Help me decide / educate me on buffers.

[lysander]

Do you know why this design failed? Was it because the floating weights were too small a fraction of the total buffer mass?

Probably several reasons, but the weight of three steel weight and their pads is 1.9 oz, the weight the buffer body was 3.5 oz, so that is a likely contributor.

[lysander]

Was there a program to replace buffers in existing M4A1s that were made before that date?

The development of the H2 buffer from 1999 to 2003 was the only buffer improvement recorded, other than what was done during the XM4 development.

[lysander]

Just an update to my question, I weighed my current buffer today on a postal scale; weighed in at 4.3 oz. Somewhere between an H and an H2 as I understand it. So I guess I’m just going to continue to use the current buffer, based on its weight.

The allowable variation in tungsten weights is a maximum of 1.37 oz per weight to 1.55 oz per weight. So, with two of them the range is 0.375 oz, not including the variation in the weight of the aluminum buffer body.

Roughly:

Standard buffers will be between 2.95 -3.05 oz
H1 buffers will be between 3.98 - 3.94 oz
H2 buffers will be between 4.41 - 4.83 oz
H3 buffers will be between 5.14 -5.73 oz

You may note that the averages give the nominal weights of 3 oz, 3.8 oz, 4.6 oz, and 5.4 oz

[1168]

The development of the H2 buffer from 1999 to 2003 was the only buffer improvement recorded, other than what was done during the XM4 development.

To be more clear, what I meant was: did the M4a1s that left the factory prior to 2003 with H1s get upraded with H2s during the time period that they still had govt profile barrels? Like, an armorer level upgrade. Or did that not occur until the “SOCOM” profile barrel upgrade?

[fedupflyer]

Who authored this chart? The source is as important as the chart.

It came from Springco.

I though I put that in the original post but it does not appear to be there.

[markm]

An H2 or H3 is simply not needed in most cases with semi auto guns friend.

I have plenty of AR pattern carbines that came with 'carbine' buffers and they shoot just fine as is...

Did you see the post by Rsilvers years back that quantified the H2 as the best buffer for the carbine action/spring? Carbine buffers, in my experience, don't work good enough in ANY set up. WAY too light.

- A solid steel buffer, which bounced so bad they couldn't get a full three round burst off.

Those goofballs at heavybuffers.com make one we tried that bounced so friggin bad it was distracting. I thought we would have bullets fall out like an inertia bullet pulling hammer. I have no idea how that even made it to market... American mediocrity in motion.

[lysander]

To be more clear, what I meant was: did the M4a1s that left the factory prior to 2003 with H1s get upraded with H2s during the time period that they still had govt profile barrels? Like, an armorer level upgrade. Or did that not occur until the “SOCOM” profile barrel upgrade?

I have no record of M4 or M4A1 ever having the H1 buffer.

It may have been a SOPMOD, but general service M4s went from three steel weights (P/N 9390023/NSN 1005-01-231-3138, assn 1986-04-05) to the two tungsten/one steel buffer (P/N 13004468/NSN 1005-01-522-0772, assn 2004-07-16).

The information in bold is incorrect.

The standard weight buffer is P/N 8448730, NSN 1005-00-914-4578. In 1997, the single tungsten weight (H) buffer was introduced, P/N 9390023. Then in 2003, the two tungsten weight (H2) buffer, P/N 13004468 was approved.

[HKGuns]

For the data points only, I have a VLTOR H4 that I bought for experimentation purposes but is pretty much too heavy for anything I own.

It weighs in at a healthy 7.2 oz
I have an H3 somewhere but can’t find it.
Standard A5 buffer is 5.5 oz

[markm]

For the data points only, I have a VLTOR H4 that I bought for experimentation purposes but is pretty much too heavy for anything I own.

Yeah... the reciprocating mass on that would be rough if a gun ran with that beast.

[Hammer_Man]

Yeah... the reciprocating mass on that would be rough if a gun ran with that beast.

The only thing I can think of that would be remotely applicable would be an over-gassed 308 AR10.