Nick Wantland - VLTOR A5 Buffer System

[Clint]

New article just out where Nick Wantland from VLTOR detaiis their A5 system

@Nick Wantland

The VLTOR A5 Buffer System is my favorite thing that we make, and is one of the things that I get most excited about when I talk to people about VLTOR and what we offer.

We make some other really cool stuff, so it’s sort of funny that an unsexy part like a buffer would be my favorite. But when you dig into the technical side of things, its attractiveness becomes clear.

The VLTOR A5 Buffer System is basically a proprietary buffer and receiver extension tube that are intermediate in length. The buffer and the tube are both 3/4 of an inch longer than a standard carbine buffer set up. The system also utilizes a rifle action spring instead of a carbine spring.

There’s a ton of things that it does simultaneously, some more nuanced than others…But the synopsis is it regulates carrier velocity, changes felt recoil impulse, and most importantly, it opens up the entire operational envelope of the gun. It allows the gun to run properly under a much wider range of input and factors. This usually equates to more overall reliability…which is a good thing.

@Nick Wantland

Whether you’re using the carbine buffer system, or the longer rifle buffer system, the bolt carrier’s stroke length is the same – around 3.75”. The carrier travels the same distance, so the amount of compression a carbine spring and rifle spring experience is the same.

However, the carbine spring is shorter and has less wire than a rifle buffer spring. This means with the rifle buffer system, you have a longer spring with more coils and more wire to perform the same work. When both springs are deflected the same amount, the carbine spring experiences more stress, and also experiences a higher differential between the pre-loaded position and fully-loaded positions than a rifle spring does.

@Nick Wantland

There is a lot more to it than that, but in basic terms, the rifle buffer system is quite literally more smooth and consistent than a carbine setup, in regards to the action spring.

One of the other unique features about the A5 buffers are their internal biasing springs. There’s a spring inside of each buffer that keeps internal weights stacked against the front face of the buffer. This assures that the weights are always in the same place when the gun starts its unlocking and cycling processes. Weights are always in the same position, so the gun is always overcoming the same mass, in the same way, every time.

End of the article has some quotes from local favorites Mike and Will.

Most of this has been well covered here, but this is straight from the MFG.

Full Article

[Wake27]

I saw Roger share this in his FB group and was about to post it on my thread from the other day. This was definitely the best single read on it that I’ve seen and helps me to better understand a lot of the stuff that people here have said. One thing that I’m still confused about though, is the buffer selection. I’ve seen it discussed plenty of times here, but don’t know that I’ve ever seen an answer that is commonly accepted AND easy to understand. BCM includes the A5-0 with their kit and in the interview, he says that it works well with relatively well-ported 14.5 mids, which I would assume includes BCM’s at .076. But, plenty of people here, myself included, can run theirs with a green spring and A5-3 and still get normal function including consistent lock back on empty. What’s the best answer for this? My initial understanding years ago (which came from one of the various threads here) was to use the heaviest buffer that would have have normal function, but I’m wondering if that maybe isn’t the best answer.

[jpmuscle]

@Wake27

I saw Roger share this in his FB group and was about to post it on my thread from the other day. This was definitely the best single read on it that I’ve seen and helps me to better understand a lot of the stuff that people here have said. One thing that I’m still confused about though, is the buffer selection. I’ve seen it discussed plenty of times here, but don’t know that I’ve ever seen an answer that is commonly accepted AND easy to understand. BCM includes the A5-0 with their kit and in the interview, he says that it works well with relatively well-ported 14.5 mids, which I would assume includes BCM’s at .076. But, plenty of people here, myself included, can run theirs with a green spring and A5-3 and still get normal function including consistent lock back on empty. What’s the best answer for this? My initial understanding years ago (which came from one of the various threads here) was to use the heaviest buffer that would have have normal function, but I’m wondering if that maybe isn’t the best answer.

I’d say it’s still definitely a port issue.

Also, if biasing the internal weights towards the front of the buffer is considered optimal why aren’t solid buffers a thing?

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[vicious_cb]

@jpmuscle

I’d say it’s still definitely a port issue.

Also, if biasing the internal weights towards the front of the buffer is considered optimal why aren’t solid buffers a thing?

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Because its not the same. You still get the deadblow hammer effect with biased springed weights. A solid buffer just gives you…a ton bolt bounce.

[mpom]

Also, if biasing the internal weights towards the front of the buffer is considered optimal why aren’t solid buffers a thing?

To prevent bolt bounce, where the bolt unlocks slightly after lockup leading to a possible light firing pin strike. I think the internal loose weights move to rear when buffer hits RE at full recoil and remain there until buffer stops forward motion at lockup, then weights slide forward due to their momentum and oppose bolt bounce off the barrel extension.

Mark

[jpmuscle]

@vicious_cb

Because its not the same. You still get the deadblow hammer effect with biased springed weights. A solid buffer just gives you…a ton bolt bounce.

Does it make a difference if not F/A though?

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[mpom]

Probably not, unless your splits are as short as Jerry Michulek.
Since many consumers are keen on buying carbines that are marketed as “mil-spec” it only makes sense to have the same internals as true military carbines, within NFA guidelines.

[1168]

@jpmuscle

Does it make a difference if not F/A though?

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I’ve wondered the same. If semi only, could we get the consistency that the biasing spring offers, simply by being solid, but of the appropriate weight?

I went so far in that thought experiment as to fill the internal space of an H1 buffer so that the weights could no longer slide. I was unable to tell a difference, and had no stoppages of any type in a couple thousand rounds. I put a proper buffer back in that rifle, just because, and I still can’t tell a difference.

[prepare]

Wish he’d have said something about availability because it doesn’t really matter how great or cool they are when they’re non existent.

[hk_shootr]

Ive bought four of these A5 buffer kits. Ive never waited longer than two weeks when they have been out of stock.

A great system…I like it

[prepare]

Most places you can’t even backorder them they’ve been out of stock so long.

[EzGoingKev]

Does he talk about what happened with the Marine Corps and the A5?

[26_Inf]

I waiting to get a chance to purchase one of those MA-5 Modular Buffer System kits that they showed at SHOT.

[Duffy]

We get buffers and REs, but rarely have all of the components at the same time. Now we have lots of buffers but no REs, having sold them all without the buffers, then getting tons of buffers but no REs lol.

[titsonritz]

@Duffy

We get buffers and REs, but rarely have all of the components at the same time. Now we have lots of buffers but no REs, having sold them all without the buffers, then getting tons of buffers but no REs lol.

I don’t think anyone has Vltor REs in-stock at this point in time, right now if an A5 RE it BCM intermediate or nothing

[bruin]

Are the A5 parts really that hard to source? You could use the BCM intermediate or Magpul RE, and I think an LMT .308 works, too. Heavybuffers has the buffers and Vltor REs in stock. In fact you could put together a complete system right now without any Vltor parts at all.

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[Iraqgunz]

I might be missing something, but I own all three A5 receiver extensions (Vltor, BCM and Magpul). I would use whichever one was in stock. All of them are of equal quality.

[prepare]

What about the spring in the A5 kit? is it a Sprinco spring or their own proprietary spring?

[hk_shootr]

It has been a bit since I ordered my last kit, but wait was only about two weeks.

[prepare]

@hk_shootr

It has been a bit since I ordered my last kit, but wait was only about two weeks.

You can’t even back order them now.