Bottom line for me, I trust my life to non piston guns.
Because they have inherent flaws or you just have not owned any? I am a novice trying to determine if I even want to own a black gun. I have been looking at the IWRC R.E.P.R.. It's a 308 piston gun.
I have fired several AR's of the impingement design and they were incredibly accurate at 100 yards, open sighted, even with me behind them.
I don't have piston guns because its a fix to a non existant problem. I don't buy into crap like that.
As to accuracy, it may well be that my demands of an AR accuracy wise could well be more than the average folks, but I have yet to see anyone that has a piston AR get .5 or less MOA out of it at distance. 100 yards is not distance.
I can generallly shoot groups in the 1/2- 5/8 inch range with a non piston AR off bags and irons at 100 yards. Or with a sling from prone.
If you want piston, then go for it. But there is no need. And as noted, the AR was never designed as a piston platform so only time will tell if it works out in the platform.
I'd make the decision if you even want an AR first, then decide which one and what parts based on the use. If you aren't sure you want one yet, then you are way ahead of yourself starting to differentiate IMHO.
And there are many reasons to have and not to have.... and just because is good enough for me.
