You’re familiar with the parts of the bolt carrier group, and probably the parts of the gas system. Maybe even the parts of a trigger assembly.
Are you familiar with the parts of a buffer tube system?
You should be, as the buffer system is as responsible for cycling the action as the gas system is. It also serves as the mounting point for two (quite) critical buffer tube accessories.
Let’s take a closer look here.
Standard and Short Buffer Tubes
First, buffer tubes are not standard, either in length or in what they contain. Most rifles and AR build kits are either made or come with longer buffer tubes that serve as an attachment point for the stock.
However, AR pistol builds often come with short buffer tubes that are (no trick here) shorter than their full-size counterparts. Micro buffer tubes like 3.5” buffer tubes are common, as they shorten the overall length of the platform, aiding concealability and maneuverability.
It is not just short buffer tubes that are popular in AR pistol build kits. Another popular alternative is a bufferless system. Some AR15 pistol uppers are bufferless and utilize a blowback action that makes the whole platform even smaller. This complicates the attachment of a pistol stabilizing brace, but that’s a topic for another time.
Buffer Tube Parts
First, to illustrate the use and functionality of a buffer tube system, let’s take a look at the actual parts one contains, from a high level.
- Buffer tube: The most straightforward part of a buffer system is the tube itself, which is an aluminum tube that attaches to the lower receiver of the AR pistol or rifle. They are often anodized with a hard coat for improved wear and corrosion resistance, and serve as the housing for the buffer weight and spring, as well as the attachment point for a stock or pistol stabilizing brace.
- Buffer weight: The buffer tube contains the buffer weights, which are a series of weights that add reciprocating mass to the rifle as it cycles. When the bolt carrier group moves back and encounters the buffer system, the first force against which it has to strive are the buffer weights, which slow its progress and help fight the force of recoil by absorbing some of it.
- Buffer spring: The buffer tube also houses the spring, which compresses as the weights and bolt carrier group move backwards into it. It also helps absorb some of the force of recoil, and it stores some of that energy, recycling it back into the bolt carrier group, completing the cycle by sending the BCG back into battery.
What Does the Buffer System Do?
The buffer system is as indispensable as the bolt carrier group’s gas key at cycling the action. When you fire the rifle and the BCG moves backwards, it presses against the buffer weights, which absorb some of the recoil and slow it down. It also strives against the resistance created by the buffer spring, which further slows its progress and stores some of the energy held by the BCG, returning it back into the BCG and sending it back into battery.
It is the other half of the system that cycles the action, the former part being the gas system which provides the potential energy in the form of pressure to unlock the BCG, causing it to move to the rear, extracting and ejecting the old round.
Buffer Tube Accessories
In addition to the buffer tube system parts mentioned above, the following buffer tube accessories are vital to all shooters and builders, whether their intention is to build an AR pistol or a full-size rifle.
- Rifle stocks: When most shooters think of buffer tube accessories, their first thought probably goes to a rifle stock. These are, for most shooters, the only real thing to attach to a buffer tube.
The world of modern sporting rifles offers the enterprising shooter no shortage of options on this front, either. There are fixed stocks that can be used to complete a rifle build, as well as folding and collapsible stocks, and a wide range of adjustable stocks, too, that can be adjusted for eye relief, comb height, length of pull, and potentially even more. On top of that, there are skeletonized stocks out there that lighten the rifle platform even further.
Given the fact that the butt stock affixes to the platform’s buffer tube, you might also consider a sling a buffer tube accessory, although that by a matter of degrees, since the sling technically attaches to the stock and not the buffer tube itself.
- AR pistol braces AKA pistol stabilizing braces: For those building with an AR pistol upper and lower (or with an AR build kit for a pistol-sized platform) there are also AR pistol braces to consider. Also known as AR pistol stabilizing braces (or AR pistol stabilizers) these are like short fins that attach to the buffer tube and which provide stability by resting against the shooter’s forearm. In some instances, they can be strapped to the arm, providing an even greater degree of stability.
Unlike stocks, AR pistol stabilizing braces do not allow the platform to be shouldered and this is not their purpose, anyway. Rather, they are simply designed to allow the shooter to shoot one handed with greater control and dexterity. Remember, many AR pistol uppers are chambered in the same cartridges as their full-sized rifle counterparts, making recoil management difficult for some. In fact, AR pistol stabilizing braces were intended to benefit AR shooters with disabilities - it just so happens that their utility extends far beyond that original purpose.
Shop Buffer Tubes and Accessories Here
Whether you’re looking for a micro buffer tube system, a full sized system for a rifle, or even buffer tube accessories like a stock or an AR pistol stabilizing brace for a much more compact build, MCS Gearup has what you need to make the customizations you want. Check them out in our catalog and get in touch with us at Sales@MCSGearup.com if you have any questions.