Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Why does one AR-15 cost $700 and another $2,000, and run so differently? A big part of the answer is the gas system. An instructor breaks down direct impingement vs gas piston.

- Every AR is gas-operated: how gas cycles the bolt carrier group
- Direct impingement (the military standard) vs the gas piston (M14-style)
- Why a piston runs cleaner and cooler, and keeps gas out of the action
- Why it matters most when suppressed or running high round counts
- Is a piston more reliable? Less gas, carbon and heat in your cycle of operation

From the Gun Owners Radio archive.
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