HELLO ALL, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF MY EXPERIENCES THAT I HAVE HAD WITH AR STYLE RIFLES. FIRST OFF THIS THREAD IS GOING TO FOCUS MORE ON THE GAS PISTON AR THAN THE DI, DIRECT IMPINGEMENT, STYLE AR. ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR MY BUDDY PICKED UP A POF PISTON RIFLE. I SHOT IT SEVERAL TIMES AND I LIKED IT. ABOUT THE TIME OF THE 2008 ELECTION I HAD DECIDED THAT I WANTED A POF UPPER FOR A LOWER THAT I HAD RECENTLY BOUGHT. WELL YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT FOLLOWED POST OBAMA 08. I COULD NOT FIND ONE! JANUARY CAME AROUND AND AFTER ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF I FOUND ONE ON GUNBROKER. I PICKED UP THE POF WITH THE 9.25" BARREL. I HAD MY PAPER WORK IN THE MAIL TO SBR MY LOWER, AND THE POF IN THE MAIL. MY STAMP ARRIVED IN MAY AND I WAS READY TO ROCK. WELL THE FIRST TIME OUT I WAS VERY DISPLEASED. THE UPPER WAS NOT EXTRACTING THE SPENT BRASS. AFTER AN HOUR I JUST QUIT MESSING WITH IT AND MOVED TO ONE OF MY DI GUNS. I ASKED AROUND AND FOUND THAT I SHOULD TRY USING A SOPMOD O-RING. I PICKED ONE UP AND WOW IT STARTED WORKING. FAST FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER 12. I WAS PULLING MY GEAR OUT TO GET READY FOR THE MAGPUL DYNAMIC CLASS THAT WAS ON SEPT.26-27. I FIELD STRIPPED THE UPPER AND I OBSERVED A VERY LARGE CRACK ON THE TOP OF MY BOLT CARRIER JUST ABOVE THE FIRING PIN. AGAIN VERY DISPLEASED. I CONTACTED POF AND I ADVISED THEM OF MY PROBLEM. I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE POF CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS NOT THE BEST. I TALKED TO A GUY NAMED CHRIS AND HE WAS VERY HELPFUL. I TOLD HIM ABOUT MY PROBLEMS, AND MY CLASS THAT I WAS ATTENDING IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I SENT THE UPPER TO THEM, AND IT WAS BACK TO ME IN 4 DAYS WITH A NEW BC AND OP-ROD. I ATTENDED THE MAGPUL CLASS AND I BROUGHT TWO RIFLES WITH ME. THE DI GUN THAT I USED HAD AN LMT 14.5" M4 STYLE UPPER WITH A ROCK RIVER LOWER. AIMPOINT COMP M FOR THE OPTIC.
I ALSO BROUGHT MY POF.
I DIDN'T TRUST THE POF DUE TO ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE HAD WITH IT SO I SHOT THE LMT THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY. AFTER LUNCH I PICKED UP THE POF AND I USED IT THE REST OF THE DAY. I DIDN'T HAVE ONE PROBLEM WITH IT. THE DI GUN HAD SEVERAL MALFUNCTIONS DURING THE MORNING TRAINING. THEY WHERE NOTHING BIG, JUST SOME DOUBLE FEEDS. I HAD TO CLEAN THE SNOT OUT OF THE DI GUN WHEN I GOT HOME THAT EVENING. I FIGURED I PUT APPROXIMATELY 400 ROUNDS DOWN THE POF. I DID NOT CLEAN THE POF, AND I NEVER LUBED IT PRIOR TO USING IT. THE NEXT DAY I USED IT AGAIN DURING THE SECOND HALF OF TRAINING. AGAIN I NEVER LUBED IT OR DID I CLEAN IT. I SHOT APPROXIMATELY 500 ROUNDS THE SECOND DAY. THE ONLY MALFUNCTION THAT OCCURRED WAS DUE TO THE MAGAZINE NOT BEING FULLY SEATED IN THE LOWER AND A TAP RACK BANG FIXED THE PROBLEM. ANY WAY TOOK IT HOME AND I TOOK SOME PICTURES OF HOW DIRTY, OR LACK OF BEING, IT WAS AFTER 900 ROUNDS.
FIRST IS THE GAS PLUG AREA. I FOUND SOME CARBON BUILD UP AROUND THE BOTTOM.
