Lightweight Buffer Springs

[StoneHendge]

Anyone have experience with lighter weight (hence lower power required) buffer springs?

I did an R+2" gas system on my 26" McGowen 6mm Grendel barrel. That was a mistake and it will eject (barely) but not strip or lock back with the SupArms bleed off block at maximum pressure. The gas port looks like it could be bigger but that's the last thing I want to screw around with.

I'm going to order a JP LMOS carrier which will take the total BGG weight from 11.6 oz to 8.7 oz and a JP low mass rifle buffer which will take the buffer from 5.2 oz to 3.0 oz. That will take 30% of the mass out of the system which *should* be enough, but I might as well order a spring.

A lot of options out there that claim to reduce felt recoil, operate smoother, reduce noise, etc., but the TTI Ultimate Light Speed Buffer Spring is the only one I can find that would seem to actually reduce power needed.

http://tarantacticalinnovations.com/tti-ulitimate-light-speed-buffer-spring/

Anyone have experience with the TTI or know of any other options? I know the JP SCS can use lighter springs, but it wouldn't let me take mass out.

[bj139]

Why don't you try cutting a coil at a time from a stock $2 spring for use only with this barrel.

[98Z]

I'm going to order a JP LMOS carrier which will take the total BGG weight from 11.6 oz to 8.7 oz and a JP low mass rifle buffer which will take the buffer from 5.2 oz to 3.0 oz. That will take 30% of the mass out of the system which *should* be enough, but I might as well order a spring.

You can convert your own rifle buffer, that you have right now. Take it apart, remove the weights, and insert 1/2" plastic dowel back into the guts to take up the space that the weights did. That'll give you a 3.0 oz rifle buffer.

I had to do this on a 16" 300BLK build with carbine gas. Had to lighten the rifle buffer as far as it would go just to get it to lock back on the last round. It wasn't 100% reliable all the time, so I ended up taking it apart and drilling the gas port up to get it to fully function.

Just a heads up - before you spend a bunch of money on special JP parts, that you don't have to.

[Greyling]

my experience was similat to 98z's. my 300BO wasn't cycling, so I took a weight out of the buffer and cut 2 coils off my spring. rungs great now.

There are a lot of aftermarket parts that are drop in solutions for for people who don't have any know how. And that's fine, but I'm a bigger fan of using a little know how.

[StoneHendge]

Just a heads up - before you spend a bunch of money on special JP parts, that you don't have to.

I like having ways to justify buying JP stuff. I regret the first JP operating system I bought just like I regret the first time I tried a Premier Cru Burgundy (I believe it was a Chambolle-Musigny). I wish it had tasted like spoiled grape juice.....

[98Z]

That's cool. I have a motto on that stuff - Don't complicate shiit with complicated shiit.

Years ago, it was the hydraulic buffer craze. Why would you want a buffer with fluid in it, that gets beat, repeatedly? Seals will fail, your buffer will fail, and you have a non-operation weapon. You now have a club.

I'm not into the latest race-gun craze. Adjustible this and that, soft-shooting this and that... How can I mitigate ... whatever.

My opinion is this - first, you use your basic parts and make a functional weapon. After that, you determine what you need, to change "this" factor of what you observed in your rifle function. Too many days, these days, everybody want to add a bunch of complicated parts to a gun, based off internet reports, and they think it'll be "perfect." Until it doesn't function, when they try to shoot it.

At that point, you gotta trace all that shiit back and find out what the problem part was.

Simple works. Make it work, then change what you need to change, based on what you observed.

If you wanna spend a bunch of bucks on a JP rifle buffer that weighs 3oz, then do it. You can gut your current rifle buffer and make it 3oz, and function-check your rifle... I don't have an issue with your money - do with it what you want. Wish I had a "Thumbsup" smilie...

[StoneHendge]

I hear ya 98Z. And in 90% of applications, gutting the buffer would be fine. But I'm going to be trying to shoot P-dogs and marmots at some pretty extreme ranges with this rig, so anything that will help the system run as smooth as possible and help me maintain sight picture at as high a magnification as i can get will be worth the few extra bucks. Stay tuned - I hope to be able to video document these exploits

[grayfox]

Stony, I'm thinking you want to be the P-dog guy like DNS is the hog guy...!!!
(Graphic stuff, kids don't read any more!!!!)
When we see a leg-splat instead of a body-splat we'll know you stonehendged it!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

(What can I say, it's late and my funny bone is acting up!!)

