I've learned more about the AR platform from SotAR than in my 24-year military life dealing with Small Arms. The explanation of the gas function as it pushes the bolt forward has completely changed my visualization of the firing sequence. Thank you and glad to see Rebel again.
Despite having learned a good bit about the mechanics and intricacies of the AR (a good bit from your videos) I was still able to learn a new thing about the pressurization in the BCG taking load off of the bolt lugs, thus prolonging their service life. The content you put out is simply astonishing and the internet and RU-vid don't deserve you.
A friend of mine has a cool cutaway. It's a 5.56 barrel that fired a 300bk. The bullet looks to be about 2 inches long and about 3 inches down the bore.
this guy is awesome.. I did 20+ yrs in the infantry, and I think this small but clear period of instruction would have been very beneficial as a constant carrier of this weapon system. It would make a better shooter and caretaker of the weapon. ensuring the shooter understand the type and quality of required maintenance needed to keep the firearm in good firing condition. great class!! wow!
God this video is SO cool! I LOVE all this nerdy stuff about the AR, I absolutely love the process of when, where, and why you test! Please don't ever stop this train Mr. A! All the testing and info you provide for the community, might I add for (FREE) here on RU-vid is invaluable! Thanks for all you sir! Merry Christmas to you and the family, and may 2022 bring the Biggest and BEST year for SOTAR yet 🤘
This is absolutely the best video I’ve ever seen on the Mechanics and Theory of AR operation.. those little bits of gold like a beat up bolt retainer pin = tail shaft leakage.. amazing. This video should mandatory in Basic Training for all military branches. I know they aren’t Armorers but they know the how and why. Thank You brother for such amazing content!
OK on top of everything else, you’ve got the best wife a man could want! I more or less understood what was happening inside the BCG, but seeing the cutaway is a fantastic teaching tool. Seeing the actual parts works best for my brain. Thanks! ETA: there is so much good information here that I miss things the first time through. In this case, it was your comments about the firing pin retaining pin possibly indicating a poor gas seal for the bolt tail or excessive BCG speed.
Great instruction. In the army we were told the gas pushed the the bolt carrier back. Did not even know that gas was getting inside the carrier and pushed on the bolt. I finally understand why there are rings on the bolt. Stoner did a great job designing this system!
I thought I understood everything about the operating cycle till I watched this video. Sharing such great educational information with the public makes you a true patriot.
I’ve always appreciated the talent and skill of the mechanically inclined. But what makes SOTAR truly remarkable, is your ability to simplify and share these lessons with others. Thanks.
Amazing content. The firearm cutaway is what happens when skill, understanding & passion meet: a work of art. Seriously. Thanks for your dedication to sharing your knowledge. May you continue for as long as you wish. Liked how Rebel answered when spoken to. 😎
Interesting to hear about increased bolt wear with a gas piston AR. I've had two and I don't think that they solve ANY problem on an AR and introduce more of them.
I don't own one and I don't want one but I belive the point is to assist suppressed shooters by moving the gas out of the receiver. Suppressors make the receiver far dirtier far faster.
@@pythonBlender7 actually, that was the only advantage to my Sig 516. It had an adjustable gas system which did improve the function with a suppressor, but my CMMG aftermarket GP adapter did not.
@@pythonBlender7 Most of the extra fouling from shooting suppressed is coming back out of the barrel and into the action, so piston ARs still get a lot dirtier than non suppressed shooting. Just like how suppressed AKs get filthy. Only way to avoid extra fouling with a can is some sort of delay unlock that let's the suppressor depressurize before unlocking, which would require either some rube Goldberg system or manual operation. Piston ARs were mostly invented for two reasons. Misconceptions and people who believe all the crock about AR15s being unreliable, and the military wanting shorter and shorter barrels and manufacturers not switching gas tube lengths leading to short barrel AR15s with absolutely no dwell time that were barely able to cycle regularly.
Apart from suppressed use they are more reliable in dirty conditions. Such as overseas in a desert environment. They do come with more recoil, but less cleaning. More wear and tear too. Many pros and cons to each system.
@T800 incorrect they were developed for better reliability and survivability when using full auto or extended time of constant use in semi auto. They also do not noticeably build up carbon deposits when using a can. By the time the bullet is traveling through the can the piston rod has already smacked the bcg and put it in motion so you see the usual places when suppressing your AR.
Really interesting to watch this deep dive into the AR system. It further exemplifies how polar opposite the design ethos was between the M16 weapon system and the AK47.
This is an INCREDIBLE video. Your wife hit a home run with that Valentine's Day gift. No amount of cartoons or animation will show as clearly how the bolt and bolt carrier interact during firing as you did with the actual metal parts. Now I know exactly why the bolt tail is always caked with carbon, and I also know that I probably need to do a better job cleaning the inside "chamber" of my BCG that is hidden so it's "out of sight, out of mind". Thank you for this.
When I was learning, I had so much trouble figuring out why the rifle wouldn't cycle. I LOVE videos like this, they help me understand the mechanics of what's happening so I could better diagnose the issues. Thank you!
