[Steelharp]

Another opinion question, folks. What are the advantages/disadvantages of each configuration? The Bushy's I've looked at don't have them... do I want/need one?

Mikey D...

[Nero Steptoe]

Get a Bushy without the cheesy pinned-on or welded on brakes that they offer. If you want a brake, install it after you buy the brakeless Bushy. I use a Smith. There are several others around , but I sure as heck wouldn't want anything that required silver solder or welding.

[MolonLabe416]

Call it a Blast Enhancer. I don't see the purpose on a 223 caliber carbine/rifle. I take a pass.

[Coltdriver]

I put the AK style of compensator on my Bushmaster shorty.

It was a mistake. The reason I say that is that it ups the blast volume to the shooter to a point where it will damage your ears right away. Unfortunately the smith I took it too soldered it on. One of his people told me they would pin it, when I picked it up it was soldered:fire:

Anyone on either side of you will hate you at the range.

It does cure the muzzle jump nearly completely and getting multiple shots off while staying on target is easy.

But the muzzle jump is already not too bad on an AR.

The other thing it did to my shorty which I really hate is that it caused it to be a bit muzzle heavy. It upset the balance of the rifle enough to be noticable.

[Redlg155]

Mini Y comp and AK brakes are notorious for noise and blast.

Something like Kurts Kustom, Wilson Combat, or the Cavarms brake will give you a functional brake, but with less muzzle blast.

An AR15 really doesn't recoil that much to really need one. It falls more into the "want" category. Most folks like to dress up an AR15 for the military look.

If you want the look of a brake but would rather have the relatively quiet shooting of a bare barrel I would check into Rock River Arms. They have a pressed on faux flash supressor that looks exactly like the real mc coy with the exception of being non functional. If I'm not mistaken Knights also uses a faux flash supressor on their post ban models.

Good SHooting
RED

[Kobun]

Rescomp (http://www.rescomp.co.za) has a compensator that directs the blast away from the shooter.
http://www.rescomp.co.za/RIFLE/LMCOMP.jpg
They make exellent products otherwise so I have no doubt this one works.
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=43854

[cratz2]

We'll, I make it a habit of wearing hearing protection 99% of the time when shooting or around those that are shooting. Having said that, the difference between shooting a 75 Gr out of a 26" barrel bolt action and a 50 or 55 Gr out of a braked 16" or 20" is pretty damn amazing. I've been shooting mostly Black Hills 75 Gr out of my 700 Police lately and in the open, it's just not very loud at all. Last time I took the AR down to my shooting buddy's house, he was on the range and I was about 200 yards behind him on the other side of his house and it was still very loud.

I see a lot of reasons NOT to have a brake on an AR. The main reason to have one on there is that it looks cool. I'll pass on the brake.

[Bottom Gun]

Muzzle brakes are useless obnoxious contraptions on a .223.
I took the one off my 16" It's much more pleasant to shoot now and it shoots a better group.

[Redlg155]

Kobun,

Interesting. I just wonder how it works because just looking at it kinda has me baffled. I know that normal muzzle brakes usually have a slot or combination of slots directed upwards and at various angles to the sides. This one seems to have the compensator holes directed forwards. I'm sure they are probably angled up slightly and that I can't see it in the pics.

As bringing the muzzle down I can understand how it works, but the site also claims recoil reduction, something I dont' understand unless there is a bit of gas directed away from the forward movement of the weapon.


Good SHooting
RED

[Jack19]

I have a Bushy Shorty, with an AK brake, that I like a lot. It does a great job of reducing what little muzzle rise there is with the AR. Granted, it's not as clean looking as some of the aftermarket birdcage-style brakes, but it works.

Personally, I've never noticed the noise and think it's simply a matter of concentration.

As far as blast goes.....is there any from a 5.56? :D :D :D

[Redlg155]

Personally, I've never noticed the noise and think it's simply a matter of concentration.

The shooter doesn't have to worry. It's the folks off to the sides of the shooter that suffer. :D

I've gotten nasty looks at the range before because of those things.

Good SHooting
RED

[Kobun]

Redlg155,
The Rescomp compensator has 3 holes, one on each side, and one on top.
Then there is some holes in the front.
(I have not examined the comp, so this is how I have heard it works) The gasses are trapped within the comp, and are redirected before being let out the front. The gasses pushing internal on the comp is what makes it work.

