Slide recoil buffers?

[Riffplayer88]

I was recommended by a friend to use slide recoil buffers like in the pic. Anybody use these and notice a difference in recoil?

[jakejake527]

Its like putting plastic covers on all of your furniture....completely necessary

[BULLITT3577]

I have the Wilson combat buffers and really can't notice any difference.

[titleist686]

I have tried the wilson shok buffs on my 1911, and i guess the main difference is that you dont get that metal-on-metal clank when the slide comes back. not really that noticable tho. also not sure if it actually reduces wear on the gun either.

[JeremyS]

I wouldn't run one. If your slide is contacting the frame too hard during recoil, then put a stiffer recoil spring in.

I did, just out of curiosity, test out a Strike Industries Glock buffer in a 10mm G20. Although I couldn't tell anything in felt recoil and I had serious concerns about it moving around while shooting, I was surprised to actually see a difference in muzzle flip in the slow-mo playback. Definitely not big, but I must admit that I see it in the video. I was NOT expecting a difference at all, whatsoever. I have not used it since filming the video. Still don't like 'em.

[Riffplayer88]

Good to know. Thanks.

[Maddawg46]

I use to use them on my USPSA .45 in matches years ago. Back then it was said to help make your gun hold up better to all the pounding. They use to be black, then changed the color to blue. Too many heart attacks when they broke down. Black chunks would fall out of your slide when disassembled. Looked like chunks of steel!

[Rastoff]

If your gun wasn't designed to be used with them, they can cause functioning issues. Bill Wilson likes them so, his guns work well with them. Ed Brown doesn't like them so, his guns won't work well with them.

It's my opinion that they are unnecessary.

[JeremyS]

If your gun wasn't designed to be used with them, they can cause functioning issues.

Absolutely. Forgot to mention that. They necessarily reduce the distance your slide is able to cycle rearwards. Whether or not that causes ejection or feeding issues depends on your pistol and how thick the buffer is, the ammo you're using, etc etc. Certainly if it's thick enough, the pistol won't be able to cycle the ammo. If it's really thin, then it wouldn't do anything worthwhile in the first place.

No matter what, I would never ever run it in a defensive-purposes pistol. Just adds to the likelihood that the pistol will have a stoppage. Long-term frame wear isn't a concern in a defensive scenario, but a stoppage is. If it's just a range gun and you're hoping that maybe the gun will last longer with it than without it, I don't see any actual harm in it. But most modern pistols are going to run many many tens of thousands of rounds with no slide/frame problems at all. If the buffer extends that life a little bit it might not even matter. I shoot pretty often, but there's no way I'll ever wear out that Glock frame with or without a buffer. I just don't see the value... Again, if you're seeing hard slide/frame contact, then run a stiffer recoil spring. Some contact is okay. It's designed for that. If you have too much, the proper fix isn't jamming some rubber in there.