Stag Arms 8T

The Model 8T is built on mil-spec 7075 T6 aluminum upper and lower receivers, which are machined by Stag Arms in New Britain, Connecticut. Stag Arms also makes all the small parts that attach to both receivers. This means the company controls its destiny. If you order a rifle or must send one back for repair, you’re not subject to a delay due to Stag Arms’ waiting on parts from another manufacturer. The Stag Arms Model 8T is not a gas-impingement-driven rifle like most AR-15s. Rather, it uses a gas piston. What’s the difference? With the gas impingement system, gases that travel down the barrel behind the bullet are forced through a hole in the top of the barrel and into a gas block. This block then redirects the gases through a tube, back toward the upper receiver. When the gases enter the upper receiver, they push against the gas key on top of the bolt carrier and cycle the rifle. The downside of this system is that these gases are dirty and hot, so you end up with a tremendous amount of carbon fouling inside the upper receiver. And, since these gases are really, really hot, the carbon fouling actually bakes to the inside of the receiver.