AR-15 Buffer Tip Mushrooming

[Tok36]

The title says it all.

The rubber tip on my AR-15 Buffer is mushrooming a lil bit. This is causing it to sometimes catch on the buffer spring when it cycles.

I am running a standard buffer spring, buffer, BCG.

I am shooting reloads, my only guess so far is that the buffer is being pushed back to hard / fast when it cycles from the reloads. It seams it also might be posable that the rubber tip on my buffer was sub standard.

What do you guys think?

Thanks for the imput!

[BenHa]

[MrPlink]

Hmmm. Super hot loads? Over gassed? Crap buffer could be the issue. Its a system, so time for deduction.
More info on the rifle?

[Merc1138]

Sounds like you're reporting something I've seen people post about before. Noname chinese garbage parts(in this instance, the polymer tip at the rear of the buffer) falling apart and causing issues.

Now it could be you've put tons of rounds through your rifle and it's just wearing out and needs to be replaced, but out of curiosity how many rounds(roughly, doesn't have to be exact) have you put through it, and where did you get the buffer?

[bryant]

measure inside length of your buffer tube. sometimes some cheap china buffer tube measurement is out off spec.
measure inside (not outside measurement) length of your buffer tube if under 7 inches you a new one.

[Tok36]

It seams i should have included more information.

I would include a pic but i would not be of much help because i allready dremeled it to bring it back into profile.

Rifle: Delton Sport (Still running stock Buffer, Buffer spring, buffer tube that came with the rifle) I have only made cosmetic changes to the rifle asside from changing out the gas block to a low profile one and changing the A2 flash hider to a phantom flash hider.

I considered over-gassing but it would have had to come that way from the factory.


Round count: Nearing 700 rounds.

Im am shooting my own reloads so it is possible that i am loading to hot but i have two friends shooting the same reloads without issue and there have been no overpressure marks on the brass.

I just checked the inside length of my buffer tube and it is 7" exactly.

[AeroEngi]

Where are your spent casings landing with respect to the rifle? Your rifle might be really overgassed. Perhaps switching to a heavier buffer might help?

[Tok36]

My spent casings land between 1 and 3 O'clock

I would also appreciate any suggestions on what buffer to buy to replace the existing one with.

[AeroEngi]

Not sure how credible this chart is but it's worked when I've used it. According to the chart, your rifle is overgassed. You should be ejecting between 3:00 and 4:30.

[Grumpyoldretiredcop]

If you're running a standard weight buffer now, try an H. If that doesn't bring bolt speed down enough to get cases ejecting in the 3:00 to 4:30 range, go to an H2.

Midway sells the Colt heavy buffers here. Note the chart with the buffer weights.

[Tok36]

I will try that, and thank you for the graph.

[akjunkie]

Not sure how credible this chart is but it's worked when I've used it. According to the chart, your rifle is overgassed. You should be ejecting between 3:00 and 4:30.

If a Left handed shooter was issued a standard M16/AR15, the spent casing would hit him right in the face.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.. but I thought the brass deflector is designed to "bounce" the spent case forward 45degrees (for left handed shooters)

[Tok36]

double post

[Metal God]

You just made me go look . I have 2 Del-Ton buffers , niether are from a sport . One is on a carbine the other on a middy . Both look like new and both have at least 1k through them . I would say your loads are to hot or the sport comes with sub par buffer . I'd try the chart above to fix .

[starsnuffer]

That chart has been debunked many times.

That said, a lot of guns are overgassed stock (including issue M4's). That doesn't mean they're shredding parts. The action spring (buffer spring) will suffer increased wear but it shouldn't be hammering itself to death after just 700 rounds.

You can get a wolf extra power spring for pretty cheap, as well as a new buffer. I'd start there, even if it doesn't solve the problem having spares never hurts.

-W