Gas piston vs. direct gas impingement AR.

[Red$tinger.308]

All other things being equal, would a direct gas AR15 be inherently more accurate than one with a gas piston op system? Does the gas piston setup really affect barrel harmonics to the point of affecting accuracy?

 

[cracked butt]

Having more things clattering and smacking around certainly can't help accuracy, I really don't personally know if it hurts much.

 

[rangerruck]

actually , if you think about it long and hard, accuracy should be improved.look at the parts count, less. Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

[Zak Smith]

The way to answer this question is to do a real-life shootout of several representative samples.

 

[jlmurphy]

Zak Smith hit the nail on the head. Thousands of shooters and smiths doing their best, the AR out shoots the M1A, which in turn out shoots the M1 Garand.A free floated barrel with a solid bolt lockup is hard to beat.

 

[PercyShelley]

Slightly peripheral to the topic, but I recall someone posting chronograph figures demonstrating that direct gas impingement systems lose more velocity versus piston ones.

 

[Quintin Likely]

There's a thread on AR15.com where some guy has been testing an ARES gas piston system back to back against a normal direct inpingement AR15.

The general consensus so far seems to be that the gas piston setup is a little less accurate (emphasis on a little - I think groups opened up like .10 or .20") than the direct inpingement gun, but the gas piston runs cleaner.

 

[mmike87]

I think at the end of the day it's probably too close to call. I have seen "tests" that say "yes" and "no" to the piston accuracy question.

Regardless, even if the piston system is ever so slightly less accurate, it's still MORE than accurate enough for a combat rifle for the average LE or military user, IMO.

It's kind of like the accuracy debate between chrome-lined and non chrome-lined. Chrome lines MAY be a LITTLE less accurate SOMETIMES, but who cares - the benefits outweight the downsides for MOST users. Again, that's just my opinion.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Consistency is everything in accurate rifle shooting. This includes bullet weight, powder, primer, barrel, barrel harmonics, harmonics of the gun. This is where the gas impingment system is superior. Like Rangerruck mentioned, fewer parts have less things to be consistent. This is why the AR system outshoots the M-14 and the M-1 Garand.