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Is the Bren designed for the carrier to make contact with the buffer piston every shot or was this buffer for over-gassed ( setting #4 ) operation ?
If the Bren is running 100% on gas setting #2 or #3 does the carrier contact the buffer each shot ?
Looking thru my various to do parts sets some buffers show contact while others little at all.
Makes me wonder how the gun is designed to operate.
The buffer piston is a two-way thing. The outer 'ears' buffer the recoiling body. Don't forget, the actual GUN recoils a few milliseconds BEFORE the the piston is blasted rearwards to commence the UNLOCKING of the gun. It is only then that the rear of the piston extension styrikes the buffer plate.
YES, the rear of the piston extension does (you hope.....) strike the buffer plate, especially on single shot 'R' mode. That is because the mechanical space between a misfeed and failing to engage the sear is close. We called this small distance ' .....the twilight or danger zone....'. So to ensure the full correct operation of the gun, the piston extension should strike the buffer plate at each cycle. This is also why you get 'double taps'
The buffer plates could - and regularly did - crack in a circle around the central hole. Armourers always put the gun butt (or muzzle) onto the floor and pressed down on the opposite end to test that the buffer was operating properly. If the buffer was jammed up the full force of the primary recoil and then the secondary recoil of the piston extension would become wearing to the shooter. What we used to call 'secondary recoil' wasn't really recoil as defined........., but another hit to the shoulder by the piston extennsion.
In reality - as opposed to in the classroom of on the work bench - when the bullets were flying around in action, the sensible crunchies would close the gas right off so that the rifle or Bren would get the full effect of the gas operation. Leave NO chance for a gas stoppage.
Good question and a long answer,