Carbine buffer with rifle gas system?

TacticalSpeed · Sep 22, 2021

Doing a .308 with a rifle gas system, but want to put a carbine buffer tube on since the rifle buffer tube creates too much of a LOP for me.

Will I be fine with a carbine buffer tube, carbine flat wire spring & carbine buffer on it?

ms6852 · Sep 22, 2021

I think you will be ok if you use a 5 oz buffer spring.

bassjam · Sep 23, 2021

It's perfectly fine to mix or match the gas system and the buffer. As ms6852 said you may have to play around with the buffer weights.

Shawn Dodson · Sep 23, 2021

I assembled a 20" AR308, using a VLTOR A5 carbine buffer tube, JP Rifles centerless ground and polished RIFLE-length operating spring (buffer spring), an H3 carbine buffer, and an SLR Rifleworks clamp-on adjustable gas block. It has virtually zero recoil. (I'm currently putting together a 24" .308 upper to put on the same lower. I don't anticipate any changes being necessary, including the gas block adjustment.)

TacticalSpeed · Sep 23, 2021

Shawn Dodson said:
I assembled a 20" AR308, using a VLTOR A5 carbine buffer tube, JP Rifles centerless ground and polished RIFLE-length operating spring (buffer spring), an H3 carbine buffer, and an SLR Rifleworks clamp-on adjustable gas block. It has virtually zero recoil. (I'm currently putting together a 24" .308 upper to put on the same lower. I don't anticipate any changes being necessary, including the gas block adjustment.)

I didn't think a rifle length spring would work with a carbine tube

sarduy · Sep 23, 2021

It’s fine, try it how it is before playing with buffers weight

Tirod · Sep 23, 2021

Keep in mind that H3 buffer is about one weight less than rifle. Too light a buffer will increase bolt speeds, the bolt carrier will override the top round in the mag before the stack can rise, and if speeds are too high the bolt carrier is known to bounce off the barrel extension and unlock, which can cause a lot of issues if the primer was struck. You'd be extracting a live round right as it goes off.

Don't play with buffer weights, put the correct heavier buffer in first. A "rifle gas" system is also spec for a 20" barrel - is that what is being used?

MistWolf · Sep 23, 2021

I concur, Tirod. My S&W MP-10 came with a carbine (3 oz) buffer. Definitely too light!! I think an H2 is too light as well. Recoil is too sharp!

TacticalSpeed · Sep 23, 2021

Tirod said:
Keep in mind that H3 buffer is about one weight less than rifle. Too light a buffer will increase bolt speeds, the bolt carrier will override the top round in the mag before the stack can rise, and if speeds are too high the bolt carrier is known to bounce off the barrel extension and unlock, which can cause a lot of issues if the primer was struck. You'd be extracting a live round right as it goes off.

Don't play with buffer weights, put the correct heavier buffer in first. A "rifle gas" system is also spec for a 20" barrel - is that what is being used?

18" barrel with rifle gas system. Plan is to go with a carbine buffer tube & run the Luth-AR MBA 3 stock. The rifle length stock has too long LOP for the prism scope & my comfort

Shawn Dodson · Sep 25, 2021

I didn't think a rifle length spring would work with a carbine tube.

The Vltor A5 buffer tube is slightly longer than a standard carbine buffer tube.

Gordon · Sep 25, 2021

I have a rifle length gas system WITH the JP adj Block , I consider having an adj gas block mandatory on an AR10 for a number of reasons . I use the Luth stock on my 6.5 Creedmore 22" barrel and the H2 buffer with the stock spring it came with . Now on my 18" .308 build, still with rifle length and the JP adj. block, I use a Magpull carbine stock and tube and had to throttle back the gas alot and use an H3 buffer and standard carbine spring ..

Shawn Dodson said:
The Vltor A5 buffer tube is slightly longer than a standard carbine buffer tube.

I caught that,VLTOR A5 is an odd duck length, why I never got one as I like "standard" things .

TacticalSpeed · Sep 25, 2021

I won't be swapping the gas block

TacticalSpeed · Sep 25, 2021

MistWolf said:
I concur, Tirod. My S&W MP-10 came with a carbine (3 oz) buffer. Definitely too light!! I think an H2 is too light as well. Recoil is too sharp!

Then H3 buffer should do it?

MistWolf · Sep 25, 2021

TacticalSpeed said:
Then H3 buffer should do it?

It's a good place to start.

I'm not sure about using a rifle length spring. The problem isn't the distance the buffer travels (that always remains the same) but spring compression around the buffer. Compressing a rifle spring around a carbine buffers compresses the spring tighter increasing wear. If the coils impact, it can damage the spring.

Carbine buffer with rifle gas system?

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