Buffer weight?

[brodezoe]

Hey all,

I thought this might be the place to educate myself about the different weights for the buffer. I've noticed H1-4 buffers made by various manufacturers and am not sure what to make of them.

I'm trying to build myself a good and heavy AR (never plan to pie corners, clear rooms, hunt) that my family (wife and four kids) can use to develop marksmanship and have some fun together.

My question is this. If I build myself an AR with a 20" barrel (I'm assuming that it would have a rifle-length gas tube) would having an H3 buffer work/matter? Would there be any drawbacks if I just want it for the added overall weight to the rifle?

My only experience comes from firing my issue M16 over and over and over so I don't know that I fully understand the dynamics involved. Any wise, sagely members care to educate a poor, unlearned soul?

Thanks!

brodezoe

[Brandon Sneed]

Jan 23, 2012 14:52:50 GMT -8 brodezoe said:

Hey all,

I thought this might be the place to educate myself about the different weights for the buffer. I've noticed H1-4 buffers made by various manufacturers and am not sure what to make of them.

I'm trying to build myself a good and heavy AR (never plan to pie corners, clear rooms, hunt) that my family (wife and four kids) can use to develop marksmanship and have some fun together.

My question is this. If I build myself an AR with a 20" barrel (I'm assuming that it would have a rifle-length gas tube) would having an H3 buffer work/matter? Would there be any drawbacks if I just want it for the added overall weight to the rifle?

My only experience comes from firing my issue M16 over and over and over so I don't know that I fully understand the dynamics involved. Any wise, sagely members care to educate a poor, unlearned soul?

Thanks!

brodezoe

I can't remember at the moment but I believe the h2 buffer is almost the same as the rifle buffer. That being said if you ha the rifle system you'll have longer dwell and a lighter buffer with shorter spring will be preferable but it truly depends on the stock and extension you're using: car, A1 or a2.

[quincy]

There you go, that took awhile.

"I thought this might be the place to educate myself about the different weights for the buffer." See above.

"I'm trying to build myself a good and heavy AR (never plan to pie corners, clear rooms, hunt) that my family (wife and four kids) can use to develop marksmanship and have some fun together.

My question is this. If I build myself an AR with a 20" barrel would having an H3 buffer work/matter? Would there be any drawbacks if I just want it for the added overall weight to the rifle?"

An adjustable stock will come with a standard carbine buffer, heavier buffers will work, usually. Most people who change buffers are not shooting 20" barrels. Have you thought of an A1 or A2 stock?

[rswarden]

might also factor in, if your gas system is adjustable, and if you have a mil spec bolt and carrier or a lightweight setup like a JP low mass.

[letaz77]

I know people who use heavy buffers to slow down the rate of fire in fully auto or 3 round burst fire selector weapons. I have used different weights on my Semi autos builds and I don't think if will make any difference at all. Just my opinion.

[brodezoe]

Holy Moley!

Thanks for the wealth of info, all. So, what I think I'm getting is that the buffer weight is, for the most part, around to manage the rate of fire. You can speed up/slow down the ROF by subtracting/adding weight.

I hadn't actually considered the "standard" A1/A2 barrel. I feel somewhat silly now for not. One reason that I'm pretty committed (not completely decided) to use a collapsible stock is that I have long arms and my wife has much shorter arms. :-) I'm also going to be introducing my children to shooting and want to be able to "grow" the rifle as they do.

Again, thank you all for the input. I definitely have much more to think about than before!


brodezoe

[GreenWolf70]

The heavier weight buffers can be used to lengthen the pulse of the recoil. I use Slash's XH 8.0 ounce Carbine buffer to draw out the duration of the recoil pulse so that felt recoil is lessened. This works out on my .458 SOCOM to dropping it down around the felt recoil of a good 20 gauge gas auto shotgun. Everyone shooting my .458 SOCOM takes a look at the big 405 grain bullets and assumes it comes with a big kick. Once they fire it they are really amazed at how light it kicks.

[quincy]

"I definitely have much more to think about than before!"

LOL, more than you know. With adjustable stocks you will have to choose between commercial and mil-spec buffer tubes, springs in reduced power, factory standard, and extra power from Sprinco or Wolff and finally you can install a 4-40 set screw in the lower receiver to retain the rear take down spring so it doesn't fly out when you remove the stock. Be sure to cut the spring about 3 coils or 1/8". Then we have stuff like this www.dhgate.com/genuine-magpul-pts-moe-stock-black-pts-moe/p-ff80808133a01c8b0133b2d2365c6e6c.html the Chinese knock offs (be sure to ask about the buffer tube.)

