I’m finally getting back into AR’s after many years (got a couple of new 6920’s on the way) and I’ve been reading how heavier buffers & buffer springs can improve recoil characteristics and speed of target reacquisition.
Would it be worth it to switch to an H2 & Wolff buffer spring? Would this affect reliability w/lower-power .223 practice ammo?
Thx!..
Tomac
Off hand I’d say you should shoot it a while first before you start trying to fix problems that may not be present.
Rascal
If guns kill people, why do people go to prison for the crime…?
Snag a Springco white recoil spring and an H2 and H3 buffer. Then experiment.
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The current 6920 will come with an H buffer and mil-spec spring. You’re fine.
He’s not asking if he’s fine. He’s asking about modifying recoil characteristics while maintaining reliability.
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Sprinco White and H2 is a good setup for a 6920.
H2 is what SHOULD BE in the gun. H will run, but H2 is right. I used to be of the thought that Colt put X buffer in, well… that’s what buffer should be in there then. NO SO.
I do NOT like the idea of aftermarket springs AT ALL.
I suggest getting the A5 if anything. It helps everything run a bit slower and smoother.
In my other 16" midlength carbine, I run a Springco blue spring and a H buffer. It has ran fine for the 500 rounds I put through it.
Carbine gas systems tend to err on the side of too much gas to allow the gun to function both with anemic .223 loads and full-on NATO loads. You’ll have to experiment with different buffers to figure out what works best for you and the ammo you like to shoot.
The recommendations to try an H2 are probably spot-on but you’ll have to shoot some crap ammo like Tula to see if it will cycle correctly and then make buffer changes as needed, i.e. going to a lighter buffer if the rifle isn’t cycling correctly with the softer shooting ammo. If you find the recoil is still pretty stout you can try an H3 buffer.
The A5 system mentioned above is an extended length buffer and spring that requires a new receiver extension but is purported to be the softest shooting carbine buffer system. Haven’t tried one but it’s on my wish list.
Best combo I have found is Vltor A5 with Sprinco “green” spring.
Ran a Blue SprinCo Spring and H2 Buffer in my old 6920 with Great Success 
Was my favorite Combination… and ran on anything I fed it.
I think a heavier buffer (H to H2) mitigates some recoil impulse, maybe even to the point where it’s noticeable. A5 system…that is noticeable. Best mod I ever did to get me back on target quicker is a BattleComp, and practice.
I used to recommend this exact setup. It’s still a solid one, but using a heavier buffer (H3) and a std power spring (as opposed to the blue XP spring) was even smoother when shooting.
They will both work 100%.
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I’ve been experimenting. Right now it is the blue springco with an H2 in mid-length 16" barrels. My brass just pops out about 4 feet instead of blasting out 10 ft…
Mid-length 14.5 barrels get std. spring and H buffer (I think they are slightly under gassed). No problem with .223 practice ammo so far in either 16" or 14.5" barrels.
Colt carbine should run fine on an H2 and blue or std. spring. Or something like that. Enjoy your rifle.
I’m interested in this… I’m currently Running a Blue Sprinco Spring and H Buffer in my 16" BCM Midlength… wondering if I should jump up to an H2?
I still want to be able to run PMC .223 if need be, and be able to operate when Action starts getting dry and in Cold AND Hot Weather
So what Rifle are you using this setup in?
Switch to a Springco WHITE can likely run an H3. But definitely an H2.
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I have a simple way to test spring/buffer combos. If there is a “jolt” or “impulse” at the end of the recoil stroke the buffer is hitting the end of the buffer tube extension. If you can find a combo that has barely detectable impulse at the end of the recoil stroke with the weakest ammo you want to shoot then that is about as heavy as you can go with a reliable buffer and spring combo.
A heavier buffer and a lighter spring is a better compromise than a heavy spring and a lighter buffer. A heavy spring can cause the bolt to outrun the magazine lift and cause "bolt over base"malfunctions.
The Vltor A5 is about as good as it gets for flexibility in ammo power/gas port. It uses the 42 coil rifle spring and rifle weight buffer which is more forgiving of barrel gas than the 35 coil carbine spring and lighter buffers, specially with a CAR gas system (which I think was a very poor design compromise - and it gets even worse with a 16" barrel).
I agree 100% and have given similar advice as well.
The nasty little secret of the carbine length gas system is that it took Colt the better part of a decade to get it to function properly in the XM series.
The carbine length gas system is an abortion on anything but a 12.5"or shorter barrel, IMHO.
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So should I technically be looking at ditching my Blue Spring in my BCM Mid and jump back down to a white, and start trying H2 and maybe H3 Buffers?
I just liked how the slightly stronger spring felt, with a less sluggish return to battery when making ready or making a mag change and sending the bolt home… just seem to feel more confident with that.
The concept of wanting a soft recoiling AR, and yet buying 16" carbine-length 6920s escapes me.
OP, if you wanted something that shoots softly, you should have started with a 14.5" mid-length AR>