Buffer Systems Are an Often Overlooked Component of AR Rifles
Quality Matters
So, there are 3 parts to a buffer system, and they need to be balanced properly to make sure the rifle cycles are appropriate. The 3 things are the buffer tube, the buffer, and the spring. Most rifles come with the exact same thing. They come with a standard buffer tube, carbine round wire spring, and a carbine buffer. These are what the military uses because I’m sure they are just the cheapest. The military likes cheap stuff.
Built for Longevity
We build a rifle the right way and use modern manufacturing to make a reliable, accurate and durable rifle. We don’t listen to what a standard from the 80s says we should be using. If you really want to see how technology has advanced, follow the money. Working in the oil field I found technology to advance at an insane rate over the last 20 years. They put a lot of money behind the longevity of all the parts. They wanted to make as much money as they could from the parts they had in place. When a rig was down for maintenance it cost them millions. When a rifle is down it could cost lives. So why has the firearms market not taken some of that research and applied it to what we do? No idea. I did though.
What Sets Our Buffer Systems Apart
The main things we do differently are the buffer tubes and the buffer spring. We have done a few things different on the buffer but let’s be honest that’s just a weight. It does contact the tube, so it must have the right level of lubricity and weight to operate correctly. So, our buffers are weighted properly to give enough energy to help cycle the bolt smoothly.
It’s More Than Just a Spring
The buffer spring is where the money is though. It’s the thing that most people ignore, and it does all the work. It plays a big role in the proper cycling and longevity of reliability. We use our version of flat wire springs. This is a lesson taken from the oil field that has been applied to rifles. Its complicated but ill explain the best I can.
Studies have shown that flat wire has more potential energy when compared to a round wire of the same size. This means it creates more force sending the BCG home making it more reliable because it takes a greater amount of force to slow it down. Flat wire also occupies less space than a round wire spring of the same size. This is because it can fold in on itself leaving no gaps when fully compressed. Since we are not making the buffer shorter, we are able to increase the coils to make the spring longer thus giving the spring the ability to produce 33% more force while greatly softening the perceived kick of the rifle. It’s more a gentle push than a kick in our rifles. Between the spring and the buffer, they keep the BCG moving through more crap than the traditional buffer system does.
Our Simple, but Effective Enhancement
Next thing that seems simple, but no one is doing is our enhanced buffer tube. The 1980s version that everyone still uses has a gap between the back of the BCG and the buffer tube. We added a lip to the buffer tube, so the BCG starts semi in the buffer tube. Seems like common sense but no one thinks about this. It drastically reduces the wear to the BCG and eliminates the issue of the BCG slowing down or stopping because of improper feeding. It also locks the tube to the retaining pin making it impossible for the buffer tube to back out. If you’re reading this thinking this has never happened to you just pull out your BCG and look at the back and look at the buffer tube. You will see advanced wear, I promise you. It’s all about the long term here if you haven’t noticed.
A Mitchell Defense Rifle should be the last rifle you will ever need to buy.
