Buffer on a scoped SKS?

[Beermaker]

The "H" style buffer that installs in the receiver may be the only one that might do anything if anything as it keeps the forces in the reciever. But to tweak the gas system would be interetsing and has been discussed in this an other forums. Keep in mind the rifle was designed to work. I use a converta mount system and a compact leapers 4x20 scope and it has held up nicely. Seems to hold basic zero.
Tried the cover buffer and saw no difference. It is falsely called a recoil buffer it is more of a end stopper. The spring is what ultimately stops the carrier otherwise you would see imapct marks and deformation of the contact areas on the carrier and in the receiver. I have found none. Add the buffer and now you have a point of cantact. All of the recoil is 100% felt as the bolt is locked until unlocked by the gas system. Then you have a secondary "recoil" as the action cycles kind of like a really aggressive air rifle. On another forum a fellow designed a modified nut and bolt setup to replace the main gas piston to turn the sks into a bolt gun. Maybe be this is where you want to go otherwise its all just play and experiment. If it is felt "to your shoulder" recoil glue a flip flop to the butt plate works on my M44.

 

[LarryG]

Beermaker is correct about the spring buffers not doing anything. The spring located buffers do not stop the "clang " which is made by the metal to metal contact of the back of the bolt to the receiver. However, he is incorrect in saying the bolt's rearward travel is stopped by over-compression of the spring. That would not be good design practice and would shorten the life of the spring. If you inspect an old sks, you will see marring where the contact point is between these two.

Youtube has a few videos showing slow motion firing of an sks, and these clearly show the bolt going to dead stop and then slowly accelerating under spring force forward.

To duplicate the effect of the metal to metal impact on a scope, clamp a scope (at the mounts) in a vice and hit the vice with a metal hammer. As might be expected the impact of the hammer creates an impulse in the vice and rattles the innards of the scope. The effect of this on the scope is determined by the quality of the scope. A better scope can handle it no doubt. A Cheap scope? Don't bet your life on it. Adding An h type of buffer is the easiest way to mute the clang and more significantly absorb the impact of the bolt. Due to the small contact surfaces involved only hard impact
grade urethane will stand up to this. I designed and made up a few a while back. One of these days I will list them on EE.

(correction, i now have listed them, with photos.)

The "H" style buffer that installs in the receiver may be the only one that might do anything if anything as it keeps the forces in the reciever. But to tweak the gas system would be interetsing and has been discussed in this an other forums. Keep in mind the rifle was designed to work. I use a converta mount system and a compact leapers 4x20 scope and it has held up nicely. Seems to hold basic zero.
Tried the cover buffer and saw no difference. It is falsely called a recoil buffer it is more of a end stopper. The spring is what ultimately stops the carrier otherwise you would see imapct marks and deformation of the contact areas on the carrier and in the receiver. I have found none. Add the buffer and now you have a point of cantact. All of the recoil is 100% felt as the bolt is locked until unlocked by the gas system. Then you have a secondary "recoil" as the action cycles kind of like a really aggressive air rifle. On another forum a fellow designed a modified nut and bolt setup to replace the main gas piston to turn the sks into a bolt gun. Maybe be this is where you want to go otherwise its all just play and experiment. If it is felt "to your shoulder" recoil glue a flip flop to the butt plate works on my M44.