Marvelous explanation of the gas functionality of the venerable AR joystick! I built one from scratch a while back. The cutaway vastly helped me to see/understand how she really works. A thousand thanks for putting this together .
So glad you mentioned the gas rings lining up. I remember learning that in boot camp and always thought that was a necessary check. Also didn't know the gas rings compressed as they're put in the BCG
So after watching this detailed demonstration, I learned something that I never thought about. Which is, the gas pushing/making forward pressure on the gas rings and bolt. You say that it removes some of the load from the lugs but wouldn’t this also help with the unlocking? The gas is pushing the carrier rewards but since the gas chamber is also pushing on the back of the gas rings creating forward pressure on the bolt, this should also help the cam rotation! Very useful video. Goes to show you how useful the D.I. System is. Whenever someone makes a comment about its faults, if they only knew how everything is working together they’re actually beneficial to the operation.
I am SO glad I found SOTAR. Thank you for providing this well presented information. I have learned more about the AR DI platform in the last week from watching your videos than in last 32 years of owning one. 👍🏼🇺🇸
This is even more clear than those cut away graphics videos showing all the intricacies. It's kind of like photography and football. You can learn a lot by just watching videos like that but you really have to have someone who understands the thing well to explain it properly.
I learned a lot about the particulars of each component within the BCG and how darn complex these things are. I also appreciate your recognition that tolerances on different parts can be matched in a complementary fashion to yield a well-functioning gas system.
I had a good idea of the BCG's operation inside the weapon and that cutaway along with your explanation confirmed it! thanks Chad... good to see Rebel again too 👍
I'm one of those guys that learns by seeing it all first hand. Seeing you take the time to do some educating like this brings me joy my dude. Thank you.
I'm watching this long after the fact but thank you for the visual and explanation. This is a truly ingenious design, not a pure DI and not a pure piston, but a combination of both that works extremely well. It would be very interesting to hear Stoner's thought process when he was designing this.
No apologies for the interruption needed. After all, his name is Rebel. Been a sub for... idk, a couple years. I love learning & gaining better understanding. You can't get this level of information anywhere but here. Thank you for doing what you do and doing it so well! You know you have serious students when there are zero dislikes!
I was just looking for vids on BCG when I came across this video. This video was such a good visual learning experience. Thank you so much for this way of teaching, with cutaways, efficiency gauges, etc. I wish more vids could be like this.
This was an awesome video! I understand so much more than I did before about the operation of the rifle. Now I know why some areas are so dirty when it's cleaning time. Loved seeing Rebel too.
I just happened to stumble upon this channel and I’m SO glad I did. I love all this technical stuff and it helps to understand our rifle platform better. I wish I could get a set of all those gauges and check out my own rifles, but I don’t know if they’re available, and I’m guessing they wouldn’t be economical to someone who only owns a few rifles and doesn’t do this for a living, even if they are. Please keep making your videos, because they are fascinating, and even without your specialized tools, you’ve taught us that there are a lot of things an owner can inspect and watch out for in our own rifles. Thank you.
What a great vid! I have been troubleshooting a bolt related problem and stumbled on your explanation. You have expanded my understanding and it's greatly appreciated!!!
I've been looking for a video that uses AR-15 cutaways for ages...finally found yours. What a great job of explanation, too. The visual of the cutaways with your explanation makes all the difference. I didn't realize that there was a purpose for the forward pressure applied to the bolt at the start of the cycle (unloading the lugs). The rest I knew but couldn't really visualize until seeing the cutaways. Your explanation of what you've found in these guns and what could go wrong is very educational as well. Also, your troubleshooting gauges are well thought out and easily understood. The cutaway of the gun itself is great, but the cutaway of the bolt carrier showing how the bolt and gas key fit into it and how bolt and bolt carrier move together is priceless.
Very cool thank you for sharing this! I love cutaway’s, not only are they just plain cool but I also find it a bit easier to understand operation through a cutaway vs something like a 3D diagram.
This is an outstanding video. Thank you for taking the time to teach us with the cut aways. I was a unit armorer when I was in the Army 40 some years ago and I am always learning 😊 All the best, Norm in Arizona
Thank you! I'm one of the visual types. When trying to follow discussions (arguments??) about 'internal piston or DI', I had trouble visualizing how the BCG actually functioned as a piston. This video really helped.
Brownells used to carry a one piece gas ring set. I haven't seen them in some time. I used to use them all the time and gas ring wear was not as much of an issue as it could get on hard run guns. Loved this cut away vid, it visualized perfectly how I understood the process to work. Great for those that are new to the DI Ar15 system!
Sir, I appreciate the detailed description on the gas and how it works... The years it took to get the intuitive knowledge of that specific device astounds me.. I applaud you... Job well done.!!
Watched a many of your bcg physicals. I knew you were checking for efficiency but I didn’t understand how before now. Probably the single biggest learning moment of my gun owning life. Thank you for the content.
