Hey. I've got a colt 6920. No problems whatsoever. But I've been reading about the piston ARs and the benefits. Just wanted to get some opinions about converting it to a piston system. Thinking about the CMMG kit from Brownell's. Thanks everyone!!
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Hey. I've got a colt 6920. No problems whatsoever. But I've been reading about the piston ARs and the benefits. Just wanted to get some opinions about converting it to a piston system. Thinking about the CMMG kit from Brownell's. Thanks everyone!!
Runs dry, not as much fouling in the action, I know there is still fouling just not in the action, and I heard something about less wear and tear.
I'm just a novice I don't know a wealth of knowledge about this stuff. That's why I started the thread
Don't convert your 6920 to piston. DI works great and is very reliable. You would be wasting your time and money.
My advice is if you "want" a piston rifle, buy a piston rifle. Converting a DI AR to a piston is a waste of time and money IMHO.
There is nothing wrong with wanting a piston rifle, there is potentially a lot wrong with slapping any of the mostly crap conversion kits on an otherwise perfectly functioning rifle.
I own both, so I'm not saying there is anything wrong with "wanting" a piston rifle. I'm saying steer clear of the conversions and buy a rifle designed to operate with a piston.
What he said...
What are you looking for that a DI rifle doesn't provide? If you looking for it to run cleaner, buy quality ammo or load your own. As far as running dry...why would you not lubricate ANY weapon? I mean a DI gun will run with ANY Type of oil on it.
If I understand correctly, you want to run the gun dry so any dirt/sand that gets in the action will absolutely destroy a nice Colt.
If you insist on continuing down this path...trade it for an AK so you'll destroy a cheaper gun.
Do a search, there is a lot of info on this.
To your points above, you can't run it dry and there is actually more wear do to carrier tilt. Some additional disadvantages are you are adding additional weight, more parts to break and they are proprietary/non standard parts. Personally I would never do a conversion, if I wanted a piston gun I would buy it new.
Vicious is right, you have a wonderfully reliable AR. Your money could be much better spent in other areas.
Okay thanks. Like I said I don't know a whole lot about some of this stuff. Thanks
Definitely keep the stock gas system on the Colt 6920. Run the bolt wet (lots of quality lubricants out there. I use slip 2000 ewl. you can buy the stuff on amazon.com. simple and very effective). There is just no real reason to switch out the gas system. Despite what some have clearly lead you to believe, there is nothing inherently wrong with DI. I don't understand why people desire to run their guns dry? After shooting, there will be fouling in the upper, yes, but you should ask yourself why does that matter? Though I tend to clean my weapons, no matter what type of gas system, your 6920 will function quite well when dirty and lubricated. Also, run quality magazines. I would suggest Magpul Pmags (obviously, there are other quality choices, but why complicate the matter?) I would recommend hanging around and doing a bit of reading. This site is very helpful.
Here is a video link of mike pannone running a rifle built to almost identical internal specs as the rifle you own. The guns run when you do your part.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjsysa5r51k
Agreed. If you're going to get one, get one designed, developed, factory assembled and tested, rather than a DI gun Macgyver-ed into a piston.
The theoretical advantages of a piston AR are massively outweighed by the actual disadvantages, especially when talking about conversion kit. DI guns are way more reliable than internet wisdom suggests.
I was in your shoes some years back. I liked the AR ergonomics and aftermarket options, but didn't really trust DI, and thought pistons were the holy grail. I have learned many things, some of them the hard (painful and/or expensive) way, and as far as ARs go, am all about the DI.
If you are really digging a piston AR type, get an HK, PWS or LWRC. Be aware of the associated cost, weight, compatibility, etc. implications.
Hard pass on the conversion. The Colt 6920 is THE standard. Do yourself a favor and enjoy your perfectly functioning rifle. Ammo is cheap. Re-appropriate funds accordingly!
The AR already comes with a piston anyway
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n...e/DSC_0013.jpg
All a so-called "piston upper" does is move the piston from the much cooler, well-lubed environs of the carrier to the hotter gas black where it must run dry and you get to pay extra for the privilege
Another advantage I've found with DI is better commonality of parts. Piston is a great idea, but unless it's the standard, there will always be compatibility issues between different manufacturers.
I wouldn't try to modify the Colt.
I'll weigh in as the owner of a piston gun. I have a PWS Mk114 Mod1, my second PWS. It has been a fantastic rifle and will eat whatever I feed it with no issues. It is my patrol rifle and I trust my life to it.
If you want a piston gun, buy a dedicated piston gun. Get a PWS or HK. Those guys have put in the engineering to make sure everything works in concert. LWRCi exists, they don't have the best rep on here. I would not advise taking a perfectly good DI gun and slapping a piston conversion on it. Take your 6920, keep it lubed and fed with ammo. Maybe clean it once in a while. My next rifle will be a DI gun, likely a BCM or Colt. They will run just as well as my PWS, cost less and have no proprietary parts. I even advise my friends to get a DI gun instead of a piston gun unless they *really* want one.
Go buy mags, ammo and get some training. It'll be money better spent than a piston conversion.
Thanks
Do the piston rifles have carrier tilt or is it just with the conversions? And if so is there a way to prevent the tilt
Was thinking either POF or PWS
Also is there benefits or anything about not having a spring for the piston like the POFs
Moving piston from behind the bolt (di) does nothing for reliability. Keep the di. Keep it lubed and clean it 2x a year.
