Quick Tip: How To Use The Brownells Offset Buffer Retainer

[@randallbarrick1192]

I've been fooling around with the AR platform for 45 years and I almost always learn something from your videos. Thanks for the good info.

[@traviscoombes3578]

I had this issue and wasn't able to get a good answer as to why. Now I know. Thanks for the info.

[@ThePatriotParadox]

I have a mark from my cam pin on the inside of my upper where the little space is.... Would love to see a video on proper operation of cam pin in upper and normal and unnormal wear patterns and how and why PLEASE

[@hairydogstail]

Your rifle is over gassed or are you using an external piston..

[@chrissewell1608]

I never knew this was a problem. Now I know what to check for! The more ya know!

[@Paladin1873]

I like notched buffer tubes. The notch is a small recess cut into the buffer tube. When the tube is screwed fully into place, the buffer retaining pin sits inside the notch instead of contacting the forward edge of the tube. I don't know why all manufacturers don't offer this feature as standard.

[@wadewilson6135]

I have had a couple buffer tubes that were cut like that and when screwed all the way in the upper edge of the tube would stick out just a tiny bit and it wouldn't let the upper close so it had to be backed off one rotation which meant the retaining pin was now held in by just the two little edges of that cut out if that makes sense. I know one of them was an aero precision buffer tube but I'm not 100% what the other one was. It too could have been an aero precision.

[@Paladin1873]

@@wadewilson6135I've not experienced this issue except with some unnotched tubes, so maybe I was lucky. Did you try shaving the face of the buffer tube to correct the problem?

[@wadewilson6135]

I did that on both of them.

[@TacticalBuffoonary]

You can cut the notch yourself with a small file or a dremel.

[@Russianmafia10]

POF makes a tube like that that's meant to support the carrier to prevent carrier tilt on a piston gun. The bottom sticks out farther with a notch

[@BillRodgers2]

I had a dpms about 25 years ago that the buffer would sing when fired sounded kinda like someone yodeling on the Swiss alps. Drove me nuts I quickly sold it

[@chrissewell1608]

I think Caleb should make a How To build an AR, DVD. (And Brownells could sell it, along with others!) I trust his AR knowledge is better than most! And his simple instruction, would be easy to follow and understand.

[@brownells]

No need, the full build series is free on our webpage!

[@chrissewell1608]

@@brownells True, but I like a hard copy video!

[@psycopaintball22]

Apparently I need to pick up a few of these. I have 2 separate aero M4E1 reciever sets separated by 5 years of production that are having that issue. The older one I noticed the wear on the buffer but wasn't too worried about it and have a decent amount of rounds through it with no issues. I'm building the newer one now and just put in the BCG and noticed a few marks on the new buffer. They both have aero BCGs (I will measure the length when I get a chance, but I think I swapped to a different brand bcg on the older one and an unmarked buffer and it still made a few marks)

[@timrobinson6573]

I had that issue but it was a different problem causing the marks on my buffer. The edges on the back of the BCG were a little rough. I did 2 light passes with 2000 grit automotive sandpaper along the edges on the rear of the BCG and it solved the issue. Pay special attention to the corner edges at the bottom center of the BCG rear where the cut out is.

[@othernamesweretaken1871]

I sent one of their lowers back to aero for this exact problem and they just retightened the buffer tube and replaced the buffer. Shockingly, that did not fix the problem. Currently waiting on them to get back to me for what will be the 2nd time I’m sending it back. The first time I dealt with them it was a nightmare. I just want them to replace it with a lower that’s actually in spec. If you too are dealing with Aero warranty, I wish you the best of luck.

[@jasonstone406]

Hi there, thank you for the info. You are always so helpful & yiu always teach me something new. Thank you

[@fishgoh0nk]

Nice to know this product exists!

[@davefoster7619]

A solution to a problem I have never heard of 🤔

[@ZekeWoodard]

Thanks for letting me know i have a problem 😢

[@navseal345]

Still wanting Brownells to do an AR builders class.

