In this confusing world of crane o-rings and springs, buffer tubes, springs, weights, m4 feed ramp cuts, carbine, rifle, and mid length gas systems… what’s the most reliable combination for a 16" barrel rifle with an evil collapsible stock? Assuming it’s been made well and everything is staked correctly etc.
I’m guessing a rifle gas system with bolt upgrades and something like a vltor v5 with rifle like buffer parts would be best?
What if it has to be a mid-length?
Steel cased? suppressor? 5.56 vs .223?
Ok here’s a related question, my brother is now building a rifle and is starting with a bcm bfh recce upper with bcm bolt, what should we do for the lower? Can we just get a Vltor A5 kit and leave it? Once again we run steel cased exclusively and will use suppressors.
From what I’ve gathered carbine or mid-length are best. I did see some abomination by dpms that looked to be a rifle length gas system on a 16". I’ve never heard anything but bad about that set-up. Reliability depends on who made it and what type of ammo you use from what I’ve seen and read. A carbine seems to do better with weak Russian ammo. A middy seems to have a lighter recoil impulse. These aren’t rules, plenty of guys have mid-lengths that do fine with Russian ammo. Carbines with heavier buffers can have a lighter recoil impulse too.
It’s not all about the gas system length either. My 20" rifle length PSA shoots much softer than my 16" BCM carbine. My PSA did have problems with some old boxes of Wolf though, the same lot went through my BCM without a hitch. Both do well (as far as reliability) with Fed brown box xm193 or xm855. The best advice that I was given is find what ammo your gun likes and buy alot of it, or reload and you can get ammo that cycles great and is also very accurate. I tried the first and eventually went with reloading. I stocked up when components were cheap and can reload for what .223 wolf used to cost. My ammo isn’t just reliable, it’s also more accurate. I hoped this helped, somebody will probably come by with a better explanation as I’m not a master of the AR or anything.
If you’re looking to go with a rifle length gas system and a collapsable stock, my 0.02 cents will go to an 18" barrel. 14.5" & 16" are pretty awesome with a mid length gas system.
In my 14.5 and 16 carbines, I run a standard carbine spring and h-buffer. What is important is that I use 5.56 nato pressure ammo. Some gas ports such as BCM fine tune to only be efficient with 5.56 ammo.
If using regular ammo (.223 spec), BCM recommends to use a standard CAR buffer.
KAC SR-15 gas system, IMO. Maybe with VLTOR A5 and their light buffer if it’s out yet.
Either that or carbine receiver extension, H2 buffer, sprinco blue spring, and midlength system. (Keep and mind there’s no established standard port size for midlength, so my recommendation only applies to Noveske, BCM, and DD.)
That was probably a dissapator build. They were usually a standard carbine gas system with a low profile gas block. They would then pin a FSP in the rifle position to give you the better sight radius on the shorter barrel. They seem to have lost favor with the newer FF forends and back-up sights.
I have heard that Salient Arms has been working on a 16" barrel with a rifle gas system, although I’m not sure of the reliability yet.
Is there a money limit? Because for a $1000 a Colt 6920 with it’s TDP background, track record, versatility, and high degree of reliability, pretty much sets the bar at a high level for those willing to commit to it.
Really I was just wondering about principles and possibilities… In the real world I have a daniel defense v7 and I was wondering what parts I should replace to get more reliability after I break 'em by shooting them out. That will be in years to come though, thus I was just wondering about the operating principles for fine tuning reliability for the Ar. The buffer assembly and bolt/extractor parts are mostly what I’m looking for; I wouldn’t change anything other than that but I did wonder about the gas systems so I thought I would throw that out there.
You have a DD carbine. It’s already fine tuned for reliability. You can maintain that reliability by following these simple steps.
Buy quality 5.56x45 ammunition in quantity and use it a lot.
Buy quality magazines in quantity and use them a lot.
Buy quality lubricant in quantity and use it a lot.
You will avoid numerous pitfalls if you adhere to the previous steps. Really, no bullshit! Add a spare DD bolt assembly, a few BCM Bolt Upgrade/Rebuild Kits, and some carbine buffer springs, and you’re on your way to Nirvana. Really, no bullshit!
Reliable? Carbine length with an H2 buffer. Over gassed as all hell but it will run every ammo type. My previous SR-15 was unreliable as **** and choked up on .223 pressure ammo frequently enough to make me sell it.
The A5 buffers and middy gas systems are great. I personally run a 16" mid length with a standard spring/H2 and have had no malfunctions over 4,600 rounds and the bolt has locked back every time. I’d like to try an A5, but I don’t see the need given how well the rifle shoots as is.
I’ve had great luck with both BCM and Colt 16" carbine gas barrels using M193 or M855 and an H buffer. I’ve also had 2 16" BCM middies that ran awesome, but I don’t own them anymore. Just 14.5" and 16" carbines currently.
