[dusty_dragon]

as the topic says i'm a little bit confused on the pros & cons of
1. 1911 wilson combat buffers
2. wolff xtra power recoil spring
in a mini 14

i see both sides and in the net users state the one or the other side.

i suppose the purpose is to increase gun life time, by minimizing the impact of the slide assembly on the receiver (on its backwards motion) and gas block (on its forward motion)

i, more or less, understand the purpose of the 1911 buffers, but not of the xtra power recoil spring.
if the factory spring is too weak it must have been fully compressed and the slide assembly would still have power to move further back, otherwise it would be strong enough.
it can't be connected with the volume of gas left in the system after firing either, because of the holes in the slide assembly and the opening of the gasport after the backwards motion of the slide assembly begins, all the gas left will expand in the stock, not in the slide assembly any more and therefore the xtra power spring will not save the slide assembly from gas overpressure/force and speed, because there is not more gas left, than with the weak factory spring, or am i getting something wrong here?

please help me to understand why some people recommend buffers and xtra power spring ( or just the one and not the other) and some dismiss these "improvements"

[tri70]

When you are shooting 5.56 loads or max loaded rounds in 223, the extra power spring absorbs more energy that is pushing against the oprod. The 5.56 loads and max pressure reloads allow more pressure that moves quicker thru the gas port and pushing the oprod back quicker and harder. Most of us use gas port bushings to slow down the gas flow and reduce the oprod slam affect. Weaker loads like Wolf ammo and other cheap low priced budget stuff will not work smoothly in a mini with an extra power spring. The barrel pressure built up when firing is not as strong as LC for Federal 5.56 or max handloads. Cheap loads use slow burning powders that burn up outside the barrel.

[dusty_dragon]

okay thanks, my idea was to increase service-lifetime of the mini 14 ranch rifle and it's internal parts, so i wanted to reduce the impact, force and momentum on gas block / gas pipe, reiceiver and slide assembly.
so i installed the 2 blue WC 1911 buffers and the wolff xtra power recoil spring. i had no probs with the standard power loads i'm using, though they are not high power, but standard brass 55gr FMJ factory ammo. no short stroking, feeding issue or what so ever, everything's fine.
but my next thought was that the xtra power recoil spring increases the bang on the gas block / gas pipe when closing and slaming the bolt home with (due to the xtra power) more force than before (with the standard recoil spring).
will this harm the bolt, locking lugs, reiceiver, gas block and gas pipe more than necessary?

[tri70]

The gas block will get a little more force hitting it while the oprod moves forward but if you are use a buffer then you should be fine. This extra force on the gas block may create unwanted barrel harmonic, just keep the gas block screws evenly torqued and tight.

[dusty_dragon]

so would you suggest (shooting only standard, no high power loads) the xtra power recoil spring is a good idea or should i stick with the factory one and only use 2 WC buffers to save some extra lifetime for the mini?

will the xtra power recoil spring increase locking time and due to that increase gas pressure in the chamber?

[tri70]

The mini is made to handle high powered loads. The extra power Springs will not hurt the gun. It will only matter if you're shooting weaker loads.

[dusty_dragon]

roget that, thanks a lot

[steve4102]

Originally Posted by dusty_dragon

so would you suggest (shooting only standard, no high power loads) the xtra power recoil spring is a good idea or should i stick with the factory one and only use 2 WC buffers to save some extra lifetime for the mini?

will the xtra power recoil spring increase locking time and due to that increase gas pressure in the chamber?

No, even with the gas system closed off completely turning the Mini into a single shot the chamber pressures will not be affected.

IMO the rear buffer is a good idea. If you have feeding issues with it in place than it may have to be thinned down.

The front buffer softens the metal to metal contact at the gas block and may or may not help with harmonics and accuracy. It can also cause the action to short cycle with some faster burning powders. I do not use one.

The EX power spring is not needed, sure it can slow the action down upon opening, but it also speeds it up upon closing. I do not use one.

[dusty_dragon]

okay thanks, no probs with the buffers (rear and front) at all, both in factory thickness, not thinned out.
just the EX spring is not installed right now, though also with the EX spring everything worked fine.

now i have the EX spring layin' around (needed or not) would you suggest i should put it in (just because i have it anyway here in my toolbox) or run the factory spring, cause the EX spring is slaming the bolt home with more force on the gaspipe / gas plug than needed (no closing issues with the bolt with factory spring also)?

[steve4102]

Originally Posted by dusty_dragon

okay thanks, no probs with the buffers (rear and front) at all, both in factory thickness, not thinned out.
just the EX spring is not installed right now, though also with the EX spring everything worked fine.

now i have the EX spring layin' around (needed or not) would you suggest i should put it in (just because i have it anyway here in my toolbox) or run the factory spring, cause the EX spring is slaming the bolt home with more force on the gaspipe / gas plug than needed (no closing issues with the bolt with factory spring also)?

I would test a few different types of ammo for function and accuracy. If it helps use it, if not keep the factory spring.