You know, a lot is said about the various weapons companies and defense companies in the East coast or in the Southwest, but you never hear a lot about the fantastic companies in other parts of the country. And specifically, you never hear much about my neck of the woods here in Idaho. Companies like Primary Weapons Systems, Chris Reeve Knives, Milt Sparks holsters, Gemtech suppressors, Cheytac precision rifle systems, and the list goes on. In the future I plan on doing more company spotlights on Idaho companies that offer some quality equipment, weapons, and weapon parts.
So with that said, let me get started. I have a friend named Dave who works at PWS and he invited me on down to the shop to check out the operation and the guns. While there, I got to see where all the magic happens and talk to some of the folks that make that happen. Stacey Nagy was one of those folks, and he was very helpful and informative as well. A big thanks to both for showing me around.
PWS is probably most famous for their compensators. They reduce felt recoil of the rifle, keep the muzzle steady and reduce the flash. You will see these compensators on many competition and field weapons being used out there, and the fit and finish of these things are fantastic. They are also designed to fit the popular suppressors being used. And believe me, when you see all the attention to detail that the company goes through to produce these compensators and get them out the door to their customers, then you will definitely appreciate what you have when you get one.
They are also in the market of making parts that will help to support this ‘AR piston’ craze that is sweeping the weapons manufacturing world. Everyone is making an AR piston gun or retrofit kit it seems, and they are all experiencing issues with modifying the AR to operate a piston. That is were PWS comes in.
Another part I got a chance to check out was their new buffer tubes, and I was very impressed. It is one of those parts on an AR that I have seen fail or I have seen installed incorrectly on a weapon, and this new PWS buffer tube will help to fix many of those issues. You do not have to peen a castle nut and possibly ruin the finish of your weapon, and installing it only requires an allen wrench and following the directions. (check out the comments about the buffer tube on the site) The ridged/fluted aspect of the buffer tube also provides strength to the thing and they look cool.
Probably what is most important though is that these buffer tubes are designed to deal with piston guns that have had issues in the buffer tube area. Notice how they have a specific buffer tube kit for the HK 416? (hint- there are problems with this gun) These buffer tubes have built in quick detach points and supposedly they reduce recoil as well. Bravo to PWS for making the better buffer tube and I hope they sell a lot of them.
Finally, and this is the one that should be of interest to the companies out there, and that is PWS makes piston AR rifles. My first interest in PWS rifles was their cool little Diablo gun that fired 7.62 x 39 ammo. That thing was cool and here is a video of it in action. But once I started researching what PWS is all about and what they have produced, I wanted to learn first hand about what else they had to offer.
Specifically, these guys are making AR piston guns that not only have the ergonomics of the AR, but have the internal operations of an AK style piston system. And that is what is unique here. They modeled the design of their piston systems on this world famous weapon and they have created a true ‘long stroke piston’ AR. So what you are getting with a PWS weapon, is an AR/AK hybrid. The best of both worlds, thrown into one weapon.
The other big selling point of their weapons was weight. They are close to one pound lighter than their competitors who market similar piston guns. So not only are they tough, reliable and simple, but they are also lightweight.
On a side note, they are also running the excellent BCM Gunfighter charging handles that you see many folks running on their ARs. These charging handles are tough and make charging the weapon a lot easier than with the standard charging handle in ARs. This is a fine addition to the PWS weapon.
The barrels are also standard AR type hardened barrels with 1:8 twist and chrome lining, which will be nice for durability and for using different bullets weights. At the shop, they purposely feed as many types of ammo as possible through the guns to see how they operate. Especially the cheap low grade ammo, which you see PSC/PMC’s resort to using all the time for overseas work. I have yet to be on a contract where the company issued Blackhills ammo or something similar. It is always the cheapest or middle of the road ammo, or it is ammo that they got from the military. Having a piston rifle that can be fed with all types of factory ammo is definitely a plus.
I even asked them about problems with the rifles, and it sounds like the barrels wear out before the piston systems wear out. But the big one here that I clued in on is that no one is sending their rifles back because ‘they are falling apart’. These things are built to last, and have the best features of the AK and the AR incorporated into the design. Did I mention that they have a 7.62 x 51 AR piston gun they just introduced? They will even make a 6.8 piston gun if you ask.
Not only that, but Paul Howe of CSAT is now recommending this rifle on his website. He has mentioned them twice in his newsletters and the rifle is in his ‘recommended equipment’ section here. As everyone knows, Paul has had some bad experiences with another piston gun that I won’t mention, so for him to endorse this AR piston gun says a lot. (Although I am sure after he runs it over time, he will be able to provide more input about the weapon.)
Finally, there is the part of this visit that I really was impressed with, and that was the customer service aspect of this company. Everyone there was very helpful, friendly and honest about answering my questions. They really helped me to get a good picture of the AR piston industry and what their company has to offer. It is a confusing and fast paced part of the industry, and everyone is trying to make the best product out there. It is exciting to watch and PWS is working hard to become a leader in this field. –Matt
Disclaimer: I was not paid to make this review, nor have I bought or was given any weapons or parts by PWS. I also shot their 5.56 piston rifle during the tour, and the recoil and function were excellent.
Primary Weapons Systems, Inc (PWS) is a Federally-licensed firearms manufacturer located in Boise, Idaho. PWS is the designer and manufacturer of the MK1 and MK2 series rifles and uppers in addition to a complete line of flash suppressing compensators such as the FSC556, SM556, FSC30, and more. PWS develops items based on real world requirements with the goal of redefining accuracy and performance in the piston-driven platforms.
All parts manufactured by PWS are done so on state of the art CNC Machines such as Okuma Multus B300 lathes, HAAS VF-4 mills and more. Any components that are not produced by PWS are purchased from only the best manufacturers to ensure the highest quality products are delivered to the end user.
Our CNC machines are programmed and operated by true craftsmen who are also shooters. It is this combination that enables us to provide our clients with the highest quality products that are not only aesthetically appealing, but also very functional.
Our mission is to provide the highest quality products and best customer service to shooters, sportsmen, military and law enforcement alike, and do this at a fair and competitive price. It is our goal to create lifelong relationships with our customers who believe in our ideas and the quality of our products. We invite our customers to provide feedback through direct contact as well as through customer reviews on the product pages throughout the website.
Link to company website here.
Video tour of company here.
Facebook page for company here.