[BigBore]

If someone addressed this I am sorry, but I do not recall seeing it. Did you ever say what kind of stock you are going to run? When it comes to HB, H1, H2, H3... and all that stuff, they are for carbine length stocks ONLY. If you plan on using a A1 or A2 fixed stock, then the buffer you use will ONLY be the rifle buffer. Most people who run barrels over 18 inches usually use a fixed stock but there is no rule that says you cannot use a shorter telescoping CAR length stock.

If you can get a heavier buffer in the rifle size, I don't know where. I have made a couple using heavy tungsten powder to replace the weights inside the buffer to correct the ejection patten on my .458 SOCOM SBR which uses a handgun length gas system but I run an adjustable but fixed into position rifle length ACE M4 SOCOM long stock on it. The normal rifle AR buffer is 5.1 ounces but I was able to take mine up to 8 ounces to correct the ejection angle.

[GreenWolf70]

You are right, it is rare to see a heavy buffer for a rifle buffer but they are out there.



I've had this chart for quite a while and it is the same place where I got the heavy carbine buffer for my .458 SOCOM, so the prices are probably different. This guy goes by Slash over on the AR15.com Equipment Exchange. It is a good place to start and he may be able to advise you on your needs.

[sandsock]

PEO Soldier fielded some collapsible stock kits for the M16A2/A4 as a response to complaints re: egressing uparmored vehicles...however I think you'll find the balance characteristics of an 18 inch mid length system to be nice for even smaller shooters and going heavier on the buffer will help even more. One thing my then future wife noted as a negative when firing my bushmaster 14.5 with permanently attached ak74 brake was the amount of muzzle blast...so give some careful consideration about what you hang on the business end

[rwf]

once again WOW! some of you put a lot thought into this stuff lots of info and detail, never seen to much on a buffer.

JP makes a light weight buffer, but it is meant to used as part of a low mass system. meant to reduce recoil and still be fast.

as stated most of the different weights buffers are for the carbine systems.
as a rule it is said that the heavier ones increase reliability for tact cool and help keep recoil down on suppressed guns.

[every2ndcounts]

you need to tune the weapon. there are a few things that effect what size buffer to use. the spring and also the gassing of the weapon, if you are doing the complete build get an adjustable gas system. to save time and money you might want to have someone that builds ARs a lot tune it they should have many different springs and buffers   if it's a223/556 carbine 3.0 look at the extraction angle if its at 2 o'clock go up to an h1=3.8 adjust till you get it at 3 o'clock if its a 7.62start with the h1=3.8 go up till you reach an ejection of 3 o'clock. 458 5.7-8oz buffer

[BigBore]

Way to necromance a thread.
Uh, NO. Unless you have a totally jacked up .458 SOCOM you use STANDARD weight buffers and springs, both CAR and rifle. The .458 SOCOM was designed from the ground up to use standard weight buffers and buffer springs. Anyone telling you otherwise is wrong or has a jacked up barrel. In some short barrels, 10 inches and under, they are often a bit over gassed and an HB might be needed, but not usually. ALWAYS, in the .458 SOCOM, start with a standard buffer and only go up to heavier buffers and/or recoil springs if needed. If you are having to use a 5.7-8 ounce buffer then whoever made your barrel totally jacked up the gas port. And that's hard to do since the gas port on a .458 is around .090 to 0.110 depending on application, and the biggest gas port your gas block and tube can use is .125 inch. In building over 60 ARs and LRs, I've never had to use an adjustable gas block and most of my builds, 75% at least, have been .458 SOCOMs or wildcats. If you drill the gas port correctly you don't need an adjustable gas block and an adjustable gas block is just one more thing to get out of adjustment and go wrong. Gas it right and they are not needed. Although, if you shoot supers and subs, an adjustable gas block can come in handy, especially if you suppress and keep it really quiet by turning the gas off completely.

[GLSHOOTER]

Nice to see you back on Big with your wisdom. I'me with you on the gas port vs. buffer. Mine runs adjustable only because I buy them by the half dozen and had an extra one after I built it. It originally was standard set up.

In all my AR's I run standard buffers in each lower and use the adjustables on most of them. I have one lower that I shoot everything from 17-223 up to 458 and all that changes is the upper. I have so many uppers that I can't play the game of building out special lowers with combination spring/buffers for each one and I solved it the most expeditious way I could.

Oddly enough the guys in this thread haven't been on for over five years and some as much as eight..LOL

Greg