V Seven Weapons Systems has been producing some killer products for the AR-15 for a while now, but the items that really make them stand out from the crowd are their parts made from titanium and 2055 lithium-aluminum alloy (which is better than 7075 aluminum in just about every way). Not long ago I had the pleasure of reviewing V Seven’s 2055 lower receiver with Ti castle nut and end plate. Now, I’m taking a look at their new 11 position (!!) buffer tube (also called a receiver extension), which is also made from that wonderful 2055 alloy.
If 11 positions seems like a lot, that’s probably because it’s the most. Googling around the ‘net, the second place winner seems to be a 9 position tube, also from V Seven. Building this tube out of the aforementioned 2055 alloy means that this part is lighter, stronger, more rigid and more corrosion resistant that it’s 7075 T6 aluminum counterparts. This part comes in at 3.2 oz, which is 12%-20% lighter than the other 7075 tubes I have in the shop.
The front portion features a buffer pin detent lock, which will keep the tube from rotating in the event the castle nut starts to come loose. This might seem a little unlikely, but it has happened to me on a few non-military occasions and once during a live-fire training exercise despite my use of loc-tite. Yes, staking the castle nut is usually an option, but I change out parts often for reviews. This is just yet another layer of protection against Murphy’s Law, as is the next feature. Three of the five rearmost buttstock position slots are drilled out to act as drain holes. As long as strength and reliability aren’t compromised, material removal is a great way to shed ounces. In this case, it adds an outlet for water in the event your rifle is submerged. Many will think this isn’t a likely scenario if their use is in the civilian world, but it’s yet another instance of a V Seven product being lighter, stronger and having greater functionality than the rest of the pack. Oh yeah, it’s also type III hardcoat anodized.
I’ve had this around the shop for about a week and have mounted it on a couple different lowers and have installed a couple different stocks on it. It’s right up to spec on the external dimensions and neither Mission First Tactical nor Magpul stocks have any slop on here. Barring a catastrophic failure at the range, there are no issues here. Quite the opposite, the quality of machining and finish here are first rate, as have been all the products I’ve seen come out of V Seven’s shop.
Rather than toss this buffer tube on one of the rifles I have in the safe, I’m going to pair this with V Seven’s 2055 lower receiver, titanium end plate and Mission First Tactical’s Minimalist stock to start an ultralight build. While all the products V Seven produces are drop-in compatible, I don’t want Z-rated tires on a stock ’97 Camry. These 2055 lithium-aluminum parts are premium quality and deserve the be part of a memorable rifle. This buffer tube runs $79 and can be found here. Check them out!
