@Pat Riot, if you recall the gas block on my SFAR is in a different location (a few inches down the barrel). I assume they had to put the gas block on the 16 inch version closer to the chamber to avoid a Dissipator-type of situation in .308 due to the distance to the end of the barrel that would otherwise result. Unfortunately the 16 inch version of this rifle seems to be far more common than the 20 inch. I have an 18 inch .308 and the blast from that is bad enough; I can't see why anyone would want even more blast, but clearly it's a thing.
My Ruger SFAR is on its way back to Ruger - Adjustable Gas Block Issues
- Thread starter Pat Riot
- Start date
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Pat Riot
Contributing Member
@someguy2800 Thank you. I just learned something. I appreciate it. I have wondered what was meant by an H1 or H2 buffer. Now I know. 
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@Havok7416 I picked the 16” because I am planning to put a suppressor on it for hunting. I figured the extra 4” of the 20” could make the gun awkward with a suppressor on it.
I was thinking recently that I should have gone with the 20”, but l I’ll stick with what I have.
I did remove the Boomer muzzle brake and I replaced it with an A2 flash hider. It’s more enjoyable to shoot now.
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@Havok7416 I picked the 16” because I am planning to put a suppressor on it for hunting. I figured the extra 4” of the 20” could make the gun awkward with a suppressor on it.
I was thinking recently that I should have gone with the 20”, but l I’ll stick with what I have.
I did remove the Boomer muzzle brake and I replaced it with an A2 flash hider. It’s more enjoyable to shoot now.
I'm not knocking your decision, it just seems the 16 inch is far more popular (or maybe available). There are issues with a short .308, just ask people about the M1A SOCOM. I am torn on the muzzle brake. It's very concussive for anyone off to the side of the gun, but it seems to knock the recoil down to nothing. I want to throw my can on the end but I don't want to retime the brake. Lazy I know.
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Pat Riot
Contributing Member
When I bought mine the LGS had several of each barrel length. I did ask which one people preferred and two of the guys that work there said they really couldn’t tell because they sold every one that they received very quickly.
When I sent my gun back to Ruger I really expected to have them say something along the lines of “Removal of the muzzle brake may have contributed to the problem you were having.” But that was not the case.
There was some increase in recoil with the A2 FH but not much. There was also a little more muzzle rise. Noise was reduced a little for me. I did consider leaving the brake on but I just kept thinking about how annoyed I used to get when shooting at a range next a guy or guys blasting away while I was treated to the warm concussive air coming from their brakes like a gentle breeze from a lake…A lake of fire.
Seriously though, the recoil didn’t really increase a whole lot. Definitely not like the recoil of a .308 out of a bolt gun.
I need to do a bit more research on cans and muzzle attachments. I know there are silencer / suppressor set ups where the can attached to the muzzle brake or flash hider, but I haven’t really looked into what I might want yet.
someguy2800
Member
When I bought mine the LGS had several of each barrel length. I did ask which one people preferred and two of the guys that work there said they really couldn’t tell because they sold every one that they received very quickly.
When I sent my gun back to Ruger I really expected to have them say something along the lines of “Removal of the muzzle brake may have contributed to the problem you were having.” But that was not the case.
There was some increase in recoil with the A2 FH but not much. There was also a little more muzzle rise. Noise was reduced a little for me. I did consider leaving the brake on but I just kept thinking about how annoyed I used to get when shooting at a range next a guy or guys blasting away while I was treated to the warm concussive air coming from their brakes like a gentle breeze from a lake…A lake of fire.
Seriously though, the recoil didn’t really increase a whole lot. Definitely not like the recoil of a .308 out of a bolt gun.
I need to do a bit more research on cans and muzzle attachments. I know there are silencer / suppressor set ups where the can attached to the muzzle brake or flash hider, but I haven’t really looked into what I might want yet.
You might want to try a krink brake. It dramatically cuts the muzzle blast but not enough to be regulated as a suppressor.
