Stiff or Squishy Buff

[JackFlak]

I checked an older thread about Buffers -
My Concern: Running a stiff Buffer over time will blast out the welds on the back of the receiver as some of you have mentioned. I see no *Softer Buffer options around. Someone mentioned Squishy type on Gunbroker, but all I see now is a normal style and possibly a 3D Printed Buff.
Wondering if you know of a softer type, or do I have to make my own. I'm only running a Semi Auto so I know eyes are rolling at this thread ha

 

[arch stanton]

Make your own buffer from a 3M block rubber sanding pad or rubber dampening block. Way better than the original buffers

 

[JackFlak]

Make your own buffer from a 3M block rubber sanding pad or rubber dampening block. Way better than the original buffers

Thank you, I'll try this. I saw mention of different Springs being used. I don't think that's a conventional or available item for sale either. I'd have to find an appropriate spring and cut it down most likely

 

[ericthered]

Mudflap, baler belt, or stall mat. Can be cut to size. Stall mat is the thickest. Mudflap is probably the cheapest. Can stack as well.

 

[arch stanton]

This was made from a dampening block bought off amazon years ago should be able to get them at the local craft store as well.
1"x 1 1/4"x 1 3/8" is this particular blocks dimensions.

 

[Dirk Hawthorne]

I made a bunch of buffers out of a 3M rubber sanding block, as mentioned above.
They work great.
It's hard to say if the softness of the rubber would make all that much difference in how much abuse the welds are taking.
Theoretically, it would help, but at the end of the day, the gun wasn't designed for 1000 RPM. It was designed for 600.
The only way to figure out if the softer material would help keep the welds intact would be to test it. And the only data point would be the welds cracking.
Impact loading is really weird, and metal fracture is really weird. It's hard to predict what the effect of a bolt would be on sheet metal welds.

 

[SecondAmend]

IIRC, Super Dave Osborne recommended Saskatchewan seal skin.

But seriously, the recoil spring/rod and ejection rod alignment plates in my full auto and semi auto Uzis (full and mini sized, respectively) are a hard fiberboard, and hard plastic. No "buffering", per se; and no cracked welds either. I'm pretty certain that when shooting .45 ACP in the full size, the bolt never gets close to the rearmost travel. When weaker .45 AP ammo is used, the ROF goes up, as the stroke length is shortened.

MHO, YMMV, etc.

 

[JackFlak]

IIRC, Super Dave Osborne recommended Saskatchewan seal skin.

But seriously, the recoil spring/rod and ejection rod alignment plates in my full auto and semi auto Uzis (full and mini sized, respectively) are a hard fiberboard, and hard plastic. No "buffering", per se; and no cracked welds either. I'm pretty certain that when shooting .45 ACP in the full size, the bolt never gets close to the rearmost travel. When weaker .45 AP ammo is used, the ROF goes up, as the stroke length is shortened.

MHO, YMMV, etc.

LOL Seal skin sounds cool! That actually reminds me of the old Fish Market in Kuwait City. Long and funny story, but I'm too long winded so I'll drop it for now. You can acquire anything in that market! If you're in the area, stop by there. Don't mention me though ha ha
Perhaps I'm over thinking my dang UZI here boys. I'm good to go, and really don't fire it that much. I was putting together a poop hits fan or replacement spare parts bin for this thing. I have a couple normal type buffers, and I'll play around with these materials you all suggested as well
Thanks to all of you for your input

 

[SecondAmend]

LOL Seal skin sounds cool! That actually reminds me of the old Fish Market in Kuwait City. Long and funny story, but I'm too long winded so I'll drop it for now. You can acquire anything in that market! If you're in the area, stop by there. Don't mention me though ha ha
Perhaps I'm over thinking my dang UZI here boys. I'm good to go, and really don't fire it that much. I was putting together a poop hits fan or replacement spare parts bin for this thing. I have a couple normal type buffers, and I'll play around with these materials you all suggested as well
Thanks to all of you for your input

The joke in "Saskatchewan seal skin" is that Saskatchewan is a land locked province. There're no seals, hence, no such thing as Saskatchewan seal skin. It was a running joke in "The Super Dave Osborne Show" on Showtime years ago. A few of the sketches were on Youtube last time I looked.

 

[JackFlak]

The joke in "Saskatchewan seal skin" is that Saskatchewan is a land locked province. There're no seals, hence, no such thing as Saskatchewan seal skin. It was a running joke in "The Super Dave Osborne Show" on Showtime years ago. A few of the sketches were on Youtube last time I looked.

Aha! Jeez man, I had no clue Thank you for elaborating

 

[SecondAmend]

Aha! Jeez man, I had no clue Thank you for elaborating

You're very welcome. And FWIW, I believe that leather used to be a fairly common material for firearms buffers prior to WWII. The technological developments of WWII brought all sorts of new, better materials for lots of things.
MHO, YMMV, etc.

 

[Dirk Hawthorne]

The buffer used in the 1921/1928 thompson was just a phenolic washer, one of those red plastic washers they use in electrical equipment.
I don't know why they bothered, how much does rock hard plastic cushion an impact? nowadays everyone uses that real soft clear yellowish neoprene, it HAS TO be better

this subject could actually be tested, they make Piezoelectric load cells that measure pressure. i never did any work with them though. we need a mechanical eng. or tech to swipe some equipment from work & try some different buffer materials and thicknesses

 

[SecondAmend]

The buffer used in the 1921/1928 thompson was just a phenolic washer, one of those red plastic washers they use in electrical equipment.
I don't know why they bothered, how much does rock hard plastic cushion an impact? nowadays everyone uses that real soft clear yellowish neoprene, it HAS TO be better

this subject could actually be tested, they make Piezoelectric load cells that measure pressure. i never did any work with them though. we need a mechanical eng. or tech to swipe some equipment from work & try some different buffer materials and thicknesses

The buffer assembly in the 1921 Thompson is a stack of about 8 phenolic disks in a cylindrical tube. In Thompson related U.S. patent 1,352,414, a single disk "of leather or other suitable shock absorbing material" is called out. Perhaps more interesting is U.S. patent 1,351,141, issued Aug. 31, 1920, wherein several versions of hydraulic buffers are described.

MHO, YMMV, etc.

 

[Dirk Hawthorne]

The buffer assembly in the 1921 Thompson is a stack of about 8 phenolic disks in a cylindrical tube. In Thompson related U.S. patent 1,352,414, a single disk "of leather or other suitable shock absorbing material" is called out. Perhaps more interesting is U.S. patent 1,351,141, issued Aug. 31, 1920, wherein several versions of hydraulic buffers are described.

MHO, YMMV, etc.

yup, you're right. I forgot about difference between the 21 and 28.

some 21 owners use a hybrid device that someone came up with that has the big urethane disk on it as well

 

[SecondAmend]

yup, you're right. I forgot about difference between the 21 and 28.

some 21 owners use a hybrid device that someone came up with that has the big urethane disk on it as well

And the M1/M1A1 (direct blowback, not delayed blowback as were the '21 and '28) Thompsons, IIRC, had a buffer that was a phenolic plate between two steel plates.

 

[amphibian]

This was discussed almost 22 years ago but it was in regards to trying to slow down the cyclic rate of Mini UZI's before BarrelXchange released the heavy bolts: https://www.uzitalk.com/forums/index.php?threads/joeblacks-buffer-material.3855/

 

[Dirk Hawthorne]

And the M1/M1A1 (direct blowback, not delayed blowback as were the '21 and '28) Thompsons, IIRC, had a buffer that was a phenolic plate between two steel plates.

I have an M1A1, I should make a sandwich with that Urethane buffer material in it. Maybe use that plastic epoxy to hold it.

It would probably take a stick of dynamite to damage the receiver, though. The heel of the receiver is HUGE.