Enhancing Your AR Rifle with Hydraulic Buffers: An All-Inclusive Guide

Are you looking for ways to boost your AR rifle's performance? Hydraulic buffers are the answer! In this comprehensive guide, we'll discuss how hydraulic buffers improve your AR rifle's functionality, suggest top-quality products from Blitzkrieg Components, and share helpful tips for installation. So, let's get started!

Table of Contents

1. Hydraulic Buffer Explained
2. Advantages of Hydraulic Buffers for AR Rifles
3. Selecting the Ideal Hydraulic Buffer for Your AR Rifle
4. Top Blitzkrieg Components Hydraulic Buffer Picks
5. Installation Advice
6. Frequently Asked Questions

Hydraulic Buffer Explained

A hydraulic buffer is an innovative component designed to replace the conventional buffer in your AR rifle's buffer tube. By using hydraulic shock absorption technology to dampen the impact of the bolt carrier, hydraulic buffers deliver enhanced performance compared to traditional solid buffers.

Advantages of Hydraulic Buffers for AR Rifles

Hydraulic buffers offer several notable benefits for AR rifle owners, such as:

• Lower Recoil: The hydraulic damping effectively absorbs the impact of the bolt carrier, resulting in a significant reduction in recoil and muzzle rise and faster shot recovery.
• Slicker Cycling: Hydraulic buffers enable smoother, more consistent cycling, which can boost your AR rifle's reliability and decrease wear.
• Better Accuracy: With diminished recoil and more consistent feeding, you may notice enhanced accuracy.

Selecting the Ideal Hydraulic Buffer for Your AR Rifle

To choose the perfect hydraulic buffer for your AR rifle, consider the following factors:

• Compatibility: Make sure the hydraulic buffer is compatible with your AR rifle's buffer tube length and caliber. The length of the buffer needs to be the correct length for the gun and buffer tube in order to stop the bolt carrier at the right place.  If the length is not correct for your firearm, then it could either damage your gun or cause reliability problems.  It should stop the bolt carrier so that the bolt face is just behind the bolt catch.  For hydraulic buffers, the compressed length is used.  The buffer length will be the same length as the factory buffer that came with your gun if you have one. 
  
• Weight: Buffers need to be in the correct weight range to run optimally in your firearm.  If too light, the Bolt Carrier will move too fast, causing more recoil than needed and more wear on parts.  If too heavy, the Bolt Carrier could short-stoke causing reliability problems and not locking back on the last round.  Hydraulic Buffers generally do not need to be as heavy as conventional buffers in order to perform optimally. 
  
• Quality: Hydraulic buffers need to be made with high quality standards for design, materials, tolerances and seals in to stand up to harsh use and environments.
  

Top Blitzkrieg Components Hydraulic Buffer Picks

Blitzkrieg Components offers an extensive range of top-notch hydraulic buffers to elevate your AR rifle's performance. Here are some outstanding recommendations:

1. KynSHOT Hydraulic Recoil Buffer - .223 Carbine: This well-rounded AR-15 buffer delivers reduced recoil and improved performance for the majority .223/5.56 caliber AR carbines as well as many other popular AR15 calibers.  It has a wide operating range and is 4.2 oz and 3.25" in length.  Part number is RB5000. 
   
2. KynSHOT Hydraulic Recoil Buffer - .223 Carbine Light: Designed for soft cycling or under gassed guns, such as the .300 Blackout and provides smoother cycling while minimizing additional weight and having softer hydraulic damping and a lighter buffer piston spring.  The weight is 4.0 oz and 3.25" in length.  Part number is RB5000L
   
3. KynSHOT Hydraulic Recoil Buffer - .223 Carbine High Pressure: Engineered for high-pressure loads and harder cycling AR15 builds, this buffer ensures dependable performance under the most demanding conditions.  The weight is increased to 4.8 oz and the length is 3.25".  This is a great buffer for hard cycling SBRs, hard cycling calibers like .458 SOCOM, and suppressed guns.  Part number is RB5000HP.
   
