to buff, or not to buff

[Harmon]

Well im never gonna shoot a shock buff again after the match i shot sunday,. the gun shoots soooo much softer without it. whats everybody else think bout these things?

[jessej]

I use a cominolli rod with a wilson buff. It seems to soften it up for me. Now that you mention it, I don't recall what my gun feels like without the buff. But if it feels better for you then stick with it.

[Jasonub]

i want insurance that my 3000 dollar pistol wont break easyly and it softens the recoil somewhat.

[redmercury2]

i would rather beat the shok-buff than beat the frame,also i prefer the feel with a buff.

[TriggerT]

I would say stick with the Buff, and maybe shorten the spring just a hair. The Buff is eating up some of the space, so if you shorten the spring that MIGHT equal things out. I agree with everyone else, I like the extra "protection" the buff provides.

[rhino]

I think shock buffs are a solution in search of the classic nonexistent problem. I've seen them induce a lot of malfunctions too. If you're concerned about pounding your frame, I think a strong recoil/main spring combination is a better solution.

[Harmon]

Yeah, im not using a super light spring in my gun. its 16.5 pounds, but my guns a 45. I see no indication that im getting any frame battering, the shock buff created shortend the stroke of the gun enough that the slid was crashing into the buff, after the buff squashed down some, it stopped showing wear, or getting any bigger.

i took it out, shot it and the gun seems to shoot flatter. Call sti and ask them, they will tell you its not needed, and get the crap out of thier guns, as they do cause lots of problems.

some guns like em, some dont, my gun didnt.

[Chuck D]

I use a 17.5 pound spring and a Wilson buff in every 45acp I've ever used for IPSC shooting going back to 1987. I've never had a "buff related" failure of any kind.

Must just be lucky.

[ErikW]

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5186

[joaquino]

I just get rid of my buffs, I used the one from EWG but they get damaged very fast and then caused some malfunction and feeding problem to. I went back to original setup with stainless steel rod and 14lbs. spring this works perfect on my briley 40s&w

(never mess with the original setup?!?)

Cheers

Chris

[tightloop]

I usually follow my 'smiths advice.

[BSeevers]

I am "in the buff" so to speak. Its a good way to measure how your gun is running. If you chew it up a lot you need smithing and maybe a heavier spring.

[Stu Love]

My 5" 1911 obliterates a buff in about 100 rds of 175 PF .45, with an 18.5 lb recoil spring. I tried shooting it without the buff and had 4 or 5 failures to return to battery. I'm not sure what to do now.. I'd like to get rid of the buff and the potential for jams when the buff gets smashed after 100 rds.

[Duane Thomas]

I recently quit using a Shok Buff after about 15K with one. MUCH less muzzle flip and a softer shooting gun.

[Phil Dunlop]

"MUCH less muzzle flip and a softer shooting gun."

I've found the same Duane, begs the question how much softer would a 1911 shoot with even more slide travel

[wide45]

.40 para. STI slide, AET bull barrel, Nowlin SS guide rod, ISMI 12.5lb spring.

Buff free and lovin' it.

[Duane Thomas]

If you're concerned about pounding your frame, I think a strong recoil/main spring combination is a better solution.

I run a 10-pound Wolff variable power recoil spring and 17-pound mainspring with Major loads in a .45 with no Shok Buff and no problems.

[Chuck D]

10 pound recoil spring in a 45?

[TDean]

I run a 12# in my P14 with a buff.

It looks a little chewed-on after 500rds....

[sfinney]

Limited gun - 12.5 lb ISMI with Red Buff, lots of slide glide - .40 @ 170 pf - I replace the buff every 1000 rds or so. Works flawlessly. I've never had a pistol malfunction from a buff, even when I shot one to pieces once.

Maybe I'll try without one now, to see if I get less muzzle flip?

[Duane Thomas]

10 pound recoil spring in a 45?

Yep. I probably never would have gone that low, but when I attended a class with Matt Burkett in Arizona he was giving me a hard time about my "heavy" 12-pound recoil spring and suggested, in his low-key, modest way, that I try a 10 which (if memory serves me correctly) is what he uses in his .40 with Major loads. Hey, I'm willing to be taught. I tried it. It works. Less perceived recoil, no loss of reliability. I'll take it.

[kevin c]

...and suggested, in his low-key, modest way...

Yah, ya got the man pegged...

[EricW]

Shock Buffs used to be a big mystery to me. Now that I've used them, I'll never understand how it could ever be made to be so complicated. It's a $5 experiment. Either you use them, they work and you like them, or it doesn't work.

I don't think there's ever been more angst or controversy over something so trivial. There's plenty of practice time (or should be) to know if the thing works or not before game day.

I'm using 2 Wilson buffs in my STI. I've been through probably 3-4K rounds with the same set. They still look brand new. I plan to use 2 buffs in my 1911. I'll bet they work just as well.

[NMinzghor]

I use a .125 buff on a fat free 6" limited gun with a 10# recoil spring and 15# mainspring and it is much softer with it than without.

[GvU]

In 2001 I was shooting a level 3 match (then a 45 PO), were halfway the match I noticed the slide kind of binding. The buffer was past usefull life and I removed the buffer, lackking a new one I shot the remaining match without and have not noticed a difference (probalby not the place to check).

In that setup I did have a long bufferlife like 1500 to 2000 rnds (230gn at 180PF).

I have used another buffer early last year, in my 40 (PO frame, infinity slide, clark match barrel, 14 lb recoilspring) and could not realy tell the difference so I discarded that buffer when it gave in, after again some 1500-2000 rounds. No more buffers for me (I think). The recoil master I tried gave in after some 5000-5500 rounds. That didn't reduce recoil. The new RM is still unused.

Early this year, I did compare a 12.5 and a 14 lb ISMI-recoilsprings and had much better grouping with the 14 lb spring and more dispersal with the 12.5. (Using 190gn bullets at about 175PF.)

Come to think of it I cannot tell the difference between 180 and 220 grain bullets or any in between at 175PF. (Insensitive me?).

In 45 however the difference between 200 and 230 grains was always very noticable!

One more thing. I do believe the mainspring is of major influence on slide cycling, to the point were it has quite some influence on recoil. Just try to cycle the slide hammer down and then hammer cocked! I allways use a fullpower mainspring, maybe that helps tame down the 40 more than anything else (slide velocity and recoil).

DVC, John