A recoil buffer is a factory-installed or aftermarket component of
firearms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
which serves to reduce the
velocity
Velocity is the directional speed of an object in motion as an indication of its rate of change in position as observed from a particular frame of reference and as measured by a particular standard of time (e.g. northbound). Velocity is a ...
and/or cushion the impact of
recoil
Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, as according to Newton's third law the force requ ...
ing parts of a firearm.
Design
The simplest form of recoil buffer is made from a resilient and deformable material (leather, rubber, polymer e.g. a rubber butt pad on a shotgun).
[ A second way of producing a recoil buffer is to insert a spring into the recoil train—the path/part(s) generating recoil impulse. This spring is mounted to the point(s) where the firearm contacts a mechanical holder such as a tripod or human upper torso. Reducing the initial jolt, the rate and/or extent of rearward displacement, and any internal impacts in the operating parts of a firearm] can reduce the shooter's perception of recoil, and may also work to extend the life of the mechanism and its parts. More sophisticated designs use hydraulic
Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...
or pneumatic
Pneumatics (from Greek ‘wind, breath’) is a branch of engineering that makes use of gas or pressurized air.
Pneumatic systems used in Industrial sector, industry are commonly powered by compressed air or compressed inert gases. A central ...
shock absorber
A shock absorber or damper is a mechanical or hydraulic device designed to absorb and damp shock impulses. It does this by converting the kinetic energy of the shock into another form of energy (typically heat) which is then dissipated. Most sh ...
s; systems of springs, cam
Calmodulin (CaM) (an abbreviation for calcium-modulated protein) is a multifunctional intermediate calcium-binding messenger protein expressed in all eukaryotic cells. It is an intracellular target of the secondary messenger Ca2+, and the bind ...
s and lever
A lever is a simple machine consisting of a beam or rigid rod pivoted at a fixed hinge, or ''fulcrum''. A lever is a rigid body capable of rotating on a point on itself. On the basis of the locations of fulcrum, load and effort, the lever is div ...
s to modify, dampen, or dissipate the rearward impulse generated as the projectile is fired down the bore of the firearm. Aftermarket buffers are often moulded bumpers or additional springs placed between operating metal parts which impact one another, such as the slide and the frame of a semi-automatic pistol
A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single-chamber handgun ( pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actuall ...
. This type of buffer cushions the battering force of repeated metal on metal impact, reducing wear on parts and lengthening the service life
A product's service life is its period of use in service. Several related terms describe more precisely a product's life, from the point of manufacture, storage, and distribution, and eventual use.
Service life has been defined as "a product's ...
of the firearm. Reduction of perceived recoil discomfort is an immediate added benefit of this type of recoil buffer.
Some pneumatic
Pneumatics (from Greek ‘wind, breath’) is a branch of engineering that makes use of gas or pressurized air.
Pneumatic systems used in Industrial sector, industry are commonly powered by compressed air or compressed inert gases. A central ...
recoil buffers used in firearms are fast, low-power gas spring
A gas spring is a type of spring that, unlike a typical mechanical spring that relies on elastic deformation, uses compressed gas contained within an enclosed cylinder sealed by a sliding piston to pneumatically store potential energy and withs ...
s. When compressed, they present initial resistance as the rod-to-seal grip is broken and then they move in a regular manner. An additional small spring can be used inside the gas spring if rapid turnaround times are needed. Coil-type springs twist and the coils try to ride over each other when moving and this chaotic movement does not exist with gas springs, hence reducing twist and jump of the firearm. These features are very advantageous. Fine tuning of the spring power is also possible by altering the internal gas volume. This design for firearms was invented and patented by Collins and Shipman of Bedford, UK and Bergstrom in the U.S. in 2001.
Controversy
There is some debate as to whether or not buffers really reduce recoil, with some arguing they actually increase it and, in addition, cause malfunctions of the firearm. This debate mainly occurs with guns that weren't originally designed for recoil buffers, such as the M1911
The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911'' for th ...
and AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...
, but has also extended to designs that included them originally. The counter argument generally is that if the buffer is made out of proper materials it can absorb the recoil instead of transferring it and that most malfunctions are caused by cheap plastic buffers.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Recoil Buffer
Firearm components