AR reliability ????

[1lostinspace]

I own 2 AR and have never had any problems with either one, but like most people I baby the hell out of them. I don't clean them I detail them. I was wondering how reliable are they in a combat or SHTF situation. Let's say you were stuck in the mountains for 3 months with out anything to clean it with or under full zombie assault having to keep firring, how many rounds can you get off before cook off or melt down occurs? I own several weapons but as far as a semi rifle my options are AR or Saigas, a friend asked if you had to be stuck with one rifle living in the woods what would you choose?
My AR complete with optics and all is about $1500 my Saiga with optics $430.
As far as accuracy and handling the AR is in a class of it's own but as we all know the Saiga has an AK action and reliability.
Have any of you guys ever ran your AR way hot or got dirt and other crap in it with no cleaning?

I keep hearing that AR/M16 jams but have never even had a problem, to me it sounds like drama left over from Nam, what do you guys think??

[X-NewYawker]

The AR is completely unreliable. No one can get a full magazine out without at least seven or eight jams.

That is why they just ordered 400,000 more of them.

[jandmtv]

If you do not properly care for an AR, it will jam. The complete opposite is true for AK type weapons, the dirtier they are, the better they perform.

[luvtolean]

If you do not properly care for an AR, it will jam. The complete opposite is true for AK type weapons, the dirtier they are, the better they perform.

I own both. They're just pieces of machinery, the better they're maintained, the better they'll perform. Mistreat your AK and it will mistreat you.

[novanryder]

Well even if you don't clean your rifle, at least keep it warm under the covers at night. Maybe then it won't feel so bad about being dirty.

[Beelzy]

If the SHTF, I'm grabbing the HK91.

As for reliability, the AR platform can take real world dirt, but no weapon
will take abuse for long. I used an AR as a tool to scale up a ravine
I was stuck in once, and it ran fine afterwards. Dirt flying was out from
everywhere, but it worked.

[jandmtv]

I own both. They're just pieces of machinery, the better they're maintained, the better they'll perform. Mistreat your AK and it will mistreat you.

As do I. All I'm trying to say is, if you do not clean and lube your AR properly, its pretty much a guarantee that it will fail. An AK however, can take a whole lot more dirt and abuse without failing due to its loose tolerances. Plus you never have to lube your AK. Which I think is a plus in the environment that the OP was describing.

[Addax]

AR's / M16's / M4's as a good of a rifles as it is in its standard configuration does have a design drawback (that even Eugene Stoner recognized after that fact).

The Direct Impingement Gas System (basically blowing hot gas directly from the barrel through a tube into the upper receiver to drive the bolt carrier assembly (which acts like a piston), but by doing this also blows carbon and other gun powder solids into the upper receiver.

Most of this is blown out of the vent holes in the bolt carrier assembly, but some of it still stays in the upper receiver, and over time/round count this stuff builds up, and could eventually become what is known as Carbon Build up, which can lead to Carbon Fouling or Jamming.

The quick way around this issue (if you do not maintain your AR regularly) is to keep your AR "wet" with some lubricant like CLP in the upper receiver and around the bolt carrier assembly.

This helps to break down the carbon build up to help ensure function.
The general known consensus is to keep an AR at least lubricated if you are shooting allot and not maintaining on a regular basis.

When I was in the ARMY ROTC and ARMY RESERVE (during my college years), and we had a field tranining exercises where we issued M16A2's, and using live ammo or blanks for training, my Sargent's always advised me and my squad to keep our M16's "Wet" / lubricated around the bolt carrier assembly and in the upper receiver, to help ensure functionality since we had no time for proper weapons maintenance as prescribed in our field tranining manuals.

From personal experience, the AK is more reliable due to its design.

[NRAhighpowershooter]

I have one of my OL AR's set up for Service Rifle competition... and after 5865 (log book counted) rounds downrange I have yet to experience a problem....My OL Space gun... 2345 rounds downrange with no alibi's... I usually clean them everyother range session. My other 2 OL AR blaster rifles all have several K rounds downrange with no problems either.

[Linh]

it will jam during a sandstorm

[gunsR4me]

i had a a friend of mine tell me you only want to lube just a little because the more lube on the bolt the more gunk it will attrack and then the gun will fail

[J_Rock]

The AR is more reliable than you think it is...

[Addax]

If you are in the sandbox (IQ or AFG) then a wet rifle with that talcum powder sand (especially in IQ) will gunk up the works.

The sands there are not like beach sand, it is almost like a fine powdery sand, that can get into every nook and crevice...

That stuff mixed in with oil and carbon residue = gunk which can seize up your rifle.

i had a a friend of mine tell me you only want to lube just a little because the more lube on the bolt the more gunk it will attrack and then the gun will fail

[tophatjones]

I wonder if anyone has put sandcuts in their upper receiver and bolt carrier to help with this problem?

[J_Rock]

If you are in the sandbox (IQ or AFG) then a wet rifle with that talcum powder sand (especially in IQ) will gunk up the works.

The sands there are not like beach sand, it is almost like a fine powdery sand, that can get into every nook and crevice...

That stuff mixed in with oil and carbon residue = gunk which can seize up your rifle.

In sandy environments you are much better of with a gun that is wet than one that is dry. Having sand coat your small arm like a sugar cookie with some lubricant still in place is a better situation than a completely dry weapon in a sandy environment.