Has anybody actually had a buffer tube failure in an AR?

[zachomega]

For whatever reason, buffer tubes, castle nuts, and endplates seem to give me the most trouble when making a purchase.

I never hear about them failing but honestly, i couldn't tell you a good one from a bad one. So i just kind of stick to name brands. But it has me wondering, am i paying too much buying Anderson or aero?

Has anybody seen one fail? Any preferred brands?

-Zach

[phoenix01]

I had a buffer tube retention pin failure in a Plum Crazy AR while shooting. Actually, it wasn't the pin itself, but the plastic of the lower receiver around the pin that failed catastrophically. First and last polymer lower AR (and since it was my first AR, it was almost my last).

[ideaman]

Last week at the range. The collar must of loosen and it all came apart. I ordered another collar and will install BOTH COLLARS as a back-up.

[Ronin]

First lower I ever built, the castle nut came loose on me during a 3-gun match. Had to hand tighten it between stages, lol. Completely my fault. I did a shitty job staking the nut and I didn't have a proper AR wrench at the time to properly tighten it, either. Lesson learned. Now I have the proper tools and I make sure I stake it correctly.

[Tacgunner]

Stick with name brand items. Had a build where I used no-name castle nut and the thing was not properly finished: would keep rusting. No-name tubes made of cheap materials can bend/break if you "mortar" your rifle with a stuck case (slam buttstock on ground to unjam the bolt assembly).

Always clean the threads of all oils and stuff before assembly of the tube/castle nut. Use some loctite on the threads and stake the nut. Nothing more frustrating than having your stock get all "twisty" on you when shooting.

We all want to save a buck on a build, but crappy cheap parts abound and it's better to spend a couple bucks more for better quality parts.

[jthrelf]

I think most of the time failures will come from improper installation. Your buffer retainer pin will come loose if not enough buffer tube coverage is on top of it (you might need to notch the tube to be able to thread it in one more rotation). It will also come loose if the castle nut loosens and the tube spins out. I've never seen anything break or come loose that wasn't user error i.e. complete tube cracking or something.

To mitigate risk you can make sure to use a 7075 tube instead of 6061. Also make sure to use a legit castle nut wrench and stake it with a spring loaded punch. I've also learned to not use loctite because it will destroy the tube when you try and remove the castle nut for disassembly (it will rotate it and the tube together and shear the bottom channel against the end plate tab).

Also I prefer to use a light coat of grease on the endplate where the castle nut sits against because it will reduce friction enough so the castle nut can achieve proper torque. Also the lubrication will prevent the castle nut from sticking on the end plate and twisting the tube during tightening or again shearing the channel with the end plate tab.

[icp4life162005]

Stick with name brand items. Had a build where I used no-name castle nut and the thing was not properly finished: would keep rusting. No-name tubes made of cheap materials can bend/break if you "mortar" your rifle with a stuck case (slam buttstock on ground to unjam the bolt assembly).

Always clean the threads of all oils and stuff before assembly of the tube/castle nut. Use some loctite on the threads and stake the nut. Nothing more frustrating than having your stock get all "twisty" on you when shooting.

We all want to save a buck on a build, but crappy cheap parts abound and it's better to spend a couple bucks more for better quality parts.

Fix that old castle nut.
Let it get a good even coati g of surface rust on it then drop it into a pot of boiling water. Pull it out in 20mins or so.


ta da!

Fresh coating of rustproof magnetic black oxide.

[Tacgunner]

Fix that old castle nut.
Let it get a good even coati g of surface rust on it then drop it into a pot of boiling water. Pull it out in 20mins or so.


ta da!

Fresh coating of rustproof magnetic black oxide.

I hadn't thought of doing that! Will have to dig it outta the parts pile and give it a whirl. Thanks for the hint!

[Emptymag]

I just look for 7075 aluminum vs 6061
If the price difference were $50, yeah, I'd probably just use the cheaper 6061, but when you're talking an extra $5-$15, why not use the stronger material?

The only "expensive" tube I own is a Spikes Tactical. I will say that the finish is better than lesser brands and it's nice to have the stock position numbers laser engraved onto it.
The rest are assorted brands, but all were chosen specifically because they were 7075 aluminum.

[ideaman]

I think most of the time failures will come from improper installation. Your buffer retainer pin will come loose if not enough buffer tube coverage is on top of it (you might need to notch the tube to be able to thread it in one more rotation). It will also come loose if the castle nut loosens and the tube spins out. I've never seen anything break or come loose that wasn't user error i.e. complete tube cracking or something.

To mitigate risk you can make sure to use a 7075 tube instead of 6061. Also make sure to use a legit castle nut wrench and stake it with a spring loaded punch. I've also learned to not use loctite because it will destroy the tube when you try and remove the castle nut for disassembly (it will rotate it and the tube together and shear the bottom channel against the end plate tab).

Also I prefer to use a light coat of grease on the endplate where the castle nut sits against because it will reduce friction enough so the castle nut can achieve proper torque. Also the lubrication will prevent the castle nut from sticking on the end plate and twisting the tube during tightening or again shearing the channel with the end plate tab.

The problem I have is the pin is covered too small or jams the pin. What would happen if the tube jams the pin?