Piston AR's and accuracy

[hydro556]

I am going to get a piston AR soon and am curious about their accuracy.

I have an FN SCAR on the way and reading online accuracy reports are all over the place. From silly 1/2 moa claims to 3 moa.

I thought I had an LWRC M6A3 traded for as well, but the guy is turning out to be squirrelly. My hope was to compare the M6A3 and the SCAR side by side, but not sure it is going to work, but I should have the SCAR in hand next week.

I am just curious if there is any appreciable difference in these piston driven carbines and the M4geries.

It is going to end up with an Eotech 553 on it, so obviously, I am not looking for good groups. Just hoping that I can expect accuracy from the SCAR at least as good as say, my Colt M4.

General opinions from those who have shot the SCAR and others similar would be appreciated. I have never even seen one of these in person.

 

[deersniper]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

My POF 16" .223 is well under submoa. Probaly sub .75" 5 shot when shot from a bench rest. I only shoot off a bipod or window sill.

-dan

 

[NYresq]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

I have 2 LWRC piston ARs (18" DMR and a DEA model with the 14") rifles as well as a full custom gas AR with a noveske barrel and all shoot about 1 MOA with a scope and match ammo. The difference is it takes me 5 times as long to properly clean the gas gun. I have never handled a SCAR or seen one fired so i cant speak for it, but any rifles accuracy depends on the quality of the barrel and the guy who put it all together.

 

[steve123]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hydro556</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am going to get a piston AR soon and am curious about their accuracy.

I have an FN SCAR on the way and reading online accuracy reports are all over the place. From silly 1/2 moa claims to 3 moa.

I thought I had an LWRC M6A3 traded for as well, but the guy is turning out to be squirrelly. My hope was to compare the M6A3 and the SCAR side by side, but not sure it is going to work, but I should have the SCAR in hand next week.

I am just curious if there is any appreciable difference in these piston driven carbines and the M4geries.

It is going to end up with an Eotech 553 on it, so obviously, I am not looking for good groups. Just hoping that I can expect accuracy from the SCAR at least as good as say, my Colt M4.

General opinions from those who have shot the SCAR and others similar would be appreciated. I have never even seen one of these in person. </div></div>

Do a range report with your findings please.I've been curious about this also.

Steve

 

[Doc1911]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

Just fired my LWRC yesterday. She was doing sub-MOA w/ a Zeiss Z-600 at 100 and 200 yards (best group 3/4" - bench). While it does take a little longer to clean - it also stays exceptionally cleaner as compared to my older Colt ARs.

While that was pleasing - one of my spotting scopes ($500 Vortex Skyline, which I use out to 300 yards ...) decided to go bad.

 

[NYresq]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Doc1911</div><div class="ubbcode-body">... While it does take a little longer to clean... </div></div>

Longer then what?? Aside from normal barrel cleaning, mine takes all of 2 minutes... yank out the BCG, wipe it down with a rag, throw a drop of oil on the bolt and put it all back together.

 

[Grump]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: deersniper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I only shoot off a bipod or window sill.

-dan </div></div>
Windowsill position can get you killt. Your're exposed.

 

[Doc1911]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NYresq</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Doc1911</div><div class="ubbcode-body">... While it does take a little longer to clean... </div></div>

Longer then what?? Aside from normal barrel cleaning, mine takes all of 2 minutes... yank out the BCG, wipe it down with a rag, throw a drop of oil on the bolt and put it all back together. </div></div>Mine takes a might longer than 2 minutes. The military never trained me to clean one that quick - putting them together yes - cleaning them NO. Plus, mine probably had a few more things to take off than yours to get to the piston:

 

[deersniper]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Grump</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: deersniper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I only shoot off a bipod or window sill.

-dan </div></div>
Windowsill position can get you killt. Your're exposed. </div></div>

Lol, true, but in this case the windowsill is the window of a vehicle, and groundhogs, deer, and targets don't shoot back. yet.

 

[NYresq]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

LWRC doesnt reccomend striping the piston everytime you clean it. They tell you to pull the piston every few thousand rounds or so. So unless you are doing a detaled cleaning, there is no reason to take all the stuff off the rails.
I just split the top and bottom, pull the BCG, pull out the bolt and spray with some gun scrubber and wipe down with a rag, oil it and put the BCG back together, clean the barrel like any other rifle and throw it all back together.

I normally run 1,000 or so rounds through my piston guns between cleanings. I yanked the piston system at 2000 on my DEA rifle and there was almost nothing to clean off it. I wiped it down with an oily rag and the little bit of soot came right off. If you are yanking the piston system apart every time you shoot it, you are making extra work for yourself. I work with guys that have never cleaned the pistons on theirs and are running over 10,000 rounds without a stoppage.

 

[Doc1911]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NYresq</div><div class="ubbcode-body">LWRC doesnt reccomend striping the piston everytime you clean it. </div></div>I was speaking of a detailed cleaning (which I do at 500 rds ....) not just a simple cleaning .... BTW, you are the one that stated, "The difference is it takes me 5 times as long to properly clean the gas gun."

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NYresq</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have 2 LWRC piston ARs (18" DMR and a DEA model with the 14") rifles as well as a full custom gas AR with a noveske barrel and all shoot about 1 MOA with a scope and match ammo. <span style="font-weight: bold">The difference is it takes me 5 times as long to properly clean the gas gun.</span> I have never handled a SCAR or seen one fired so i cant speak for it, but any rifles accuracy depends on the quality of the barrel and the guy who put it all together. </div></div>

 

[NYresq]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

if you are doing a detailed cleaning every 500 rounds, how often are you doing a simple cleaning??? every magazine?

 

[Doc1911]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NYresq</div><div class="ubbcode-body">if you are doing a detailed cleaning every 500 rounds, how often are you doing a simple cleaning??? every magazine?

</div></div>I do a simple cleaning every time I go to the range, et. al. I normally only fire 50-100 rds on the LWRC on any given day, it is not a high mileage AR - as I have others I enjoy as well ....

 

[Belisarius]

Re: Piston AR's and accuracy

I talked to Les Baer, not too long ago about piston AR and accuracy. They are about to start using the piston in some of their rifles, but the accuracy guarantee goes to up 1 moa. Fulton Armory doesn't bother with the piston at all, same with DPMS.