[@ethan5.56]

Or you can run the rifle without the buffer retainer and spring and not worry about it. Just gotta take more care assembling and disassembling it. Great video as always

[@swisscheeseneutral6820]

Wouldn’t the retainer sink lower into the recess?

[@ethan5.56]

@@swisscheeseneutral6820 you don't need the retainer or the spring. Just gotta disassemble carefully or the spring and buffer will jet out of the tube when you separate the upper and lower. Some people don't run them so they don't have to worry about the retainer breaking and falling in to the action causing a malfunction

[@BassJunkie200]

And you can run the JP SCS and not have to worry about your buffer and spring flying out. 😂

[@ethan5.56]

@@BassJunkie200 true that but a lot of people aren't gonna want to drop the dough to get one. They'll likely stick to their standard carbine buffer and spring

[@BassJunkie200]

@@ethan5.56 Those people are missing out.

[@wadewilson6135]

Other than possibly being a little trickier to close the upper what would be the down side to using this in a lower that is made to spec? Seems like it would take the guess work out of not knowing if your buffer is going to be beating itself up on the retaining pin. You could just avoid having that happen all together.

[@brownells]

None at all

[@aftermath2333]

When are they going to be in stock l?

[@Rangergeo85]

Nice AT4 in the safe

[@SuspiciousGanymede]

You could also take a file to a regular buffer retainer and do the same thing or completely remove it.

[@awsomedude9111]

I think the answer would be to replace the parts instead of fixing the problem because one area effects another area. Possibly the builder tube/thread lengths dimensions would also add tolerance?

[@Bill-rs1zm]

I like the video and the fix unfortunately Brownell’s is sold out of the offset buffer retainer

[@shawn78789]

Alright, this might be a odd question. If I had a rifle that hadn’t been fired but wanted to be thorough; would there be any harm replacing the original buffer retainer pin with the off-set retainer pin?

[@walterstreet1467]

Will that work in my AR-10 reciver

[@SprayandPrey11]

Yes probably since that is a standard part between ar15 and ar10 most of the time.

[@brownells]

Yes

[@PocketDrummer]

Can you go over ways to make the action smoother? There's a gritty feeling when I charge my AR, but I'm not sure where it's coming from. The Radian charging handle helped a bit, but are there other things I could do to make it smoother?

[@ETHRON1]

"C"...I'm always open minded about things that said, I've never heard of this issue in almost 20 years of dealing with the platform. I do agree base quality is the first line in preventing issues...but we all know stuff happens, according to Murphy's Law...😄

[@Allenmar73]

I've read about broken pins several times. I think it's probably aftermarket out of spec lowers, tubes, and or BCG 's are creating these problems. creating

[@wmcompton]

What do you do in the case of a Law Tactical folder? I went away from that folding hinge because I kept breaking off buffer retainer pins.

[@markduckworth3678]

I need one of those where can i get that one at

[@brownells]

One guess 😉

[@markduckworth3678]

There out of stock go figure

[@christoperdevore3617]

Read in another comment that KAK has their version in stock.

[@liggerstuxin1]

It’s pressing up on a take down pin that is in the lower. It’s not in the upper. I guess the tolerances are so close, that pressing up on it tightens the grip to the upper. I had always thought that it was behind the takedown pin, and that it pressed directly on the upper.

[@rembrandthpc]

Link to the Offset Buffer Retainer would have been nice...

[@zarmindrow5831]

"People don't know what they need until you show them" Steve Jobs

[@frantavomacka2882]

Why not simply to turn buffer's front on a lathe to smaller diameter for a few mm in a depth?

[@walatsway7092]

Your implying that if that buffer retaining pin is on a mis drilled hole location right! But you demonstrated It a perfect drilled hole on that lower !how would it work on a lower receiver with improper drilled hole ?

