Build your own Heavy Buffers.

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Posted: 3/17/2017 8:05:11 PM EDT

I found 3 tungsten weights on Amazon for $23.

I replaced one of the steel weights in my carbine gas length 16" barrel to make a H buffer.

Should I go heavier or is this about right.

I also replaced one in my .308 Rem R25.

Both were done to slow down the dwell time.

Thoughts?

Attached File

Posted: 3/18/2017 8:58:09 AM EDT

[#1]

Where does it fall weight wise against this chart?

Posted: 3/18/2017 9:53:38 AM EDT

[#2]

Chart makes no sense. A standard carbine buffer has 6 oz of steel weights. See the scale above.

A H buffer is supposed to have 2 steel and one W.

Attached File

My crack scale verified the weight of the buffer weights above. Slash is well respected but I am unsure how his weights are determined.

I referred to Sweeny's book in gunsmithing the AR15 to pick my weights.

Posted: 3/18/2017 10:09:50 AM EDT

[#3]

Amazing how much some people over think when it comes to AR's

Posted: 3/18/2017 10:11:02 AM EDT

[#4]

I built one for my precision AR, I went from 5.8oz to 6.4oz but have yet to fire it, before that I went to 6.8oz and that was too much so I played around with the weights and got it to 6.4oz. Trying to see if I can get the recoil to non-existence levels and if I can do that I can do without a muzzle brake.

Posted: 3/18/2017 10:14:58 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I found 3 tungsten weights on Amazon for $23.

I replaced one of the steel weights in my carbine gas length 16" barrel to make a H buffer.

Should I go heavier or is this about right.

I also replaced one in my .308 Rem R25.

Both were done to slow down the dwell time.

Thoughts?

View Quote

you need to watch how heavy you go because it will cause short cycling and other problems, short cycling is what I ran into so I dropped the weight .40oz, a little bit of weight or lack of will have a significant change in cycling.

Posted: 3/18/2017 10:38:58 AM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
Amazing how much some people over think when it comes to AR's

View Quote

I was having an occasional failure to extract when shooting 5.56 pressure ammo, I changed the extractor, spring and installed an o-ring. It happened again for one round the last time I shot. I have a standard carbine buffer and in effort to slow the action just a touch so the case could shrink a bit I am going to try a heavier buffer. It is common to use heavy buffers in carbines for this reason. I bought the loose weights to experiment.

They don't sell three/four standard weights for carbines for nothing.

Posted: 3/18/2017 10:41:09 AM EDT

[#7]

failure to extract

you need a lighter buffer if it's a buffer problem, you may need an extractor depending on your round count

Posted: 3/18/2017 10:54:39 AM EDT

[#8]

See my above post.

My guidance.
Sweeney
"“If a carbine works properly with a regular buffer, then leave it alone. If, however, you experience occasional malfunctions of unknown origins such as failure to extract, especially if you find the extractor has bent or broken the rim of the cartridge, replace the buffer with one of the heavier ones Colt developed.
The first-heavier one has an “H” stamped on the top of the head, in the center. In the H buffer, one of the steel weights has been replaced with a tungsten-carbide weight. As an extra measure, Colt developed the H2 buffer, with two weights replaced with T-C. (If your wallet can take the strain, the buffers on all your carbines should be replaced with H or H2 buffers. Even otherwise reliable carbines have a slight decrease in felt recoil when a regular buffer is replaced with an H or H2 buffer.”

Excerpt From: Sweeney, Patrick. “Gunsmithing - The AR-15.” Gun Digest® Books, 2011-04-26. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Posted: 3/18/2017 11:35:53 AM EDT

[#9]

I pretty much start almost all builds with an H buffer. The reason for the H2 is to prevent bolt bounce in the heavier profile M4A1 barrel. Colt went to the H3 buffer in their even heavier barreled IAR entry.

Generally, most semi auto's work well with an H buffer and it will slow down the bolt opening and give the brass more time to retract/pressure to drop.

The big reason for going heavier is solving bolt bounce on higher mass barrels.

Posted: 3/18/2017 11:42:06 AM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
failure to extract

you need a lighter buffer if it's a buffer problem, you may need an extractor depending on your round count

View Quote

Failure to extract is often caused by early unlocking. A heavier buffer will fix that.

Posted: 3/18/2017 6:05:08 PM EDT

[#11]

My crack scale is off. Checked it on some other known items. Explains why I was confused. It was just ironic that the single weight was 4.5oz, I just thought that was the weight for a single not all three.

BTW I literally found the scale on the side of the road while cycling. It has worked fine for years for stuff like this. I guess it finally gave up the ghost.

