Okay, so I recently encountered a definition of these two systems from a reputable source that is quite different from what I've always believed to be true. A google search turned up a bunch of wiki stuff that I'd rather avoid right now.
My understanding is that short stroke gas operation involves a piston that is unattached to the bolt/bolt carrier and the actual movement of the piston being very short made it short stroke (AR-18, SVD, SKS, ACR, G36).
Long stroke as I understand is a system involving the piston being directly attached to the bolt/bolt carrier and the long movement of the piston recoiling fully with the bolt carrier made it long stroke (AK, M240, SAW)
The definition that I just discovered is that short stroke is defined by a rifle taking gas from the middle of the barrel and is called short stroke due to the short time that gas is actuating the piston before being bled or cut off regardless of the configuration of the piston, thus making the AK and AR-18 both short stroke.
The definition for long stroke given was a system that takes gas from near the end of the barrel to actuate a piston and that the longer period of gas actuating the piston makes it long stroke.
Can anyone quote a book or something else reputable to settle this? One problem I have with the new definition is this: The AK-47 system fits the new (to me) definition of short stroke gas operation what with the gas port being sorta at the middle of the barrel, but its little brother the AKSU-74 (better yet, pistolized AK variants such as the romanian draco), having a shortened barrel would fit the definition of long stroke despite the whole system being virtually the same.
Can anyone point me in the direction of truth citing a reliable source?
My understanding is that short stroke gas operation involves a piston that is unattached to the bolt/bolt carrier and the actual movement of the piston being very short made it short stroke (AR-18, SVD, SKS, ACR, G36).
Long stroke as I understand is a system involving the piston being directly attached to the bolt/bolt carrier and the long movement of the piston recoiling fully with the bolt carrier made it long stroke (AK, M240, SAW)
The definition that I just discovered is that short stroke is defined by a rifle taking gas from the middle of the barrel and is called short stroke due to the short time that gas is actuating the piston before being bled or cut off regardless of the configuration of the piston, thus making the AK and AR-18 both short stroke.
The definition for long stroke given was a system that takes gas from near the end of the barrel to actuate a piston and that the longer period of gas actuating the piston makes it long stroke.
Can anyone quote a book or something else reputable to settle this? One problem I have with the new definition is this: The AK-47 system fits the new (to me) definition of short stroke gas operation what with the gas port being sorta at the middle of the barrel, but its little brother the AKSU-74 (better yet, pistolized AK variants such as the romanian draco), having a shortened barrel would fit the definition of long stroke despite the whole system being virtually the same.
Can anyone point me in the direction of truth citing a reliable source?