[Kswhitetails]

Lol!

[bj139]

Just cycle them manually. I doubt you get many running prarie dog shots.

[StoneHendge]

Stony, I'm thinking you want to be the P-dog guy like DNS is the hog guy...!!!
(Graphic stuff, kids don't read any more!!!!)
When we see a leg-splat instead of a body-splat we'll know you stonehendged it!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

(What can I say, it's late and my funny bone is acting up!!)

It's actually the marmots that are intriguing me. Should be easier to find long range shots with good angles, backstops, etc. Plus the ballistics up higher are intriguing - supersonic to 1900 at 9500'. 1k drop of 6.4 mils and only 1.1 mils / 40.3" of 10 mph wind drift!

BJ, the great thing about P-dogs is that if you miss, sometimes they'll run around for a second or two and then stop, get on their hind legs and look right at you........

[StoneHendge]

Well, I'm not back in the saddle on the 6 Grrrrrrrr yet. Need to make ammo for other rifles before I return to load development, but figured I'd add this here as the quest for minimized muzzle movement extends to all my rifles. Ended up ordering the lightweight rifle buffer and reduced recoil rifle spring for my 20" slim profile 1:9 twist 223 (10%) from these guys:

https://taccom3g.com/product-category/rifle-components/recoil-systems-and-accessories/

Both pieces weigh 2.2 oz for the rifle buffer. The reciprocating piece weighs 1.1 oz and the other piece goes at the other end of the spring. In contrast, a standard rifle buffer weighs 5 oz and the JP lightweight Buffer I got for the 6mm Grrrrrr is 3 oz. I probably should have payed closer attention, but my guess is my Odin AGB is opened a tad more than 1 revolution - and 1.5 revolutions max shooting 55gr Norma TAC 223. I don't know how many revolutions it took to close the block from where it had previously been set, but I think it was several. It only took a 10 Rd mag to get it properly adjusted and had nary a hiccup putting 90 Rds down the pipe. Brass piled up neatly at 4 o'clock. Rifle has a standard mass BCG.

I didn't think it was possible to reduce muzzle movement any more from what it had been with the VG6 Epsilon 556 on it, but it did. I let a clubmate shoot it and his eyes were bulging. The only downside is that it is sproingy. But listening the the sproing gives me something to do while I watch the target and wait for the bullet to get there. There's no doubt that I won't miss a P-dog acrobatic with the set up.

I got the carbine buffer for the lightweight 223 build. 1.1 oz total and 0.6 for the reciprocating mass vs 3 oz for a standard carbine buffer. 2 clicks of gas may be all it needs with the Ti BCG.

I'm also going to try the light carbine buffers in my 18" Grrrrrr when I install the new 243 LBC barrel in due course.

All the light weight sounds really questionable and I'll admit I was skeptical, but I'm now a believer - at least in the world of 223 thus far.

Note that they also sell adjustable gas keys for $45. I may give theirs a try on my 300 BLK pistol which doesn't have an AGB since I'd have to take off the handguard to get to it.

[Sticks]

Since you are wandering down this path...

I bought a JPSCS with the spring kit and opted to install a heavier spring (running an auto carrier - heavy). I've noticed when I am macro focused during a shoot, I see and feel the forward recoil so to speak of the carrier going into battery.

Is it doable to put the light spring in and dial the gas to accommodate?

[StoneHendge]

Since you are wandering down this path...

I bought a JPSCS with the spring kit and opted to install a heavier spring (running an auto carrier - heavy). I've noticed when I am macro focused during a shoot, I see and feel the forward recoil so to speak of the carrier going into battery.

Is it doable to put the light spring in and dial the gas to accommodate?

I use the light spring in both of the SCS alt packs I have. I put it in my 22" Grendel with a LMOS carrier about a month that ago and was able to dial back a few clicks after running the stock spring. I've been running the light spring in my CM with a FMOS carrier since I put it together pretty much at the recommendation of Proof (the idea there being to have the weight of the carrier delay unlocking and then be as smooth as possible once unlocked). I would give the light spring a try - it will definitely reduce the energy of the bolt going back into battery.

Thing is with the 223 set up, the only movement I get is a slight down and left after

[Sticks]

I think that will be my next plan. Switch out that spring to the lightest one and re-tune the gas.