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Posted: 5/15/2026 8:21:37 AM EDT
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good day guys, had not needed to look these up for a while since i had all my frt`s up and running well. purchased another one ( ARC V2 ) about a month ago and so i was looking for a Kaw Valley 5.4oz H3 ( red anodized ) and its not even on their site just a stainless w/ brass weights. so i kept looking around and can not find any h3`s w/ tungsten weights. what`s up? been out of the news loop for a bit...did tungsten just disappear? if so, where can i purchase an H3 that functions as good as one using tungsten weights so i can get this V2 up and running? thanks for any help! |
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If you Google "h3 buffer" you should be able to find plenty of options. Most specify they use tungsten. Here is colt h3: https://armsunlimited.com/colt-carbine-h3-buffer/?srsltid=AfmBOopIec8VvBLibB0wZhdW8a7u6bHkBKZZuPAOFTdvvYJuwpMy8sHp KAK also has h3 tungsten buffers on their webpage. Amazon has tungsten weights for buffers if you want to just get the weights and replace yourself. |
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Originally Posted By Heineken: If you Google "h3 buffer" you should be able to find plenty of options. Most specify they use tungsten. Here is colt h3: https://armsunlimited.com/colt-carbine-h3-buffer/?srsltid=AfmBOopIec8VvBLibB0wZhdW8a7u6bHkBKZZuPAOFTdvvYJuwpMy8sHp KAK also has h3 tungsten buffers on their webpage. Amazon has tungsten weights for buffers if you want to just get the weights and replace yourself. thank you! like the name...drink the beer! |
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Originally Posted By osprey21: TROMIX https://tromix.com/product/ar-15-h3-buffer-carbine/ |
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Originally Posted By jclendineng: I picked up some from MAS defense, says aluminum body so assuming tungsten weights but I’ll test them when they come in. https://www.masdefense.com/MAS00118205-p/mas00118206.htm So they have three 1.5oz internal Tungsten weights priced under $10ea. Nice. Tony |
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Originally Posted By ELittlefield: Can you show me that? I have a 300 Blackout build I'd like to get quieter. Warning ... he wasn't exagerating: JPSCS Tungsten |
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Originally Posted By dredeagle: Originally Posted By ELittlefield: Can you show me that? I have a 300 Blackout build I'd like to get quieter. Warning ... he wasn't exagerating: JPSCS Tungsten That's tolerable. Thank you. |
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Originally Posted By 1BMF: grey market research has steel h3 buffers with loose steel weights. Supposed to weigh 5.4oz. Overall weight is good, but you only have 2oz of sliding weight to dead-blow your carrier bounce. A normal sliding weight H3 buffer has 4.2-4.5oz of sliding weight. Tony |
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Originally Posted By 1BMF: grey market research has steel h3 buffers with loose steel weights. Supposed to weigh 5.4oz. I ordered two to try out, GMR seems to have good reviews generally. $30 each shipped. |
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Originally Posted By jaqufrost: You need buffering mass, not overall mass. I would skip those for any FRT guns. I tried a steel buffer marked "H3". (Not from the vendor in the link above.) The weight was there, but there was only a little reciprocating mass inside it, and it failed miserably in FRT mode. So, there are fake H3 buffers on the market. Tungsten weights are 1.5 oz. each, so three of them are 4.5 oz. and a steel body and tungsten weights would be heavier than that. A steel bodied buffer is likely a FAKE "H3" buffer! Don't waste your money if you want it for an FRT! Edited to add: As I understand it, there have been some innovations in buffers recently, and some steel buffers like the Tromix do work! I have not tried one myself... |
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Originally Posted By Ken6PPC: Tungsten weights are 1.5 oz. each, so three of them are 4.5 oz. There's more than that. The 1.5oz weights are .550" in diameter. There are also 1.4oz weights that are .537' in diameter used in many H3 buffers. There are also 1oz and .5oz Tungsten weights as well. In our AR-10 / Lima 6 2.5" buffers, we use 1ea 1.5oz and 1ea 1oz, in a two piece steel assembly, netting an overall weight of 5.5oz with 4.8oz of that sliding. Tony Rumore Tromix |
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Originally Posted By TonyRumore: There's more than that. The 1.5oz weights are .550" in diameter. There are also 1.4oz weights that are .537' in diameter used in many H3 buffers. There are also 1oz and .5oz Tungsten weights as well. In our AR-10 / Lima 6 2.5" buffers, we use 1ea 1.5oz and 1ea 1oz, in a two piece steel assembly, netting an overall weight of 5.5oz with 4.8oz of that sliding. Tony Rumore Tromix Ok you guys convinced me. I put in a request with grey market research to cancel my order. Tony would I be able to update my order from today from 3 to 5? |
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Originally Posted By TonyRumore: There's more than that. The 1.5oz weights are .550" in diameter. There are also 1.4oz weights that are .537' in diameter used in many H3 buffers. There are also 1oz and .5oz Tungsten weights as well. In our AR-10 / Lima 6 2.5" buffers, we use 1ea 1.5oz and 1ea 1oz, in a two piece steel assembly, netting an overall weight of 5.5oz with 4.8oz of that sliding. Tony Rumore Tromix Those smaller .5oz weights are essential in getting a Q Shorty stock/ SB Tactical HBPDW Brace or Maxim cqb stock/braces to run. You’ve got to mix and match especially when working with 300 BO. Good gas mgt is key too. I haven’t tried one of yours but all I hear are great things. Keep it up! |
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Originally Posted By Ken6PPC: A steel bodied buffer is likely a FAKE "H3" buffer! Don't waste your money if you want it for an FRT! Edited to add: As I understand it, there have been some innovations in buffers recently, and some steel buffers like the Tromix do work! I have not tried one myself... I just received a FAKE H3 buffer that was recommended by others on this board (In GD). Sure it's 5.4oz Overall, but there are only two steel moving weights that total 1.08oz. Tony |
