[dave_g]

I've heard that it changes the POI. I always thought the bullet left the barrel long before the slide slams into the rear. If so, does a recoil buffer actually affect accuracy?

Where did you hear that? I would consider the source. :blink:

The only way a rear buffer can affect accuracy is by softening recoil and reducing the likelihood that you will alter your shot by anticipating recoil.

 

[dave_g]

Anything that touches the barrel or gas block will affect harmonics and you get a slight variation in POI.

But a buffer behind the guide rod does not touch the gas block and the contact with the barrel is so slight as to be meaningless. For that matter, you could trim the buffer a bit and it would not even touch the barrel.