Armaspec Sound Mitigation Buffer (SMB) Gen3

@Andrew Same outfit that makes JP-SCS at home also makes A5 at home. Both get a big meh from me.

@Andrew Kinda agree, but the plastic pieces on the ends are worth the money and even Armaspec silent/captured springs do have a noticeably better 'feel' over stock mil-spec buffer groups. Worth the $$$? I say yes.

One of the ways that I think silent/captured springs might really shine is during SHTF conditions of mud and ice. They are less like to be susceptible on being limited in forward travel and more likely to "clear" such fouling due to the way they plug (~ stopper) each end and how they reciprocate over themselves.

@Andrew Spring rate is not the only factor when working with springs. Compression springs are commonly in a pre-compressed state before they are engaged. Cutting the coil would increase the rate, however it may reduce the pre-load the spring is on before it is compressed by the cycle of the mechanism. This is a common practice on a 1911.

@Magnum Winchester Did I not mention preload?
Edit: sorry, that sounds harsher than intended. Allow me to explain my point. Both the A5 and the Tubbs setups use a longer spring of reduced rate in order to increase the relative preload with the bolt in battery vs the force at compression, in comparison to the standard carbine setup. Many people see this as an improvement. Trimming coils on the Armaspec doodad is a move in the opposite direction, and in the context of an action spring is not likely to improve function vs a stock setup. Decreasing its force in battery, but increasing its force during travel.

In your 1911 example, we’re talking about a significantly shorter distance between in-battery and locked back than with a rifle spring, so I don’t think its a good comparison.

I’m not sure why you would downvote a factually correct statement, and then repeat exactly what I said. And then you upvoted your own comment?

@Andrew I downvoted it because it doesn't sound like you have actually used their product and you seemed to miss that 'tuning a spring by cutting them' is a real thing. It is probably a little harsh to mention "fire their engineer" when they are applying a common practice and you have not even used their product. This practice is also common in other mechanisms. It doesn't matter the length or size of the mechanism to apply this practice.

Remember that this thing is a 'sound mitigation device'. Changing the spring is not just for mechanical workings, but to ' mitigate the sound' I guess. Also mechanical function of the spring is not just for 'perfect function' but can affect felt recoil. How the shooter perceives felt recoil can be a major factor in 'tuning a spring'.

However, I'm generally not a fan of companies that make products that have to be tuned 'just right' to get the benefit. Plus if you cut too much, cannot put it back together. I'm not sure if they send multiple springs for trial and error. I also think this product is going to complicate the rifle more than it needs to be.

@Magnum Winchester So, buy an unproven product, from a company that’s known for bargain-bin stuff, that eliminates the normal function of a buffer, that may need to be “tuned” via permanent modification in a way that ignores good engineering principals (but uses a “common practice”) to solve a problem that doesn’t exist?

Again, what I said about springs is objective fact. It is calculable.

And you haven’t used it either, but I’m totally all wet. I can believe that; I’ve been wrong before. But why do you upvote your own posts?

@Andrew Sounds like someone has too much book and not enough smarts. I don't think anyone is suggesting that you cannot calculate the spring force, but application is not always calculable. I would agree that cutting a spring is a common practice to tune guns. I try not to get guns that need tuning to be good. Why some company is trying to mitigate the sound of the buffer is beyond me. May be the should worry more about the sound out the front, not the back.

@Magnum Winchester I would have to say that cutting a spring on a 1911 is a common practice, but probably a bad one. On the 1911's I've built, it seems to always work better just to buy the correct spring than to cut them down, but I'm no expert.

@Corbin The whole “book smarts” thing is a setup for a false binary. It is possible to both be familiar with the physics involved, and have experience with tuning. I mean, someone had to write the books, right?

I agree that buffer sound is irrelevant. I shoot with silencers and the springs in my guns work and give me no annoyance. As you say, the noise out the front is the big concern.

@Corbin Literally what I’ve been saying.