Teething issues with the M14?

[Arik]

So buying guns based on cool sounding phrases?

Has there been a reason to play with gas adjustments on an AR? Any AR!

The 380 was also the caliber of choice for a large number of of militaries. Doesn't make it a good idea

[Bart Noir]

Arik, I don't think you are talking about the .380 ACP.

Bart Noir

[Bret]

Has there been a reason to play with gas adjustments on an AR? Any AR!

That’s basically what you’re doing when you change to a heavier or lighter buffer.

[Bart Noir]

Interesting thread, thanks all for contributing.
Retro, it sounded like you were saying that the Swiss used the FAL. They may have examined it, in fact must have done so, but the StG57 was a variation of the CETME / H&K roller almost-locking design. Which they eventually retired for a 5.56 gas-operated rotating bolt rifle.

Bart Noir

[RetroRevolver77]

So buying guns based on cool sounding phrases?

Has there been a reason to play with gas adjustments on an AR? Any AR!

The 380 was also the caliber of choice for a large number of of militaries. Doesn't make it a good idea

The FAL in the 50's and 60's was a better design than our M14 or AR10.

The FAL was adopted by 90 countries, the M14 and AR10- not so much.

[MountainRaven]

The fifteen thousand positions of the FAL gas system may have made sense in a prototype or limited production rifle before 7.62x51mm NATO was really standardized and burn rates for powders, dwell time, port pressures, &c. hadn’t been settled on. But it stopped making sense the day the rifle went into production alongside the 7.62N ammunition it was to fire. I can think of no other military rifle that possesses such a system and no military rifle that could be improved through the adoption of such a system. If the FAL’s gas system were limited to two, three, or four positions, I think the rifle would be infinitely improved.

[RetroRevolver77]

The fifteen thousand positions of the FAL gas system may have made sense in a prototype or limited production rifle before 7.62x51mm NATO was really standardized and burn rates for powders, dwell time, port pressures, &c. hadn’t been settled on. But it stopped making sense the day the rifle went into production alongside the 7.62N ammunition it was to fire. I can think of no other military rifle that possesses such a system and no military rifle that could be improved through the adoption of such a system. If the FAL’s gas system were limited to two, three, or four positions, I think the rifle would be infinitely improved.

So you never owned an FAL I take it? The gas system is set up when you sight it in and then turned two clicks back toward close to run all ammo that you can feed it. Takes four or five rounds to set up the FAL gas system. Literally while you are sighting in- you can also set up the gas system. It's a nice feature, shame they got rid of that when they went to the SCAR because that turd requires changing out actual ports rather than just rotating a little ring.

[ABNAK]

So you never owned an FAL I take it? The gas system is set up when you sight it in and then turned two clicks back toward close to run all ammo that you can feed it. Takes four or five rounds to set up the FAL gas system. Literally while you are sighting in- you can also set up the gas system. It's a nice feature, shame they got rid of that when they went to the SCAR because that turd requires changing out actual ports rather than just rotating a little ring.

Not splitting hairs but I think you mean once you find the cycling/lock-back setting you open it 2 more clicks, not the other way.

[RetroRevolver77]

Not splitting hairs but I think you mean once you find the cycling/lock-back setting you open it 2 more clicks, not the other way.

You move two clicks toward close to give it just a little more gas in the system to run any ammo- not just the ammo you set it up with. Closing the bleed off gas port all the way will put more gas in the system so it cycles to hard. While fully opening the bleed off gas port will bleed most of the gas off and likely not lock open on the last round. You find where it locks open on the last round like you said, then rotate it back toward close a couple clicks to be sure it will not just run the rounds you are firing but also run lesser powered rounds. Generally you don't mess with it after that because it's already set up.

[MountainRaven]

So you never owned an FAL I take it? The gas system is set up when you sight it in and then turned two clicks back toward close to run all ammo that you can feed it. Takes four or five rounds to set up the FAL gas system. Literally while you are sighting in- you can also set up the gas system. It's a nice feature, shame they got rid of that when they went to the SCAR because that turd requires changing out actual ports rather than just rotating a little ring.

Nope. Have had a few. Probably my favorite 30-caliber battle rifle (after the Garand). Doesn't mean that it (or the Garand) are perfect... or even in the same neighborhood as perfect.

The SCAR doesn't have thirty positions on it's gas system because it doesn't need one. Because the gas system is set from the factory and there's zero need to adjust it, unless you're some kind of weird special snowflake.

The FAL has one and shouldn't need one. Instead of a gas system set by the factory and un****able with by toddlers or boots or CIB-less SNCOs, you get a gas system that needs to be adjusted for every type of ammunition you run out of it, at all the different weather conditions you run it in. They should be set from the factory ready to run 7.62mm NATO from -40°F (without short stroking) to 150°F (without beating the gun to death), without any tabs, wheels, or pulleys that can turn your life-saving equipment into a jamomatic. I mean... the supposed benefit of a short stroke gas piston system is that it shouldn't be sensitive to changes in pressure, barrel length, ammunition type, &c. Instead we have a short-stroke gun that's more finicky than an M16, a Colt LE6920, or even an 11.5" RGP Sionics. Sure FALs run well when they're dialed in - but, again, why should I need to dial a short-stroke gun in when zero dialing in is necessary or even helpful with a "DI" AR-15?

Not splitting hairs but I think you mean once you find the cycling/lock-back setting you open it 2 more clicks, not the other way.

I think you've got it backwards: You close the system by two clicks, to ensure the system gets enough gas to function. Opening the system vents more gas.