Ruger makes much ado about their "... patented recoil buffer that help protect scope" [sic] on the Mini-14 **Ranch** rifle.
Here's a brief description of the system:
The recoil buffer comprises a cup bushing, a cross pin, and a buffer guide rod. The bushing fits in a hole in the receiver below--and parallel to--the axis of the barrel; the bushing is fixed to the receiver by the cross pin. The guide rod end is machined to produce a "long tongue" (Ruger's words, not mine). The recoil spring fits over the guide rod and the guide rod "tongue" slides into the bushing and under the cross pin. (Anyone who's ever field-stripped a Mini-14 Ranch will know what I'm talking about here.)
From what I can tell, as the slide is forced back by the vented gases, it compresses the recoil spring until it slams into the end of the cup which then transfers the horizontal impact forces through the cross pin and into the receiver. Granted, the "tongue" wedged against the cross pin will impart a vertical force vector onto the pin (which will then transfer to the receiver), but that vector will be quite small (because it's only force of the compressed recoil spring) compared to the horizontal force vector delivered by the bushing when it abruptly stops the rearward travel of the slide. I can see no means of dampening or shock absorbsion by this system.
So my question is: how does this system reduce recoil shock?
Here's a brief description of the system:
The recoil buffer comprises a cup bushing, a cross pin, and a buffer guide rod. The bushing fits in a hole in the receiver below--and parallel to--the axis of the barrel; the bushing is fixed to the receiver by the cross pin. The guide rod end is machined to produce a "long tongue" (Ruger's words, not mine). The recoil spring fits over the guide rod and the guide rod "tongue" slides into the bushing and under the cross pin. (Anyone who's ever field-stripped a Mini-14 Ranch will know what I'm talking about here.)
From what I can tell, as the slide is forced back by the vented gases, it compresses the recoil spring until it slams into the end of the cup which then transfers the horizontal impact forces through the cross pin and into the receiver. Granted, the "tongue" wedged against the cross pin will impart a vertical force vector onto the pin (which will then transfer to the receiver), but that vector will be quite small (because it's only force of the compressed recoil spring) compared to the horizontal force vector delivered by the bushing when it abruptly stops the rearward travel of the slide. I can see no means of dampening or shock absorbsion by this system.
So my question is: how does this system reduce recoil shock?