Do shock buffers really work as intended? MAYBE, SOMETIMES AND MAYBE NOT. I do believe shock buffers can help protect a 1911 against battering and or a cracked frame or slide, but only if all is fitted perfect.
What follows is my observations about the use of shock buffers and the factors I consider necessary to a properly fitted 1911 with a shock buffer. I hope I am able to show how it is nearly impossible to get the fit right in most cases. I am not pro buffer and I am not against buffer use either. I just consider the use of a buffer too much trouble to get the fit right for proper protection.
I have read many posts and threads on this and other forums about the use of shock buffers. Many say they are worthless and shouldn’t be used and many others say the buffers are a valuable protection against battering that can damage the gun.
I have studied the 1911 design in an attempt to understand just how a shock buffer fits into the function of the gun so it can provide the intended protection. The only way the shock buffer can perform properly is when it is combined with a recoil spring that is fully compressed when the slide is all the way to the rear, putting some pressure on the shock buffer. If the recoil spring is not fully compressed, the shock buffer does nothing and if the recoil spring when fully compressed applies too much pressure on the shock buffer, the shock buffer gets excessive battering and doesn’t last very long. Also, the pressure applied to the shock buffer by the fully compressed recoil spring is also applied equally to the plug and barrel bushing, parts not intended for pressures that would be battering a shock buffer excessively.
Therefore, the recoil spring length when fully compressed is a critical factor to any benefit a shock buffer can provide. For those of us that change recoil springs to match a given load, the problem becomes nearly impossible to get right. I prefer to match the recoil spring to the load. I look for the spring that is strong enough to provide a slightly short cycle, not locking the slide open when the last round is fired, then go one pound lighter. This in most cases provides good full cycle function with minimal slide to frame contact.
Recoil springs of the different manufacturers vary like crazy in the length, number of coils, diameter of the wire and the strength of the wire. This again makes it nearly impossible to get the combination right so we can benefit from the use of a shock buffer. I think most of those that prefer to use shock buffers use the trial and error method to determine when the shock buffer is working properly. If the buffer is getting beat up, they try the changing the recoil spring to a stronger one when the problem is the compressed length of the spring and not the strength in all cases.
I am one of those that doesn’t believe in beating a gun to death. My 1911’s get 97% of the loads fired that are mid-range to low end fifty to seventy foot target work. The remainder are factory or loaded to factory levels. If I feel a need for more power, I go to a larger or more powerful gun designed for the ammo. That is me and I am not a competition shooter forced by power levels and caliber to be equal to the task.
Have I missed something? Please feel free to comment and share your opinion as to the use of shock buffers and if there is an easier way to get the fit right.
What follows is my observations about the use of shock buffers and the factors I consider necessary to a properly fitted 1911 with a shock buffer. I hope I am able to show how it is nearly impossible to get the fit right in most cases. I am not pro buffer and I am not against buffer use either. I just consider the use of a buffer too much trouble to get the fit right for proper protection.
I have read many posts and threads on this and other forums about the use of shock buffers. Many say they are worthless and shouldn’t be used and many others say the buffers are a valuable protection against battering that can damage the gun.
I have studied the 1911 design in an attempt to understand just how a shock buffer fits into the function of the gun so it can provide the intended protection. The only way the shock buffer can perform properly is when it is combined with a recoil spring that is fully compressed when the slide is all the way to the rear, putting some pressure on the shock buffer. If the recoil spring is not fully compressed, the shock buffer does nothing and if the recoil spring when fully compressed applies too much pressure on the shock buffer, the shock buffer gets excessive battering and doesn’t last very long. Also, the pressure applied to the shock buffer by the fully compressed recoil spring is also applied equally to the plug and barrel bushing, parts not intended for pressures that would be battering a shock buffer excessively.
Therefore, the recoil spring length when fully compressed is a critical factor to any benefit a shock buffer can provide. For those of us that change recoil springs to match a given load, the problem becomes nearly impossible to get right. I prefer to match the recoil spring to the load. I look for the spring that is strong enough to provide a slightly short cycle, not locking the slide open when the last round is fired, then go one pound lighter. This in most cases provides good full cycle function with minimal slide to frame contact.
Recoil springs of the different manufacturers vary like crazy in the length, number of coils, diameter of the wire and the strength of the wire. This again makes it nearly impossible to get the combination right so we can benefit from the use of a shock buffer. I think most of those that prefer to use shock buffers use the trial and error method to determine when the shock buffer is working properly. If the buffer is getting beat up, they try the changing the recoil spring to a stronger one when the problem is the compressed length of the spring and not the strength in all cases.
I am one of those that doesn’t believe in beating a gun to death. My 1911’s get 97% of the loads fired that are mid-range to low end fifty to seventy foot target work. The remainder are factory or loaded to factory levels. If I feel a need for more power, I go to a larger or more powerful gun designed for the ammo. That is me and I am not a competition shooter forced by power levels and caliber to be equal to the task.
Have I missed something? Please feel free to comment and share your opinion as to the use of shock buffers and if there is an easier way to get the fit right.