Can running too light of a buffer damage anything?
Is a Spikes T2 buffer with carbine spring and spacer an OK place to start? (what I have on hand)
Are solid (no sliding weights) buffers a viable option in a 9mm? I have seen solid buffers that are pretty heavy (~5oz) for cheap.
Application is an AR pistol with 7" barrel, CMMG bolt and dedicated lower with KAK car length extension.
I run a 8.5 ounce Q-Buffer from HeavyBuffers.com
The buffer is a bit longer, does away with the the spacer, saves the bolt catch from breakage.
remember that the 5.56 AR is gas operated locking bolt and the 9mm is blowback. they look the same on the outside but work much differently, and so they need different parts.
long story short:
i started with spikes H3 buffer plus spacer, but my 9mm broke multiple bolt catches until i installed a 9mm-q buffer and wolff xp carbine buffer spring from heavybuffers.com. you also no longer need the spacer or quarters as the q buffer is longer than normal.
money well spent, and it’s nice to shoot .28cpr ammo at the indoor no-steel ranges. the extra cost of the q buffer is rapidly offset.
I have been running a 9mm rig for awhile. When I switched to a Double Diamond lower I began to break bolt catches after about 200 rounds. I had a 9mm buffer already, even did the stack of quarters. No luck.
A week ago I finally installed a Q-Buffer, I haven’t been to the range yet, but with word of mouth(everything on the internet is true, right?) I’m expecting good results.
interestingly, the q-buffer was originally developed to fix a Colt “standard” 9mm carbine.
as far as ddles glock lowers, I believe part of the breakage problem might be related to their BHO setup.
Heavy buffers 9MM-Q I think it’s called plus the Wolff spring.
I have about 1200 RDS through my DDLES Colt patter lower / YMH upper / CMMG bolt SBR. Shoot it suppressed exclusively with a Tirant 45.
The Colt 6450 setup has always worked for me. No need to reinvent things…
I am running an A5 buffer in standard carbine tube
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That depends on your block. If you don’t have a last round BHO feature, the excess bolt velocity won’t damage the bolt catch. You will break hammer pins until you go to SS pins (either KNS or flush Colt). Reliability should be OK unless the spring rate in your mags is low.
I just run an H3 most of the time, but it’s better just to go to a Slash-Q.
SBR it.
I use a standard Colt buffer with 7 quarters in the tube for my 6450 and it runs without a hitch. It clears the bolt catch by about 1/4" to 3/8".
I have used a Spikes ST T2 and standard carbine spring for many many rounds without a problem.
Just stick $1.75 worth of quarters in the end of your buffer tube (use a little electrical tape to hold them together) this will help bho breakage.
+1 for Vltor
I would not use a lighter buffer than the 9mm buffer, it’s blowback.
I’ve used the A5-H4 with rifle spring. It noticeably reduced the cyclic rate and recoil. I could feel the buffer didn’t “bottom out” as hard so the recoil was smoother.
Anyone else try a rifle spring with one of the longer buffers?
No, but now you have me wondering
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Are you using it in a regular RE or in an A5?
What spring?
It seems I am avoiding all of this drama with broken bolt catches by not having a LRBHO feature. I’ll take that as a tradeoff.
My LRBHO isn’t working. I’m running a Voltor A5 with the standard buffer. I added six quarters and I’m going to the range now to see if it helped. I have a regular RE on order. The bolt was locking open with a loaded mag. I held the bolt release down and it ran fine. I will try to square it away. If not it’s coming out.
Range report. With six quarters and the Spikes ST9 buffer it ran great. There was one failure to feed. No bolt hold open issues.
I used the A5 buffer in a carbine RE. The A5 buffer is the same length as the longer 9mm buffers so you don’t use quarters.
For an A5 RE make sure you double the number of quarters/spacer with a regular length buffer or use the regular number of quarters/spacer with a longer buffer.
Make sure the spacer does not fit inside the spring, I wouldn’t want to see reduced spring pressure on a blowback.
Yeah the ST-9X from Spikes is a little longer than my Voltor and heavier. I have read 8 and 8.5 ounces. I’m thinking of trying the Voltor in a 5" upper that will not cycle with the STX-9 and Wolf Extra Power Spring. I am going to change to a regular spring first.
