.308 muzzlebrake help?

[danweasel]

Hello folks,

So it is finally happening, I am "truck-gunning" my .308 Stevens 200. Part of it is that I want to chop the barrel down to 18" and add a brake to it. I have no idea what I should be looking for in a brake. I do know I want accuracy and hopefully less muzzle blast and flash. Recoil is not too much of a concern.

For the record, other mods will be: Ghost ring sights, a detachable magazine setup w/ 10rd mags (I am thinking of rigging up a buttstock carrier for a spare mag on the rifle) and a pachmar decelerator. No scope for now.

Any guidance or experiences at all would help,

Dan

 

[Z-Michigan]

Muzzle brakes generally reduce recoil at the expense of heavily increased blast and flash. I've shot a 14.5" .308 with a brake and it was brutal. Designs vary, and I've also shot an 18" .308 with a different style brake that isn't too brutal, but isn't super effective either. Long and short I do not recommend any brake if you want to keep flash and blast to the same or less than a bare muzzle.

Flash hiders reduce flash and do little else, usually.

Since you are concerned about blast and flash, but not recoil, you really do not want a standard muzzle brake. There are two devices I would suggest for you:

1) Linear compensator - these devices mostly redirect the blast, and also soften the recoil a bit. They are about neutral to slightly helpful on muzzle flash. A good inexpensive one for a .308 is the Kies:
http://www.joeboboutfitters.com/KIES_Blast_Master_Linear_Compensator_p/kies-blst mstr30.htm

I have the .223 version of this device and am happy with it as reducing blast and softening recoil. I haven't tried it out at night yet. Another similar device is the Covert Comp from Black River Tactical:
http://www.blackrivertactical.com/product.html

2) Flash hider - these reduce flash. Most do nothing else, but PWS has a "Triad" hider that also reduces muzzle rise. I have the .223 version on another AR and it is very effective against muzzle rise and neutral (no better or worse than an A2) on blast. Limited testing so far suggest it is also effective on flash, but I haven't tried any shooting in really dark darkness yet.

http://primaryweapons.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=252&idcategory=6

You may find these closer to $60 if you do some shopping around (google).

Whatever you do, do not get a conventional muzzle brake if you want less blast and flash.

 

[W.E.G.]

Just put a nice crown on it, and call it good.

Its a bolt gun.
What do you need a brake for?

Can you really work the bolt so fast that you're ready to fire the next shot before the muzzle comes back on target?

If you want a FLASH SUPPRESSOR, the Vortex-type flash suppressors are widely accepted to be the most effective. They also snag on every twig and piece of grass in the woods. Really annoying.

You don't want a brake or a flash suppressor unless you are gaming, or shooting on full-auto.

You must have a really narrow truck if you need to cut your rifle barrel so that your rifle will fit in your truck.

 

[briansmithwins]

A suppressor will reduce/eliminate muzzle blast, flash, and noise.

Of course, they cost a decent chunk of change, require a $200 tax stamp, and add weight and bulk.

TANSTAAFL applies, as always.

BSW

 

[Kachok]

Muzzle break on a chopped down 308 = bad idea. First of all, the recoil on a 308 is mild anyway, I can shoot mine for hours with no issues. Secondly if you chop 4" off a barrel and add a break (or flash supressor) to it you are not really cutting much length anyway. Third The increase in blast is totaly not worth it on a mild kicking rifle like a 308, my last trip to the range I shot next to a guy with a breaked carbine 308, %@$* that!!! The blast was so bad I had to move.
A carbine 30-30 will do everything you are looking to do with a whole heck of alot less drama, and probably won't cost much more then the price of the cut/re-crown and break install for your 308. While the 308 has an edge on paper, in an 18" barrel the 30-30 will come close in performance Just my .02

 

[hipoint]

I had a brake on my fal, it really threw the sound right back at me... it was louder being the shooter than being a bystander... so if you forsee yourself shooting from the truck, it might be a bad idea.

I don't know about any other types of brakes other than what came on my century arms FAL sporter...

 

[danweasel]

RE: Everything Z-Michigan said:

Wow, it's good to know that I know nothing! Hahaha, thanks for setting me straight, for some reason I was under the impression that a muzzle break would REDUCE the blast. I may or may not put a flash hider on it so I don't go blind shooting in the dark (and I love shooting at night).

A suppresor would be nice wouldn't it? Cue evil laugh. Cue wife chopping my...nevermind.

You must have a really narrow truck if you need to cut your rifle barrel so that your rifle will fit in your truck.

It's a uni-mog.

 

[Carne Frio]

Post # 2 has some great info. For a bolt action you will need
to get it threaded. I use one of these, but it's only for flash
reduction, not as a brake:

http://www.smithenterprise.com/products06.03.html

I use a flash hider from the M60 on my Bushmaster .308 ORC.
it seems to work fine.

 

[SN13]

Only linear muzzle brakes reduce blast. Traditional brakes redirect gas to the sides/back at you. Gas direction=sound direction (in layman's terms).

 

[Z-Michigan]

If you want a flash hider I would look at the YHM Phantom. In .308 it costs about 2/3 as much as the Smith, it has a closed end so it doesn't grab weeds as you walk, and it's about equally effective.

I don't have links immediately handy but on .223 rifles the AAC Blackout is by far the most effective flash hider, the Smith Vortex and YHM Phantom are tied for second place and are also very effective, and pretty much all others are pretty far behind them (but I haven't seen any night tests of the PWS Triad, so it could be in the second place field as well). If you care to look these up I believe the best tests, with photos, were posted at m4carbine.net and suppressor talk (or possibly one of the other suppressor discussion forums).

 

[danweasel]

I like what I see with the Yankee hill. So far I guess that is the one I have at #1. Plus, I could be suppresor ready for the day SWMBO allows it...ha! The Smith is nice looking too, just trying to go as cheap as reasonable.

Has anyone ever used one of those linear compensators? They look kinda crazy but they seem like a good deal as far as eliminating blast back. I am mostly just curious as I don't know if I could get over the looks, honestly.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I use one of the Kies "blast master" comps on an AR-15 and as far as blast it does what is claimed. It also seems to soften the recoil a bit, probably by spreading it out over time rather than by reducing the total force. And I actually kinda like the looks. Unless you plan significant shooting at night, I think it might be a better choice than a flash hider.

Or you could leave the barrel 2-3" longer for free and get much of the same benefit. I use these devices on AR-15s that I use in competition, so muzzle rise and follow-up is important. Probably not as much on a bolt-action .308.