Mike Pannone wrote an excellent article on Defense Review entitled The Big M4 Myth: “Fouling caused by the direct impingement gas system makes the M4 Carbine unreliable.” There is no shortage of misinformation out there surrounding the M4/M16 family of weapons and this article does a good job of dispelling one of the biggest myths. The AR-15, when built with quality components, is one of the most reliable weapon systems on the planet. With proper maintenance, it will not let you down. After you read this article you will appreciate the DI system and its accuracy promoting simplicity instead of fearing its apocryphal reputation as a design flaw. It will also make you consider dropping some coin on a BCM upper.
It’s been my experience that most reliability issues with the AR platform come from the magazines rather than the weapon. Worn springs, followers and feed lips cause far more headaches than the gas system IMO.
Absolutely! The magazines are the heart of any semi-auto, especially the AR-15.
Thanks for dropping by! I really enjoy your Tactical Preschool series.