Particulars
The beating heart of the F17-L is its short-stroke, gas piston-driven action. This system is conceptually similar to that of the ArmaLite AR-180, the Steyr AUG, the FN SCAR or the HK416 used by Delta Force and SEAL Team 6. Hard practical experience has shown that this particular action offers the best reliability and accuracy for a given weight and bulk of any autoloading rifle on planet Earth. It improves upon the classic direct gas impingement system of the original AR-15 in several critical ways.
For starters, the piston-driven action is hugely cleaner. As gas is vented underneath the handguard rather than within the entrails of the weapon, the reciprocating bits stay way tidier and cooler than those of the traditional gun. Not only are cleaning and maintenance chores made markedly easier, such a rifle is much more resistant to fouling and crud than the more traditional sort.
They are in the minority, but there are actually lots of piston-driven ARs in circulation these days. They’re more expensive than their direct gas counterparts, but they’re out there. What really sets the F17-L apart is its radically unconventional rimfire chambering.
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