Recoil Buffers

[Holshot]

Does anyone know the thicknesses of the various recoil buffers available? The ones I am aware of are Wilson, EGW, CP, Ed Brown, and Buffer Tech but before buying and measuring them all I thought I would ask.

Any opinons on which last longer in your set ups?

Anyone have a Hiett RedBuff supply you're not using?

Thanks

[Josh Biondi]

i used EGW on my edge and it worked fine...but i dont know the measure

[Canuck-IL]

Durability - CP #1, BufferTech 2, Wilson and Brown suck, haven't tried EGW's.

/Bryan

[el pres]

Never tried any buffers, how much difference is there and is it worth the

trouble to add a part that can come apart ???

[All-Gator]

DC

They are useful in timing the slide cycle, ie, more buffers yield a short(er) stroke. I remember that Merle Edington (World Champ in '93...or'94) used three of 'em.

A-G

[davidwiz]

Never tried any buffers, how much difference is there and is it worth the

trouble to add a part that can come apart ???

There are some very well known gunsmiths who insist that a shok buff be used. They are very easy to add, you just take the guide rod out, take the recoil spring off, put the buff on the guide rod and replace the spring. I've been using them in my guns since I started in '94 and I've never had one break or come apart while in the gun.

If you add more than 1 buff, you can cause ejection and/or feeding problems. Make sure that you test-fire after adding a buff if the gun didn't have one before.

[adweisbe]

Seems like you would have to check for coil bind after you add a buff(s)? Wouldn't want the front of the slide falling off.

[chirpy]

Check out Dawson Precision...He advertises Aluma Buffs (P. 14) @.100 and .150 thicknesses. Haven't tried them but looks interesting.

Richard

[Crusher]

Seems like you would have to check for coil bind after you add a buff(s)? Wouldn't want the front of the slide falling off.

Not an issue unless you install an new (un-trimmed) recoil spring that is to long when compressed to fit inside the spring tunnel and stacks/ binds.

Sometimes what shock buff can do is cause the slide lock to engage as a result of the notch for the slide stop (on the slide) aligning with the slide stop and engaging as a result of recoil. Buff(s) will shorten the overall slide travel and can be usefull in "stroking" the slide and will also change the "feel" of the recoil impulse (that sharp jolt) as the metal spring tunnel smacks the frame from lightly sprung guns. All in all its a matter of personal "feel".

Edited June 24, 2008 by Crusher

[All-Gator]

To add to Crusher's comment: Often you also have to intall a longer ejector in combination with multiple buffs. But if you are after sub-.15 splits it can be worth the effort.

A-G

[adweisbe]

Not an issue unless you install an new (un-trimmed) recoil spring that is to long when compressed to fit inside the spring tunnel and stacks/ binds.

I think I get it now. There is less space but the slide is also stopping that much earlier.

[wide45]

Not an issue unless you install an new (un-trimmed) recoil spring that is to long when compressed to fit inside the spring tunnel and stacks/ binds.

I think I get it now. There is less space but the slide is also stopping that much earlier.

With a buff, the space for the spring is the same, the slide just does not travel as far.

Edited June 24, 2008 by wide45

[adweisbe]

With a buff, the space for the spring is the same, the slide just does not travel as far.

Why won't the spring be slightly (thickness of the buff) more compressed when the slide is in battery? The buff exists in space that the spring would have been extending into until it reaches the head of the guide rod.

[wide45]

With a buff, the space for the spring is the same, the slide just does not travel as far.

Why won't the spring be slightly (thickness of the buff) more compressed when the slide is in battery? The buff exists in space that the spring would have been extending into until it reaches the head of the guide rod.

When the slide is back all the way, it stops against the guide rod head, or buff. For the spring, it does not matter if there is a buff, or several. The spring will pack into the spring tunnel in the slide. That space will not change unless you change the spring plug.

[All-Gator]

Ad

It is common to clip coils off of the recoil spring. No real problem unless you are using a progressive spring.

A-G

[larry cazes]

I use them in all of my 1911 pattern guns just because they are cheap insurance against frame/slide battering and I have never had one shred and come apart. Most single thickness buffs are .090" thick. I ALWAYS check for spring bind when switching to a new spring and clip coils if needed and I also check to be sure that the buff is not dragging. If it drags just trim the edges a bit with an exacto blade.

[HighVelocity]

This is a very interesting topic. I used to use a shok-buff (CP) but after many thousands of rounds through various 1911's, I never saw any difference in the amount of wear on the guide rod head or in the area of the frame where it rides. Is frame battering mainly caused by some other deficiency in the guns opperation? Is the shok-buff just a patch that hides the real issue?

Gary

[adweisbe]

This came with a spring I bought today. Don't shoot the messenger.

Let S1 be the space available to the recoil spring when the slide is in battery.

Let S2 be the space available to the recoil spring when the slide is fully to the rear.

Wide45 we are in agreement that a buff does not effect the space available in S2.

Edited June 30, 2008 by adweisbe

[Crusher]

The method listed by IMSI for checking spring bind/stacking is universal for all semi autos and as such accompanies all springs sold by IMSI (which is more than some other manufacturers put out there. Nothing worse than watching the nubbies bushing, spring plug, and spring sailing downrange and having them tell you that spring only had 400 rounds on it and you telling them they DON'T get a reshoot on the stage).

For 1911/2011 guns with FLGR its easier and faster to assemble the spring on the GR and into the slide and just compress the sucker untill the GR head contacts the spring tunnel clip as needed, no pencil, tape or other gobldy gook.

Edited July 1, 2008 by Crusher