1911 Shock Buffer bushing real or worthless?

[Sevens]

I am miles from a gunsmith or a craftsman... but some things are simple.

When I assemble my Coonan .357 Magnum pistol without it's recoil spring, I can find (easily) that the slide dead-stops when the bottom of the slide's dust cover reaches the end of it's travel to land solidly against the cutout in the frame behind the slide stop hole area. It's a nice, solid, flat dead stop. Perhaps "dust cover" isn't the right term, that's usually reserved for the frame area... but I mean the area of the bottom of the slide, muzzle end, that captures the recoil spring and spring plug. The rearmost area of that maybe 1.5" long bottom is what dead-stops in to the pistol's frame.

I can still feel that this is how and where it stops with the recoil spring installed.

And when I put a Wilson shok-buff in the proper place, the pistol now has a thin piece of neoprene RIGHT in that spot between the slide slamming in to the frame. You can feel the difference easily.

The pistol continues to lock open properly upon the ejection of the last round. No failures to feed, fire, extract or eject. No problem sling shotting the slide closed when it is locked open.

I don't use the shok-buff in my .45cal 1911 pistols nor my 9mm, but I do very specifically like it in my .357 Magnum Coonan.

 

[michael t]

I have a 1941 Colt USGI I bought 30 yrs back with a worn out no rifleing left barrel . Replace that barrel and pistol still going with out a shock buff . Useless junk like full length guide rods , front slide serrations, mag funnels . extended mag release, extended slide release, and over size safety paddle. All fine for games but not real life carry.

 

[g.willikers]

Purty sure at least some of the frame damage that's attributed to a lack of shock buffer in a 1911 is caused by:
Too short a recoil spring that results in it acting like a solid bush at full compression.
Or:
A sloppy fit of the recoil spring guide rod that allows it to rotate and smack the sides of the frame.

Just the other day I went to disassemble my trusty 1911 for routine cleaning, and it would not come apart.
It turned out the buffer had broken and was tangled up in the works.
It didn't get a new one.

 

[Mike38]

IMO, Shock buffers work as intended. My M1911's run flawlessly with or without them. I have never, repeat never had a failure due to using a shock buffer. Never. Why not use a shock buffer? The only down side is they don't last forever, and can break apart and possibly jam up the pistol. If I concealed carried a M1911, I wouldn't use a shock buffer in it. But for range use, and even serious competition, the shock buffer is installed.

mine melted after the first magazine full out of my Colt Combat Commander

I do hope you're joking. Unless of course you have a 1000 round magazine.

 

[Gary Wells]

Handgun Shok-buff Recommendations: 06-10-2012


Ed Brown: Does not recommend the use of Shok-buffs in any of their guns and there is not enough room to accept a standard thick Shok-buff and sling-shot.

Les Baer: Shipped with a Shok-buff in at least their 5” Premier II guns but it is rumored that all or most will not sling-shot with the Shok-buff in place.

Wilson Combat: Shipped with a Wilson Combat Shok-buff in their 5” guns only.

A Shok-buff does limit the length that the slide travels backward.
Not all guns have enough room to use a Shok-buff and still slingshot.
Examples: Ed Browns, on at least the Executive Target & Les Baer, on at least the Premier II do not have enough room for a standard (.100-.105 thick) Shok-buff and still slingshot.
Guns that do not have enough room for a Shok-buff can exhibit 2 negative characteristics that could prove fatal in a life or death scenario.
1) Slide may not go back far enough to slingshot, that is allow the slide to be pulled back just enough to allow the slide to go forward to battery.
2) Shok-buffs may limit rearward travel enough to not allow the slide to stay open on last round fired.
Other than those limitations, Shok-buffs are a matter of personal preference & / opinion.
If you are not familiar with a Shok-buff's limitations and use one, eventually it will screw you up, and not always at a convenient time.

Dawson Precision markets a .100 thick aluminum Shok-buff (# 032-001 DP 1911 HiCap Aluma Buff Shock Buffs) that is used by a lot of the gamers & competition shooters. Ones using it seem to be quite satisfied with it. These will not work in Les Baer or Ed Brown handguns without modification due to their thickness.

Joe Cominolli of Cominolli Custom makes a shock absorber type of device that requires 2 different thicknesses of Shok-buffs. He generally sells them as a combined set but if you call him he will sell you only the thin ones, which are black in color and measure about .062 thick.

I modified a standard .105 thick Shok-buff a while back by sanding it down to about .08 thick for my new Ed Brown Executive Target. Works like a charm.

I shoot 6 different .45 autos, five 5" & 1 6" longslide, all wear 1 piece or 2 piece full-length guide rods, all are Shok-buffed, & all fully sling-shot.


I do not suggest that everybody else run a FLGR.

I do not believe in cutting coils, removing material from the back of the slide dust cover, and I believe that everybody is entitled to an opinion regarding Shok-Buffs.