I have a S&W M&P15 and was wondering if i should keep the stock buffer (which has nothing marked on it) or change it to a H2 buffer. I shot it last week and put 100 rounds through it and fired flawless. Today i tried the H2 buffer and had a shell insert in the barrel but didnt fire so i pulled the charging handle back and released it and then fired ok. I am not sure what happened there but it only did it once. Was this the H2 buffer giving me a problem or just a bad shell. Keep the H2 or run stock.
Keep the stock buffer as was provided originally which ran flawlessly, no need to go with the H2 which sounds like it could be short stroking. Was there a firing pin impression on primer of the misfire?
Not sure but it did fire though. I did push the forward assist and it seated.
Although 100 ‘flawless’ rounds is not even the start of a beginning to a function test, the fact that you had no problems until you changed buffers is an important one.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it is very good advice with a new AR. I’m not talking about adding needed bits, like lights and sights - that’s half the fun of owning ARs.
S&W did a pretty good job with the M&Ps.
I would agree with that.
Sounds like you went from a Standard Carbean buffer to an H2?
I’d have started with an “H” buffer first if you wanted to go a little heavier.
S.A.W. recommends H for 16", H2 for 14.5", and H3 for the shorties. (this is a general guideline.)
Yes it had a stock buffer in it from the factory, I was told that smith has a bigger gas port so a H2 buffer would work well so i tried it. While i was firing i pulled the trigger and nothing happend so i pulled the charging handle back and there was a shell in the chamber but not seated so i released the handle and fired and it was ok from there on out. The stock buffer has no markings on it.
You most likely road the charging handle on the round and the bolt did not full lock.
C4
S&W AR’s are over gased (FYI). Colt uses H buffers with their M4’s and they have a mil-spec gas port size (.063).
The purpose of going with an H or H2 buffer is to slow the bolt down and make the weapon more reliable.
C4
Those guidlines apply to Colt (which uses mil-spec gas ports sizes). S&W does not.
C4
I see. I didn’t know S&Ws were overgassed.
To clarify: S&W are overgassed for 5.56mm NATO pressure ammo. The vast majority of people are shooting .223 Rem SAAMI pressure ammo.
This didnt happen when i was pulling the charging handle back. It happend in the middle of firing. when i pulled the trigger nothing happend so i pulled the charging handle back to see what was going on and the round was in the chamber but it didnt fire so i pulled the mag out released the charging handle and pulled the trigger again and it fired.
Yes, Smith’s are.
(FYI)I seem to remember something about buffer types coming up in all 3 of my Colt Mfg and Colt Defense LE Armorer’s courses over the past 12 years or so. Does the name Bob Gawe mean anything to anyone? Thanks for the refresher, though. I stand by don’t fix it if it aint broke. If you do “fix it”, do so in the smallest possible increments, and remove all possible variables.
I put the stock buffer back in it, I had 0 problems with it so i guess if the spring gets weak or something i can put the H2 back in it. If it was supposed to have an H2 buffer in it i guess smith would have put one in it,
I feel that you’re “contributing” incompletely information.
I would wager that if you asked ken, he was assuming you would be shooting full power 5.56 loads.
When joe blow shoots mostly commercial ammo, maybe it would be wise to leave it the F alone.
My $.02 against the “H2 Buffer” establishment…
I have ran a “H” buffer in my S&W for over a year, guessing about 2k rounds or more. No problems. It seemed to smooth it out a bit from the standard carbine buffer.
Oh, and DIESELSMOKE, aka ROADKING, we have a search function here as well :rolleyes:
I am new to the buffer stuff here but i take it that a h buffer and an h2 buffer is different, People are saying they run a h buffer, The one i have is a h2 buffer maybe it is to heavy.
Yes, but then again so do the majority of tier 2 and 3 AR manufacturers.
So if you think about it, a Colt 6920 with a gas port size of .063 comes with an H buffer and you CAN shoot wolf in it and the bolt WILL lock back.
If the have a gas port of .070-.078 (the range the S&W gas ports can run), an H2 buffer is basically the same as running an H buffer in a Colt.
There is a VERY good chance that in the near future, all S&W AR’s will come with an H buffer (if not and H2 buffer) direct from the factory.
C4
The H2 buffer ACTUALLY has more force (momentum) coming forward than the standard car buffer. So if anything the H2 buffer would have less of an issue chambering a round and locking the lugs.
So you might have just had a bad primer on that cartridge.
C4