Get ammo and get good. Don't take my word for it, pove it to yourself by putting thousands of rounds do downrange with the great rifle you have.
Shoot more, tinker less.
So... are you (OP) thinking of keeping the Colt stock and then purchasing an additional rifle (one with external piston + op rod etc)? As you have probably noticed, most folks around here, myself included, lean heavily towards the DI system (for good reason). Regarding AR's, id pretty much narrow my options to Colt, BCM, KAC, or a custom build made up of really quality parts. Now...if you are dead set on going with a external piston + op rod setup, why don't you have a look at the FN SCAR 16? If I were going to deviate from a DI AR, id leave the AR platform all together and start looking at the SCAR and perhaps an M1A.
What about acr?
steer clear of the ACR. The Colt you have right now is, generally speaking, a better rifle than the ACR. Again, Colt, BCM, KAC, OR, if you just cant help yourself and must move the piston to the gas block, an FN SCAR. You clearly are willing to spend money...how about you tell us exactly what you have and maybe you can get the most out of it? How about an aimpoint T1 to go on your 6920? go buy a bunch of lake city xm193 surplus 556 ammo and go shoot. Im not sure what it is you are trying to accomplish...other than spend money.
I owned a CMMG with the gas piston upper several years ago. Nothing really wrong with it. Shot fine, worked fine. But after a while I got tired of dealing with the front end weight of the piston and the fact that I wanted a different rail for it. At the time, I believe there were very few, if any, rails that worked with it. Plus it would HAVE to be carbine length, nothing longer. And, if I remember correctly, most would have to be machined to even fit. So, got to doing some searching on the web about DI and felt it may be the way to go for me. I was a little hesitant about getting rid of it because it was a piston. But, a buddy of mine owned several AR's that were DI that he had several, several thousands of rounds through them and they were years and years old. They all worked like a charm. And 3 of them were Colts! So I sold it and eventually made my way to a 6920! Wouldn't get rid of it! Now I've shot a SCAR 16 and a Sig556 and I'd pick the SCAR if I was looking for a piston gun between those two. The SCAR just felt right at home, and everything felt familiar.
You picked a GREAT rifle. Take a few classes. When you have done so, you will start to do little mods, grips, slings optics, lights, etc. I promise, piston will be way down on your list, if there at all.
Many of the people here are very knowledgeable and will call a spade a spade. They will react quickly to anyone who tries to strap turds to their rifles. For good reason. Pay close attention to what the names in red say, and Iraqgunz. He knows more about the AR platform than most of us put together.
I like PWS piston guns a lot. I generally agree with what I quoted from Vandal. There is a lot to be said for having an AR (piston or DI) which runs well. I'd think twice before messing with your 6920.
I can't comment on POF. But, PWS's don't really have any significant carrier tilt. That's generally a function of their long operating rod, and their buffer tube which has a lower lip. Their buffer tubes are fully compatible with DI guns. That being said, there are plenty of people shooting PWS piston uppers on someone else's lower with a non-PWS buffer tube, with no problems.
45dylank0723, if you are considering a conversion because you want to tinker with something, that's one thing. But if you want a quality reliable piston gun, you should probably just get a PWS or HK piston upper.
Joe Mamma
Your money would be better spent getting some training and shooting the rifle more. You can also search the piston vs. DI discussions here ad nauseum and read multiple threads and pages.
Thanks guys. Not gonna change it none. Just gonna shoot it lol. But eventually I would like a piston ar. How do PWS and POF compare to others like Adams arms, colt 6940P, and a lwrc
Piston Conversion; Don't do it! I assembled an AR pistol & for the price of a gas block, bcg & rail I got an AA conversion w/ bolt. Had to buy the proprietary rec. bushing, 14.00, including ups shipping almost 30.00!!!!!. The weight difference doesn't seem like much on paper but it significantly upsets the balance of the gun. Imagine if a proprietary part breaks, $$$$ & the UPS delivery time to get you up & running.
IIRC, addax used to use the original PWS system to retrofit DI guns. I don't believe they are still working together and everything I found in a quick google search was from 2009. They don't even show the kit still on their website.
As I and other have said, keep the Colt set up as a DI gun and run it hard. If you decide you really want a piston driven rifle then I would go get the PWS or the HK. I prefer the long-stroke piston of the PWS over the short-stroke of the others, fewer moving parts as the piston is attached to the gas key. No springs or loose pistons floating around. Usually less weight up front too.
Just read a post of yours above. I am not an expert on POF but them and LWRCi don't have a lot of love around here for many reasons. I looked at LWRCi because they make a great looking rifle. Then I started reading about them here and they made me never want to drop the cash on their stuff. Adams Arms is a conversion company that started building their own rifles, they seem to be alright but I don't have any hands on time with one. I know nothing of the Colt 6940P system other than I don't see many in use. Perhaps some others with Adams Arms and Colt piston experience will chime in to fill some of the holes I left.
he is joking...making a point. DI carriers don't experience any appreciable carrier tilt. His point appears to be that external piston + op rod is a solution looking for a problem. His bcm is a DI gun. Moving on, I second the comments made regarding the added weight of an external piston. Its definitely noticeable. The SCAR, however, is nice and light. Seriously, if you're going to buy a second gun and want it to be a piston gun, take a long hard look at the SCAR. Its the only one worth messing with.
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