Review: SI Recoil Reduction System
Major Pandemic 08.30.17
I was building a custom one-off AR for myself as a rare treat, and had decided to include a Shooting Innovations Recoil Reduction System which claims a 30% reduction of recoil. I opted for Shooting Innovation’s Captured Buffer Spring, and combining this with the adjustable gas block and giant brake netted a rifle which felt like I was shooting an electric stapler with a bit less recoil than my 10/22s.
This is a similar concept (but a bit different than) JP Rifles’ captured buffer spring. The Shooting Innovations Recoil Management System adds a set of additional springs and a floating brass collar which provides extra damping to the recoil cycle. SI claims that the combination of the reciprocation, dual springs, and brass collar deliver a level of recoil cancellation since all are moving at different rates.
The system does work and delivers a delightfully soft and smooth recoil. As a side benefit, the Shooting Innovations Recoil System also got rid of the “boing” spring sound after the shot.
Oddly, the Captured Buffer Spring installation requires the removal of the buffer retention detent and spring. Since the SI system is captured already, it is not going to spring out like a regular buffer spring would.
Final Thoughts
I have tested a couple of these captured buffer spring systems and they work really well when they are just plugged into a standard upper which has not had a world of tweaks, but on the custom builds which offer the ability to further tune gas pressure, they can really shine.
The founder of Shooting Innovations, Andy Baker, has a long history in the firearms industry and worked for more than five years to develop this unique captured buffer spring solution. If you are looking to drop a large portion of your AR15’s recoil or just smooth out an already-great-shooting AR15, I would suggest taking a close look at this $114 system. It may be just what you are looking for for an even better AR
