ak47 recoil buffer

[Long1MD]

Anyone with 1st knowledge about ak47 recoil buffers, your insight would be greatly appreciate: is it worth installing this on your AK47? It seems to me that you lose about a third of an inch, would this screw up the cycling/ loading process? As with all things Ak I'm getting mixed stories, so of you have actually used one of these I would appreciate your feedback. Another thing as well, is it normal for the bolt carrier area that enters the gas tube have the bluing on the right side scratched off? I heard this carrier group is slightly offset on all Aks, and wondering if this is the cause, or something else?

Suck it up! That kick is like when a good strong drink burns a little going down the hatch, you know what you just drank is going to do exactly what it's suppose to do. Your rifle is going to do exactly what it's suppose to do if you don't screw with it. Get use to the rifle and its mannerisms or end up making a reliable weapon into a paperweight. It's not a sniper rifle or a sniper round. This is a FUBAR rifle. I have owned four of them over the years. Within a hundred yards I will grab it before I grab my AR.

 

[wilcam47]

...and butts up against the receiver cover. i've been an ak owner for nearly a decade, i'm well familiar with the various parts available for them, to include the snake oil like this.



There's no such "brand" of ak as a MAK90. it's a single Chinese model, not a brand.

just because someone disagrees with you...makes you an expert? Ive had an AK since 97 or 98...it doesn't make me more of an expert than you..it makes me experienced with the firearm...

well its a norinco "model" mak 90...its a version of the ak...you are getting hung up on semantics...that really doesn't have anything to do with the question the OP had.

the latch is the only thing that touches the cover other than the front of the cover where it locks in...the "buffer" doesn't touch the cover...

we can agree to disagree....I personally like it. And my "MAK90" hasn't had any issues firing over 3K rds through it... I guess its the snake oil keeping it shooting

 

[armed ferret]

just because someone disagrees with you...makes you an expert?

No need to resort to strawman arguments. Go back and read what I wrote. Nowhere did I say I was an expert because someone didn't agree with me. That doesn't even make sense. (and to be frank, I never presumed to belay the title of "expert" upon myself, nor do I)

well its a norinco "model" mak 90...its a version of the ak...you are getting hung up on semantics...that really doesn't have anything to do with the question the OP had.

When items that can kill or maim if misused are involved, semantics can mean a great deal. Striving to present correct information should be something we all do, to help those that aren't firearm-familiar understand why those who would portray us in a negative light are wrong. If one doesn't take the time to use proper terminology, such as the media calling a magazine a "banana clip", for example, lessens the amount of respect and credibility that individual receives. Striving to use correct terminology, and thus decreasing the likelihood of someone ignorant doing something ignorant with a firearm because they don't know any better, is not grounds for an e-dogpile.

the latch is the only thing that touches the cover other than the front of the cover where it locks in...the "buffer" doesn't touch the cover...

perhaps watching it fire with the cover removed would remove any incorrect opinions you have on this matter. also previously covered was the undue stress presented upon the rear trunnion as a result of carrier-to-buffer-to-trunnion contact which normally may not occur. This, in time, increases the likelihood of rear trunnion rivet failure.

we can agree to disagree....I personally like it. And my "MAK90" hasn't had any issues firing over 3K rds through it... I guess its the snake oil keeping it shooting

3k, huh? my AK-74 got that its first 2 weeks after I built it. it's likely well over the 15k mark at this point, but only because i deployed 3 times and stopped taking it out every time we went to the range.


As for not answering the OP's question with our civil disagreement regarding pros/cons, I actually think it's quite the opposite. I think we've illustrated to the OP far better than we'd hoped that it genuinely is a "do it if you want, but here's what some people think and here's what others think" type of issue.

 

[smdub]

also previously covered was the undue stress presented upon the rear trunnion as a result of carrier-to-buffer-to-trunnion contact which normally may not occur. This, in time, increases the likelihood of rear trunnion rivet failure.

Purely coming from my engineering side here. My AKs are still all tied up at FFLs and I've never closely inspect one before. I really like Ferrets posts (the tone is often very much like mine) and I trust his experience/judgement. So, again, as a purely engineering related interest:

Buffers shouldn't be a bad thing. Metal on metal contact yields basically infinite accelerations which is hell on stresses. Even an AR15 buffer has, well, a buffer for when its overgassed. So the issue seems to be fitting one into a space that wasn't originally designed for it, not the buffer itself. The problem seems that the buffer under question is just too darn thick. So, it sounds like if you're getting metal to metal contact the FIRST thing to do it fix the spring (just like an AR). But w/ ammo variance you still may hit on hot loads. Once that is solved, a buffer is still probably a good answer to that problem. Even if its a really thin soft foam one that NORMALLY doesn't get hit. Anything in there will lessen the accelerations dramatically and lessen metal fatigue in the cases where metal-to-metal was going to happen anyway.

Thoughts? (Donning firesuit and looking for protective cover...)

 

[rob-cubed]

The rear trunnion just slips into the receiver and is held in place with two rivets. Both are soft metal, and with enough repeated hammering they will eventually fail. I ran a buffer for a few thousand rounds with no ill results, but have seen photos of trunnion failure due to AKs being overgassed or with weak recoil springs.

*If* there is already a good balance between the gas and recoil spring, and some space for the buffer when cycling, then I agree... it shouldn't be a big deal. Especially if you aren't running F/A and firing from the hip without the stock for support.

But, why even run the risk for something that barely improves the handling of a rifle that never needed one? "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

 

[patriot001]

Yea, the recoil ain't the problem I was pimping out my AK, and saw the buffer. I'm an AK head, I've watched some Jim Fuller vids, for those who don't know, he's a Kalashnikov guru. He does not run it on his guns, and he pointed out a lot of perceived flaws were made on purpose by the Ruskies, the thin barrel, barrel receiver flexing etc. Putting western concepts on soviet weapons ruins them, so I have since removed the buffer. Thanks for the input ppl.