I have heard that heavier buffers more reliable. Is this because with a lighter buffer, the gas is blowing the bolt carrier group back too fast, which is preventing the extractor from gripping onto the rim of the shell, preventing extraction? And if so, why would anyone want a lighter buffer? I have a Spikes T2 in my AR.
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I don’t think anyone actually “wants” a light buffer. They are ok for low powered ammo but the Heavier buffers are bette.
I think the primary use of a lighter buffer would be in a 3-gun style AR. They can be quite a bit more finicky when it comes to ammo selection and running dirty though. They will often be used in conjunction with lightened carriers, adjustable gas blocks, and other parts to allow the quickest follow-up shots possible to reduce stage times. Otherwise, the standard is to use the heaviest buffer that works reliably in your gun.
So in general heavier is the way to go?
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If it does not impede function of the rifle, you are correct.
Heavier buffers are used to slow down the BCG, most AR’s are over gassed.
But the less reciprocating weight of the buffer the better, I use a Low reciprocating mass buffer from Taccom with a SLR Sentry or Syrac Adjustable Gas Block.
No.
The buffer is only one side of the triangle- and when we are talking about the buffer, we are really talking about the entire mass of the reciprocating parts which includes the bolt carrier group. The other two sides are gas port and spring rate.
For an AR to function reliably, the reciprocating mass has to have a certain amount of inertia to extract the spent case, eject it and feed a new cartridge into the chamber. The spring must be powerful enough and fast enough to push the reciprocating mass back into battery. The gas port has to let in enough gas to overcome the static mass of the reciprocating parts and compress the spring.
All three sides of the triangle must be in balance with each other. The better the balance, the more reliable the rifle.
If the reciprocating mass is increased by installing a heavier buffer for example, it can imbalance the system. The gas may not be enough to overcome the increased inertia. Spring compression rate and spring rate may not be enough to slow the rearward movement to prevent parts from hitting together with too much force. Spring relaxation rate and spring rate may not be enough to strip a fresh round from the magazine and chamber it.
Spring rate and gas flow can be increased to compensate, but now there is additional inertia due to the increased mass although the acceleration and speed of the moving parts is the same. This increases how much the rifle i bounced around by all the moving parts.
Lightening the mass means there is less inertia and in turn, less energy is stored by the spring. Again, spring rate needs to be increased and gas flow increased to overcome the extra spring rate. Trouble is, now that there is less mass, acceleration must be increased to get the same inertia. But acceleration is bled off by the friction of stripping the next round from the magazine plus the mass of the fresh round, so even more speed is needed to make up for that.
Fortunately, the AR gas system when set up correctly and at nominal specs (that is, in the middle of the operating range) is rather forgiving, allowing the shooter a little bit of leeway in either direction.
The rifle buffer is the original and sets the standard. A rifle buffer weighs 5 ozs. All carbine length buffers except the H3 are actually lighter. When an AR is tuned to run with an H or even an H2 buffer, it’s actually being tuned to run a lighter buffer, not a heavier one
BUFFER WEIGHTS-
Carbine: 3 ozs, three steel weights
H: 3.8 ozs, one tungsten, two steel weights
H2: 4.7 ozs, two tungsten, one steel weights
Rifle: 5 ozs, five steel weights, one steel spacer
H3: 5.6 ozs, 3 tungsten weights
So how the rifle cycles itself and pushes the buffer back depends a lot on the length of your gas tube?
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It doesn’t work that way. First, the important length in the gas system is the distance from the chamber to the gas port. The further down the barrel the gas port, the lower the gas pressure. Second, the diameter of the gas port is important in controlling gas flow (not to be confused with regulating pressure).
With the higher pressure of the shorter gas systems, the gas port diameter is generally smaller. Increasing the pressure with the same diameter port will increase gas flow and give the BCG faster acceleration.
Again, it’s a balancing act. Gas port diameter and gas pressure need to be balanced for everything to work right
So…increasing the functional weight of the buffer on a mil-spec carbine length gas system will potentially soften decrease felt recoil but in turn slows one part of the “triangle”. Does it follow that this would noticeably decrease speed of follow up shots given gas port diameter and spring rate are left unchanged?
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Not typically. But one also has to factor in the mass of the gun.
Typically, heavier buffers (i.e. H, H2, H3) soften perceived recoil and allow most shooters to control the recoil stroke better, IF the gun is over gassed to begin with.
Mistwolf’s big first post covered all the bases.
On an over gassed gun, would it be better to use a heaver bolt carrier or the heavier buffer?
Thank you.
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On an over gassed gun, would it be better to use a heaver bolt carrier or the heavier buffer?
on an over gassed gun it would be better to use an adjustable gas block and reduce the over pressure condition. solve the problem versus compensate for the problem somewhere else
You will be able distinguish the recoil lightening up once you change the weight of your buffer to heavier one, especially on a stronger caliber AR. But thats not the reason why i went to H3. I shoot lefty and the problem when i bought sig716 which shoot 308 was that the brass would constantly fly at 5 o clock, bouncing at my ear protector, leaving scracthes on the right ear muff. Going to H3 slows down the cycle and made brass ejects at 4 o clock. All of my 5.56 ARs has H2.
Micro got it right. In the absence of an adjustable gas block, heavier buffer is preferred.
No more than adding the same difference in weight to any other part of the rifle will. Changing buffer weight does not lessen or increase free recoil. All it changes is how the recoil feels. Go to a recoil calculator and see how much difference changing the weight of a rifle by 3 ounces (the approximate difference between a carbine and an H3 buffer) makes to free recoil. It’s not much
So I have a T2 in mine… How does this compare to an H1 or H2?
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Why not use the search feature? It’s been discussed numerous times.