Webster-dl
Marksman
A clarification: I am not saying ARs are unreliable. Rather, I hope to ask: in ARs that have become unreliable, what is the primary cause?
The Big M4 Myth: ?Fouling caused by the direct impingement gas system makes the M4/M4A1 Carbine unreliable.? | DefenseReview.com (DR): An online tactical technology and military defense technology magazine with particular focus on the latest and grea
Http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/
I think that the impression I get between these two articles is that ARs, surprisingly, don't become unreliable from dirtiness and failure to clean. Rather, the failures to cycle in ARs that are built well and have not experienced outright components breakage or magazine problems is primarily from failure of the gas system. It seems that most of the unreliability is related to the gas system clogging off due tonrust or carbonization, and therefore insufficient gas being delivered to the bolt to cycle it. In this case, the most reliable ARs would seem to be the ones with the largest gas ports/tubes, as this would ensure the least susceptibility to carbonization induced gas tube obstruction.
Take home message (if this is true):
1) don't worry about cleaning the AR so much. In fact, cleaning the barrel can maybe even wait until accuracy falls off. After all, overzealous cleaning of the barrel can result in damage to the crown, chamber or rifling.
2) Get rifle length gas tube
3) get appropriate recoil buffer
4) keep bolt well lubricated (though not necessarily clean...well lubricated).
What do you guys think? I haven't followed any of these rules myself...but I don't shoot enough to clearly see the difference.
The Big M4 Myth: ?Fouling caused by the direct impingement gas system makes the M4/M4A1 Carbine unreliable.? | DefenseReview.com (DR): An online tactical technology and military defense technology magazine with particular focus on the latest and grea
Http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/
I think that the impression I get between these two articles is that ARs, surprisingly, don't become unreliable from dirtiness and failure to clean. Rather, the failures to cycle in ARs that are built well and have not experienced outright components breakage or magazine problems is primarily from failure of the gas system. It seems that most of the unreliability is related to the gas system clogging off due tonrust or carbonization, and therefore insufficient gas being delivered to the bolt to cycle it. In this case, the most reliable ARs would seem to be the ones with the largest gas ports/tubes, as this would ensure the least susceptibility to carbonization induced gas tube obstruction.
Take home message (if this is true):
1) don't worry about cleaning the AR so much. In fact, cleaning the barrel can maybe even wait until accuracy falls off. After all, overzealous cleaning of the barrel can result in damage to the crown, chamber or rifling.
2) Get rifle length gas tube
3) get appropriate recoil buffer
4) keep bolt well lubricated (though not necessarily clean...well lubricated).
What do you guys think? I haven't followed any of these rules myself...but I don't shoot enough to clearly see the difference.