Of all my time working on AR's I never made the connection that the same pressure that pushes back on the carrier also pushes forward, relieving some stress on the lugs... Best educational channel on RU-vid. Hands down.
Absolutely FANTASTIC video!!! Been goofing around with and building these things for 30 years and like many others commented already, I’ve learned more in the 20min of their video than 30 years of tinkering and reading! 👍👍
This is the most informative vid ive ever seen on the BCG. I just recently replaced my rings on my 10.5 with a fixed 5" brake. Was having issues and when i disassembled it, the forward most ring was broken in 2 pieces. I got curious before reassembly and put one down with 2 rings. It worked. Great teaching good sir. Im subd.👍
Awesome, detailed explanation. Rebel looks like an awesome kitteh too. I keep delving deeper into your catalog of info. Thank you for making the world a little more intelligent with every day. I like to learn at least one new thing a day and you help me with my goal. Appreciate you folks. 🤙🏾
I was KP the day they explained a lot of this stuff. I had to ask other guys a lot of questions. I survived. Brings back memories keeping this bolt clean, or else.
You Sir are THE Go-Too Instructor for this particular rifle platform, if anyone wanted to take such into the professional repair/commercially oriented build spheres youre classroom courses is def the place to do so... -Happy New Year to y'allz...;)
Another one of your incredible videos. I will definitely be sharing with anyone I know new to the AR. 👍🏻 I wish your videos were around in 2007. I could’ve saved myself a lot of time. Thank you for taking the time to share all of this info with us.
When I was at school for the airlines, I could read something 20 times and kind of get it. But whenever they took us into the aircraft and showed us things that’s when I really got it. Definitely a visual learner.
These vids are always appreciated. Hope you (and Rebel) have a great holiday season. Stay warm. Stay safe. Look forward to more videos. (By chance do you have any other models of cutaways? Itd be cool to see the details on how other systems work, such as piston type rifles and RDBB)
A great demonstration and explanation. Has given me some ideas about what to check on my SBR for why it might not be running as well as I think it should.
Absolutely the best video I’ve seen on the gas system. When piston conversions for ARs first became a thing, and were all the rage on fanboy websites, I tried to explain the disadvantages I saw, including increased bolt lug wear, but was shouted down by the mobs. BTW, you’re a great teacher as well as being extremely knowledgeable.
Im a Quality Analyst at an engine factory, though my passion is guns. I love studying this stuff, how things can go wrong and how they are supposed to work. This is really similar to a steam engine in a way, except it's powder gas driving the piston instead of steam, lol. Or even a two-stroke engine, since the piston still acts as it's own exhaust valve.
Respectfully, the load the bolt cares about from a fatigue life standpoint is the load at peak pressure. By the time the bullet passes the bleed orfice in the barrel, the chamber pressure has dropped to 1/3 or 1/4 of peak, meaning the pressure forward on the bolt is a fraction of it’s peak value. Bleeding gas into the bolt carrier reduces the contact load between the bolt lugs & the lock extension lugs, making it easier to unlock the bolt.
Yes this is very cool and I think good to understand. The cut outs really show functionality and makes me realize how smart the people were that came up with the AR platform. To not only come up with the concept but to get everything designed and timed just right for it to work perfectly is mind blowing. Too bad your classes are not closer to the West Coast. Great job on the channel.
I really need to remember what you said. I wished I was watching this while I have my ar open up for cleaning/oiling. I liked your parts. Your video just popped up. I am going to subscribe. I love your cat.
Thank you so much for breaking this down. Gunsmithing is amazing, but more so the knowledge in what's actually going on is so important, thank you again.
Really appreciate your videos! One SIMPLE thing I picked up on in this video is your Armour's bench pad. I use the long rifle version of bench pads with those fancy diagrams on that cost $20‐$30. One, they're never big enough of my bench and work area. Two, I go through like 2-3 of those per year. That pad you have looks like those one you can buy at Harbor Frieght for a few dollars for a whole pack and are like 2'x2' in size. Dang!!! That's genius, son! I can link & cut as many as I need for my Armour's bench and replace for a fraction of what it use to cost me. Aahhh ... the simple things in life. THANKS!
Great video! I’m now a subscriber. Everyone who operates one of these should know at least some of the how’s and why’s of the firearm. They are pretty complex and the more we know could save us time, money and maybe a life. Thank you for sharing!
You sir have a very nice channel. I work listening to your videos and also watching them after work. For a beginner AR-15 owner like me diving into details of how it works with such a great explanation is just remarkable. Greetings from Ukraine.
The guy who got me into shooting at the range always insisted AR-15s are horrible because they throw gas into your action and i couldnt believe it was that stupid because so many people (and militaries) use it. This video properly showcased the reason, the up and downsides and the inner workings of the AR action. truly, a very nice video and a great piece of teaching equipment.
This might be my favorite of your videos. I really like seeing the cutaways rather than animations. I feel like I’m getting more actual understanding of how it all fits together.
Thank you so much for this awesome and informative video. Knowing the difference between the no and no-go gauges might give people an idea of what tolerance is at question with some of these checks.
