How long should a shock buff last?

[markwilliston]

I'm shooting an STI trojan .45 with a tungstein guide rod and a 12 lbs recoil spring. The spring is new, put a new buff in before the weekend match. Shot 400 rounds of 175 pf over the weekend, and it is chewed to rat shit. I think the buff are the wilson blue ones.

How long should they last? I am doing something wrong?

[zhunter]

I use the Wilson Blue Buffs too.

.45 with a PF of about 170.

Recoil spring of 11#'s

Mine NEVER show wear, I change them about every 5000 rounds, but only because I am a Type A gun cleaning freak!!

Sounds like something is wrong to me

I am sure the Enos Forum elders will chime in tho

[EricW]

Look at the edge of your recoil spring tunnel. That's what bumps into the buff...or is supposed to anyway.

[JFD]

The only time I've had guns eat buffs is with a spring tunnel problem like a sharp edge.

I change mine every other time I clean the guns, or about 2000 rounds. They usually only show an "impact mark" and are likely still plenty good. Too cheap to not change IMHO.

[wide45]

I've stopped using them. I should have a few left in the back of a drawer somewhere. Expect they will last forever.

[lucas]

Me to .Now i use the hard plastic ones seem to last.

[Joe4d]

I use the blue wilsons in a Para 1640, 16 or 18 lb spring, I change em every so often but dont notice much wear.

[Joe4d]

I use the blue wilsons in a Para 1640, 16 or 18 lb spring, I change em every so often but dont notice much wear. In your case this may be the canary in the cave or frog in the pond, an early indicator that something is wrong and if you are chewing up buffs it amy be a precurser to chewing up frame.

[ATMester]

The only time I've had guns eat buffs is with a spring tunnel problem like a sharp edge.

Look at the edge of your recoil spring tunnel. That's what bumps into the buff...or is supposed to anyway.

Is this the only reason Guys?

My Les Baer finishes a shock buff in about 40 rounds. The spring tunnel does sharp. 16 lbs recoill and 19 lbs hammer spring. The buff lasted longer with stock springs (18.5 and 23) but it was shradded to pieces after the 500 round break in (no cleaining-diassambly)

I just got it back from the gun smith who tuned-checked it (it was running flawlessly) but it will be a ccw gun, so I just wanted make it super reliable...

I like buffs, but my Les Bear don't....???

Edited July 20, 2007 by TheHun

[ryan45kim]

Check you’re recoil spring for binding. If the spring is to long it will bind and stop the slide (instead of the slide hitting the buff the spring pushes on the center of the buff. That will destroy a buff in short order.

[mike cyrwus]

Check you’re recoil spring for binding. If the spring is to long it will bind and stop the slide (instead of the slide hitting the buff the spring pushes on the center of the buff. That will destroy a buff in short order.

Right; if the recoil spring goes "solid", youll be chewing up more than just buffs.

[cking]

I like the CP brand, they are very hard, and never seem to wear out. Para 45, 14 lb recoil, 19 hammer.

[CenTX]

Every now and then you will find a spring that coil binds. Sometimes the additional length of the buff can make the spring bind. If the spring is binding you are hammeing a tube of metal (the coil binding spring) into the buff and that will increase wear/tear up the buff.

You might want to try a Dawson Aluma-Buff if you are having issues with rubber buffs. You can look at the aluminum buff and get a better picture of what is happening to the buff, you should be able to see if the impact/wear is from the impact from the spring, the slide or the spring cap

All guns are different, add to that the different spring weights and you have a lot of variables that will impact the life of a buff. If a shock buff has a very short life, look for something wrong, if you can't find anything wrong try a different brand of buff.

[AZ38super]

My new 45 is on the way but I run the same buffs in my 38super open gun with a 10lb spring and get light impact marks but no wear.

[RobMoore]

Having never used a shock-buff, I only know what I've read in a few threads in various boards.

I was under the impression that excessive wear on a shock-buff meant your recoil spring was too light.

Is that true/false or only partially correct?

[Jaxshooter]

I have blue Wilson shokbuffs in two SV Sight Trakers in .40 with 12.5 lb recoil springs. They have been in both guns for a year with no damage. I do check and trim new recoil springs as necessary.