muzzle brakes & flash suppressors, what's the real story?

S

sks

New member
While I've read all of the manufacturers wonderful wording about what their muzzle brakes and flash suppressors will do I would like some first hand experience from those that know.

Do you recommend the AR style setup with the muzzle brake or flash suppressor? Do you recommend against this? Does it affect any accuracy? Does it enhance accuracy?

sks
 
A muzzle break will reduce recoil, but it will make the rifle a lot louder. Flash suppressors and muzzle breaks both don't help accuracy any, but I don't know if they reduce it a noticeable amount. If a rifle’s recoil is affecting your ability to shoot it accurately, then a muzzle break might help. You don’t really need a muzzle break on an AR15. After the flash suppressor ban, muzzle breaks are used to decorate the end of the muzzle or bring a barrel that is under the 16-inch legal length up to 16 inches. Muzzle breaks are also useful if you like to do rapid fire as they can help you stay on target.
 
I have not noticed a difference between my M1A "flash suppressor" and the new and improved PRK legal "muzzle break". They seem about the same to me.


[Edited by El Rojo on 04-17-2001 at 01:33 PM]
 
Go to the thread called "Las Vegas April Shoot" at the Shoots and Meets Forum in http://www.assaultweb.net Towards the end of the thread there is first hand experience from our night desert shoot last night.

Also, the Vortex flash hider on the AR-15 creates a large dust signature though it totally eliminates flash. I concur with Q-Man. You don't "need" a muzzle brake on an AR-15 because of the minimal recoil. The A2 flash hider is the best overall for the AR-15 IMHO. It is the best compromise between flash hiding and reduction of dust signature.
 
I am interested in getting the Bushmaster Shorty A3 with a 16" barrel and really did not want the muzzle brake of flash suppressor. Don't think I will be trying to hide my flashing for any reason in the near future. I had heard before that the muzzle brake increased the "loudness" of the weapon considerably and q man mentioned this also. For that reason alone I don't think I want a brake or suppressor.

By the way, anyone know what the Bushy goes for?

Thanks for the help.

sks
 
Sks,

I just bought a XM15 E2S Shorty A3 last Friday and paid $788.97.... it hasn't left my bed since. <g>

That was in Oklahoma City at Outdoor America Store.
 
Muzzle Brake Loudness

I have a Bushmaster A3 with that muzzle brake and I must say that it is deadly without hearing protection. I made that mistake shooting crows in cornfields with it without protection. My ears were ringing for days. Never again am I going to fire that thing without the protection that earmuffs provide.

Branden
 
Does anybody know if a muzzle brake makes the M1A much louder than usual? I have heard that the Bushmaster AR-15's with muzzle breakes are much louder than those without, but what about M1A's?
 
Pat,

I would expect an M1A, like any other firearm with a brake to be louder to the shooter than one with a flash suppressor since most, if not all brakes direct gasses back to the shooter to reduce recoil. The brake doesn't increase the muzzle blast, but since it is redirected towards the shooter, it is percieved (and rightly so) as being much louder. A flash suppressor doesn't direct muzzle blast back at the shooter.
 
A flash supressor can do more than just hide where you are. My best friend and I fired our Mini 14's side by side one night. While his unsupressed flash was about blinding to the shooter, mine, with flash supressor, was like shooting a 10/22. I know that most hunting is illegal at night, but we all know that there is more to do with your rifle at night than hunt large game, right?
 
Just a personal observation from a recent day at the range. I have a Bushy Shorty AK with the AK style muzzle brake and a buddy has the Dissapator model with a naked muzzle. The diffeerence in flash signature is amazing. We were both shooting Georgia Arms Ammo and the muzzle flash on his rifle was impressive to say the least. On my rifle it was barely noticeable. Also I noticed that while the ARs are light in recoil anyway, my rifle seems to stay on target for quicker follow up shots..
I don't think I'd like to shoot my rifle without ear protection though, it is loud.

Mark / FL
 
A flash suppressor is to keep the shooter from being blinded by the flash. Not to hide the flash from who or whatever you are shooting at. Different types of powder can be used to increase or decrease muzzle flash.
 
Muzzle brakes are loud, very loud. I don't see much of a point to a muzzle brake on an AR15 since it doesn't have much recoil to begin with.

You can't (legally) put a flash suppressor on a post-ban rifle. Both make it a bit more of a pain to clean the gun (the patch can get hung up in the suppressor or muzzle brake).
M1911
[durn spelling mistakes...]

[Edited by M1911 on 04-18-2001 at 07:59 AM]
 
sks, The Army put a muzzle breaks on the M14 to help reduce muzzle climb during full auto fire. This was done by not allowing any gas to vent downwards. For accuracy shooting the Army Marksmanship Training Unit figured out the modification to the break to enhance accuracy while still complying with the rules that stated that the rifle had to look stock out of the box. A muzzle break is not your best friend when you are looking for accuracy. If you are not shooting your AR full auto a break is not needed except for historical correctness. If you are going to be using a night vision scope on your AR something along the lines of a Vortex flash suppressor will come in very handy. The bottom line is that if you are looking for accuracy don't even worry about things to hang off your muzzle.
HTH
Edited because I have a very large problem with break brake.
 
BRAKE! BRAKE! BRAKE!

I use a Smith brake on my Bushy Shorty carbine. Don't know if it helps flash, and don't care. Seems to help a little with muzzle flip. Absolutely protects crown from damage. I haven't noticed any deterioration in accuracy. (Yep, I've grouped, using both the naked muzzle and with the brake.)
 
If it's my butt on the line....

If it was my butt on the line and I was fighting for my life, I'd want a flash suppressor on a pre-ban configuration.

Although some muzzle brakes reduce flash, they don't do as good a job of that than actual flash hiders/suppressors. They still have some flashbulb effect. I think that muzzle brakes are useful only for shaving a hair off the time for competition speed shooting or for reducing muzzle climb when shooting on full auto.

Some muzzle brakes deflect the blast out the sides. If the shooter is close to an obstacle, such as shooting around a corner, then the deflected blast can be disconcerting or even dangerous. Eye protection is a must here. This isn't a problem if the shooter is prepared. If this phenomena is experience for the first time in combat, it can be quite a shocker.

I don't know if flash suppressors/hiders were originally intended to protect the shooter from being blinded, but I know that the better versions definitely cut down on the flash to the point where I believe the bad guy(s) would have a tougher time pinpointing you than with a muzzle brake or plain muzzle. The best I've seen for AR-15s are the military bird cage and open prong types, and the Vortex. Vortex types have the least flash, but the Vortex itself creates some other problems, like making a slight ringing like a tuning fork if it hits something hard, catching on objects, and possibly breaking the tangs off with long term usage.

There is definitely some ammunition with lesser flash than others. IIRC South African PMP .223 has flash retardants or something that reduces flash considerably. Last I remember, a plain muzzle AR with this stuff makes a flash a few inches in diameter, like an orange glow. With other ammo the flash is about the size of a basketball. On a flash hider equipped rifle, the difference is a faint spark (not the SA PMP ammo) or nothing that I could easily see (using the SA PMP ammo).

Once again I prefer the (legal) pre-ban configuration with flash suppressor/hider. Although I would plan to shoot and move if it was a really bad day, I still want my opponent to have as difficult a time as possible finding me.

My advice is worth every penny you paid for it.

Edmund
 
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