Quick question....

Does anyone use the urethane bumpers behind their guide rods on 45's.
I just got an awesome Colt ball gun and it had and old hard one in there along with a two piece guide rod that had a spring loaded plunger ordeal in the center of it ?
Disassembled,cleaned and ready for a test fire this coming week.
Ron

No

I see them as a poor substitute for not balancing your springs & loads.
Some people love them and some use WD40 as a gun lube.
They may also cause an ejection issue if the shorten the slide travel.
They also introduce another variable into the mix.

are we talking a Dwyer Group Gripper??

I think he’s talking about a buffer recoil spring Guide.  They had a plunger and a stiff spring instead of a hole.   They needed a thicker,reinforced spring plug for the plunger to hit.

james r chapman wrote:are we talking a Dwyer Group Gripper??

Wilson "Shock Buff".

In an original M1911 and in deference to the marginal heat treatment, I would use one to prevent damage when shooting factory hardball or lighter loads. 

In a modern target or service pistol, I don't care for them.

I used one in my GC and Roddy HB guns.  No problem at all.

james r chapman wrote:are we talking a Dwyer Group Gripper??

That is not it James.

The short answer, no. Not in my wad guns, ball guns or carry guns.

To me, it-like full length guide rods-seemed like a solution in search of a problem. But, like so many things, if you think it helps, it maybe does.
Al

Al wrote:....To me, it-like full length guide rods-seemed like a solution in search of a problem. But, like so many things, if you think it helps, it maybe does.
Al

Full length guide rods are great if you use the same lower for 22 and the rest of the match keeps the slide assembly together.  It's nice for take down too if you don't need to remove the barrel. 

I actually failed trigger weight at Perry and while the official continued down the line I was able to take the gun down to adjust the sear spring and get the gun back together and weighed again. Don't think in my rushed, somewhat frantic state, I would have been able to keep the recoil spring from launching
 
- Dave

I use them and feel that they're good protection for your slide and frame.  If your loads and recoil springs are matched, there's not much of a problem. But sometimes that little extra protection is a good thing.  Just like cleaning and lubing your gun, it's a good maintenance practice.

A long time ago, I installed the Shock Buff in my Gold Cup. Years later, when I was having function related problems, I found that the Shock Buff had disintergated into a bunch of small pieces. Never again!!!

Don

USSR wrote:A long time ago, I installed the Shock Buff in my Gold Cup. Years later, when I was having function related problems, I found that the Shock Buff had disintergated into a bunch of small pieces. Never again!!!

Don

They do require inspection and replacement now and then.  Don

CP Buffs do not fail.

USSR wrote:A long time ago, I installed the Shock Buff in my Gold Cup. Years later, when I was having function related problems, I found that the Shock Buff had disintergated into a bunch of small pieces. Never again!!!

Don

That is exactly what this gun is. A seventies gold cup and the rubber has come apart.

totally unneeded and just something to break.. Just saying

Greetings,

I used to think the plastic buffers that fit over the 1911 spring guide were a gimmick.

Now that I have more white hair than brown, I have had the opportunity to examine several high dollar pistols.

The FAS602 and FAS603 both have Urethane buffers inside the pistol to prevent damage from the recoiling bolt.

The Pardini pistols I have encountered also have buffers in the rear of the frame housing.

My Hämmerli 280 has two buffers on each side of the frame to dampen the recoil of the bolt.

In light of these observations, I am starting to think that the 1911 buffer may be a good thing.

Cheers,

Dave

There are a number of guns that use plastic buffers, but they were designed to work with them from the get go as opposed to being an after thought.

Perhaps, but when the 1911 was designed these materials had not been invented.

I also would not use one in a target pistol and I absolutely wouldn't even consider one in any defense/carry pistol. With that said, I -DO- use one in my Coonan .357 Magnum pistol.

A buffer shortens the slide's rearward travel by a smidge and on a rare occasion (and I do mean rare!) I will have a "fail to lock open upon last shot" which is just no big deal to me. We're talking less than 5% of mags here.

The Coonan simply loves to be run hard, with spicy ammo. With the pistol unloaded, you can easily feel the difference in how the slide contacts the frame with or without the buffer.

This pistol has one job to do for me -- range fun. The buffer works well in this situation.

I use a buffer in one of my 1911's. No issues. Way back when they first came out they sometimes were too big and interferred with the slide. I've never had functioning issues from a buffer. Used to build lots of raceguns with them as well. Shorter stroke equals faster cycling......something to think about.
Jon

I tested the gun last night, it functions fine without it.
It was built by an Army guy by the name of Ray Sharkey for the person I purchased the gun from. I may hunt some good urethane up and try it again down the road.
Thanks fellas
Ron

if you have to use them try the Classic Pistol buffers sold by Brownells..

Much tougher material

Comment about ease of re-assembly without sending recoil springs into orbit prompted me to a hint about dealing with Colt's two-nested-recoil-springs:

Wife's Colt Lightweight 9mm commander now has a very tight barrel bushing that helps accuracy.  So cleaning involves pulling out the pin that goes through the barrel's link (and both sides of the slide).  The Colt LW Commander uses the factory nested set of two recoil springs, which actually do seem to smooth out recoil.  However, re-assembly was a bear until I used a cable tie loose around both springs and slide while moving the slide back.  The tie keeps the two springs aligned.  As the slide moves along, need to move and to snug the tie.  When slide is almost home, I cut the tie.  Keep ties with the pistol.  

Early 1911 had a loose recoil spring - so one could say that the current Colt two spring scheme is in a direct line to the master gunsmith.