A5 Questions

[tb-av]

Sounds like my best place to start would be with an A5H4 and work down if I do go this route, but I'm not going to mess with the gas on this BCM.

The A5 buffers are lighter than the regular. H2 is heavierr than A5-2... A5-4 is going to be really heavy. Not sure I have heard of anyone going that heavy.

Somewhere I have read about switching the inserts to make a weight you want but I have never seen the thread, directions, video, or whatever the post was referencing. I -thin- maybe some people get the heavy one and reduce it down by altering the internals... but not sure how it's done.

A5H2 = 4.5 oz

H2 = 4.6 oz and 3.5 reciprocating weight. Not sure how the latter weight is in the A5.

A5-H4 = 6.5 oz

Holy cow.... This site says if suppressed use their 10oz buffer!! http://www.heavybuffers.com/vltor.html they do sell a buffer kit and inserts though to tune your buffer.

[0uTkAsT]

For what it's worth, I finally got a response directly from Vltor CS and they recommended the A5H4 and a milspec rifle spring for my suppressed 11.5" gun.

[Pappabear]

What’s up with the supply issue? When your product is in demand why not just make
more?

My guess: They don't make in house, they had to purchase from one of the few vendors, BCM, Vltor for example. Im a pretty big fanboy of the A5, but if your gun is running great it will probably just smooth it out a bit. I have switched multiple uppers with A5 and NOT A5 and I always noticed. Also, we are taking $100, not a $1,000 smacks so if you want to scratch that itch and have the hundo, let the good times roll. Good luck.

You probably saw multiple guys say, "all new builds get the A5" there is a reason for that. Im in the same boat.

PB

[prepare]

Yeah I've got several. Its just every time I got to buy another one they're out of stock.

[MistWolf]

The A5 buffers are lighter than the regular. H2 is heavier than A5-2...

Perhaps you meant it the other way around...?

Rifle buffer


A5H2 buffer


H2 buffer


H buffer


CAR buffer

[BWT]

I thought about starting my own thread at one point but this is really relevant to what I was going to ask. I've heard that the A5 slows/reduces the recoil impulse.

I'm thinking about using one for a 12.5'' BCM SBR - gun runs fine, but it's a registered SBR and I've been thinking - if it saves the pins/receiver (I pretty much figure I'll be holding onto the receiver all of my life as it's an NFA item), offers longer operational life (less frequent spring replacements), gives me a QD end plate (my SBR was purchased in 2013 - the new models come with it), and smooths recoil some. Why not? It seems to be 2-3 benefits instead of just a muzzle break / flash hider and it's $100.

I'll confess I bought one of the Sionic lowers with an A5 extension years ago and I forget the buffer weight (I'll go grab it out of the safe - as I'm sure this comment will be unpopular), but I put a 16'' Midlength upper on it (to test it per Scott Ryan's before you Form 1 thread) and I believe it had a single short stroke out of the 3 magazines I ran through it. I honestly just didn't want to kind of go through chasing down was it my upper, was it the buffer weight, was it a fluke with the ammo, would they want me to ship it back, etc., etc. - I didn't have any other uppers other the 16'' Midlength and my 12.5'' and I didn't want to put my 12.5'' upper on the Sionics complete lower (for obvious reasons).

At the time - I was going to Form 1 an AR lower, I was in school full-time, working full-time and just wanted to test a complete lower before filing a Form 1 before 41P went into effect (at the time it was still looking pretty grim - Thank God that went so well). So, I figured just buy another BCM lower and file a Form 1 ASAP as I've had several flawless experiences - I did. I was thinking I'd mess with the Sionics lower later.

Here I am... years later and this thread drummed up some memories and I figured I'd ask my questions here.

ETA: I went and grabbed the lower and pulled out the buffer. It doesn't seem to have a buffer weight on the face of the buffer - it simply says. A5 VLTOR PAT#8296984 OTHER PAT PENDING. Any easy way to discern?

It appears the new models list it on the front.

https://www.weaponoutfitters.com/vltor-a5-buffers.html

Also,

Is what I asked in the first paragraph accurate regarding extended service life, reduced recoil, and potentially lengthening/softening recoil impulse?

God Bless,

Brandon

[JediGuy]

Not the resident expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.
I doubt the A5 would extend service life of parts by any measurable amount. I don’t think it reduces recoil, but it does change the recoil impulse which may cause one to perceive recoil as less. IraqG notes the purpose of the system above, so these things are tangential.
As to what buffer you have, I would hazard a guess that you have what is now called the A5H2 but which was simply the standard/only option initially. My understanding is that the A5H2 weight is what the system was designed around.

[RobertTheTexan]

I’d say that is changing, or at least starting to, with companies like solgw using them on complete builds and vltor stating they are increasing production this year.

I rarely bought a complete system from Vltor, mostly because they were out of stock. If I buy a complete system from BCM, it’s usually bevuE I have titanium weights to get my buffer up to an H3. So usually I’m buying each piece individually. If I find a Vltor A5 on the E&E I usually pick it up, if it’s a good buy. Probably the majority of my tubes are Magpul SR25/M110 tubes, I like the 10 position tube they have. I’ve never found Sprinco OOS on the springs I use. That leaves me only hunting for the buffer. I usually find one, it may take some digging online, or as mentioned I’ll find an H4 and pull weights how I end up with extras) to use in a H0/1/2 to get it to an H3. That said if I’m using a smaller port barrel like the Centurion I had, then I’ll use an A5H2.


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[RobertTheTexan]

The A5 buffers are lighter than the regular. H2 is heavierr than A5-2... A5-4 is going to be really heavy. Not sure I have heard of anyone going that heavy.

Somewhere I have read about switching the inserts to make a weight you want but I have never seen the thread, directions, video, or whatever the post was referencing. I -thin- maybe some people get the heavy one and reduce it down by altering the internals... but not sure how it's done.

A5H2 = 4.5 oz

H2 = 4.6 oz and 3.5 reciprocating weight. Not sure how the latter weight is in the A5.

A5-H4 = 6.5 oz

Holy cow.... This site says if suppressed use their 10oz buffer!! http://www.heavybuffers.com/vltor.html they do sell a buffer kit and inserts though to tune your buffer.

Pop the roll pin out, pull out the rubber plug, remove/replace weights, and I use my postal scale to weight it to the 1/10 ounce. I don’t do anything funky. The last thing I want is to have some oddball buffer weight running one of my rigs. So I weigh them exactly to the specs of the buffer.

But in short, it’s a super simple process that I did not do it to tweak anything but mainly because I had a hard time finding an H3. I did the same on my AR-10 carbine buffer to get it up to the weight I needed. I had an H and an H4 and made an H2 which was what I needed.


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[Clint]

For a dedicated suppressed upper, the first order of business is correcting the gas drive.

Buffering up doesn't fix excess gas drive; it can only slightly counter balance it.

Buffers can change the moving mass by 10-15% at most, while suppressors add 20-40% to the gas drive.

When the overall gas drive is in the normal range, any reasonable buffer will work.