Milspec and civilian buffer tubes

[Scharfschütze]

I know Milspec buffer tubes are smaller than commercial buffer tubes but why? Is there and advantage or disadvantage to one or another?
Thanks

 

[Brocolt]

good question I'm wondering the same?

 

[cybershooters]

Answered in the other thread, something Colt came up with to stop people using "military" parts.

 

[rivetc78]

Something 'Someone' came up with so they can sell twice as many stocks.

And charge more to have something 'Milspec'

 

[greentips]

I know Milspec buffer tubes are smaller than commercial buffer tubes but why? Is there and advantage or disadvantage to one or another?
Thanks

I think the answer might have to do with, in the beginning, for a certain internal diameter, a readily available extrusion tube only comes in certain external dimension.

Since a commerical manufacturer had to make a new mold for the stock anyways, it is cheaper to have its own dimension in the long run to take advantage of a readily available extrusion tubing size.

Colt, milspec tubes, are machined from forgings. Commerical tubes, at least the old ones, were extrusion tubes with the ends welded close.

 

[Scharfschütze]

I think the answer might have to do with, in the beginning, for a certain internal diameter, a readily available extrusion tube only comes in certain external dimension.

Since a commerical manufacturer had to make a new mold for the stock anyways, it is cheaper to have its own dimension in the long run to take advantage of a readily available extrusion tubing size.

Colt, milspec tubes, are machined from forgings. Commerical tubes, at least the old ones, were extrusion tubes with the ends welded close.

Thanks for the answer. Thats perfectly understandable reason for the two sizes. I did not think there was any real advantage for the two sizes except for the "tacticool" factor.

Although I think rivetc78 is correct as well

 

[greentips]

Thanks for the answer. Thats perfectly understandable reason for the two sizes. I did not think there was any real advantage for the two sizes except for the "tacticool" factor.

Although I think rivetc78 is correct as well

Hahha, considering that Colt had been making these tubes since the XM177 series came out in the Vietnam, I don't think Colt was "intentionally" screwing the civies since they were the FIRST one to make the tubes. Civie ARs came relatively late in the history of AR15.