I just put a new M4 stock on my Carbine.  There is a considerable "twang" now when the action is cycled.  This was not present on the old Colt collapsible stock.  I was told greasing the spring and buffer tube would reduce if not eliminate this sound.  Is any kind on lithium based grease OK or do I need something else?  Thanks in advance for the help.

Nightcargo

Some folks don't bother putting any grease in there and some do. I just had a couple of M4 stocks installed and I put a very, very light coat of Tetra grease (ask for it by name) on the buffer, the spring and inside the tube. I spread it around with my fingers until I couldn't really see it any more. Now both rifles cycle smoothly. Getting rid of the "twang" itself can be difficult but a very small of grease helps and gives you a smoother cycling weapon.

If you do this, it's important to take out the buffer and spring every 2 or 3 cleanings to make sure there's no grit in there. Grease, even a light coating, will attract grit and grit will cause premature wear.

Thanks for the reply!

If you simply wipe the spring with a very lightly oiled rag wou will accomplish oiling the spring without attracting dirt and sand.

You should try to keep oil out of the buffer tube as the bolt carrier will go back there (get coated with crap and jam).

(If you are one of those "soak the bolt carrier with oil guys you will end up with a buffer tube full of oil anyway.)

That twang noise will go away as the spring wears in.  Most of the time the spring takes a little wear and it stops for the most part.

[b]If I take a well used AR and put the buffer spring in backwards it will make excessive noise. And the spring will make the operation more rough and not as smooth (switching it back to normal solves the problem)

You may want to check that if yours is used at all.[/b]

Lubricants don't attract particulate matter; they just hang onto it (barring electrostatic craziness).

As for the spring sound, I find that moly grease works really well.. mainly because it's all I have.

I use the Tetra grease too.  Just a thin coating and it stops the grating sound the spring makes when you charge the weapon also.

[url]http://www.sinclairintl.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=search&item=14-5200&type=store[/url]

Or you can get one of the various "pneumatic" piston-type buffers.

"Lubricants don't attract particulate matter; they just hang onto it (barring electrostatic craziness)."

Well I guess scientifically you are right.

What I'm trying to say is using more than the bare minimum of oil inside your ar-15 will (at least in the field actually adversly effect it's reliability.) Anything that touches the bolt (dust, sand, dirt, leaves and even carbon fowling) all will stick to oil where they would be much less likely to stick to steel.

In my experience in the field a near dry Ar bolt and upper is a happy upper. (one drop on each bolt carrier rail and one drop on the cam pin and one in the bolt carrier key seems to work beautifully in any climate including woods and sand.

[b] The noise is normal and unfortunatly sometimes it happens. with time it will be reduced or you will get used to it.

If you really hate it try a Oly Arms pneumatic buffer (but then you will have to lose the stock as the Oly buffer is for the rifle stock.  

The pistol buffer kit and side folding oly stock might work also (the pistol buffer uses a 1911 recoil spring instead of a buffer spring) that is almost surely not going to make the twang noise.[/b]

Thanks guys!

Your rifle is speaking to you. It will tell you a lot if you just listen. Shutting it up will do neither of you any good.