Reciprocating mass and the recoil impulse
I'm curious about contradictory principles I've read regarding the felt recoil impulse of the AR system.
A lot of people recommend heavier buffers and bolt carriers to cut down on felt recoil, relying on the inertia of the greater mass to increase lock time and eat up more energy before it is transferred back into the shooter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rob_s
The heavier carrier also reduces the felt recoil impulse... The heavier buffer can also decrease felt recoil.
But then on the flip side of that coin, there are systems like the JP Low Mass Operating System which aim to reduce the amount of reciprocating mass within the rifle, thereby reducing the back-and-forth impulses of operation. I know that gotm4 runs these carriers in a couple of his builds.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gotm4
The trick to lower felt recoil is lowering the moving mass...
How do these principles balance out?
Bear in mind, I am not asking about reliability, lock time, etc. I know that there are a host of concerns with picking too heavy or too light of a system. I am solely asking about felt recoil.
Is one strategy better dependent on the overall weight of the gun? Is one strategy better depending on whether or not you are running a brake?
Does the buffer or the carrier matter more than the other in this equation? I.E. what if someone used a very light carrier with a very heavy buffer, or vice versa?
I'm curious how the physics all balance out here.