I haven't seen any decrease in blow-back from suppressors with any piston system.
The amount of gas return is a function of the suppressor, not the operating system.
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Agreed. My 416 blasts me plenty with my AAC.
FWIW, I have operated the "ultimate piston gun" (Kalashnikov) suppressed and - guess what? Lots of blowback into the action. As the smart fellas before me alluded to, it's a function of the suppressor.
How many of us go enough rounds between cleanings to need to shell out an extra thousand dollars for piston driven rifles?
In a word....YES.
But so are the premium prices for DI rifles from Colt, ie., 6920 and 6933.
Just remember...if the piston spring breaks, you have a club to beat your enemies.
I always have an extra piston spring in the grip.
What The Katar said. Suppressors make rifles run dirtier and you will be choking on smoke.
I ran mag fullauto through a 10 inch HK 416 with an earlier (18 tooth) model AAC M42000 suppressor at the first Silencertalk shoot down in Georgia a few years ago. A great deal of blowback. This was my first/only experience with a suppressed piston M16.
Shot my SCAR16S two days ago for the first time suppressed using an AAC M4-2000 (08 model). Subjectively it had as much blowback into the action (and my face) as any of my suppressed AR15/M16s. This was with the gas regulator set to the suppressor setting.
If you are going to buy a rifle with a 16 inch barrel, no I do not think you should spend the extra coin for a piston setup.
Nope.
Yet NO ONE would start a design from scratch with Direct Impingement... Whether or not it's "worth the money" is very subjective. It *IS* the "proper way" - no one can quantifiably disagree with.
Some may think that a Schmidt & Bender scope is "not worth the coin". Well, I CANNOT afford it but if I had the income/savings/wealth I sure as hell would have several - even if I didn't have anything to put them on. Such is quality. It's a case of diminishing returns.
On the flip side, the DI pieces work well enough, I'll admit, even if they are a bit sensitive to fouling compared to say HK roller and gas piston designs. Is it reliable enough for a second line or "militia" role (i.e., US non-military citizens)? Hell yes, it is. IFF (if and only if) one has proper components installed.
$2,000 for an LMT gas piston MRP vs. $1,400 for a Colt 6920 LE... One could use the $600 difference for lots of mags or ammo or LMT buttstock, forward grips,..., or front rail, extra bolts, extractor assemblies and a chrome silicon recoil buffer spring, etc., etc. ... You have to make that call for yourself.
But to claim "it isn't worth it" only applies to one's self (which many quantified, btw).
Happy Hunting for whichever you decide. And remember it's the journey not the final destination. :)