AR-15 Spring "TWANG!!!"

[Badger Arms]

I've read discussions about this but really got interested about a year ago when a friend of mine said my AR-15 made a funny twang sound when it fired. He said this was loud and annoying to his ear. Heck, I thought this was normal. I had never taken note of this. Recently, I took my DCM rifle which has a very loud recoil spring "Report" and lodged a 2" square cleaning patch in the last loop of spring. This "Silenced" the report of the spring and seems to be holding up. I have yet to fire it, but I put about 50 rounds of snap-cap dry firing in a week.

My questions are:

Has anybody else been annoyed by this and done something about it... if so, what?
Is this a problem will all rifles of this type or do I just have 3 rotten guns?
Are there any cheap, lighter recoil spring systems? Perhaps one like the pistol buffer offered by Model 1 Sales? Do they work?
Am I just complaining too much?

 

[hksw]

If I listen for it, I can hear the recoil spring on all of my semi auto rifles (except for the 10/22s). I usually do not notice it unless it was my intension to hear it with one exception. That is the AR guns I have. Due, of course, to the close proximity of the spring ot the ears. This is pretty normal for the AR.

What I've researched and have tried with positive results is to coat the spring/tube with grease.

 

[chink]

Oly arms has a pneumatic buffer, what would get rid of the sound, because there wouldn't be a spring, but I wouldn't call it cheap.

I have the sound in all my AR's i like it

 

[dfariswheel]

Greasing the spring stops the "TWANG" and also prevents wear on the spring and buffer tube.

 

[mark mcj]

I agree with hksw, just a little grease along the length of the recoil spring and the "sprong" will be gone. Some people seem to like the noise, I find it annoying. To each there own.

 

[Biff]

Ther is actually nothing wrong with your AR, so don't worry about buying new parts to fix a nonexistant problem.

The simplest remedy for the SPROING in your AR is just to grease the buffer spring with a little Lubriplate or white lithium grease. Most of the noise is the dry spring scraping along the dry buffer tube.

 

[Gewehr98]

Bugged my wife so much...

She named my Colt "Sproing"! A little lithium grease along the length of the spring took care of the problem, posthaste.

 

[Kahr carrier]

The noise doesnt really bother me ,Remember the old saying Made by Mattel.

 

[Redlg155]

I've never thought of it much. I guess I'm just used to the noise. Just as sure as I'm sitting here the next time I go to the range I'll be thinking of it.

I think I'll go ahead and invest in a tube of white lithium grease.


Good SHooting
RED

 

[Archie]

I first heard the spring squeal in 1969.

It took a minute or two to figure out what it was... then I had a burst of the giggles.

Prior to that, I remember being surprized when I realized I could hear the sound of the bolt bottoming out in the receiver of an M14.

 

[Steve Smith]

I get rid of the sound by stringing a big glob of grease on the buffer spring.

You can hear how the gun is running whether the spring noise is there or not. You just listen to different noises.

 

[762x51]

Anyone ever try using some of that plastic type dip they sell for tool handles? Think this would have any adverse effects?

 

[foghornl]

Don't have an AR, so I am not sure, but I think that if you put too heavy a coat on , the spring might not be able to compress enough to perform the designed function.

 

[Steve Smith]

Actually, you can get away with about a 3/4" round glob evenly spread. I don't know how much you can put in and it still run, but eventually you're going to have a grease squirter. (hydraulic ram)

 

[Navy joe]

Mine is lubed so it just makes a light noise, but I like it. Most of the time all it does is tell me when the gun is empty since you don't hear it go forward. I see people all the time trying to shoot an empty AR, I guess they're not paying attention.

 

[SodaPop]

The first time I shot an AR I heard the SPRINGGGG SPRINGGGG and thought the phone was ringing. I yelled MOM!! "Get the Phone!!"

*kidding*

 

[hksw]

"Anyone ever try using some of that plastic type dip they sell for tool handles?"

The ones I've seen and have worked with are either made of plastisol (plasticized PVC) or polychloroprene (Neoprene®-type). They have very little lubricating characteristics and IMO would soon wear away between two metal surfaces, i.e., the spring and the tube, that are constantly rubbing together when in motion.

 

[MLC]

I couldn't believe my ears the first time I shot my AR.
I was with my friend, ina army at the time, and asked if I'd put the gun together wrong. It sounded like a pogo stick.

 

[Catsync]

I like the spronnnnggg noise, like Navy Joe said: I can tell by the sound when I'm out of ammo. Though the first time I fired it, before I knew that was normal, I was

 

[Badger Arms]

Some thoughts on the grease here. I had heard that and have done it a few times but it tends to collect in the buffer tube. Since
I pull the buffer and spring out of the tube to clean them often, I don't like all that crap on there. The cleaning patch seems to muffle the sound enough for me.

As for the sound helping you realize that the magazine is empty, that is an interesting thought. I will definitely be thinking of that next time I'm at the range. I almost always realize the bolt is open for some reason. I think it's recoil. Maybe it is the missing sound of the action closing. On most autoloaders, that would be a "BANG-Clang-Clang" in rapid succession. For the AR, it's a "BANG-Clang-Clang/SPROINGGGGGGGGGGG." When the magazine is empty, you have a "BANG-Clang" accompanied by a slightly different feel in the recoil and muzzle rise.

 

[mark mcj]

I don't think the plastic coat would work to well, I think it would wear off and start clogging stuff up.
I took a picture of the way I grease up my recoil spring and it works well. I use synthetic axle grease and lightly apply it to the spring. the top one is greased and the bottom isn't. Just a little goes a long way.

 

[fixer]

just a lil' dab 'll do ya!

about 1/2 cc of grease should do the trick... too much is just making a mess.

i've been greasing the buffer spring in my ARs for years, with no problem. but i wouldn't do it in a super cold environment.

the hydraulic or pneumatic buffers STILL use the spring... it's just a different buffer mechanisim.

 

[Kentucky Rifle]

I didn't put anything on that spring.

But, one fine day, the "sproing" noise just stopped. I took the rifle apart and looked for dirt or a broken spring, but it was just fine. The noise just went away.

KR

 

[Badger Arms]

The noise just went away.

How long has it been since you had your hearing checked!!!?

 

[Kentucky Rifle]

Badger..

~Three weeks ago.

KR