...but I hate to say this as your planing on shootin it this weekend, but CHECK the buffer before you shoot it, often they are old, brittle and falling apart, I have just made it a habit to replace the buffers on all my P9s' when I get them. ...
Is the buffer a caliber issue 9mm vs .45ACP? I have a P9S .45ACP Target since new (don't shoot that often) & I've never replaced the buffer. The condition looks fine. Do you recommend changing on a periodic basis or on number of rounds fired basis. Thanks for the heads up.but I hate to say this as your planing on shootin it this weekend, but CHECK the buffer before you shoot it, often they are old, brittle and falling apart, I have just made it a habit to replace the buffers on all my P9s' when I get them.
HK has(or had) the buffer for $5 if out of stock Numrich has them for $18, both work fine.
Thank you so much, benton - With those links, I was able to take apart the buffer housing and remove the buffer. It was kind of yellow, just like the one in the picture, so I'm guessing it's between 10 and 20 years old. It was, however, still somewhat squishy... so I think I'll shoot it tomorrow, but I'll replace it with a new one before a second day at the range.
It looks like a little shock absorber, but I don't see any moving parts that would make it compress... So is it just for absorbing some vibration in the slide/frame interface?
ohhhh... wait a minute. Now I get it! The U-shaped piece on the buffer housing receives an impact from the front of the slide when the slide is in the full back position - and when the slide hits the U-shaped piece, the whole buffer housing moves thus compressing the buffer! INGENIOUS!!! I love H&K! hahaha What excellent engineering! The only thing I would have done differently is to NOT have a metal/metal interface. I would have tried to put the buffer in between the U-shaped piece and the front of the slide... thus prohibiting the metal/metal contact. Judging by the pristine condition of those two impacting surfaces, the hardness/malleability of the two materials must be just fine because they look great!
Do you think any regular gun store would carry those buffers? Or will I need to order from H&K?
thanks again for the help!
Is the buffer a caliber issue 9mm vs .45ACP? I have a P9S .45ACP Target since new (don't shoot that often) & I've never replaced the buffer. The condition looks fine. Do you recommend changing on a periodic basis or on number of rounds fired basis. Thanks for the heads up.
Doug,I think the speed at which the buffer degrades is probably a function of the recoil spring's ability to slow the slide as it's traveling back. Regardless of whether it's a 9mm or a .45, if the recoil spring has slowed the slide enough at the time of contacting the buffer housing, the impact on the buffer will be low.
As an engineer, I'd love to put some strain gauges on the buffer, buffer housing, recoil spring, and slide, and see what's receiving the most stress. You could probably fine-tune the spring constant and widely distribute the stress over all components. I'm sure H&K analyzed this while they were designing the gun, so it's probably already fine...
Thanks Landpimp & all forum members for the insight to the P9S. If anyone has a line on who has the buffer in stock, please drop me a PM.well after all those years I would replace it.....just because(the part is $5 and the gun is $1K+), or at least have a spare around. But if you have kept oil/solvents off it, it may last for a life time.
Id say the 45 buffer takes alot more impact and is more important than in the 9mm.
Thanks Landpimp & all forum members for the insight to the P9S. If anyone has a line on who has the buffer in stock, please drop me a PM.
On the subject of the P9S, I have a .45ACP Target. I am looking for the extended barrel with barrel weight and slide combo from the P9S competition, but in .45 ACP. I know majority of you guys will say it doesn't exist. But I've seen a fellow range member with it in .45ACP a number of years back & remembered he told me that HK produced a small number & not too many people know about it. Can anyone shed some light on this & maybe point me to who may have for sale. Thanks.