Firearm having gas piston system
A firearm having a gas piston system includes a bolt carrier, an adjustable gas piston block located forward on the firearm and an over-the-barrel spring and guide rod arrangement, all of which is housed and contained in a top rail that runs the length of the firearm and that maintains the alignment of these firearm components. The firearm also includes an ambidextrous, non-reciprocating charging handle located forward on the firearm and positioned within the top rail for charging the firearm.
1. A firearm having a gas piston system, the firearm comprising:
a lower receiver,
an upper receiver mounted to the lower receiver,
a barrel mounted to the upper receiver,
a handguard surrounding at least part of the barrel,
an elongated mounting rail defining a first side and an opposite second side, the upper receiver extending from the second side of the elongated mounting rail,
a gas piston housing operatively mounted to the barrel and positioned forward of the upper receiver, the gas piston housing aligned with the second side of the elongated mounting rail,
a piston and rod assembly operatively mounted to the gas piston housing and positioned above the barrel, the piston and rod assembly including a guide rod and spring, the guide rod is operatively connected at a first end of a piston and is further connected at a second end to a guide rod base, the spring positioned around the guide rod along at least a portion of a length of the guide rod, the piston and rod assembly operatively connected to an operating rod housing which is operatively connected to a bolt carrier in the upper receiver, the operating rod housing defining an elongated tube with a through passageway that receives the guide rod and spring of the piston and rod assembly, and
a charging handle operatively connected to the bolt carrier,
wherein the elongated mounting rail aligns the gas piston housing and piston and rod assembly.
2. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the elongated mounting rail aligns the gas piston housing to the upper receiver.
3. The firearm of claim 2 , further comprising a guide rod base mounted to an end of the rod.
4. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the bolt carrier defines two dovetail cuts in the top side of the bolt carrier to relieve the stress off of key screws which mount the elongated tube to the bolt carrier.
5. The firearm of claim 4 , wherein the elongated tube operatively mounts to the two dovetail cuts in the bolt carrier.
6. The firearm of claim 5 , wherein the dovetail cuts are located on the bolt carrier on opposite sides of a cam pin which is operatively mounted to the bolt carrier.
7. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the charging handle is ambidextrous and non-reciprocating, includes foldable ears and is mounted to the second side of the elongated rail.
8. The firearm of claim 7 , where in the charging handle is positioned above the handguard and between the upper receiver and gas piston housing.
9. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the upper receiver is slidably mounted to the second side of the elongated mounting rail.
10. The firearm of claim 9 , wherein the upper receiver and gas piston housing are slidably mounted to the second side of the elongated mounting rail through a dovetail connection.
11. The firearm of claim 9 , wherein the upper receiver and gas piston housing are slidably mounted to the second side of the elongated mounting rail through a tongue and groove connection.
12. The firearm of claim 10 , wherein the gas piston housing defines an aperture for permitting gases to discharge therethrough.
13. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the charging handle is mounted to a channel formed in the second side of the elongated mounting rail and will slide along the second side of the rail.
14. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the gas piston housing defines a first opening for receiving the barrel and for permitting the barrel to pass through the gas piston housing, and wherein the gas piston housing defines a second opening positioned above the first opening for receiving a gas regulator.
15. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the elongated tube defines an exterior surface that is shaped to match an interior channel formed in the upper receiver.
16. The firearm of claim 15 , wherein the elongated tube defines an end that serves as the striking point for the piston during operation of the firearm.