barnbwt
member
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2011
- Messages
- 7,340
Seems like it could be a potential solution for the various issues that historically plague the things, like getting bent & weighing a lot.
From what I can tell, the ideal op-rod for a short-stroke/separate piston design (let's not debate it) doesn't weigh anything at all, but rigidly delivers gas-port/piston pressure directly to the front of the bolt carrier further back. Carbon fiber is pretty stiff stuff when made right, and if capped with a durable insulative material (ceramic composite or hi temp polymer) would have little to fear from the barrel as far as low-intensity fire rates, and may well do better in more arduous roles if a good matrix polymer is chosen. My query concerns an accuracy-chasing project, so high rate of fire or thermal loading isn't the primary consideration
If a fiber reinforced barrel can even half-work it should have no problems on something subject to far less stress & temperature. At that point, you would ameliorate the worst aspects of piston guns as far as weight/balance, possibly improving their potential accuracy & recoil characteristics, and making longer piston systems more practical. Meanwhile, the positive aspects like chamber-area cleanliness & suppressed gas-containment would be unaffected, narrowing whatever real/perceived gap there is between the advantages of pistol and DI systems. Carbon fiber rod also doesn't cost that much, so the cost differential may be fairly insignificant vs the labor for making it from any material.
Surprisingly, I don't see any mention of even fiber-reinforced op-rods in the usual places, so I wonder if no one's looked into it just yet
TCB
From what I can tell, the ideal op-rod for a short-stroke/separate piston design (let's not debate it) doesn't weigh anything at all, but rigidly delivers gas-port/piston pressure directly to the front of the bolt carrier further back. Carbon fiber is pretty stiff stuff when made right, and if capped with a durable insulative material (ceramic composite or hi temp polymer) would have little to fear from the barrel as far as low-intensity fire rates, and may well do better in more arduous roles if a good matrix polymer is chosen. My query concerns an accuracy-chasing project, so high rate of fire or thermal loading isn't the primary consideration
If a fiber reinforced barrel can even half-work it should have no problems on something subject to far less stress & temperature. At that point, you would ameliorate the worst aspects of piston guns as far as weight/balance, possibly improving their potential accuracy & recoil characteristics, and making longer piston systems more practical. Meanwhile, the positive aspects like chamber-area cleanliness & suppressed gas-containment would be unaffected, narrowing whatever real/perceived gap there is between the advantages of pistol and DI systems. Carbon fiber rod also doesn't cost that much, so the cost differential may be fairly insignificant vs the labor for making it from any material.
Surprisingly, I don't see any mention of even fiber-reinforced op-rods in the usual places, so I wonder if no one's looked into it just yet
TCB