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Posted: 2/5/2011 4:30:46 PM EDT
It's been years since I've played with this thing. I remember getting it stuck like this roughly 10 years ago and it's been this way ever since. I can't get the buffer to retreat into or come out of the buttstock thingy 
There's a red plastic (?) lever (the shape of a toilet) of some sort under/behind the takedown pin and there appears to be something else I can barely make out that is sitting just behind the red piece that is perhaps catching the underside of the buffer??? Should I be trying to unscrew something? Push or pull with all my might? Whack it with a hammer? Please help me get the baby up and running again. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/thirston/DSC01241.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/thirston/DSC01238.jpg |
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The red thing is just squishy plastic... an "accu wedge". The buffer retainer is what is behind it and probably causing your problems.
At a glance what seems like it would be an effective course of action is to simply unthread and remove the buffer tube, this will allow more freedom of movement for that buffer to be removed. Can the buffer not be pushed back into the buffer tube? It's stuck because the buffer retainer is on one of those flat faces and not the full diameter part. If it can be pushed back in, just rotate it then it should be able to be removed. |
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I'm guessing the buffer retaining pin is in the hole of the plastic buffer. Try rotating the buffer. If that doesn't work use the previous mentioned screw driver method. Once you get that damnable plastic buffer out, replace it with what Colt should have originally put in it! An aluminum one!
If you don't replace it, this will eventually happen: 
I can't believe Colt put these plastic buffers in duty guns, but they did. We had a lot of problems with them. Several guns had the buffer get beat enough that it expanded and cracked (as in the above photos) and actually cause the weapon to jam. If you look at the bottom picture, you can see the hole I'm talking about. |
| After looking at your photos again, your buffer retainer pin is probably not hung up in the hole that's in my lower picture. I don't recall if there is a hole in the larger diameter part of the buffer too. I remember a situation that's similar to yours happening many times and it was always a pin in a hole in the buffer. Either way, REPLACE IT!! |
| I didn't know plastic buffer was used, man learn new (old) thing every day! Anyway, I believe you can just unscrew the receiver extension tube (or so called buffer tube) and pull the whole thing out from the back. After the extension tube is out, the plastic buffer might still be stuck there but at least you will have more room to get at the buffer retainer pin to depress it with a flat blade screw driver from the back end of the receiver. Watch out for the pin & spring when pulling the buffer out, they will be under spring pressure. |
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