Buffer question

[Bksrt8]

I was pondering the other day, while looking at some pellet guns, has a nitro piston buffer ever been used or even tried for AR platforms? Would there be any benefit over the spring style buffers? Maybe it could be physically smaller for pistol type guns to allow various stock types?
Just thinking out loud, I did a very (VERY) quick Google search but didn't find anything before adhd kicked in and I forgot what I was doing.

 

[mmattockx]

I was pondering the other day, while looking at some pellet guns, has a nitro piston buffer ever been used or even tried for AR platforms?

You mean using a pressurized gas as the spring instead of a metal spring? I don't know of any, but I will say most of the time gun designers want springs that aren't very progressive in the force they produce and that is the opposite of what a gas spring does. Gas springs are highly progressive and rapidly ramp up their force output through their travel.


Mark

 

[Bksrt8]

So what you want is consistent force then? Would it not help on guns with a short buffer tube? You could get the force required without some giant heavy spring....im just spitballing here, Im just an idiot with a PAL. I know guns go bang, thats about it lol

 

[Ex3dy]

diemaco made a hydraulic buffer but kept the traditional recoil spring, kynshot makes a similar product.
the cost and complications would likely make gas springs commercially unviable.

 

[mmattockx]

So what you want is consistent force then? Would it not help on guns with a short buffer tube? You could get the force required without some giant heavy spring....im just spitballing here, Im just an idiot with a PAL. I know guns go bang, thats about it lol

Not consistent, just not a big increase in force. If you go through firearms design texts you will find that what works best is a fair amount of preload on the spring, so that it forces the bolt closed and holds it there and also that the spring rate is fairly low, so that there isn't a massive increase on the bolt forces as the action cycles so it can cycle properly (bolt travel and velocity) and isn't too hard to manually operate the action.

When you look at the design equations there is a fairly small window of what works properly in all aspects. It would be hard to get the desired characteristics from a gas spring setup.

diemaco made a hydraulic buffer but kept the traditional recoil spring, kynshot makes a similar product.

That isn't the same at all, though. A hydraulic buffer just absorbs energy, it doesn't return it back into the action the way a spring does.

Mark