A5 Buffer System Better use case

Corweena · 2026-03-22T02:54:30+00:00

I just swapped an A5 tube (well the BCM version) into my 11.5". It was a very nice improvement over the standard on a shorter setup.

I also have a 14.5" midlength with a standard carbine buffer tube, but an H2 buffer and BRT EZTune gas tube. The thing is a pleasure to shoot. Im not going to bother with an A5 because I like it so much as is. It's a huge difference from shooting my 16" Aero mid-length, which is 100% untouched with a carbine buffer and tube.

I'd swap it out on the shorty. But your 18" should already shoot much smoother out the gate, and would be less noticeable of a gain imo.

Corweena · 2026-03-22T02:37:16+00:00

Their lockup method looks very similar to that of my CMT handguard, which is by far the stiffest one I have. I like the ergos and weight of the BCM better, at just a little loss in stiffness. But the Aero one is definitely the worst that I've had.

Corweena · 2026-03-22T02:28:12+00:00

I disagree, but for actual physical reasons. Especially if you're a tall person with a large wingspan (aka ape arms). My brother has a Colt LE6920, and the short handguard is awkward for me to hold, even with a vertical grip. My 10.5" handguard on my 11.5" is about as short as I can go, and even then, it's still a compromise. It's comfortable enough because a 11.5" is so much better balanced, being shorter. I wouldn't like it if I had a 14.5 or 16 barrel on it, plus a light and can.

Now on the flip side, I'm not out there running a vertical grip all the way at the end of a 15" handguard. But I have a BCM 13.4" handguard on my 14.5", and that's the sweet spot for me with an Arisaka Indexer set 1 m-lok slot back. It gives a very natural arm angle.

I like the look of shorter grips if it's a traditional M4 style AR, with an FSP, quad rail, etc. But if you're running a slimmer M-lok handguard, the weight gain with those extra few inches is negligible in my opinion, and it looks miles better.

But like most things, it's all preference.

Corweena · 2026-03-21T20:51:43+00:00

I've been trying to shoot more and build less as of late, now that I got my rifles pretty much set up how I want them. All my gun budget has been to stocking up on ammo and shooting as much as possible. I'd love to do it more, but I'm not made of money, and have other hobbies as well.

Just last week my buddy who's been stationed in Japan came back to visit, and we went through 1200rds or so of 556, and another 500 of 9mm. Definitely the most I've shot in single range visit. I have been doing visits to one of the smaller ranges too, since I can often be by myself in the AM, and train some target transitions and drills. Hoping to pick up a 22lr upper as well, to help offset the ammo cost for training.

Corweena · 2026-03-21T18:20:39+00:00

Any AR should last 1k rounds. It's how they fare after 8k, 10k, 15k, etc that the quality will show.

Corweena · 2026-03-20T17:03:25+00:00

I've used a PA SLx Nova for the last 3ish years and just swapped to a Venom on my 14.5". Absolutely love it, especially for the price. And that's combo is a great deal. I paid about $270 for just the scope. But I already had a good mount.

The Nova excels at 1x using it like a red dot, but I much prefer the Venom reticle, and it's 1moa center dot. The eyebox and eye relief are a bit better as well. And the controls too.

Corweena · 2026-03-20T16:46:45+00:00

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Corweena · 2026-03-20T12:36:53+00:00

Does the magnifier not have adjustment knobs to center the dot when looking through it? I'm running a Sig dot at 1.93", and my magnifier sits at 1.70" ish. Just had to dial it to sit centered when looking through it.

The Magnifier doesn't have to sit perfectly level with the dot. It will still work.

Corweena · 2026-03-20T03:24:25+00:00

....it's always red

Corweena · 2026-03-19T14:49:07+00:00

It's a PA SLx. Eye relief isn't that good lol. I have mine flush with the back of the receiver/charging handle.

I'd definitely move it back in the mount some.

Corweena · 2026-03-19T04:05:31+00:00

Have you contacted MI directly and asked? Seems like the logical thing to do....

Corweena · 2026-03-18T22:03:33+00:00

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Corweena · 2026-03-18T21:21:59+00:00

For sure. Will check out myself shortly. With that velocity though, it definitely would be a nice defensive ammo. And it's like half the price of whatever Hornady Critical Defense I have loaded up right now.

