muzzle brake ?

Muzzle brakes or recoil compensators are useful in reducing muzzle climb and felt recoil. They are however useful for enveloping yourself in a half cone of deafening sound and pressure.

What that means is the shooters immediately to the left and right of you gets hit with pressure and sound from the report of your gun. Gasses that would normally come out of the barrel and move forward and out are now vented backwards, upwards and to the sides. Those that are behind you or to your sides get the brunt of that (not to say being in front of the rifle isn't bad... ;) ) and that can make for a very uncomfortable and unenjoyable experience if they're not acclimated to the sound and pressure of a rifle with such a device. I consider myself pretty used to that sort of stuff but I got quite the surprise when I was shooting beside a guy shooting a Barrett 50BMG with that characteristic club type muzzle brake.

So does the reduction in muzzle climb and felt recoil make enough difference to offset the discomfort to those around you? That's for you to decide.

I have muzzle brakes on all of my ARs but its more for cosmetics (and to peeve off anti gun people) than for actual functionality. I mean when I'm working on quick target acquisition and quick fire drills I'm sure it helps but I've done the same without muzzle brakes and I can only tell a minor difference in the gun's handling.

What they're really meant for is guns that have selective fire - to make them more controllable in automatic firing conditions.
 
This is where i differ from most people, i don't have to care about people next to me, because of farmland. I can certainly understand why people dislike brakes, but i'm not shooting for other people. And if a brake gives me the edge out in the field, comp, or just target shooting. Then i'll take it. Excluding some high power matches and F-Class though. Then again i like my rifles to look aesthetically pleasing as well and sometimes brakes make it look fugly. Just depends on the situation/rig.

Braking a rifle is just going to give you one foot in the door on wanting the next best thing, suppressors. Which reduce recoil, muzzle flash, and obviously the biggest perk sound reduction.

Now if the guy next to you is shooting 100rds of 50 bmg or .338 a day yeah it would get on my nerves but something like an AR? Not so much. While the A2 FH isn't a brake it certainly has a percussion to it. And i've been directly ear level with my friend while hunting (with hearing protection of course) it's not horrible.
 
Bottom line...does one help your accuracy? If not, why bother? If it does, by all means get one. You can usually find people who will let you try some.
 
I was referring to a Stag model 4. It is on a 20" barrel. I am not sure why Stag puts one on a 20" barrel.
Is it really going to be that offensive to fellow shooters in the next stall at the range ?
 
Is it really going to be that offensive to fellow shooters in the next stall at the range ?
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Depends on the brake. Mine is called "Rolling Thunder" and it is aptly named. I do not hear or feel it, but shooters to the side do. I shoot it only at 3gun matches so the only one close is the RO and they know where to stand.

The reduced flip helps with speed. It is NOT cosmetic. A properly tuned brake will turn the admittedly small recoil and flip of 223 and make it feel less than a 22LR. My scope's crosshairs do not lift off the bullseye. If all I did was shoot from crowded benches, I would avoid a brake, but that is not my world.

I would expect POI to change on a barrel with and without a brake due to harmonics, but the accuracy should not suffer.
 
rebs:
Yes I have received a lot of solid information from the guys on this site and it is a great site. I know I was just being ribbed a little and I had it coming lol
Thanks for the information on muzzle brakes, I appreciate it
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Rebs, you have 200 quotes to you name and you haven't been privileged to see someone get heckled about "breaks" yet?

It's like a family tradition on this forum!
 
My RRA ATH came with it and I like the looks of it, so it stays.

Anyone at the range is supposed to be wearing ear protection and eye protection.

I know if I am next to a loud gun its going to be a bit nasty and that's the way it is.

If they have a break (grin) then I just need to adjust.
 
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