Anyone have a Buffer Pilot Fail and Separate?

[Grease Gunner]

Hello All:

Was going to put a WH1928 thru a test run and when it stopped after 20 rounds, The pilot was sticking out

the back of the receiver an extra inch. Separated upper and lower and the metal disc part had separated from the

pilot. I have WW2 pilots and will replace. The spring got so kinked up its unusable.

The disturbing thought is : could the pilot have kept on going thru the back and leave the gun?

 

I will post pics of the failed pilot later

Edited August 1, 2020 by Grease Gunner

[StrangeRanger]

Common and dangerous failure with the crappy 2-oiece WH buffer pilot

Replace with a GI pilot (which is 1-piece) and the problem is solved forever

 

And yes it could take out an eye

Edited August 1, 2020 by StrangeRanger

[Gio]

First thing one needs to do with a WH gun is replace all internals with WWII Their have been many post on this subject. Elementary Watson!!!!

 

Frank

[Frank Iannamico]

Yes, the failure of WH 2-piece buffer pilot is common and dangerous.

 

Read Tom Davis' SAR article on WH Thompson parts.

 

https://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=224

[ppgcowboy]

Pictures?

[Grease Gunner]

i did notice the internals have the S on name for savage but i didnt look at the buffer pilot

Thanks!

[StrangeRanger]

Make sure your actuator is a machined GI part. The cast WH actuators are prone to a wide variety of failures and are best used as paper weights

[Grease Gunner]

will look at actuator- Thanks

 

Here is the pics of the failed buffer pilot

 

looks like whatever they did to adhere the disc part obviously didnt hold

 

Edited August 1, 2020 by Grease Gunner

[john]

Looks like it was brazed. Bad way to do something like that under stress.

Welding would have been far better, but turning from one steel piece is definitely the way to go.

[APEXgunparts]

I guess this is why the pilot guide for the recoil spring is a steady seller!
Fortunately we started off with a lot of that USGI machined part on hand from the material we purchased from OOW.
More of them were in the Omega Weapons purchase.

Richard

Edited August 2, 2020 by APEXgunparts

[full auto 45]

Typical WH crap. Mine did this the first time I went to the shoot at Tracie's. Put in a Savage buffer pilot and it works perfect.

[john]

Incidentally, that buffer pilot rod is not coming out under spring tension as the spring rides the outside of the rod. That spring pushes on the disc that was brazed onto the rod, so once the brass broke free the tension on the rod was lost.

If it is made too long, the actuator might push it out a tad but probably vibrated out