Frankly, I'm a little late to the A5 RE and Buffer System craze. I've now spent a decent amount of time researching it in recent months, and it does have me intrigued. The David Tubb video comparing springs was very Bill Geissele-esq. For one, they both have a storyteller voice, and I could probably listen to them talk about technical data for hours on end. On a more practical note, David's video provided some tangible data to support the rationale of switching out a part that may not be actually causing any problems.
Now, for the topic at hand, isn't the "magic" of the A5 less about the tube and more about the action spring and buffer? I understand the RE is the vessel that makes the magic of those items possible, and the additional positions fill a demand. But, if it weren't for the spring and buffer, and the only difference were the additional positions, would people be going as crazy over the A5 system? Assuming that the demand would not be as high if the sole benefit was additional stock positions, I'd like to focus on the spring and buffer. Are the three systems you mentioned all that distinguishable from each other in the spring & buffer regard? Admittedly, I haven't looked into the BCM or Magpul that much, but a cursory look yields the following comparisons.
VLTOR A5 - Proprietary Spring and Proprietary Buffers that are only compatible with the VLTOR A5.
BCM - Compatible only with a Rifle Action Spring and VLTOR Buffer(s)
Magpul - Bring your own Springs and Buffers. Standard carbine hardware? No problem. A5 proprietary equipment? That'll be fine too.
Assuming the above assessment of each is accurate...
Can the VLTOR really only be run with their own proprietary components? What is it that makes those components incompatible with standard carbine tubes, especially the buffer?
Will the BCM run with a VLTOR Action Spring? The fact that they advise a Rifle Spring with a VLTOR A5 Buffer indicates the answer to my question above is that the VLTOR Buffers can be used in conjunction with traditional springs.
Is the Magpul the most versatile? It will apparently work with just about any combination of springs and buffers. That doesn't mean each will run perfectly, but it seems to allow the end user the greatest amount of latitude. But, if run with a standard carbine spring and buffer, is the main advantage of the system lost?
Ultimately, if each is used in its intended configuration, is there any discernible difference in performance? If so, which would you give the nod to?
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