Anyone use a recoil buffer thingy?

[jtkratzer]

Anybody actually use these? Do they work? Do you like them? Are they worth it? I mean, this design has been around for a long, long time....are they really necessary?

[bountyhunter]

They do reduce frame battering at the end of the guide rod. I use them in every auto I own (about 12) and the ones that don't have them available, I cut them out of 1911 buffers.

Some people say not to use them in a carry gun because they may cause jams. Out of probably 50k rounds fired, I have yet to see one cause a jam.

[bigun]

No they are not necessary as long as you keep tabs on your recoil springs and can be detrimental to reliability. If you use the shok buffs make sure that you inspect them regularly for damage and replace them at the first sign of a split or if they start to chunk out.

[ichy_trigger]

I have tried them but took them out. I would NEVER use them in a carry gun. They can break down and could jam things up.

[Brickboy240]

Worthless.

Good idea in theory but CAN lead to malfunctions. I am going to go out on a limb and tell you that 80% of the stuff you see for sale from Wilson, Ed Brown, Kings or whoever to add on to your 1911 is not necessary or only necessary if you are in competition shooting. Remember, these guys are in this to make money and sell things. Some of their stuff (like Wilson magazines) are great and some of their parts are great replacements when things wear out, but alot of what they sell is simply unnecessary to most 1911 shooters. (there...I said it...flame away)

Stay away from these buffer rubber thingys...you don't need them. And don't let anyone sell you that "cushions the hard battering of the frame" garbage. I have a 1953 Govt. Model and a 1973 Combat Commander and neither have "batterd" themselves apart in the many years I have run ammo through the guns. If this was a problem...you'd think my not having a buffer in place would show up but this is not true.

If you're dying to accessorize your new 1911 and want to toss money at Wilson Combat, by all means buy a few of their magazines and maybe some Ultra-lube and grips. Other than these things...the other add-ons are not really required for proper function and you CAN add problems where there are none by "fixing what is not broken" if you catch my drift.

- brickboy240

[jtkratzer]

I didn't think they were necessary since the gun has been around for 100 years and you don't see that many that have beat themselves to death from a lot of shooting. I was just curious. The only thing I'd like to change on my 1911 is the recoil spring plug. It's a pain (literally) to disassemble without the bushing wrench...I'd also like to add a magwell.

[bountyhunter]

Originally Posted by jtkratzer

Anybody actually use these? Do they work? Do you like them? Are they worth it? I mean, this design has been around for a long, long time....are they really necessary?

No, and synthetic motor oil isn't necessary since cars were around a century before it was invented. But, it will make your engine last longer.

Shok buffers reduce the peening that occurs between slide and frame. period. Depending on how much you shoot and how long you want your gun to last, that may not matter.

But, JMB never envisioned steel slides slamming into aluminum frames either.

Considering they cost about $1, they are a no-brainer in all my sport guns.

With all the dire warnings about shok-buffs shredding and jamming guns, I have never seen one do it and I have read fewer accounts of that happening than I have read of Glock barrels blowing up.

[mvician]

it's up to you.....but they will never be in any of my 1911's

[AKpredator]

All of the hard users of 1911's that I know (including yours truly) use the shok-buff system in their 1911's. They do reduce battering and will significantly increase lifespan of frame, slide-release pin, the barrel link and the slide/frame fit. While they are not necessary to get the gun to run reliably, the shok-buff does help with longevity.

Some guns don't like them. None of the 3 STI Spartan 1911's that I have seen would run with them and they do not belong in any compact or sub compact 1911, as they have a shorter slide stroke which depends heavily on strong recoil springs for max reliability.

I use them religiously in my (3) 5" guns. I also change the recoil spring (2k), firing pin(15K, firing pin spring(5k), barrel link(20K) and extractor(25k) and rotate mags every two months or as needed.

My main gun, a 2004 Wilson CQB w/guide rod, magwell, and Heinie Sights has 27,000 rds through it.

[bountyhunter]

Originally Posted by AKpredator

All of the hard users of 1911's that I know (including yours truly) use the shok-buff system in their 1911's. They do reduce battering and will significantly increase lifespan of frame, slide-release pin, the barrel link and the slide/frame fit. While they are not necessary to get the gun to run reliably, the shok-buff does help with longevity.

Some guns don't like them. None of the 3 STI Spartan 1911's that I have seen would run with them and they do not belong in any compact or sub compact 1911, as they have a shorter slide stroke which depends heavily on strong recoil springs for max reliability.

I use them religiously in my (3) 5" guns. I also change the recoil spring (2k), firing pin(15K, firing pin spring(5k), barrel link(20K) and extractor(25k) and rotate mags every two months or as needed.

My main gun, a 2004 Wilson CQB w/guide rod, magwell, and Heinie Sights has 27,000 rds through it.

I put them in my guns with the philosophy that if they had a cycling problem, I would chuck them.

I never found one that did and here's the list that runs them:

Browning HP
Browning HP GP Comp
CZ-85 Combat
Beretta 92
Beretta 96
STI Trojan 9mm
STI Trojan 40
SIG 226R .40
SIG226R 9mm
Para 1640
Glock 34
Glock 35
SA XD40 (.40 and 9mm barrels)

There might be a couple I forgot.

In every case except the HP's and Berettas, I either used 1911 buffers as is or trimmed them to match the guns spring size because no shok-buffs were offered for them.