Rabbit57 Posted January 14, 2022 Report Share Posted January 14, 2022 Hello forum,I recently found a nice M1 Thompson for sale and I have begun the process of buying it. I have been picking up all kinds of accessories for my gun, but I have a question about the buffer. I picked up a NOS buffer, just for my collection, but I realize these parts are over 70 years old. Does anyone make a new buffer for these guns, or is it ok to just pick up a few of the buffers to act as spare parts, just in case one fails? Thanks,Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gijive Posted January 14, 2022 Report Share Posted January 14, 2022 The M1 buffers are pretty tough, you likely would not need more than one, but having a spare is a good idea. They made things right back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyDixon Posted January 14, 2022 Report Share Posted January 14, 2022 ive had several m1 tsmgs over the years , never have a buffer go bad, ive misplaced one or two, but never seen a bad one, just sayn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryo Posted January 14, 2022 Report Share Posted January 14, 2022 I know PK makes them. Or you can probably take med-hard polyurethane and punch one out if you have the tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerslayer Posted January 14, 2022 Report Share Posted January 14, 2022 The "buffer" doesn't actually do any buffering with it's solid rivets, I cut the buffer in half and remove the rivets and hard red rubber and cut a piece of urethane to stick back inside. No rivets are necessary to hold it all in place. Gives a much better cushion to the recoil impulse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit57 Posted January 14, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2022 Thanks for the answers guys. Dan, do you sell the buffers you put together? If not, I can pick up a couple of WWII surplus ones and call it good.Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerslayer Posted January 14, 2022 Report Share Posted January 14, 2022 I don't sell them as a unit. But if you want to cut yours in half, I can send you a piece of urethane to stick in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeport28A1 Posted January 14, 2022 Report Share Posted January 14, 2022 (edited) You can also drill out the end of the two rivets holding the buffer together. The two metal pieces will come apart. Usually one of the metal sides will have more visible ends of the rivets. Edited January 14, 2022 by Bridgeport28A1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndArmored Posted January 15, 2022 Report Share Posted January 15, 2022 The presence of the rivets always perplexed me. Upon impact, do they compress enough to allow the sandwich to be squeezed to the point where the red rubber can effect the bolt's deceleration? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerslayer Posted January 15, 2022 Report Share Posted January 15, 2022 They are solid steel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67ray Posted January 15, 2022 Report Share Posted January 15, 2022 This is one of those things that everyone talks about but has never occurred. I have posted a few times in the past requesting anyone who has cracked their upper receiver to post pictures of the failure and none have responded. Sure it could happen theoretically but as above "They made things right back then" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeport28A1 Posted January 15, 2022 Report Share Posted January 15, 2022 (edited) Original AOC buffer assembly on the left, AOC assembly with rivets drilled out on the right What a disassembled AOC buffer assembly looks like. Pieces of buffer material ready to be sandwiched between original metal pieces. Material courtesy of MGB member john Side by side of original AOC buffer and a better "mousetrap" buffer assembly I don't believe that an original buffer assembly buffer does much to buffer but does a great job of holding the buffer pilot. The red material sandwiched and riveted between the steel outside appears to me to be the same material the WW2 1928 round buffers were made from. Edited January 15, 2022 by Bridgeport28A1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted January 15, 2022 Report Share Posted January 15, 2022 (edited) That urethane material is .100 inch or so and Ross is using two layers, as I've used as buffer material in my 28's.Total thickness for two measures .200-.204. and durometer measures at a hardness of 80 A.Ross will confirm it's really hard to cut and work with but not impossible, and is tough stuff.I have several thousand rounds on one of my '28 guns with this material and the buffers still are in one piece.Mnshooter yses one dusc fire and one aft if the pilots disc to avoid any steel to steel cintact and thats an option too.With a machinist friend, we're currently working up a set of dies to cut these for '28 pilots and will keep the board posted.Looking at this, I might give thought about this M1-M1A1 buffer as a worthwhile project for later this year. Edited January 15, 2022 by john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeRanger Posted January 15, 2022 Report Share Posted January 15, 2022 FWIW Doug Richardson's catalogue shows an improves M1/M1A1 buffer on page 36 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyDixon Posted January 15, 2022 Report Share Posted January 15, 2022 if it aint broke, dont fix it, just sayn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndArmored Posted January 16, 2022 Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 If the sole purpose of the "buffer" is to hold the pilot in place, then why make it unnecessarily complicated (rivets, different materials, etc.) on a weapon borne of a search for simplification (1928 vs. M1) A 100% metal piece would have done the same thing and been a lot faster to make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeport28A1 Posted January 16, 2022 Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 http://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19182 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndArmored Posted January 16, 2022 Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 http://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19182 I appreciate the link but I didn't see an answer to the question. Perhaps because I'm looking for one based on a flawed premise. Do the steel rivets compress upon impact?If yes, then they + the red material work in unison to retard the reward motion of the bolt. So why not make the buffer out of one material that has the same overall effect?If no, then they're acting like stand-offs in a circuit board and the qualities of the remaining materials are never realized. So what good do they do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeport28A1 Posted January 16, 2022 Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 The original WW2 M1/M1A1 buffer rivets do not compress. The hard red material in between the two steel pieces I do not believe compresses any. I could be wrong but simply believe there are better buffer materials then the hard red material. Thus the reason PK sells newer material buffers and not WW2 vintage buffers for 1928 and his 21/28 hybrid buffer pilot.PK also made a few M1 buffers, they used a modern material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colt21a Posted January 16, 2022 Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 Compress 1968 shotgun news pages in there coat with oil, & freeze. And you should be good to go.Make sure it had old ad from Curtis Earl.. he had great buffers.. oh wait guys that was his girlfriend. This post made the internet today. ALSO DID colt MARK THE SERIAL NUMBERS ON THE FIRING PIN ORIGINALS ? off topic.someone someplace in a far off land said they did? i miss Carlin he would have had material for the Thompson tales for decades. okay back to the buffers, red blue screws or phillips wazz the magic? i like the green one. RON K. SHOT SHOW will have the answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndArmored Posted January 17, 2022 Report Share Posted January 17, 2022 The original WW2 M1/M1A1 buffer rivets do not compress. The hard red material in between the two steel pieces I do not believe compresses any. I could be wrong but simply believe there are better buffer materials then the hard red material.Thus the reason PK sells newer material buffers and not WW2 vintage buffers for 1928 and his 21/28 hybrid buffer pilot.PK also made a few M1 buffers, they used a modern material. Then why manufacture & assemble a sandwich of 5 incompressible pieces instead of just making 1 big uniform equally-incompressible piece? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thirtyround Posted January 17, 2022 Report Share Posted January 17, 2022 It has to be of robust enough design to 1. Take the punishment of repeated impact and still....2. Hold the buffer pilot in place securely through all that shooting vibration and stress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndArmored Posted January 17, 2022 Report Share Posted January 17, 2022 It seems like a Rube Goldberg way to accomplish the task, but it worked. Thank for the info. My wife thanks you too because now I'll quit muttering in my sleep "buffer - so many parts.....buffer - so many parts...." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted January 17, 2022 Report Share Posted January 17, 2022 My thoughts.....These guns were designed and made for combat use. The goal was a reliable arm, not one that would last forever. With use and abuse, they will wear iut and parts will break.The government could afford as many spare parts as it took to keep these running in combat. But we're not in combat. In fact, the value of these guns now far exceeds the designers wildest notions. So, why do I use a urethane buffer in the back of each of my subguns? Same reason I run them dripping wet with CLP......wear out or break that receiver and the fun is done. Even other parts are now so pricey it pays to protect them if possible. Many of us are trying our best to do all we can to keep from breaking what we have.As such, many just shoot a few rounds and the gun becomes a safe queen. Not me. I bought these to have fun shooting and these small bits of urethane seem to prevent severe metal on metal impact and so I believe protects the gun from damaging wear.I have one in my S&W 76, my Sten MkII and both '28's, as well as several 1911s and a few other guns I managed to adapt them to. Just insurance, I guess.from Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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