4. KynSHOT Hydraulic Recoil Buffer - .223 Fixed Stock: This buffer is designed for fixed stock .223 AR rifles with the full length, fixed stock buffer tube, offering improved performance and enhanced reliability over conventional buffers.  Runs great in Fixed stock AR15s chambered for .223/5.56 as well as many other calibers such as .450 Bushmaster, 6.8 SPC, .350 Legend and more.  The weight is 8.2 oz. and length is 5 7/8".  Part number is RB5001. 
   
5. KynSHOT Hydraulic Recoil Buffer - .308 Carbine 2.5": Tailored specifically for .308 caliber AR carbines, this buffer offers excellent recoil reduction and smooth cycling for .308 ARs that have AR15 carbine buffer tubes.  This is the most common set up for .308 ARs, these carbine buffer tubes are 7" long on the inside and require a 2.5" buffer to stop the bolt carrier at the right position.  These buffers are 3.8 oz. 
   
6. KynSHOT Hydraulic Recoil Buffer - .308 Fixed Stock: This buffer is the choice for fixed stock .308 AR rifles, providing improved cycling performance and reduced recoil.  These run great for .308/7.62 rifles, even when suppressed.  The weight is 7.3 oz. and the length is 5.25". 
   

Installation:

Mounting a hydraulic buffer in your AR rifle is a very fast and simple process.

1. Before working on your firearm, always ensure it is unloaded and safe.
2. Either pull the rear take-down pin to open the action or pull both take-down pins and remover the upper receiver.  Then to remove the factory buffer and buffer spring depress the spring loaded plunger that is holding the buffer in the buffer tube.  This will release the buffer, allowing it to come forward out of the buffer tube.  This can be done by hand or with a tool like a flat head screwdriver.  Be careful since the buffer is under spring tension.  The buffer will normally only come forward a little bit before the spring gets caught on the plunger or the buffer gets stopped by the hammer.  The buffer can be wiggled up and down a bit to get the spring coils over the plunger and past the hammer until it is free.  You can depress the hammer to help the buffer get past it.  Then the buffer and buffer spring should come all the way out. 
   
3. To install the new buffer and/or buffer spring, simply do it in reverse order.  Put the buffer in the spring and push the spring into the buffer tube working the coils over the spring loaded plunger.  As the buffer body starts to go into the buffer tube, it will usually push in pretty easily and you will probably need to push down on the hammer as it goes over it.  It will stop when the buffer cap gets to the plunger and you just need to push down a bit on the plunger and it will slide in the rest of the way.  Sometimes you can even push down on the plunger with the buffer cap itself which makes it very quick and easy. 
   
4. Once the buffer and spring are installed, close the upper receiver and push-in the take-down pin(s).  Perform a function check of the firearm to ensure all parts are installed correctly and functioning properly.  The whole job should only take a few minutes. 
   

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are hydraulic buffers exclusive to AR style rifles, carbines and pistols?

A: No, hydraulic buffers can be employed in a variety of firearms, but you would need to find one made specifically for that type of firearm.  For example, they have been made for a few models of tactical shotguns.

Q: Will a hydraulic buffer increase the overall weight of my AR rifle?

A: The weight difference is very slight since the difference in weight between hydraulic and conventional buffers is usually only tenths of ounces to perhaps an ounce or two.  And hydraulic buffers have the weight advantage since a hydraulic buffer of lesser weight can fill the role of a heavier conventional buffer. 

Q: What hydraulic buffer will fit my AR type rifle, carbine or pistol?

A: It comes down to a few simple questions;

What length buffer do you need?  This depends on the buffer tube length and how far the bolt needs to travel before it stops.  The buffer needed will be the same as the factory buffer.

What caliber is it and how hard does it cycle?  Most buffers are designed for either AR15 or AR10 framed guns.  With all the modern calibers, barrel lengths and suppressors out there, they all run somewhat uniquely, so some cycle harder than others.  Please read the descriptions of the models to see more of what applications they are best suited for.

Conclusion

Upgrading your AR rifle with a hydraulic buffer can yield noticeable advantages, including recoil reduction, smoother cycling, and increased accuracy. By understanding the benefits of hydraulic buffers and selecting the right model for your AR rifle, you can enrich your shooting experience and fully realize your firearm's potential. So, why wait? Discover the perks of hydraulic buffers for your AR rifle today!

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