Rainier arms has Adams Arms piston conversion kits for 229.00 for black friday.  I just picked up the Spikes upper from aim surplus and was thinking of adding the piston kit.  I watched the install video and it seems really straightforward.  

 

Anyone try one of these before?  14.5" Piston rifle sounds cool, but may not improve function but it sounds cool.  

I've always been wary of conversion kits. I'd much rather (and did) buy a piston AR that was designed and tuned as such (LWRC, PWS, POF, MR556, etc.). Granted, I haven't heard anything bad about the Adams Arms kit, but it still gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Adams suppose to be the best of the conv kits.

 

 

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I have installed 4 of the adams arm kits. They are great. I had no problems with any of them. That price is great for that kit.

My first AR was an adams arms conversion.  If you're going to retrofit with an aftermarket rail, be very careful that you will not run into any interference issues with the rail, either with the piston rod or the necessary adjusting of the gas block fore/aft.

 

Test fit everything before you press the piston rod bushing into the upper receiver - once you've done that, you're committed.

i've never seen an advantage to a piston kit. i always go by "if it ain't broke, dont fix it". DI works great and through 1300 rounds on my BCM upper i haven't had one stoppage. and i've only cleaned it once after the first 100 rounds. and i will have to say they the quality of the upper does matter. i went to a GFH urban carbine class last week and i was one of 2 people out of 9 that didnt have any sort of malfunction. my gun was probably the dirtiest there when we began.  that being said, if you want a piston ar go buy a factory one at least then it will be covered under some sort of warranty.

for conversion kits, adams is the only way to go.....

i've never seen an advantage to a piston kit. i always go by "if it ain't broke, dont fix it". DI works great and through 1300 rounds on my BCM upper i haven't had one stoppage. and i've only cleaned it once after the first 100 rounds. and i will have to say they the quality of the upper does matter. i went to a GFH urban carbine class last week and i was one of 2 people out of 9 that didnt have any sort of malfunction. my gun was probably the dirtiest there when we began.  that being said, if you want a piston ar go buy a factory one at least then it will be covered under some sort of warranty.

 

I agree completely.. 

I have more than 1300 through my gun.. and I am rough and rarely clean... gun still runs with no issue.. if the bolt starts to drag a hair.. I just dump some lube in it and run it more.. and that will normally keep the gun up till I can really tare it down.. 

 

and even past that... have a part breakage on a regular DI gun.. parts are standard and common.. 

I agree completely.. 

I have more than 1300 through my gun.. and I am rough and rarely clean... gun still runs with no issue.. if the bolt starts to drag a hair.. I just dump some lube in it and run it more.. and that will normally keep the gun up till I can really tare it down.. 

 

and even past that... have a part breakage on a regular DI gun.. parts are standard and common.. 

thats pretty much all i do too. spray in some breakfree clp and keep goin. i have run a bore snake down the barrel but i have yet to actually scrape carbon or really clean anything. ive taken the bolt out and wiped it down with but i dont count that as cleaning. it literally take all of 45 seconds and its back in.