[@jimmypavone3231]

I just delete the buffer retainer and spring. why have tiny parts close to all that motion.

[@AJ-xc4nm]

BRING BACK THE BRN180 LOWER!!!!

[@colloidalsilver1096]

Thank you for not putting a link to AR-15 Offset Buffer Retainer

[@spawnandbatman6975]

This damn song man. 😂. If you got your volume all the way up it scares th shit out of you

[@hopewilliams6705]

What happens if someone uses this product without the problems you mentioned... Ps these have been staying out of stock!

[@YouTubeflakeland]

You can run it without one. It's there to literally hold it from flying out. Just buy a jp silent captured buffer and throw the retainer in the trash.

[@SprayandPrey11]

Nothing it might be slightly more annoying to get the receiver closed.

[@plusorminusandtime]

kak has them...or theirs.

[@danielhess39]

Kewl🤩🤙🏽

[@jackelin1981]

Silent capture spring would solve this problem.. jp or armaspec

[@snakeman48]

Now get some back in stock.

[@peanut2220]

I put offset retainers on all my builds. Cheap insurance.

[@marc31415]

I see a Bazooka in the background.

[@dbelex]

More parts for a problem the doesn't exist

[@benjaminnevins5211]

Anderson was known for out of spec lowers with this exact issue. It was way easier to just not use the retainer and spring.

[@Ghostgunner85]

Use the bolt stretcher. Lol

[@Nontactical1014]

Or maybe skip the 499.99 ar deal and spend a little more like 800 no lt saying go drop 3k and get a gun where you only have to spend money on accories and ammo...

[@Theloss52]

Don't tell me to call and just chat, because I will... I could chat will yall for over an hour

[@benjaminnevins5211]

Or just don't use it. Extra parts.

[@89sirmonk]

Is this really an issue for folks? If it is they some how managed to pick or get the cheapest most crap parts on the planet.

[@SuspiciousGanymede]

Buffer class threads between receivers and buffer tubes can differ. Buffer and collapsed spring length could vary and so can the OAL of a carrier. Also having a very overgassed system can cause buffer retainer failures, eliminating the contact area removes the issue.

[@yeeebayeeba4268]

Great question. I've never had the need for one.

[@WarrHoll]

It shouldn't be an issue but it is, and this isn't the way to fix it. There are specifications for these parts. If you discover you've got an out of spec part, the proper correction is to correct what's out of spec, not introduce more out of spec parts to proverbially stick a bandaid over the bullet hole

[@hairydogstail]

@@WarrHollThe offset retaining pin works just fine and is not a problem in this case..

[@wadewilson6135]

I guess some people are not familiar with the term "tolerance stacking" 😁

[@WarrHoll]

So we're gonna introduce an out of spec part, in order to "fix" other out of spec parts? Pass. How about we build and maintain a weapons system, built from properly spec'd and quality manufactured components, that functions as designed?

[@paulis7319]

It would be a great backup item to have for that SHTF bugout bag, cause finding new parts could be impossible if everything is shut down.

[@WarrHoll]

@@paulis7319 in no way does that hold any relevance whatsoever. It's an, ultimately, non-essential part. An AR will run without a retainer just fine. I'd rather have a comparably sized rock in my bag than an out-of-spec part

[@KingHenrytheuseless]

Cause tolerance stacking is a thing and this fixes a whole system without further complications or investigation. It also doesn’t cause any know issues so why not? Your anesthesiologist barely knows the science behind general anesthesia yet makes 400k a year.

[@WarrHoll]

@@KingHenrytheuseless an out of spec assembly due to tolerance stacking is just as unsatisfactory and unacceptable as an individual out of spec part, guy. There's no replacement for the firearm and its constituent parts being ALL in an as-designed state.

[@Russianmafia10]

The gun will still work fine with the problems listed. If you have an out of spec gun I don't see any reason not to just use this fix. Lot easier and cheaper than replacing parts