Buffer Tube Hone?

GA Firing Line
Wallace

Wallace

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cmshoot said:
Replace the receiver extension tube with a quality one. Ain't that expensive.
Click to expand...
This^^^^^^, just buy a new quality buffer tube...

To OP's original question though in regards to hones.

I have used a cylinder hone on buffer tubes in the past.

Things to note:
  • I used a brake hone with stones instead. The dingle ball hone only remove the anodizing and does very little to knock the ridges off the rough surface. Those are mostly designed for 98-99% finished surfaces.
  • Although you may not care, it does remove almost all of the anodizing and dry film lube from the tube.
  • It takes A LONG TIME to do it. You will use alot of honing oil and repeatedly have to clean the stones off, and rinse the buffer tube for the hone to work effectively.
  • It does smooth out the the gritty feeling, especially if you use a flat wound music wire buffer spring (JP) and re-coat the inside of the tube with spray dry film PTFE
  • Is it worth it? NO, Sure, it gives a rifle that "broken in" feel when you manually cycle the action, and alot of that typical "zoing" from the buffer spring goes away when shooting. Ultimately, just buy a quality mil-spec tube and just shoot it. A quality tube will not have those drastic extruded ridges like you are experiencing anyways. I would personally not waste my time with it. → quality receiver extension + shooting it more = smooth action.

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dial1911

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Wallace said:
This^^^^^^, just buy a new quality buffer tube...

To OP's original question though in regards to hones.

I have used a cylinder hone on buffer tubes in the past.

Things to note:
  • I used a brake hone with stones instead. The dingle ball hone only remove the anodizing and does very little to knock the ridges off the rough surface. Those are mostly designed for 98-99% finished surfaces.
  • Although you may not care, it does remove almost all of the anodizing and dry film lube from the tube.
  • It takes A LONG TIME to do it. You will use alot of honing oil and repeatedly have to clean the stones off, and rinse the buffer tube for the hone to work effectively.
  • It does smooth out the the gritty feeling, especially if you use a flat wound music wire buffer spring (JP) and re-coat the inside of the tube with spray dry film PTFE
  • Is it worth it? NO, Sure, it gives a rifle that "broken in" feel when you manually cycle the action, and alot of that typical "zoing" from the buffer spring goes away when shooting. Ultimately, just buy a quality mil-spec tube and just shoot it. A quality tube will not have those drastic extruded ridges like you are experiencing anyways. I would personally not waste my time with it. → quality receiver extension + shooting it more = smooth action.

View attachment 26953
Click to expand...

I've used the same type of hone in the lathe before. I want really impressed with it, but I wasn't exactly using it for its intended purpose either.

I think the right answer is to switch out the tubes on the rifles that feel gritty.
 
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