After 33 years I finally shot an AR-15. If you remember me at all, I said I had backed away from the AR rifles back in 1984 when I fired a US Army M16A1, and the massive SPROINNNGG in my ear bothered the dog snot out of me. I moved to rifles that did not have recoil mechanisms in the stock. Yesterday a coworker had me try his very customized, (is there one that isn't?), AR-15 carbine. Not one hit of noise did I hear, and he said the buffer tobe and recoil spring weren't anything special.
Now if he had warned me about the release trigger, my aim might have been a little better! I thought the damn thing was doubling!
So, now I think I will probably start piecing one together while they are dirt cheap. PSA, here I come!

JP silent capture spring if you hate the noise. To be honest other than my first rifle in 2004, which has had the buffer tube replaced I have never heard that noise you speak of.

It was notorious but not in a bad way, for almost all A1 and some A2 rifles that were worn. My issued M16A1 from OSUT did that.

I have one AR with a fixed stock, and two with collapsible stocks, and the only one I hear that spring in, is the fixed stock.  Same in the service - the fixed stock rifles had the sound, the adjustable stocks it was either not there, or unnoticeable.  So from my albeit limited experience I would say if you don't like the sound of the spring, stay away from standard military style fixed stocks.

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