vltor a5 buffer system on your shtf/fighting rifle?

[EzGoingKev]

However the main reason I like it is the reduced or eliminated carrier bounce and reduced rate of fire provided by the A5.

Are you shooting full auto?

[handyandy]

I have A5 systems on my KAC SR-15 and 14.5" mid-length with a DD barrel. Both choke with Brown Bear when dirty, even with the lightest buffer, so off they come. For those rifles it was a solution to a problem that I didn't have and yielded no measurable benefit, for me.

Now, I will leave it on the lower I use on my S&W 5.45 upper, that gun is way overgassed with Russian Mil-surp ammo and it was a slight improvement over a carine system with an H3.

Having siad that, I don't have a SHTF only rifle so I can't dedicate only toM855. I won't spend the money to shoot 5.56 loads all the time. But for that role I think it shows minor improvement, versus a carbine buffer system. These are my findings having an A5 on 3 different lowers and IMHO, YMMV, yada, yada, yada.

[TCBA_Joe]

I'm kind of unsure as to what the A5 actually is.

This is what I understand:
Rifle spring
Rifle weight and size buffer (without the section forward of the front of the spring)
Longer buffer tube (that collapsed is the same length as a carbine tube?)

All this is basically a tuned system for a longer (smoother) stroke during cycling which allows a longer gas system and a shorter/over-gassed system to work similarly.

Do I have this correct? I'm interested in this system, but I'd like to make sure I understand what it is.

Would this work on a 7.62 AR to reduce some of the felt recoil?

[Belmont31R]

A5 system buffers as a cross between carbine and rifle buffers.


For me it has smoothed out the recoil. On my SR15 it was about as effective as adding the Triple Tap, and so far (couple k rounds) no loss of reliability.


AR10/SR25 buffer systems are already A5 length. Basically they took a SR25 length tube, and made a buffer to fit it for AR15 use. The Vltor A5 and AR10 extensions are the same size just a difference in the number of stock positions.

A carbine length stock will not collapse all the way. Something like an ACS will collapse to within a half inch of the castle nut.




Aside from that tech talk, as I said, on my SR15 the benefit was about equal to what the Triple Tap did for recoil and muzzle rise. With both of them on the gun off a bench the T1 red dot barely moves on a LaRue target at 250 yards. If I placed the dot upper COM on that target, and fired a round the dot would move up to about head height. To me that is pretty impressive at that distance.

[wahoo95]

II tried it on my 11.5" and didn't like it....sold it a week later. I installed the RE/buffer/spring and ran some speed and accuracy drills and noticed slightly more red dot movement compared to my previous set up with Battlecomp, H buffer and Carbine spring. Not sure why it didn't work for me, but it didn't so I stuck with worked better for me.

[Iraqgunz]

Correct me if I am wrong. I thought the SR-15 was supposed to be run with milspec ammo and not Russian fodder?

I have A5 systems on my KAC SR-15 and 14.5" mid-length with a DD barrel. Both choke with Brown Bear when dirty, even with the lightest buffer, so off they come. For those rifles it was a solution to a problem that I didn't have and yielded no measurable benefit, for me.

Now, I will leave it on the lower I use on my S&W 5.45 upper, that gun is way overgassed with Russian Mil-surp ammo and it was a slight improvement over a carine system with an H3.

Having siad that, I don't have a SHTF only rifle so I can't dedicate only toM855. I won't spend the money to shoot 5.56 loads all the time. But for that role I think it shows minor improvement, versus a carbine buffer system. These are my findings having an A5 on 3 different lowers and IMHO, YMMV, yada, yada, yada.

[MistWolf]

For the shorter carbine receiver extension to work without the BCG bottoming out during it's cycle, the carbine buffer must also be shortened. The buffer was shortened by removing the extra length aft of spring stop as well as to the fore to make everything as short as possible, necessitating a shorter spring. Shorter springs are less forgiving than longer springs.

The A5 extension is a length between the rifle and carbine. VLTOR simply removed the extra length of the buffer aft of the spring stop. The length ahead of the spring stop is the same as the rifle buffer. This allows the use of the longer rifle spring inside a shorter extension.

Here is a photo from the VLTOR webiste showing the difference between a standard rifle buffuer with spring (top) and the A5 bufferwith spring (bottom). You can clearly see where the extra length was removed. The solution is brilliant in it's simplicity


This photo shows the difference between the A5 buffer and the carbine buffer

An A5 extension compared to the carbine extension


Link to VLTOR A5 kit- http://vltor.com/emod-a5.html

[duece71]

For the shorter carbine receiver extension to work without the BCG bottoming out during it's cycle, the carbine buffer must also be shortened. The buffer was shortened by removing the extra length aft of spring stop as well as to the fore to make everything as short as possible, necessitating a shorter spring. Shorter springs are less forgiving than longer springs.

The A5 extension is a length between the rifle and carbine. VLTOR simply removed the extra length of the buffer aft of the spring stop. The length ahead of the spring stop is the same as the rifle buffer. This allows the use of the longer rifle spring inside a shorter extension.

Here is a photo from the VLTOR webiste showing the difference between a standard rifle buffuer with spring (top) and the A5 bufferwith spring (bottom). You can clearly see where the extra length was removed. The solution is brilliant in it's simplicity


This photo shows the difference between the A5 buffer and the carbine buffer

An A5 extension compared to the carbine extension


Link to VLTOR A5 kit- http://vltor.com/emod-a5.html

That cleared it up very well, Thank you for that.

[PortDawg]

BCM 16" hammerforged middy, BattleComp, and A5. I have experimented with the different A5 buffer weights, and have ran a 600 rnd count carbine course, and 300 or so rounds with the heavy buffer with zero malfunctions. Now have approx 1800 total through rifle with zero malfunctions. This is my SHTF rifle. I do have a complete spare (along with spare BCM bcg, ect.), that will more than likely become another rifle.

[Belmont31R]

BCM 16" hammerforged middy, BattleComp, and A5. I have experimented with the different A5 buffer weights, and have ran a 600 rnd count carbine course, and 300 or so rounds with the heavy buffer with zero malfunctions. Now have approx 1800 total through rifle with zero malfunctions. This is my SHTF rifle. I do have a complete spare (along with spare BCM bcg, ect.), that will more than likely become another rifle.

Probaly one of the best investments. Complete spare BCG and LPK with tools and knowledge how to do swaps.