M16 Guns have a kind of spring in the stock what is its function?

Answer 1

It's called the buffer spring. It's not there to absorb recoil, it is there to push the bolt forward once a round is fired.

The .223 has very light recoil and the M16 is gas operated. This softens the recoil by using gas pressure to cycle the bolt instead of using inertia from firing the round.

Answer 2

The spring you refer to is called the buffer spring. It can be found in the M16, AR15, and many other rifles of that style. When the weapon fires, expanding gases flow through a small tube and push the bolt back, ejecting the spent casing. The buffer spring compresses when this happens. The spring then pushes the bolt back forward, picking up the next round so the cycle can start all over.

Answer 3

Radar and Pathfinder have this one a little mistaken. The recoil buffering is a result of the spring but the spring is not there for that purpose. When a round is fired the burning gunpowder behind the bullet develops about 50,000 psi of pressure. Most of the way down the barrel some of this pressure is siphoned off and directed rearward where it pushes the bolt back, ejecting the old casing and loading a new round. The bolt is pushed back into the buffer spring, which then pushes the bolt back into the locked position and you are ready to fire another round. I have heard the buffer spring referred to as a "drive" spring, which describes it's function better. Recoil buffering does occur but the spring is there to make the gun cycle properly. Without it you would have a single shot that would break very very soon, due to the stress of the bolt striking the receiver.

Answer 4

The spring in the stock closes the bolt and prepares the rifle to fire again

Stampy Skunk;
You should have paid more attention to your Drill Sergent, and to the site you cite. Your drill Sergent would have told you, and the site shows that the buffer spring is used to put another round into the chamber from the magazine.

Answer 5

That is the buffer spring, you also have a buffer striker in the buttstock also that the bolt and bolt carrier hit when the round is fired, the reason for the buffer assembly is to absorb all recoil, not for reloading rounds, the weapon is gas re-****** for reloading....... go here and see how the M-16 works....

http://science.howstuffworks.com/machine-gun7.htm

Answer 6

It absorbs the recoil of the bolt as the action cycles back and forth at a high rate(or not).

Answer 7

That is a recoil buffering spring.

Answer 8

helps with the recoil as far as your shoulder not getting knocked off. Remember when shooting hold stock tightly against shoulder.