ID the muzzle device?

[Ian]

I just got a rifle back from the smith's, where it was (among other things) getting threaded for a muzzle device (I'm not sure if it qualifies as a brake or flash suppressor). Anyway, it's a rather unusual design...anyone know what it is?

 

[P95Carry]

Never seen one like that before!!

 

[Kamicosmos]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say:

Scout Break?


(since that's what the pic is titled...)

 

[Ian]

Nice try Kamicosmos, but no. I just named the pic that because it's the brake on my scout rifle.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

looks like that brake is threaded for a can.

 

[SDC]

It LOOKS a lot like the muzzle brake seen on some versions of the FG42, but as to who's making that design now

 

[Mike Irwin]

One of the Smith Arms Vortex models?

 

[hksw]

Yeah, looks like the brake on the FG42 (II).

 

[P95Carry]

looks like that brake is threaded for a can.

Andrew ..... looking closely I'd say no to that .. it is ''ribbed'' yeah but .. does not look like a thread helix.

 

[Ian]

Yup, it's the FG-42. Or rather, it almost is. I got it from a friend who found it at a garage sale, and it has no markings on it, so I have no idea who made it. I corresponded with an FG-42 collector, and it appears to be too small to have been an original FG-42 part. The design is the same, but mine is scaled down in all dimensions compared to a real one.

At any rate, it seems to work well enough. I haven't tried shooting in low light with it, so I don't know if it suppresses flash at all, but it does seem to dampen recoil. And it looks cool too.

Edit - no, it's not threaded on the outside.

 

[Tamara]

I would like to add that...

...I am insanely jealous of whoever took the photo in hksw's post.

 

[Badger Arms]

From http://www.fg42.net:

 

[Badger Arms]

Here's a comparrison. New brake on top, FG42 brake in middle, another version of the FG42 brake on the bottom. Interesting, note that the FG42 brake in the middle lacks holes on the bottom of the brake so as not to kick up dust and debris. This feature was not lost on future designs such as the M-16A2.

 

[Tamara]

BadgerArms,

Interesting, note that the FG42 brake in the middle lacks holes on the bottom of the brake so as not to kick up dust and debris.

There's another reason for that, too. Think about it... (Hint: MagNaPort only puts holes on the top of a handgun barrel, which is rarely in any danger of kicking up dust or leaves...)

The Cutt's Compensator, which predated the FG42, also features venting only on the top.

 

[P95Carry]

I have always thought that any slots or holes at 6 o'clock on a brake would only tend to negate the required effect .... whereas slots/holes from 9 o'clock thru 3 o'clock will all give varying degrees of ''anti-lift'' correction .... most useful of course in the 12 o'clock area.

 

[Ian]

Yeah, me too. The flash suppressor on my Daewoo is like that too, with a solid spot where the bottom slot ought to be.

On a side note, I've seen some video of a collector firing an FG-42, and the muzzle flash from the thing is . The muzzle doohickey does make a pretty neat pattern with it, though. I'm really curious to see how it does with the flash from a 21" .308 barrel.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"This feature was not lost on future designs such as the M-16A2."

That was, however, lost on the military with the M16 and the 3-finger flash suppressor. Kicked up amazing amounts of dust and debris.

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

Whatever it is and whatever it turns out to be called, it looks like it works and I'd like to have several.

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

Das ist ein Mündungsbremse
http://home.snafu.de/l.moeller/Bremse/Mundbremse.html

 

[Badger Arms]

Thanks for the picture, Harry. One thing i hadn't considered is that the picture I snatched from the internet might be of a reproduction. The guy that posted them makes reproduction parts. The Muzzle Brake on the FG42 illustration above clearly has holes on the bottom as well. Hmmmm. Learn something new every day.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

follow the above link and many things muzzle brake are explained

using the babel fish can illuminate the German http://world.altavista.com/

the following page describes flash suppressors:
http://home.snafu.de/l.moeller/Bremse/Muendungswolke/Muendungswolke.html

there are some english pages:
http://home.snafu.de/l.moeller/Flashsuppressor.html

 

[Dionysusigma]

Does an FG42 really need a bayonet? Sounds like putting a bayo on an Abrams

 

[Badger Arms]

Even today, the use of the bayonet is considered Dogma by those in power. It's a bit strange by modern standards, but understand that it does have uses. The FG42 was a compromise weapon attempting to comprise the virtues of the Mauser K98, Submachinegun, and Machinegun all in one weapon. To do this, you cannot ignore the bayonet of the K98, the Bipod of the Machinegun, or the compactness of the SMG. In the end, compromises like these really didn't fit into a weapon firing full-power ammo. While you got theoretical full-auto fire, it was nowhere near the effectiveness of the MG42. While you got a compact weapon, it was still longer and ungainly in comparrison. As a replacement for the K98, it would have served admirably though. In the end, the concept was reborn as the M14 which also failed before it was fielded. A practical lightweight automatic rifle firing full-power cartridges just wasn't possible in those days. With modern recoil control devices, I think it would be workable, but we've already got an effective suite of weapons in the mouse-gun caliber.

Back to the bayonet, it's comforting to a soldier to know that he has a weapon that won't run out of ammo and puts fear in the hearts of men. I sure as heck wouldn't want to get speared by a bayonet!

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

Does an FG42 really need a bayonet?

The germans don't put stuff on weapons they don't need, i've found.