How much buffer weight is too much?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How much buffer weight is too much?

Posted: 1/30/2011 1:34:04 PM EDT

Is it possible to over buffer my carbine? It's a Colt upper and Colt 14.5 w/perm FH and Car stock.
I had a unshrouded carrier with about 1" metal at the aft end
and just installed a m16 carrier and really love how it softened the impulse.
Still have the standard buffer but wondered about adding a heavier buffer.
Example, m16 carrier and heavier buffer? Maybe more is not better?

Thoughts?

Posted: 1/30/2011 1:44:54 PM EDT

[#1]

I have used a 14.5" mid length with M16 carrier and H2 buffer with no issues, no matter the ammo.

H3 buffers tend to feel sluggish, if using .223 or lower powered rounds but still function.

If its a 14.5" with carbine length gas system and a quality built upper I would say use an H2 buffer all day long.

Posted: 1/30/2011 1:45:17 PM EDT

[#2]

Remember that more moving weight means more recoil and muzzle rise. It's physics.

Unless your brass is ejecting 30 feet forward of your rifle, you don't really need to mess with it.

Posted: 1/30/2011 2:58:51 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Remember that more moving weight means more recoil and muzzle rise. It's physics.

Unless your brass is ejecting 30 feet forward of your rifle, you don't really need to mess with it.

Its pretty well known that heavier buffers reduce felt recoil. You should try it.

Posted: 1/30/2011 3:46:57 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Remember that more moving weight means more recoil and muzzle rise. It's physics.

Unless your brass is ejecting 30 feet forward of your rifle, you don't really need to mess with it.

The heavier buffer means a slower traveling bolt carrier and less recoil. It's physics.

I would go as heavy as I can while still reliably cycling all ammo.

Posted: 1/30/2011 3:55:39 PM EDT

[#5]

I like my spikes buffer

Posted: 1/30/2011 4:01:36 PM EDT

[#6]

Just going from the light carrier to the m16 carrier really damped down the recoil.
I was thinking about adding the next heavier buffer than what i have now thinking it may help even more.
The barrel is carbine gas and i was shooting wolf ammo.

Edit; what weight does the spikes buffer fall inbetween? H1, H2?

Posted: 1/30/2011 4:13:03 PM EDT

[#7]

First off
I only like buffers with soild wieghts inside. NO BB`s or Powder junk

Ive ran several types of buffers in my 14.5
all ran just fine with 223rem pressure loads
car
H
H2
9mm

Posted: 1/30/2011 4:17:02 PM EDT

[#8]

Spikes ST-T2 (4.30oz/121.9grams) is supposed to be really close to the H2 (4.57oz/129.56grams). the H is 3.75oz/106.31grams.

Actual weight of buffers seems to vary though.

Posted: 1/30/2011 5:42:24 PM EDT

[#9]

I use xpower wolf recoil springs,9mm buffers and LMT enhanced carriers in my DI carbines and everything runs nice and smoothe like 20" legnth gas system operation...My brother had a custom 6.5 ounce buffer that ran fine so I dont really know what might be too much.

Posted: 1/30/2011 6:07:18 PM EDT

[#10]

Current Colt carbines comes from the factory mostly with M16 auto carriers and H buffers, my 6721 tactical carbine (carbine gas system) with 16" heavy barrel that I got last year works fine with all my surplus XM193, XM855, and XSS109 ammo, I've also tried my spare H2 and 9mm buffers from my 9mm carbine, all works.

Like what the other members said, try the heaviest buffer to your lightest ammo load to determine what works for your setup.

Posted: 1/30/2011 7:24:42 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Remember that more moving weight means more recoil and muzzle rise. It's physics.

Unless your brass is ejecting 30 feet forward of your rifle, you don't really need to mess with it.

The heavier buffer means a slower traveling bolt carrier and less recoil. It's physics.

I would go as heavy as I can while still reliably cycling all ammo.

Actually he's right. The lightest recoil impulse is going to be provided by a lightweight reciprocating mass with just enough gas to make it run. Of course a superlight buffer/BCG with too much gas is going to have a pretty sharp recoil impulse.

Posted: 1/30/2011 8:15:10 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Is it possible to over buffer my carbine? It's a Colt upper and Colt 14.5 w/perm FH and Car stock.
I had a unshrouded carrier with about 1" metal at the aft end
and just installed a m16 carrier and really love how it softened the impulse.
Still have the standard buffer but wondered about adding a heavier buffer.
Example, m16 carrier and heavier buffer? Maybe more is not better?

Thoughts?

if it starts short stroking, its too heavy, drop the the next weight down. Other than that, your good to go.

Posted: 1/30/2011 8:22:02 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Remember that more moving weight means more recoil and muzzle rise. It's physics.

Unless your brass is ejecting 30 feet forward of your rifle, you don't really need to mess with it.

The heavier buffer means a slower traveling bolt carrier and less recoil. It's physics.

I would go as heavy as I can while still reliably cycling all ammo.

Actually he's right. The lightest recoil impulse is going to be provided by a lightweight reciprocating mass with just enough gas to make it run. Of course a superlight buffer/BCG with too much gas is going to have a pretty sharp recoil impulse.

however, when speaking of pure recoil, its all the same. Consider a rifle and exiting gasses as a closed system. You have the same amount of kinetic energy when you fire the shot. The energy goes either out the barrel, or is transfered to the buffer and spring. The heavier buffer has more mass but is moving slower. This is where the felt recoil comes into play. Its the same amount of recoil, but its over a longer period of time, to the felt recoil is lower, as you said.

Posted: 1/31/2011 5:22:21 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Remember that more moving weight means more recoil and muzzle rise. It's physics.

Unless your brass is ejecting 30 feet forward of your rifle, you don't really need to mess with it.

The heavier buffer means a slower traveling bolt carrier and less recoil. It's physics.

I would go as heavy as I can while still reliably cycling all ammo.

Actually he's right. The lightest recoil impulse is going to be provided by a lightweight reciprocating mass with just enough gas to make it run. Of course a superlight buffer/BCG with too much gas is going to have a pretty sharp recoil impulse.

That's the key. Actual recoil is determined entirely by the round's interaction with the rifle and its parts. The guys running the super-light moving parts are also running tuned loads and have tuned the gas system. The light loads are going to have minimal recoil anyway. With full power loads, heavier moving parts and springs keep the bolt carrier and buffer from slamming to a stop at the back. The spring absorbs most of the perceived recoil and the overall operation "feels" smoother. Of course if you then run light training loads in the same rifle, you end up with short stroke problems and all manner of stoppages.

Posted: 1/31/2011 5:29:43 AM EDT

[#15]

I wouldn't get too close to the "just enough to run" line. If conditions change, your rifle may not run. For example, the Army found that H2 buffers in regular M4s produced malfunctions at low temperatures.

Posted: 1/31/2011 5:49:03 AM EDT

[#16]

Yes, you can "over buff", or at least I did it in my 14.5 DI gun. Springco "red" extra power spring, auto carrier, and H3 buffer––would short stroke with some 50 and 55 grain .223 stuff, and would not lock open on empty mag with same. It still ran 100%with 5.56 LCXM193, and 75-77gr loads. Switched out to an H2 buffer, and it runs fine, and has for the last couple of years. So, in my case, anyway, it can be done, not that it was smart or anything.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How much buffer weight is too much?

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