I have a 16" mid-length hammer forged BCM upper with the standard A2 flash hider. My lower is a AZ Armory billet lower (dont know the exact trigger brand) but it was worked on by Bill Springfield, and a commercial buffer tube with a carbine buffer and a Magpul MOE buttstock.
I want my rifle to stay reliable with abuse given to it but I want my rifle to become softer shooting. I was doing research on comps but found that I could get a better outcome with “upgrading” my buffer system to an A5 system.
Is this the consensus?
What is all needed for this "upgrade?..just the buffer tube, spring and buffer? Does it work with the Magpul endplate also?
I’ve really liked the A5 on everything from an 12" carbine system to a 16" middy. I think it works better than a comp and is less limiting. The kit comes with the A5 7-position extension, hybrid buffer, spring, and endplate.
You obviously need the A5 kit, a lower, an armorer’s or castle nut wrench, and a center punch/mallet for staking. I didn’t like the Magpul end plate when I used it because of the tab you insert into the groove in the buffer tube. I like the end plates that have the tab built in. Make sure you screw the buffer tube in so it captures the retaining pin and so the rear part of the carrier/contacts takes the tension of the buffer face. And stake it!!
If looking to increase reliability, I’d replace the Springfield trigger with either a stock trigger from a known good manufacturer, or with a Geissele unit. But that’s just me.
An A5 system certainly couldn’t hurt. You will need the A5 receiver extension tube, a rifle length spring, and an A5 buffer weight. Since your current stock is commercial, you’ll also need a standard buttstock (or suffer with a loose commercial buttstock on a standard spec RE). You can either get a full-blown A5 kit that includes an Vltor buttstock, or you can order the receiver extension a la carte, plus a the spring and buffer weight in a separate bundle (but no buttstock).
It’ll work with any endplate, just like a regular carbean setup. Chances are good that you’ll be able to re-stake your old endplate since the castle nut that comes with the receiver extension is unlikely to time exactly the same as your old one. I’ve re-staked Magpul and Noveske endplates and aside from the extra divots, they work fine.
I used a Noveske QD end plate when I installed mine. No problems there and I staked it in two places. OP just be sure you never try to use a standard carbine buffer once you replace the receiver extension. The A5 receiver extension is about 3/4" longer than a regular receiver extension and using a standard buffer could cause damage.
Found this description while trolling Sprinco’s site:
[Part 25001] Tactical Springs LLC M16 / AR-15 Chrome Silicon RIFLE Spring in Hand Tube (Color Coded GREEN) (NOTE: Also the choice for use with VLTOR A-5 Stock System with 5.3 Oz. Buffer for 5.6 Platforms)
Couldn’t it just mean that this is the spring to chose if you’re looking for a replacement; not necessarily that it is the spring VLTOR use from the factory?
BTW; the A5 receiver extension is MilSpec diameter then?
markm, kartoffel, I’ve done a LITTLE research on the springfield fcg and I don’t understand the freakout. I thought they were good to go. Enlighten the blind, whats wrong. I don’t own one, but was thinking about it. If it’s as useless as a bag full of assholes I want to know.
I don’t know exactly what that monkey is doing to the FCG parts, but from some of the stuff I’ve read on the forums, he’s messing with the surface hardened areas and basically ruining the life of the parts.
The classic symptom is getting double fires a few hundred or thousand rounds after the part has been ruined.
This also happens to guys new to the AR… they think that the simple surface areas of the FCG can just be honed or something for a home trigger job… They just end up ruining the parts.
No firsthand experience but I’ve read some SCARY things about the work Bill Springfield has done. Everything from double and triple fires to losing customers’ guns.
Jesus, is he retarded? The reason I was thinking about it is because I have totally screwed two trigger groups with stoning(I have more than a little experience in this, so it SHOCKED me when I got a double). I figured it was a bad idea, and I didn’t think this was what he did.
I’ve seen so many posts on other forums praising his work, I thought he was 5x5. Gonna do a lot more looking into stuff. Thanks for the heads up and money not wasted on more garbage.
