I hear people scoff about piston AR15’s saying they are in no way more reliable than Direct Impingement firearms.  Well, here’s the answer, you can make a lower quality AR15 a better and more reliable weapon if you do a few minor things, like make sure you lubricate it properly and also stake parts that are suppose to be staked.   You can improve an AR15 by putting better springs in an extractor and by using Magpul Pmags.   It’s  not so much the firearm as it is the operator.   Piston guns run cleaner, but cleaner guns aren’t always more reliable, its really a balancing act between how much dirt and how much lubrication and heat your gun is being exposed to.

I watched a video where Larry Vickers points it out very well that if you are running a suppressed firearm, a piston AR15 is going to be more reliable when  you get down below a 14 inch barrel.  AR15 upper receivers like the LWRC Upper receivers with a 10.5inch or 12 inch barrel get used very often in protective agencies and we’ve had several guys being body guards for Iraqi Government Officials that have used them in 5.56 and in 6.8 SPC.  LWRC does some very unique at unbelievable quality, but you’re going to pay for it.  At some point I would love to get an LWRC REPR with an 18 inch barrel which is so much lighter than a Belgian FAL which I find to be the best balanced and ergonomical battle rifle before the REPR came out.