Question about Shock Buffers

[The Dutchman]

I have a had a few friends both praise and denounce the idea of having a shock buffer or recoil buffer in their guns. Since I have had no personal experience with either of the two I don't know whether or not to install one in my Springfield 1911 GI. Any advice? Thanks

Sean

 

[Tory]

I suggest that

you try some. They are certainly cheap enough.

I've never had one cause a problem in my 1911's (SVI, SA and Para); neither can I say I saw remarkable differences due to their presence. I see it as frame insurance.

 

[HSMITH]

Sean, some guns will run just fine with a buffer in and some won't. That probably explains most of the opposing opinions you have heard. According to the guy that didn't have any problems they are GREAT, and the guy that had short stroke problems they are a product of the devil.

The other factor is durability, some guns chew them up pretty quickly, and some guns are pretty easy on them. Combine this with wide variations in quality of the buffer itself and it probably explains the rest of the opposing opinions. A guy with a gun that eats them up buy soft buffers and they are JUNK, where a guy with a gun that is easy on them gets a more durable buffer and he thinks they are great.

Pick some up, try them out. If they are to be used in a HD/CCW gun put them in at the range and take them out at the range until you are positive they don't affect function. This will also give you a chance to see what the durability is like in your gun.

I use them. I don't know that they have helped anything for certain, but the idea is sound and they sure haven't hurt anything.

 

[EghtySx]

I wouldn't use any in a carry gun. I don't use em in anything except 10mm.

 

[Dienekes]

As mentioned, it tends to be a little gun-specific. I have one in a 1913-vintage 1911 that runs just fine with it. My SA Mil-Spec didn't care for it. Put one in a BHP that had previously been flawless and it acted up.

I tend to assume that the gun *may* not like them unless I have proven it out beyond a doubt.

Over a long enough time period guns are somewhat expendable anyway. I can always fix or replace a gun. But if it fails me at an awkward time I may not be salvageable.

 

[Canuck-IL]

ditto Tory above...I figure they're adding about a pound to the spring rating
/B

 

[ddj8052]

My opinions pretty much follow everyone else's. In some guns they work great, and in some guns they don't. I use them in my Springfield 1911 and they work perfectley. I use the Wilson Combat ones just because. In my Kimber they do not work at all. I cannot even drop the slide with them installed. So I simply do not use them in that gun. They are very cheap so the best advice is to simply give them a try and see if they will run in you gun.

 

[R.H. Lee]

what HSMITH said, plus my .02. Buffers are another maintenance item to watch. You don't really need buffers unless you shoot a lot, and then you'll be taking the pistol down frequently for cleaning anyway. The hard red buffers from Brownell's work in my Springfield and Colt, but IMO, it's just something else to potentially go wrong. The only compelling reason to use a buffer is if it changes the recoil dynamic favorably.

 

[Vic303]

Another thing to note--it MAY be impossible to slingshot your 1911 slide in the shorter slidelengths with a buffer installed.

 

[jed]

1911 shock buffers

I just had to try them for myself. My opinions vary little from what has been said.

My conclusion was they were more trouble than they were worth.

You should gain your own experience and then see which
side you would be on.

 

[Correia]

They are awesome... until they break and jam your gun.

I experimented with them a little bit. (I'm talking about the little plastic or rubber things). They do seem to soften recoil a bit, but eventually they break, and then the tie up your gun.

Not in a rifle, but I used an AK buffer for a little while as an experiment, and I actually really liked it, until it broke at about 300 or so rounds, and a chunk of plastic fell down into the trigger assembly and jammed it down. I gave up on them after that.

 

[MoeMentum]

If they were needed, the manufacturer would put them in. None of my guns have them, and they work just fine.

 

[JohnKSa]

If your gun works with them, use them at the range ONLY. I don't believe that I've ever seen any evidence (or even claims) that they can cause any damage. So they won't hurt, and they might help.

Do NOT under any circumstances use one in a gun while it is doing self-defense duty. Since it's typically very easy to swap them in and out, this shouldn't cause any hardships.

I figure they're adding about a pound to the spring rating

The difference is that a stiffer spring causes the slide to slam shut harder while a buffer won't do that.

 

[Soap]

Useless. The gun already has a Shock Buffer - the recoil spring. Has anyone ever demonstrated significant increase in a gun's useful life as a result of using one?

 

[ClarkEMyers]

I think they fill a need but not everybody has that need

Frex a stack of 2 or even 3 buffers can put a gun on the very edge of short stroking or to put it in a more favorable light at the shortest and therefore quickest stroke that will work in that gun and load - takes a long ejector because the slide isn't going back for the case to hit a short ejector. Notice this may mean ejecting loaded cartridges through the magazine well - some say there is always a risk of an out of battery fire with the ejector striking the primer of a loaded cartrdge anyway so don't cup the ejection port with your hand and plan to catch the cartridge anyway. YMMV

It has been shown to my satisfaction that the buffer makes the gun live longer maybe not to yours.

I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a race gun with a buffer and go look for things that go bump in the night but I wouldn't leave a buffer in a carry gun and I wouldn't take a buffer to war.