AR-15 - The Truth About Buffers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwvcWgNBu2Y

Posted: 3/18/2017 8:04:03 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Failure to extract is often caused by early unlocking. A heavier buffer will fix that.

View Quote

He did go with a heavier buffer and then getting FTE issues,
I was thinking the bolt was unlocking too slow is why I said a lighter buffer.

I'm soooo confusedddd

Posted: 3/18/2017 8:49:29 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
He did go with a heavier buffer and then getting FTE issues,
I was thinking the bolt was unlocking too slow is why I said a lighter buffer.

I'm soooo confusedddd

View Quote

I made the heavy buffer to correct the issue. I have not tested it yet.

Posted: 3/18/2017 10:21:58 PM EDT

[#14]

You can buy individual tungsten weights from KAK for $7.50 each. They also sell the aluminum and steel weights along with the rubber spacer disks and the bumpers. They are the cheapest I have found for the individual parts.

Posted: 3/18/2017 10:52:36 PM EDT

[#15]

What is KAK?

Posted: 3/18/2017 10:59:43 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
What is KAK?

View Quote

www.kakindustry.com/ar-15-parts/lower-parts/buffer-tubes-and-parts

Posted: 3/19/2017 12:02:28 AM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:

www.kakindustry.com/ar-15-parts/lower-parts/buffer-tubes-and-parts

View Quote

What he said ^^^^^

35K posts and you've never heard of KAK?

Posted: 3/20/2017 2:55:15 PM EDT

[#18]

Have any of you experienced reduced felt recoil with a heavier buffer?

Posted: 3/20/2017 3:06:16 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
Have any of you experienced reduced felt recoil with a heavier buffer?

View Quote

Sure.

Posted: 3/20/2017 3:10:18 PM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:

What he said ^^^^^

35K posts and you've never heard of KAK?

View Quote

Nope, this is the first I have heard of them.

Posted: 3/20/2017 3:13:56 PM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
Have any of you experienced reduced felt recoil with a heavier buffer?

View Quote

I have which is why I upped the weight on mine, I only went up .4oz and yet to try it out. I went up an ounce to 6.8oz and it would short stroke so I backed it down about 1/2oz.

Posted: 3/20/2017 8:09:56 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
You can buy individual tungsten weights from KAK for $7.50 each. They also sell the aluminum and steel weights along with the rubber spacer disks and the bumpers. They are the cheapest I have found for the individual parts.

View Quote

I was going to go down that road but with shipping I was almost to the cost of an H3 buffer from Bravo Company.

Since I needed some sling mounts I went ahead and ordered everything from them BCM.

Posted: 3/20/2017 8:46:12 PM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:
Have any of you experienced reduced felt recoil with a heavier buffer?

View Quote

This runs contrary to what is considered the norm in 3 Gun.

Shooters in 3 Gun attempt to run as light a moving mass as possible, that's why the J.P. Enterprises LMOS carrier is the go to carrier for 3 Gun. Jerry Miculek was running a Progressive Machine & Tool titanium carrier in his 3 Gun AR.

They run lightweight carriers, lightweight buffers with adjustable gas systems.

Posted: 3/20/2017 9:12:04 PM EDT

[#24]

Heavier buffers will slow the recoil impulse, but they also increase the forward recoil.

Posted: 3/21/2017 4:04:46 PM EDT

[#25]

a bravo company H3 is 43.90 shipped

3x kak heavy buffer weights is 31.25 shipped?

kak configurable buffer kit with everything is 55.75 shipped
https://www.kakindustry.com/shockwave/ar15-buffer-system

Quote History

Quoted:

I was going to go down that road but with shipping I was almost to the cost of an H3 buffer from Bravo Company.

Since I needed some sling mounts I went ahead and ordered everything from them BCM.

View Quote

Posted: 3/21/2017 5:20:36 PM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:
http://heavybuffers.com/images/Buffer%20Table.jpg

Where does it fall weight wise against this chart?

View Quote

great chart

Posted: 3/23/2017 4:24:11 AM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:
Heavier buffers will slow the recoil impulse, but they also increase the forward recoil.

View Quote

This. If you are sensitive to recoil, and observant enough of the muzzle, you will notice: The initial recoil from the bullet exiting the muzzle, a second "punch" when the buffer hits your shoulder, and then the gun will dip when the high mass slams forward, again.

Basically, heavier mass in the buffer and BCG increases dwell time, resulting in more consistent muzzle velocities for slower timed long range competitions. This is what a lot of high power competitors are after.
Lighter mass reduces movement of the front sight from the system slamming to the rear and back to the front, allowing for faster followup shots. This is what "action" competitors are after.

Mil-Spec is somewhere in between for more of a general purpose use.