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Originally Posted By 1BMF: grey market research has steel h3 buffers with loose steel weights. Supposed to weigh 5.4oz. I ordered two to try out, GMR seems to have good reviews generally. $30 each shipped. some time ago i bought 2 of gmr`s so called h3`s. maybe i`m an exception but they both work very well in my frt`s |
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Hey yall Mike over at Datum Machine Works has the 1.5oz Tungsten weights and prebuilt H2 and H3 buffers in stock. These are the ones with the sliding tungsten weights in them. I also noticed he’s got Tony’s new buffer in stock as well! It’s pretty damn cool when you see fellow board members and AR aficionados bringing solutions to the market. Tungsten stuff at Datum Machine Works |
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Originally Posted By TonyRumore: I just received a FAKE H3 buffer that was recommended by others on this board (In GD). Sure it's 5.4oz Overall, but there are only two steel moving weights that total 1.08oz. Tony Tony are you making your FRT buffers with brass or selling them with the black weighted part with a stainless front piece? Seeing them advertised in the fb groups and wasnt sure if they were yours or knockoffs |
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Originally Posted By NWRed: Tony are you making your FRT buffers with brass or selling them with the black weighted part with a stainless front piece? Seeing them advertised in the fb groups and wasnt sure if they were yours or knockoffs We had some issues with our old Plating company and ended up going back and forth between clear zinc (Silver finish) and zinc/nickel (Black finish). We also did some two-tone with Silver heads and Black bodies. Going forward, they should remain all black. We've never made any buffers with brass weights. Our H4's, AR-10/Lima 6, and 9mm buffers are the same two-piece design, but have non-moving Tungsten weights inside. The Tungsten doesn't need to move inside the buffer, since the entire body slides forward to dead-blow the carrier. Tony Rumore Tromix |
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Originally Posted By twoisone: KAK's got a new carrier with a sliding weight for $80 and the claim is it runs with a standard carbine buffer. I'm about to order one to see. In the video on youtube (link below) they only used it with a 16" barrel, if it'll work the same way with a 7.5" then I'll be very impressed. The vid was up less than 6hrs when RGs lawyers contacted them about trademark usage. I'm not sure why KAK even included the RG FRBT-15 in their testing, should have used a Partisan instead . Attached File  KAK Industry DBC BCG |
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Originally Posted By TonyRumore: So they have three 1.5oz internal Tungsten weights priced under $10ea. Nice. Tony Just came in and they are indeed steel body with 2 very lite weights. Emailed for a refund and will order from tromix. Should have done that in the first place. |
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Originally Posted By jaqufrost: These work and are a good option with Tungsten being so expensive right now. https://tromix.com/product/ar-15-h3-buffer-carbine/ I had looked at these and have a bookmark for the 10 pack which appears to be gone now. I’ll be ordering some to test as the mas defense is just a steel body with what appear to be stainless weights. The 2 piece design on these look super intriguing. |
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Originally Posted By jclendineng: Just came in and they are indeed steel body with 2 very lite weights. Emailed for a refund and will order from tromix. Should have done that in the first place. I imagine it's like this one. It's 5.4oz with sliding weights. But the sliding portion is only 1oz......that's not going to work for bolt carrier bounce in most all guns. You need to know TWO numbers before buying a buffer. The overall weight and the sliding weight, with the latter being the most important. (for bolt bounce) First it was, "you need an H3 with sliding weights". That was wrong, and repeated all over ARFCOM. Then it was, "you need an aluminum body H3 with sliding weights. That is also wrong. It doesn't matter what the buffer or weights are made of....as long as you have about 4oz sliding. Without knowing the weight of the sliding portion, you're piss'n in the wind. Tony   |
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I got a couple of the Tromix buffers. The adjustable travel feature is intriguing - a very clever design. Just know, however, that it may not work with some 9mm bolts due to the 9mm bolt weight interacting with the main cap screw that holds the buffer together (which protrudes through the front of the buffer in operation). I realized this when I looked at using the Tromix in my 9mm blowback PCC with KAK tungsten bolt weight (admittedly an edge case). I might pull it apart and see if there is scope to deepen the hole in the buffer head to make more room for the cap screw to travel in. The Tromix buffers should work great in a regular rotating bolt AR15, of course. |
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Originally Posted By StealthyBlagga: I got a couple of the Tromix buffers. The adjustable travel feature is intriguing - a very clever design. Just know, however, that it may not work with some 9mm bolts due to the 9mm bolt weight interacting with the main cap screw that holds the buffer together (which protrudes through the front of the buffer in operation). Our new 9mm buffer will be available very shortly which eliminates the issue with solid-back 9mm bolts/carriers. It's 9.5oz total with 6oz of that sliding. Tony |
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Originally Posted By TonyRumore: Our new 9mm buffer will be available very shortly which eliminates the issue with solid-back 9mm bolts/carriers. It's 9.5oz total with 6oz of that sliding. Tony Sounds interesting. How long will it be (the length of the buffer, not the wait to buy it  )?
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