This is my first short barrel AR, so I have nothing to compare it to.
Put 200rds thru it last weekend at the local indoor range. Was only able to shoot at 27yds, so keep that in mind. But I was primarily just making sure everything was working right. Zero issues to report. 150rds of mixed Federal & Winchester 55gr, and 50rds of Federal Fusion 62gr. Various gen3 PMAGs fed great, extraction / ejection was good, recoil was no worse than my Colt 6720 or M4A1 upper. I did have the Super42 spring w/ H2 buffer, which seems to be the sweet spot. Accuracy, though at 27yds, was typical for 55gr fodder. It stacked the Fusion though when I did my part. I have one 10rd group that was dime sized. For me, with my eyesight and a red dot, and basic shooting skill, I'm happy with that.
Overall, consider me a satisfied customer, especially for what I paid with the Black Friday deals.
Optics:
Nightforce NX8 MIL/LE capped turret model with MIL turrets and reticle in a Gissele plinko won 1.93" mount
Type 1 Trijicon RMR 3.25 adjustable in Reptilia mount with two spacers for clearance
Light/Laser:
B.E. Meyers MAWL C1+ with EC2 cap
Surefire DF 600 earlier R&D pro (pre-release) with DS-00 tail cap
Unity Tactical Sync Version 1 for control
Upper Components:
Geissele stripped upper
Geissele 11.5" duty barrel with bomb proof instillation of gas block
ALG nitride BCG
Geissele newer FED rail 10"
Rail Scale HTP covers
Surefire Warcomp
Surefire SOCOM MINI suppresor
Geissele Government CH
Condition Gray sling retainer
Lower Components:
Knights Armament factory SBR lower (sold the upper long ago)
Knights AMBI safety and trigger guard
Geissele SD-C trigger
Geissele Maritime bolt catch
Geissele Super 42 spring with H2 buffer
LAW tactical gen3 folder
Magpul SL stock
Tangodown BG-18 grip
Sierra Tac sling
Got the BKF upper in short order, no pics yet but it looks good. Picked up a used 10.5" QC10 9mm barrel and a cheap handguard off the ARF EE this morning. Just need a hybrid bolt and then I'll start on that project.
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits - Mark Twain
Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy / Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
So I still haven't settled on what upper I want to purchase for my recently approved sbr. I'm stuck between SOLGW and a PWS 111. I have heard piston guns tend to do better in an sbr roll. I dont have the experience with piston sbrs to confirm or deny this myself.
I don't have the experience either but my understanding is "it depends". IIRC in Ian McCollum's interview with Larry Vickers, Vickers said the short DI guns were beating themselves to death in the constant high round count training done by Delta and that was the impetus for the HK416. I think he said something along the lines of pistons are an advantage in heavy use SBRs or if you're shooting lots of suppressed FA but I may have some of that mixed up with something else.
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits - Mark Twain
Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy / Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
We wish to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose assistance this program would not have been possible.
It used to be conventional wisdom that ARs as short as 10.5" 5.56 were picky about ammo and difficult to get running reliably. Now, with a better understanding of gas porting, correct buffer weighting and proper springs, shorty ARs have become easy to set up to run reliably without harsh recoil, even as a dedicated suppressor host. ARs are more refined now than they have ever been.
Some shooters have found when suppressed, "piston" uppers (that is, an upper that has its piston located in the gas block instead of the carrier) has a louder port pop. They've also found that recoil tends to be harsher.
With the introduction of the pistol arm brace, the popularity of short ARs has exploded. Many are used as suppressor hosts. Black River Tactical has even gone so far as to offer short barrels with gas ports optimized for a specific use, such as 100% suppressed. But of all the short ARs on the market and all the companies enticing customers with better and better mouse traps, there are very few with gas block pistons.
We wish to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose assistance this program would not have been possible.