When the day comes that I order one, I'll tell you in greater detail about it.
Rescomp makes some of the best products available for IPSC shooters, and I have NO doubt that this thing works.
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=43854

[Bottom Gun]

There is a lot of blast from some of them. Mine was the birdcage style with a closed front. It directed the blast upward and bounced it to the rear. If you fired from the hip, you could feel some of the blast in your face. At night it also directed the flash upward and with some ammo like M855 it effectively blinded you.
if you were only going to shoot at a range with ear protection, it wouldn't be a problem except to annoy other shooters.
Since mine pulled double duty as a house gun, the noise and flash were an issue for me.

[Citadel99]

The fact of the matter is there isn't enough muzzle jump on a .223 to justify the added noise. Yeah the look cool but completely unnecessary.

Mark

[curt]

They can be incredibly loud. If you ever think you might have to use yours in a home defense role, don't get a brake.

Some competition and target shooters like them because they can keep their scope on target and see the hit and in some cases the bullet heading downrange.

One potential problem is if you ever want to go with a handquard that requires you to remove the front sight base you'll have to send it off to a gunsmith if you have a brake. If you don't have a brake then its easy to remove the FSB and replace it.

[Calanctus]

A friend and I refer to muzzle brakes as "loudeners".

If you do decide on a brake, I would suggest you attach it by a method other than pinning. I was at the range, and a gentleman there was shooting a scoped Bushy with (I think) a Y-comp brake. Very noticably louder than a non-braked AR. The next cease-fire when changing targets, my friend noticed a muzzle brake out around the 25 yd line. It turned out this was the 2nd time this guy had shot loose the brake and had it re-pinned! :eek:

[Kobun]

A friend and I refer to muzzle brakes as "loudeners". We call them "Bang-amplifyers".
I personally prefer supressors. They give many of the same benefits as compensators for recoil and muzzle jump. And they have the added benefit of making shooting plesant.

As I understand, you can't put a supressor on a "post ban" AR? :banghead:
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=43854

[bad_dad_brad]

Ditto all the other posts. Brakes on an AR are just for lookin at. One of the reasons I choose the Bushmaster over the Armalite. I wanted a 16" AR and Armalite had a standard brake, but the Bushy was available without. Noise! The .223 does not need a muzzle brake.

[Quintin Likely]

Sans brake, an AR might be a bit more accurate...a brake may not let the gasses expand evenly as the bullet exits the muzzle, affecting accuracy. A regular unthreaded crowned barrel will do you just fine. Never saw the reason for having any sort of brake on a .223 cal weapon anyways.

[444]

I already put my .02 cents in on this issue on another thread, but I wouldn't own an AR without one. I am thinking about replacing the flash suppressors on my pre-bans with muzzle brakes. The one's I have are very effective and make a very noticable difference in speed and accuracy when doing quick double taps on targets. I have two ARs with naked barrels, two with flash suppressors, and two with muzzle brakes (Bushmaster mini y comp and Wilson Combat). If you shoot them side by side, there is no question about the brakes' effectiveness. For me, I don't care about looks at all, and I don't care about noise. This however is one product that provides performace.
I keep reading about the fact that a muzzle brake is loud. Ok, we are shooting guns here. Guns are loud. Would the muzzle blast of a .50 BMG keep you from getting one ? Oh, and they are loud. Ever had someone next to you shooting a magnum rifle ? Yeah, they are loud too.
One word of advice on some of the installation advice given here. Check the BATF regulations on installing a brake on a post ban rifle. The brake must be permenently attached to be legal. There are specific instructions given. From a practical standpoint, if you can remove the brake without cutting it off, you are more than likely not in complience.

[Redlg155]

There is one advantage that I really didn't think of. Our M16A2 rifle has a combined flash supressor/muzzle brake.

The directing of gasses upwards does decrease your dust signature, so having one can be beneficial provided it is designed right. Still..a thinking man who does a lot of shooting in a prone position will put something on the ground under the muzzle to keep the dust down.


Good Shooting
RED

[DamnedDirtyApe]

Muzzle brakes are no more or less annoying than a drunken crackerhead at the next table sighting in a .54 caliber muzzleloading rifle.

[thisaway]

I intend to get one of the Wilson Combat flashhiders mounted on my Oly Arms 16" upper.