A hydraulic buffer assembly for use in a paint gun, the buffer assembly comprising: an assembly housing configured to be disposed within the paint gun, the assembly housing having opposing first and second ends and an interior including a chamber containing a quantity of a hydraulic fluid; a piston assembly including at least one piston rod and a piston head axially movable through the interior of the assembly housing, the piston head being sized and including at least one orifice such that hydraulic fluid can move through and around the piston head when the piston assembly is under load, the piston assembly being configured to stroke a set distance within the paint gun in a set time during the firing and reset cycle in order to slow the firing rate thereof; characterized in that said buffer assembly further comprises a glide ring movably disposed within the interior of the assembly housing between the piston head and an interior wall of the assembly housing, the glide ring having one through opening aligned with the at least one orifice of the piston head and an outer diameter that essentially matches the interior diameter of the assembly housing, in which the glide ring is axially movable to seal against the piston head to prevent hydraulic fluid from moving around the piston head and only permit hydraulic fluid to move through the at least one orifice of the piston head when the piston assembly is moved in a first axial direction, and in which the glide ring is spaced away from the piston head to permit the hydraulic fluid to move around the piston head and through the aligned opening of the glide ring and the at least one orifice of the piston head when the piston assembly is moved in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction. an assembly housing configured to be disposed within the paint gun, the assembly housing having opposing first and second ends and an interior including a chamber containing a quantity of a hydraulic fluid; a piston assembly including at least one piston rod and a piston head axially movable through the interior of the assembly housing, the piston head being sized and including at least one orifice such that hydraulic fluid can move through and around the piston head when the piston assembly is under load, the piston assembly being configured to stroke a set distance within the paint gun in a set time during the firing and reset cycle in order to slow the firing rate thereof; characterized in that said buffer assembly further comprises a glide ring movably disposed within the interior of the assembly housing between the piston head and an interior wall of the assembly housing, the glide ring having one through opening aligned with the at least one orifice of the piston head and an outer diameter that essentially matches the interior diameter of the assembly housing, in which the glide ring is axially movable to seal against the piston head to prevent hydraulic fluid from moving around the piston head and only permit hydraulic fluid to move through the at least one orifice of the piston head when the piston assembly is moved in a first axial direction, and in which the glide ring is spaced away from the piston head to permit the hydraulic fluid to move around the piston head and through the aligned opening of the glide ring and the at least one orifice of the piston head when the piston assembly is moved in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction.