I never really thought about a heavier buffer but that's a good call. As for the gas buster, I'm gonna go with the poor-man's solution.
Basically I'm gonna put a thin bead of black tile caulk on the back end of the charging handle. Before it has a chance to dry I'll put a decent amount of petroleum jelly on the rear of the receiver (where the charging handle meets up with it) then close the charging handle. The caulk will dry and stick to the charging handle but not to the receiver. This creates a seal forcing the gas to find a new route to escape, namely away from my face. I've got a few buddies who have done the same and they say it's worked just fine for them. My roommate has a gas buster so I'll try his out along side of mine and see if there's much of a difference.
And don't worry, the paint job is in the works, I just need to fine some time!