NEXT IS THE GAS PLUG, GAS PISTON, AND OP ROD. NOTICE THE CARBON ON ALL OF THE PARTS. THEY ARE CHROME LINED.
THIS IS SOME CLOSE UPS OF THE OP ROD
THIS IS A SHOT OF THE GAS BLOCK.
THE BCG
THE SIDE VIEW OF THE BOLT
THE FACE OF THE BOLT.
THE REAR OF THE BOLT
THE CHAMBER
THE CHAMBER AFTER ONE SWIPE WITH A Q-TIP
THE QUESTION I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS FORUM IS " IS A GAS PISTON WORTH IT?" YEAH I THINK SO, BUT IT WAS A VERY LONG AND ROCKY ROAD TO GET MY RIFLE TO THE POINT OF TRUST THAT IT IS NOW. I DO TRUST THIS RIFLE WITH MY LIFE NOW, BUT FOR HOW MUCH THEY COST I SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAD THE PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE HAD. I DON'T KNOW IF I WILL EVER BUY ANOTHER, HECK I JUST BOUGHT A NEW DI UPPER THAT COST THE SAME AMOUNT. WITH THAT SAID THEY ARE A LOT EASIER TO CLEAN. HOPE THIS HELPS SOME OF YOU WHO ARE ON THE FENCE.
I ALSO BROUGHT MY POF.
I DIDN'T TRUST THE POF DUE TO ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE HAD WITH IT SO I SHOT THE LMT THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY. AFTER LUNCH I PICKED UP THE POF AND I USED IT THE REST OF THE DAY. I DIDN'T HAVE ONE PROBLEM WITH IT. THE DI GUN HAD SEVERAL MALFUNCTIONS DURING THE MORNING TRAINING. THEY WHERE NOTHING BIG, JUST SOME DOUBLE FEEDS. I HAD TO CLEAN THE SNOT OUT OF THE DI GUN WHEN I GOT HOME THAT EVENING. I FIGURED I PUT APPROXIMATELY 400 ROUNDS DOWN THE POF. I DID NOT CLEAN THE POF, AND I NEVER LUBED IT PRIOR TO USING IT. THE NEXT DAY I USED IT AGAIN DURING THE SECOND HALF OF TRAINING. AGAIN I NEVER LUBED IT OR DID I CLEAN IT. I SHOT APPROXIMATELY 500 ROUNDS THE SECOND DAY. THE ONLY MALFUNCTION THAT OCCURRED WAS DUE TO THE MAGAZINE NOT BEING FULLY SEATED IN THE LOWER AND A TAP RACK BANG FIXED THE PROBLEM. ANY WAY TOOK IT HOME AND I TOOK SOME PICTURES OF HOW DIRTY, OR LACK OF BEING, IT WAS AFTER 900 ROUNDS.
FIRST IS THE GAS PLUG AREA. I FOUND SOME CARBON BUILD UP AROUND THE BOTTOM.
NEXT IS THE GAS PLUG, GAS PISTON, AND OP ROD. NOTICE THE CARBON ON ALL OF THE PARTS. THEY ARE CHROME LINED.
THIS IS SOME CLOSE UPS OF THE OP ROD
THIS IS A SHOT OF THE GAS BLOCK.
THE BCG
THE SIDE VIEW OF THE BOLT
THE FACE OF THE BOLT.
THE REAR OF THE BOLT
THE CHAMBER
THE CHAMBER AFTER ONE SWIPE WITH A Q-TIP
THE QUESTION I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS FORUM IS " IS A GAS PISTON WORTH IT?" YEAH I THINK SO, BUT IT WAS A VERY LONG AND ROCKY ROAD TO GET MY RIFLE TO THE POINT OF TRUST THAT IT IS NOW. I DO TRUST THIS RIFLE WITH MY LIFE NOW, BUT FOR HOW MUCH THEY COST I SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAD THE PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE HAD. I DON'T KNOW IF I WILL EVER BUY ANOTHER, HECK I JUST BOUGHT A NEW DI UPPER THAT COST THE SAME AMOUNT. WITH THAT SAID THEY ARE A LOT EASIER TO CLEAN. HOPE THIS HELPS SOME OF YOU WHO ARE ON THE FENCE.