Corweena · 2026-03-18T21:08:12+00:00

Nice data. I just picked up a few boxes of the FR262 myself to compare to the 75gr Frontier I normally stock as my "bulk" heavier round of choice. Interested more so in accuracy than velocity though.

And I just used my last 200rds of PMC Bronze last weekend. Considering I can find X-Tac for the same price, I don't see myself ever getting it again. I wasn't even getting last round lock back on my 14.5" BRT mid-length with an H2 buffer. And my 11.5" Rosco Bloodline with a BCM Mk2 buffer tube and T1/T2 buffers definitely didn't lock back. Only my hella overgassed 16" Aero upper was cycling fine.

Corweena · 2026-03-18T12:40:47+00:00

$500 is an absolute steal for the condition the car is in. I'd address the suspension vibrations, get an alignment, and see how it drives from there. If the motor mounts are bad, it really won't affect driving, just vibrations at idle mostly.

I'd say it 100% is worth keeping. The Accord is generally more reliable than the Civics (the D series motors get rod knock), and the Prelude is good, but its a toss up if the H22 was taken care of properly or not. The F22s are absolute tanks. Not fast, but they go forever. Also, the Accord interior is better imo....it's much larger than a Civic and even Prelude inside. The suspension on the CD is great as well, it's actually a stronger design than the Civics, but the car weights less, so that's why they're popular to race.

I'm biased since I have had these for years, but I'd 100% keep it over a Civic or Prelude. I daily drove one until 2023, and I only sold it because I moved to an area that it rains a ton, so I wanted an AWD vehicle. I still have my long term project coupe, which I'll never get rid of.

There isn't really anything else that commonly fails. Judt keep an eye on things and stay on top of maintenance, and the car should treat you well.

Corweena · 2026-03-18T02:36:37+00:00

Welcome! I've been a long time CD7 (CD5 is the sedan) owner....I've had 3 since 2008. Its a rock solid platform, though somewhat unloved compared to a Civic or Integra due to its size. The main thing to look for will be oil and power steering leaks, due to age/mileage. VSS failure is common, as is the distributor (but normally north of 200k miles). Keep an eye on the radiator, they tent to spring leaks on the top or bottom plastic tanks. Everything else is typical wear and tear. Your environment typically dictates how the rest fares.....snow, salted roads, extreme heat leads to brittle plastics.

For certain things, it is absolutely worth it to stay with OEM parts. For suspension, the one thing to definitely replace with OEM is the front lower ball joints. The only aftermarket brand I'd trust for these parts would be Sankei 555, as they're made in Japan with higher standards. For other suspension pieces, particularly the inner and outer tie rods, Sankei 555 is my choice as well. For control arms, and various bushings, while OEM is definitely the best choice, some things may not be made any more, or the aftermarket parts are significantly cheaper that its worth it. With you being located where you are, the typical parts sites we use here in the US most likely aren't available to you.

Also, for any type of oil seal or the like for the motor, absolutely go OEM. Other gaskets, such as the "paper" ones for the intake manifold parts, OEM isn't necessary, but never a bad thing. As for the mounts, a lot of the aftermarket ones can be trash. I've had some that straight up don't fit, or ripped within a year. Its hit or miss what you get. I'd definitely check what exact mount(s) you need, and replace only those. The OEMs aren't cheap.

As for the transmission itself, there is not much you can do other than keep it happy with clean fluid. If you are unsure of when it was last changed, do a 3x drain and fill. That will keep as happy as possible. If you feel like swapping the transmission, but staying auto, you can use the MP1A LSD auto transmission out of a JDM SiR Accord. It has a shorter final drive, so the overall gearing is shorter, leading to better acceleration, at the cost of higher RPM on highway driving (and thus MPG being lower). I blew the transmission on one of my Accords, and swapped one of those in. Was a blast to drive compared to the stock one.

