "pistol brace" and a red dot.

Put that in a violin case with a drum mag filled with steel core ammo.

And also hearing protection.

 

[DeputyDawg]

are you still trying to solve your quest for a bufferless rifle, or is this something else?

No, I gave up on that. I found a good answer to the fixed mag problem. The piston just seemed interesting to build but I just couldn't find a definitive answer to whether they were the same stripped upper or not. I'm taking my time with the build. I have the lower so now I'm on the hunt for the best parts within my budget.

 

[DeputyDawg]

Or, if you're not poor...

MR556A1 - Heckler & Koch

hk-usa.com

Dead sexy but out of my price range

 

[Davidk]

With virtually no benefit. If you’re going to be running suppressed, then it can have some benefit. But with modern flow through silencers and gas blocking charging handles, it’s a bit of a moot point.

Piston ARs seem to be a little more harsh in their recoil too. It’s 5.56 so it’s still nothing crazy, but noticeable.

The difference is shitting where you eat or not shitting where you eat.

You can shoot thousands of rounds out of a piston and the BGC is still clean and cool. Less heat means less wear and stress

The recoil difference is barely noticeable

 

[PappyM3]

The difference is shitting where you eat or not shitting where you eat.

Meh. Non-issue.

 

[Davidk]

Meh. Non-issue.

HUGE issue and HUGE difference

 

[DarthRevan]

The difference is shitting where you eat or not shitting where you eat.

You can shoot thousands of rounds out of a piston and the BGC is still clean and cool. Less heat means less wear and stress

The recoil difference is barely noticeable

I’ve owned some poor boy DI rifles and A tier DI and Piston, and I can’t quite tell the difference in recoil. I’m waiting to see once my RC2 clears what the difference in gas performance is between DI & Piston. That’s my biggest concern.

 

[PappyM3]

HUGE issue and HUGE difference

Based on what?

 

[jkelly1229]

The difference is shitting where you eat or not shitting where you eat.

You can shoot thousands of rounds out of a piston and the BGC is still clean and cool. Less heat means less wear and stress

The recoil difference is barely noticeable

False

My bcg after 3 years and 10k was a dirty slut

 

[jkelly1229]

I’ve owned some poor boy DI rifles and A tier DI and Piston, and I can’t quite tell the difference in recoil. I’m waiting to see once my RC2 clears what the difference in gas performance is between DI & Piston. That’s my biggest concern.

They feel different.. depends on the brake too

My 14.5 pws shoots like a bb gun with their brake

But the recoil isn't harsher or anything if you have 2 a5s its just different

 

[weekendracer]

Based on what?

Viet Nam era M16's.

Or he shoots Wolf steel case.

 

[PappyM3]

Viet Nam era M16's.

Or he shoots Wolf steel case.

Maybe early Vietnam era M16s that were said to be self cleaning and were given ammo that used the wrong powder because they were trying to cheap out on the contract. But after the first couple years, not as applicable.

 

[Tinkermatic]

They feel different.. depends on the brake too

My 14.5 pws shoots like a bb gun with their brake

But the recoil isn't harsher or anything if you have 2 a5s its just different

Not only the brake, but turning the gas down with full power 5.56 loads was eye opening. Reliable cycling and no recoil. The concussion and sound told me it wasn’t a 10/22, but it certainly felt like it. Well, close to it. If there was a 10/22 in .22WMR maybe.

 

[Tartakovsky]

All my piston ARs (with the exception of LMT) have proprietary uppers that won’t take a DI system. HK, POF, Caracal, are proprietary systems.

 

[PappyM3]

All my piston ARs (with the exception of LMT) have proprietary uppers that won’t take a DI system. HK, POF, Caracal, are proprietary systems.

I think that’s what I would do if in the market. Ground-up design instead of a shoe-horned conversion.

 

[Tartakovsky]

I think that’s what I would do if in the market. Ground-up design instead of a shoe-horned conversion.

100%. The best systems are ground up, clean sheet designs. Nothing against Adams Arms.

 

[weekendracer]

Maybe early Vietnam era M16s that were said to be self cleaning and were given ammo that used the wrong powder because they were trying to cheap out on the contract. But after the first couple years, not as applicable.

If you saw some of the M4's where I was, you'd be a believer in how well the DI system does work. Maybe needs a little oil, but man I've seen some guns that just hurt my soul.

 

[whatluck]

I've been trying to break my 16" PSA DI upper and we're almost at 6k rounds and that thing ain't quittin any time soon

 

[PappyM3]

If you saw some of the M4's where I was, you'd be a believer in how well the DI system does work. Maybe needs a little oil, but man I've seen some guns that just hurt my soul.

I can imagine out there in the southwest. I was my company armorer as a secondary job for a while. Worst were the rifles used by tank platoon attached to us. Pulling the charging handle back and you just hear grinding, crunchy sand/moon dust all in the action. I took a couple videos. I tried stressing the importance of cleaning after every patrol, but I think it fell on deaf ears a bit with the tankers. The M4s still worked though.