1911 Recoil Buffer

[Albert A Rasch]

Hello all!

I recently was fortunate enough to be able to put a Buffer Technologies buffer on my Colt 1911, and WOW what a difference! I mean it wasn't like it changed to a bull barreled 22, but you could definitely tell I had done something.

I was surprised quite frankly.

Anyway I wrote it up here: Buffer Technologies 1911 Recoil Buffer

Have any of you been surprised like that? With any equipment or accessory?

Thanks,
Albert
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
The Range Reviews: Tactical

 

[TCOV]

I have never installed buffers on my 1911 pistols but have bought a couple used ones that had them installed. Did a little research and found different opinions. Some like them and some say if your recoil spring is the proper weight for your ammo battering is not a problem. I had one on a Springfield that would occasionlly fail to lock open on the last round. The buffer seemed to limit the travel or change the timing, not much but enough. Took out the buffer and problem went away. There are different thickness buffers available so if you try them you may want to experiment and see what you like best. They wear out so be sure to change them well before a piece breaks and causes a malfunction. My Delta Elite has a buffer but I haven't shot it enough to form an opinion yet.

 

[sidspappy]

I used to put buffers on my 1911 back in the day as well. Later, I started talking to a range officer at the local indoor range. He complained of failures to slide lock using buffers too. He ended up removing his, and told me something. He said if buffers really did work to save frame cracking, then he was certain all the 1911 manufacturers would start adding them to their pistols. Certainly the costs could be argued to be less than warranty repairs on cracked frames.

I heard arguments both ways. Most note that unless you're shooting tons of rounds like Rob Leatham, you'll probably never shoot enough to break your frame.

Anyway, long story made shorter - I stopped using em. Especially after letting one of my pistols sit in the safe for a while. The darn buffer disintegrated when I racked the slide, creating a nice little plastic snowstorm in the interior of my frame and slide, locking that sucker up tight. It took a bit of elbow grease and Break-Free to get it apart.

 

[nalioth]

Aftermarket buffers are perfectly designed to separate money from your bank account.

 

[WardenWolf]

In some cases they can actually inflict additional wear as they cause the slide to stop short in a collision instead of letting the spring dissipate the recoil from that last amount. Effectively, they're causing a premature collision, and whether the buffer disspipates enough energy to avoid transferring additional impact to your frame is highly debatable.

 

[DoubleAction]

I use shock buffers in my Colts, even my Officer's ACP.

Comminoli "Frame Saver"

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[krs]

I was surprised to find one installed in a NIB 1976 Colt Gold Cup I bought last year. It was a cream colored thing unlike any of the currently available products.

That pistol was lightly sprung, sold as a match pistol for bullseye shooting and I guess Colt worried about the light springing without also lightening the slide. Earlier National Match pistols had lightened slides.

But......it seems to me that if your pistol is so lightly sprung that battering the vertical stop surface is a concern then wouldn't it make pretty short work of some rubber/neoprene/whatever bumper and leave the remnants of the buffer to get into the works of the pistol to screw it all up?

Not needed if springing is right for the load fired.

I think there's a lot of people putting light springs in because they or their wives find a 1911 too hard for them to rack the slide. Such wimps need smaller pistols.


Bill Wilson would've made a heck of a good car salesman.

 

[DoubleAction]

The Comminoli "Frame Saver" has a inner and outer buffers. It's "Dual Buffers", on it's own recoil rod.

 

[Albert A Rasch]

Interesting commentaries. I have to put a few more rounds through it to really see what really happens. Thanks for participating and taking the time to comment!

Albert
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
The Range Reviews: Tactical