I have a POF P415 14.5" pinned in 5.56 and a POF P308 14.5" pinned.
They are my go-to ones.
Short stroke.

KSGM, I try and configure every gun I consider 'serious' in the same configuration to the extent one can with respect to things like NV, mounts, optics, lights, switches, lasers etc. I have play guns in a zillion configurations.
In terms of advantages if we confine ourselves to an apple to apple type discussion to an AR meaning piston guns that take Stanag mags the features I like better are generally the charging handle, adjustable gas, folding stock, often better internal design and maintainability. I consider the easy barrel change capability a plus but not a huge factor but I do it occassionally.
I absolutely run an AR on a regular basis as I'm fully committed to the idea that I should be able to be competent with anything I'm likely to have, find or acquire so to speak. I haven't run with this group and its matches for awhile be there was a time that the match rules once a month was everybody put their gun on a rack and you had to grab somebody else's and run it in the match. It was a pretty decent learning experience.

I picked “no”, because the gun under my bed, that I’ve shot the most and is the most "squared-away" is my SBR AR with Aimpoint Micro and light. It is light, and I’ve familiar and handy with it.

However, the gun I’d consider my “secondary” is my short barreled Sig 556 swat with diopters. I keep that in my office closet. I’ve shot it plenty, it is a pussycat, and I’m comfortable with it. It’s a tad heavy, and I really don’t want to weight it down with a light & optic, which the cool kids say I’m supposed to, so I guess that’s a big reason why it’s not my primary.

DI AR15 for me. I certainly have better guns but I don't wont to see any of those in the police evidence room.

Voted yes...

Rifle Dynamics (Jim Fuller build) RD700 with Ultimak and T1.

1) I've trained with it and shot it the most and moa is ingrained without thought.
2) The only rifle I've been to tactical training classes with.
3) I have a boatload of ammo for it.
4) I don't own an AR.

quote:

I certainly have better guns

Better how? Wouldn't you want your best-performing rifle to be the one you are most familiar with; the one you have most capably equipped?

Brett B wrote a compelling list of reasons he prefers the SCAR, over in Accomplice's APC223 or HK556 thread; he also concedes a few detractors.

My travel gun is a Steyr Aug except for the one time it was an APC300. I don't think poorly of DI but apparently, my "go-to" gun is a piston. Much like Sigfruend pointed out, its not the gas system that set my choices, just a happenstance of the design I chose.

quote:

Originally posted by gw3971:
DI AR15 for me. I certainly have better guns but I don't wont to see any of those in the police evidence room.

Wouldn’t you much rather not even use a rifle? Maybe a Hipoint? I mean, if your self worth is based upon the cost of the item sitting in an evidence room, there are a lot of Hipoints, or for that matter Jennings/Bryco clones that’ll save you money.

I much prefer to use the tool that is best for the job. If I have to use it, I really only care about survival and not whether or not the loss of the tool will set back my stock portfolio. Clint Smith once said in a class that if he’s involved in a shooting, the cost of the tool is the cost of doing business. And he’s willing to lose a $7000 1911 to stay above ground. I have to say I agree. He further opined that those who judge their survival on the cost of the firearm sitting in evidence are setting themselves up for legal troubles if it’s less than a stellar shoot.

Sig 516 Gen 2 upper on an Addax Tactical Billet lower, topped with an Aimpoint Pro. Ive had the rifle almost 10 years now I think, not sure of the round count but at least 3-4k and ZERO malfunctions, not one. I went to a 2 day class about 2 years ago with it, put about 500 rds through it, and then had another range day about a month later. I decided not to clean it to see how dirty it could get and still run- I didnt want to use up anymore ammo but I know that rifle can go 1,000+ rds and still keep going.

My only semi-auto rifles these days are my X95 SBR and MCX Virtus 300blk, so I guess I’m all pistons now.

Traditional AR for me. Piston ARs don’t do anything better than the traditional AR at this point in time with the new era of low back pressure cans. Ergonomically the AR can’t be beaten, so that rules out all of my not-an-AR rifles.

Yes. HK416-A5. It is the one I have the most time with and rounds down range. It hasn't failed to perform when needed.

All my semi auto centerfire rifles are piston driven. Ruger Mini 14, M1A, HK MR556, SIG 551A1, SIG PE90 Black Special (inbound). They do a lot of things better than DI guns. Primarily running cooler and cleaner.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: vjb.knife1,

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Piston ARs don’t do anything better than the traditional AR at this point in time

They do lots of things better, but if those aren't important to you it matters not. I'm going out on a limb and say almost every new design targeting the AR market does something better because if not what's the point.

quote:

But a survival rifle could conceivably go quite a while between cleanings

quote:

I know that rifle can go 1,000+ rds and still keep going

Two different reasons for potential piston superiority; only one is really meaningful, IMO. There are very few scenarios that would present an even only somewhat prepared person with a situation that prevents them from cleaning their rifle. The high round count of an intense conflict would potentially show the advantages of the cleaner piston gun; a prolonged absence of maintenance is avoidable.

quote:

out on a limb and say almost every new design targeting the AR market does something better because if not what's the point

I'd like to think that's the case, but I am skeptical, nowadays. I think many industry contributions are made in an effort to be different. That being said, I think it's an equally distributed crapshoot, as to performance for the user. Different can be better for this guy, present no advantage for this guy, and be worse for this guy. If the industry was driven by continuous (successful) improvement, I think we'd have a universally agreed-upon superior rifle at this point. On the commercial/civilian side of the industry, we like to boast that we're not limited/hindered by the convoluted, bureaucratic, and biased military industrial complex acquisition system; we imply that we can make choices based on pure logic and performance. If we're so stinkin' smart, and the industry is always improving the output, you'd think this poll wouldn't be in favor of an operating system from the 60's, with the piston minority being split between short-stroke, long-stroke, bullpup, etc.

Also, the "DI" (internal piston) operating system found in the AR arguably is the futuristic progression of rifle operation, as it post-dates piston rifles of the short and long stroke variety.

I voted No, because while I could use any of my piston and non-piston rifles as a defensive rifle in a pinch, all of my primary defensive rifles are AR15s, and all of my AR15s are DI.

I don't own any piston ARs, because I purchased all of my ARs before piston ARs became widespread, and have simply updated them as time went on. But as sigfreund pointed out on Page 1, the potential advantages of piston ARs over DI ARs are marginal enough that I cannot justify ditching perfectly good DI uppers to replace them with newly purchased piston uppers.

Different guns for different purposes. My hunting guns are bolt guns, one lever gun, and an intertia driven rimfire.

For home defense, it is a gas AR. I know this is what you probably are curious about.

Grandfathered in, and carried a Valmet 76 tube folder for many years as my patrol rifle.
Right before my retirement, Dept decided to issue our patrol rifles (AR15) or we could carry what we were previously approved. I retired the Valmet and took the company rifle. I seem to prefer the Valmet, maybe because I was so used to it.
Not saying I don't like AR 15's, as I have several, but really loved the Valmet.

A Valmet! That's a very unconventional (but cool) choice for a patrol rifle.

What caliber Valmet?