04-03-2018, 09:31 PM
I'm under house-arrest while recovering from major surgery, so I'm trying to stay occupied without doing anything physically stressing or too heavy. Dr's orders, my wife is the "enforcer". All is OK now, I'm not looking for or needing sympathy, it is what it is, I'll be 100% in a few more days. This recent one is nothing compared to bad motorcycle accident in '04. I can only surf so much on forums, I don't watch much TV, so I'm "piddling around" as my dad used to say. All I ask is the good Lord's favor that I'm up to walking the "worlds largest" gun show, the Wanenmacher's gun show in Tulsa this weekend.
OK, I'm wanting to make one or more "lighter than standard weight carbine buffers". I know you can buy them, that's just not me, and I've got time on my hands. Just for grins & giggles, today I took apart a spare std carbine buffer tube. For this particular buffer tube, the three steel weights & three rubber pads have a total stacked height of 2.045" (all measurements are very quick and dirty for this exercise.) The cavity in the empty buffer tube is 2.660", less the 0.485" portion of the poly plug that goes into the tube, leaving a space of 0.130 for the stack of three spacers and three weights to rattle back and forth in.
My question is, is that 0.130" space needed? Or, is it OK for the spacers & weights to be exactly the same length as the buffer tube cavity and not rattle around?
I'm gonna fine-tune an upper, I thought I'd try the following carbine buffer tubes;
1) 100% empty, no spacers or weights, but tapered poly plug in place.
2) 1 weight, 1 spacer, and a piece of 1/2" wooden dowel rod, trimmed to the length of the 2 missing spacers & 2 missing weights.
3) 2 weights & 2 spacers and a piece of 1/2" wooden dowel rod, trimmed to correct length.
Do I need to make the 1/2" wood plugs the exact length of the spacer(s) & weight(s) I removed, to keep the 0.130" available room to rattle around in, or is it OK for the 1/2" wood plugs, weights & spacers to make a tighter/quieter stack, as long as the poly plug fits and roll pin is in place?
My gut feel is the 0.130" isn't needed, it's the total reciprocating mass weight that matters and makes it all work, whether it's a standard buffer, H2, H3, custom aftermarket, different springs, etc.
I also have a new JP carbine length spring which I'll be trying, which leaves me a stock ~10.5" spring that I can trim a couple of coils from to play with too.
Thanks in advance!
Joe
OK, I'm wanting to make one or more "lighter than standard weight carbine buffers". I know you can buy them, that's just not me, and I've got time on my hands. Just for grins & giggles, today I took apart a spare std carbine buffer tube. For this particular buffer tube, the three steel weights & three rubber pads have a total stacked height of 2.045" (all measurements are very quick and dirty for this exercise.) The cavity in the empty buffer tube is 2.660", less the 0.485" portion of the poly plug that goes into the tube, leaving a space of 0.130 for the stack of three spacers and three weights to rattle back and forth in.
My question is, is that 0.130" space needed? Or, is it OK for the spacers & weights to be exactly the same length as the buffer tube cavity and not rattle around?
I'm gonna fine-tune an upper, I thought I'd try the following carbine buffer tubes;
1) 100% empty, no spacers or weights, but tapered poly plug in place.
2) 1 weight, 1 spacer, and a piece of 1/2" wooden dowel rod, trimmed to the length of the 2 missing spacers & 2 missing weights.
3) 2 weights & 2 spacers and a piece of 1/2" wooden dowel rod, trimmed to correct length.
Do I need to make the 1/2" wood plugs the exact length of the spacer(s) & weight(s) I removed, to keep the 0.130" available room to rattle around in, or is it OK for the 1/2" wood plugs, weights & spacers to make a tighter/quieter stack, as long as the poly plug fits and roll pin is in place?
My gut feel is the 0.130" isn't needed, it's the total reciprocating mass weight that matters and makes it all work, whether it's a standard buffer, H2, H3, custom aftermarket, different springs, etc.
I also have a new JP carbine length spring which I'll be trying, which leaves me a stock ~10.5" spring that I can trim a couple of coils from to play with too.
Thanks in advance!
Joe