No, its not a piston model, though from what I'm hearing making it one might not be a bad idea.
Now i see the gas tube...... yes piston models are great i was never a fan getting all that carbon in my actionThey didn't lie, they just tricked you a little!
at least clean the bore before you fire her and break in the barrel properly so many rounds then clean, more rounds, clean and so on
Very nice rifle op but it truly would be a bad idea if you converted it. I don't recommend piston ar's, but if you do buy one get one that was designed that way from a reputable manufacturer.They didn't lie, they just tricked you a little!
I'd at least take out the bolt and look for lubrication. There is usually enough factory "gunk" on there to get you through your first few shooting sessions. To answer your question, if it is not lubed it properly the thing will quickly let you know it is not happy. When it comes to lube, it's either oil or grease. Here's a quick video from the Tactical Response dude. I've been using this method for years now and it works, it's cheap, and did I mention it works on Glocks? Oops, sorry for mentioning the "G" word, since this is the rifle forum...., good luck and great looking piece:
