Ran the numbers on the Geissele braided spring and buffer. W/ their black friday/cyber monday pricing, the sale price is w/in a couple dollars of the cheapest quality H/H1 buffer that I'm aware of (Stag) and a Springco spring. Add shipping and w/ Geissele's free shipping, it actually comes in cheaper before adding on the Springco sales tax, since I'm in TX...
And? 53$ shipped for an amazing spring and buffer is a great price anyway you cut it. Springcos are generally $20+\- and any normal milspec carbine buffers don't go for a spot more than $15-$20, and H1,2,3 depending on your barrel and gas length, cartridge type and suppressor usage can go for as much as a super 42 before shipping. So say it costs the average joe $70 shipped for his springco red or green or whatever and an h2 weighted buffer.... It's still small bananas when you compare that to the cost of a trigger group, optic, barrel, even a standard NiBx m16 bcg. I'm just trying to figure out why like gang busters you hopped in here and totally criticized the experience and helpful knowledge given to the op because your opinion differs. Spikes puts tungsten powder I. Their buffers, I've used them and a number of other buffer types, weights, materials etc for more years than I can remember and never once has their performance ever made an ar platform run any less good than the corresponding milspec standard buffer with reciprocating internal weights.
Closed mindedness is why certain manufacturers don't do as well as others. The experience of others whom have had many years with the platforms were here talking about, can't simply shut down an option because they just don't agree with the marketing and product production. Dead blow hammers are filled with grains. They dead blow fairly well. If someone used a dead blow that had powder, it would still work. And the hammer would be a spot quieter. But the weight would still reciprocate as does the powder.
Have you in your infinite knowledge and experience used a JP Silent capture? Nothing reciprocating inside that mass either. So I'm sure it's also just another option for the op to write off as well. Because that thing is badly priced, but it is for sure an amazing feat of engineering for the weighted recoil balance of the weapon. But, since there isn't something inside moving back and forth about 3/16"s of an inch, it's another fail right?
The guys who think the new products are a sham are not engineers, nor are they competent gunsmiths or armorers. And they write things off because they haven't had the sack to go try them out for a couple thousand rounds.
Don't shut out a receiver because they 'use older casts'. If it's in spec, then it is in spec. Measurements and fitment doesn't lie. That's pretty simple. Aero precision is as inexpensive as Anderson in their processing and manufacturing. In fact, they operate at with identical basic QC and multi point inspections and have the same end result of product production. An inexpensive milspec anodized feature less or (rich) receiver.
I've got a few billet sets, smith and Wesson forged sets, aero sets and Anderson as well. Anderson fits in a specific category for me. I can build people inexpensive and reliable weapons systems that will not fail. And they have not. The only problems I've ever had with any product was an aero upper that didn't get anodized properly, and a spikes billet v2 lower that had the buffer retaining hold drilled cockeyed and the buffer tube threads cut with the incorrect pitch. Aero sent me a new upper. Spikes sent me a new lower with the same serial number just 2weeks turnaround. Anderson hasn't has ANY issues in the past 6 years that Ive used uppers and lowers, smith and Wesson lowers have been fantastic as well since 2002 i stashed a dozen of the m+p15 lowers then and until recently I stil had a couple because their anodize layer seems a bit smoother than the newer (2006 and forward) seem to come with a more matte finish. In any case, even the LWRC receivers I used few of, CMT which are oust phenominal for the money I've used a few billet uppers and then a couple of matches sets. I've not had a single problem with them either.
If your opinion about a product is an opinion, that's fine and I can respect ones opinion as I'd like mine respected as well. BUT, when an opinion is negligently tossed around as prayer, it's unacceptable. When numbers and performance dont lie.... Etc etc
If you experience bolt bounce because a buffer is filled with tungsten powder, then you change your buffer and the bounce is the still there, it wasn't your powder filled buffer. Some buffers are totally solid. Some have weights, some are powder filled, others are on a weird spring guide rod and have a completely different shape and size and reciprocation map. Also, Colt 9mm much?
Tungsten powder buffers have made great work in one of my fighting guns and one of my match guns. I've experienced NO buffer related issues in any of those guns, and I've had a combination estimate of 20,000+ rds through the 2 personal platforms with the spikes tungsten powder and they have always fired, reloaded, and cycled just fine. In fact some during training ops and matches who have borrowed my guns seem very surprised at how soft shooting and reliable the two guns are. I attribute that partially to my ability to properly adjust a gas system for ammo and temperature, and to properly pair parts for specific purposes.
That said, I've run a taccom buffer setup in a couple guns previously as well. They weight but 2.5oz and less. And I didn't get the issues aforementioned with the proper adjustment of those systems either. Don't be so closed minded with part selection and appropriate use. Years of use and experience backs sometimes unexpected part combinations and performance.
Be an armorer and diagnose a problem with a solution, don't throw parts around in and out trying to see if the ill effect will go away. Diagnosing guns is much easier than buying a part and tossing it in there. You don't have to pay for 15minutes with a set of digi calipers, nor do you have to believe everything you hear. Thanks for joking the conversation. Good to meet ya.
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Quickly running through and not sure if all directed at me since I didn't actually say a lot of what's being ascribed to me if in fact it is...
Re: Buffers and Springs:
http://www.defensereview.com/the-big-m4-myth-fouling-caused-by-the-direct-impingement-gas-system-makes-the-m4-unreliable/Further folks like the powdered buffers b/c they have less rattle/noise. Disregarding the fact that the rattle serves an engineering function and that powdered buffers take up a greater volume than solid weight and remove nearly all of the designed function of shifting weights in the standard buffer design...
Post you quoted, I was just saying that Geissele on the black friday/cyber monday sale were no more expensive than a relatively standard upgrade to stock system.
In firearms like all consumer goods, brand and brand reputation matters.
QC issues with Anderson receivers are well known. Anderson factory assembled rifles sell for less than Aero built rifles. And anything you put on the receiver/"legal firearm" will default to value of that critical base -- like top of line tires on a rust bucket... Continuing w/ car analogies, even if both are "milspec" at best Anderson is still the KIA to the Aero Hyundai... I think it's foolish not to buy a higher quality product if your overall build will be using otherwise quality parts throughout... More than 2/3rds of Anderson builds I've seen, folks build them using the cheapest parts available, which is neither a good indicator for quality or valuation. If you want to build the exception to the rule w/ Anderson built guns, by all means have at it. But if you ever want to sell the build, you're doing yourself a disservice on an Anderson lower IMO -- to the best of my knowledge Anderson builds lowers for no top tier AR brands, Aero does.
Stag and CMT are effectively the same.
Folks are willing to spend their money on snake oil and other goods that deliver no additional quality or reliability but resolve a pet peeve, even if that pet peeve exists because it resolves a quality or reliability issue...
I have shot a buddy's gun w/ the JP spring, but haven't done considerable testing. My only complaint about the JP here was its price. I will caution the OP that AR products geared towards performance don't always maintain on the reliability end of the spectrum (lightweight bolt carriers for instance...).
I don't see the point in billet lowers. Billet uppers are credible if wanting to wring maximum upper rigidity for precision reasons, but that's about it IMO.
I only voice opinions that I'm confident are greater than 90% on point. YMMV. But then opinions are something everyone has...
The OP has minimal experience with rifles and the goal should be a "KISS" -- keep it stupid simple -- weapon system not something that requires numerous trips to the range to perfect... It should shoot weak tula steel to hot IMI brass reliably, etc. More tuning the worst the recommendation for the OPs needs as I understand it. YMMV.