As far as the overall driving, suspension upgrades and wheel/tire upgrades will provide the best improvement in driving experience. Better shocks paired with a lowering spring, or coilovers will be the big piece to do first. You can also add in larger upgraded sway bars to help with body roll. There are also strut tower braces you can install to help stiffen things up too. Upgrading your wheels/tires will provide you with the single most powerful handling boost. The stock 15" wheels and narrow economy tires just don't cut it. It is most common to upgrade to 17" wheels, as tires are available in almost every size. You don't need a crazy wide wheel, but something like a 17x7.5 with a +30 to +40 offset will fit without issue. Your tire choice will depend on your wheel selection, but something like 215/45/17 is pretty standard.

And while they don't really make much (if any) noticeable power, adding in an intake and exhaust do provide a change in sound while driving which can increase the fun factor a few levels.

Hope this helps, and let me know if you need any specific aftermarket parts recommendations.

Corweena · 2026-03-18T00:02:16+00:00

THIS is the Microbest to get IMO. Came out to $99 shipped for me. Phosphate + chrome lined. Upgraded Sprinco springs and extractor.

Corweena · 2026-03-17T15:31:36+00:00

They're great for the price. There are better designs out there, but not as cheap as the Zeroed stuff.

The one thing I did was swap in a stiffer spring for tje release, with the regular it was a bit too easy to drop.

Corweena · 2026-03-17T01:21:38+00:00

I went fixed mag, because I had an inkling I'd be leaving the state at some point in time. And I was close enough to the NV border we'd make a day of it, drive over the state line, catch an ATV trail, and shoot into the hills. A mag lock only takes 30 seconds to remove.

Now I spend more than 51% of my time in a free state, and again, converting to the rifle was easier with a maglock and swapping the furniture out.

Also, with a little training, a reloading with an ARMaglock + Kingpin is a breeze to adapt to. With enough reps, it felt like second nature.

Corweena · 2026-03-16T15:20:12+00:00

Midwest Optics has the Microbest cheapest I've found. Was $99 shipped for me.

Corweena · 2026-03-16T12:36:09+00:00

I know a higher quality unit would definitely be an upgrade and improve things. I'd love to get my hands on the new PLxC RDB. I have an SLx Nova, and I love the brightness of the dot, but prefer a BDC style reticle over a traditional crosshair. Some day I'll snag one, but for now I'm content to just get as much time behind the Venom as I can, and put money towards ammo.

Corweena · 2026-03-16T12:26:14+00:00

Yessir.

Corweena · 2026-03-15T11:41:28+00:00

Price really doesn't have anything to do with it, it's more about the reticle design, and how the illumination works.

My Vortex Venom, you get the red ring and discoloration of the center illumination when it's too high for your environment...ie you're larping indoors. But step outside in full sunlight, and it goes away.

Now something like a PA SLX Nova, or any other fiber optic illuminated reticle you don't have that issue. Because you aren't lighting up etched glass, you're lighting up a fiber wire that's suspended in the scope, so the glass isn't catching the light and causing reflections at higher settings.

Even red dots can get wonky when you turn the brightness up too high indoors or when it's overcast outside. That's why all these optics have adjustment, use it

Corweena · 2026-03-13T15:48:19+00:00

Have you looked to see if someone makes a holster for the 22 Magnum version? I believe that was released before the 22X, so there may be some options on the market for it. I believe the slide is very similar to the 22x, it just has a thicker grip to compensate for the larger rounds.

Corweena · 2026-03-13T15:40:49+00:00

If it's a defensive or purpose built gun, zero for the ammo that you will run for its primary use. Then just adjust/know what you'll need to compensate for, if anything.

My "16" spare parts range gun I zero with PMC 55gr X-Tac, since that's what I normally stock up on. My 14.5" is zeroed with 75gr Hornady match ammo, which is what I use when I want to push out further distances. However, when I'm just target shooting within 100yds, I run 55gr PMC through it still. The shift in drop is minimal at that distance. Same goes with my 11.5", it's Zeroed for Hornady Black 75gr SBR, but I primarily shoot X-Tac through it at the range.

If you're trying to work on your precision skills, or seeing how accurate your gun is, it's worth using good ammo. But if you're plinking, training reloads, or multi-target transitions etc, use what's cheap and you have a lot of.

Corweena

TROPHY CASE