AR-15 – The Truth About Buffers

So, if your gas block has an adjustable gas port, would you just choose the heaviest buffer possible? Or is that when caliber and grain come into play? I like the adjustable gas block because I can tune it differently if I want to attach a suppressor. Now that I've watched your video, I'm wondering if slipping in a different buffer would work just as well. That way I don't have to remove the hand guard to adjust the gas block.

What do you recommend for a 16" 300 blackout with pistol lenght gas system

Thanks man. Very helpful.

I've had really good luck using the spikes st-t2 buffer in both my 16 inch colt and a 10.5 psa upper both have ran flawlessly it's kinda the best in between buffer all around I've never had to bounce back and forth between different buffers

Hickok would be proud of all that ballistol

I run an H3 in my carbine. No problems so far. If I ever run into an ammo it doesn't run properly I always have a standard buffer lying around. For me though with my built I have had no problems yet.

Good video on buffers. A better option for proper cycling of the BCG is to install an adjustable gas block. Keeping with the lightest buffer and adjusting for bolt hold open on last round (various types) will equate to least amount of felt recoil (staying on target after trigger pull).

oversized gasports is because many use ammo that has a lower pressure so you get cycling problems. proper or smaller gasports are good if you shoot quality ammo all the time.

Adjustable gas block help in this area, especially if you run suppressed but many you will have issues getting to the adjustment system. there are adjustable BCG and you need to take the gun down to adjust it.

Just going to a heavier buffer is a bandaid to a problem(gas port, bad chambers, bad ammo many things), so buy quality arrels (solgw, ballistic advantage, faxon and to a degree bcm). buy a quality gas block as well, so many cheap options you will experience erosion of the port making it larger.

Bolt bounce does not exist in a DI ar15

Is an H2 Buffer good for a 10.5in AR? What about just a regular standard carbine spring? Is that okay as well?

Take a shot of whiskey every time he says “gas port too large”

I thought I knew everything about buffer selection until o spoke with man that worked for the DOD outing these rifles through their paces. Call DEZ tactical for an enlightening lesson.

It's worth it to mention that an adjustable gas block also can be used to tune dwell

I have a 7.5 ar pistol and i believe it’s over gassed which buffer do you recommend. It shoots only 2 bullets then stops

In my own opinion and experience, I choose the Spikes Tactical buffer tube kit. It has a very high level of quality for its construction and materials. It works very well and if somebody new is confused about buffers I don’t see the T2 going wrong.

adjustable gas block and a lighter spring

Car-bean or car-bine

why dont they make one you can change the weight

ty for doing the work for me

So how do I know what’s the best gas block to get ?

Colt runs an H buffer in the 6920. That's good enough for me.

What rail is that on your mid length buddy?

Watching this video is giving me gas.

Excellent Video, quick question. i like how you described the reason for the weights and how the powder filled buffer can cause bolt bounce. What do you think about the new springless captured buffers like the Armaspec ?, do think that might cause any problems like bolt bounce ?, Thanks, Mike

Would buying an adjustable gas block work to help mitigate this too?

spring matters too not just the buffer…flat wire is better

While in the service we had h2s and h1s. Everything from mk18s, mk12s, 10.4s, 14.7s, 11.5s, 20s, were h2s with one of the tungsten's missing to full h2s or a full h1.

I think you need more ballistol

Ha! You need the hydraulic buffer per Sons Of Guns William Hayden. Ha! Ha! Anyone see that episode where they met the Colonel from a nuclear facility and their AR malfunctioned because it had a regular buffer and not a hydraulic buffer? Ha! Nuclear facility? Ha! We don't have any Colonel. Ha! A Colonel in a black SUV. Ha!

so you buy 6 buffers and try each ??? really

Sponsored by Ballistol?

What kind of gun lube do you use?

Good job! What the heck happened to you these 4 years+?

I've heard of Garand thumb, never heard of AR thumb.

Just found ur channel, I'm getting ready to to an AR build but the upper is a 50 AE, which kind if buffer do I need. It's gonna be a rifle, 16.5 inches for upper

7:34. That issue is not a double feed. It's simply a failure to extract. A double feed would be two fresh rounds being stripped from the mag, and both trying to enter the chamber.

I understand what you are saying but I don’t agree with your statement of increasing the dwell time. Your dwell time can not be increased or decreased unless you change the length of the barrel after your gas port. A heavier buffers don’t change dwell time, they mainly change the inertia of the system. In other words with the increased mass the acceleration of the system will be lower than with a lighter buffer.

Honestly imo the best way to fix this is to just buy an adjustable gas block and then you can adjust the gas to exactly how much you need.

Idk what a buffer even does.

Ballistol!!!!! Best product on the lube market!

This was a very helpful vid. Thanks.

You have one of the best teaching channels on YouTube. Very detailed and clear and easy to follow. And thank gawd you don’t say “um”. After every sentence! Also you stay on task with the subject the videos about and never veer off wasting time talking about another topic or your personal life. THANK YOU

Well done, I was growing impatient with your methodical explanation and then it all came together in the last 2.5-3 minutes. Thanks I learned something

Most people don't even have to mess with this unless you're building suppressed or pistol. Make it too finicky and you can toss reliability out the window.

What about a hydraulic buffer?

Im not sure about AR15 buffers…. but… think you may need more ballistol.

Not true. By putting the heaviest one that cycles fine will most likely fail by a short stroke in cold weather. I recommend doing what he said but go down 1 weight after the heaviest buffer that cycles.
Doing so you know it'll work in any weather conditions.
Military small arms training 101.

I see said the blind man as he picked up the hammer and saw. Thanks.

Go with an adjustable gas block and problem solved.

I think I’m over gassed my new pistol build had some slight malfunctions and I believe my bcg is moving way to quickly I recorded myself shooting and I paused it when I took the shot and you can’t even see the bcg move that’s how fast it was operating going to try a heavy buffer. Does over gassing lead to other potential damage within the upper?

You do NOT want to select a buffer by simply choosing the heaviest one that will still let your bolt lock back on empty. It may run fine while clean and with good ammo, but you may experience malfunctions as it gets dirty or if you change ammo. Changes in ambient temperature will affect gas pressures, so the rifle with a heavy buffer that worked fine in the summer may malfunction in the winter.

If you really want to change buffers, you can typically run an H2 reliably with a carbine-length gas system and a H buffer with a mid-length gas system. Going any heavier may impact reliability.

What compensator do you have on that pistol? Very nice 👍🏾