.308 / 7.62x39 / 7.62x51 / .300 Blackout Krinkov Muzzle Brake Can 2 Piece Canister Cone 5/8-24 TPI With Crush Washer Included - CX3TACTICAL™
Length: 3.50″ OAL Knurled Surface Outside Cone Length Minus Flats: 2 15/16″ Diameter: 1 3/8″ Exit Hole: .338″ Weight: 8oz Threads: 5/8-24 Machined From Carbon Steel C1045 Heat Treated Magnesium Phosphate Finish For A Variety of Calibers .308, 7.62×39, 7.62×51, .300 Blackout, .30 Caliber Rifles...
cx3tactical.com
For a can the fix is stupid easy. Most rifle cans are used with an externally threaded brake (see below for image). Contact @MachIVshooter and tell him you want one of his fantastic cans. Then jump through the hoops and get it. Be prepared to make decisions though - he doesn't have a bad product in his lineup. I should know as I have 6 of his cans.When I bought mine the LGS had several of each barrel length. I did ask which one people preferred and two of the guys that work there said they really couldn’t tell because they sold every one that they received very quickly.
When I sent my gun back to Ruger I really expected to have them say something along the lines of “Removal of the muzzle brake may have contributed to the problem you were having.” But that was not the case.
There was some increase in recoil with the A2 FH but not much. There was also a little more muzzle rise. Noise was reduced a little for me. I did consider leaving the brake on but I just kept thinking about how annoyed I used to get when shooting at a range next a guy or guys blasting away while I was treated to the warm concussive air coming from their brakes like a gentle breeze from a lake…A lake of fire.
Seriously though, the recoil didn’t really increase a whole lot. Definitely not like the recoil of a .308 out of a bolt gun.
I need to do a bit more research on cans and muzzle attachments. I know there are silencer / suppressor set ups where the can attached to the muzzle brake or flash hider, but I haven’t really looked into what I might want yet.
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Pat Riot
Contributing Member
Thank you I will check this out. It’s definitely not an expensive item. Might be worth $50 to try out. (Product, tax and shipping)You might want to try a krink brake. It dramatically cuts the muzzle blast but not enough to be regulated as a suppressor.
.308 / 7.62x39 / 7.62x51 / .300 Blackout Krinkov Muzzle Brake Can 2 Piece Canister Cone 5/8-24 TPI With Crush Washer Included - CX3TACTICAL™
Length: 3.50″ OAL Knurled Surface Outside Cone Length Minus Flats: 2 15/16″ Diameter: 1 3/8″ Exit Hole: .338″ Weight: 8oz Threads: 5/8-24 Machined From Carbon Steel C1045 Heat Treated Magnesium Phosphate Finish For A Variety of Calibers .308, 7.62×39, 7.62×51, .300 Blackout, .30 Caliber Rifles...
First I will make sure my SFAR is running as intended.
I'd definitely echo Havoc and give @MachIVshooter a holler.
His rifle cans as most of the industry now have 1 3/8" - 24 threads so many companies make adapters that will work.
I've used several and really like Griffin's taper mount system they have so many different styles and thread patterns. Just real nice to run that 30 cal can on anything with a smaller diameter.
Another plus is the Griffin system is fairly light and doesn't add length like some other systems.
Wonder how those would sound compared to my Griffin Paladin brake with the Explorr blast can.
someguy2800
Member
I don't have a point of comparison to that specific one, but I've tested them back to back with other blast forwarder type devices and having the closed baffle in the krink brake makes a big difference. I have one on almost all of my AR's. I even made a custom 3/4" thread one for my 45 raptor
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Pat Riot
Contributing Member
Do they reduce sound all around or just rearward?
Well I guess I will lol ordered a 1/2-28 22 cal to tryout.
someguy2800
Member
According to my hunting parters it reduces it all around. They’ve commented that when I shoot it sounds like I’m a lot further away than I am.
someguy2800
Member
I just tried to do some science by downloading a decibel meter on my phone and shooting one of mine with and without the krink brake, but my phone doesn't register the sound of the gunshot. Must be too short of an impulse. Can sure tell the difference in the sound through my earmuffs though and how it echo's off all the trees.
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Pat Riot
Contributing Member
Thank you for this post and the one above. I think you’ve sold me on a Krink brake.
I am sure you are right about your sound test with your phone. When I worked on a rail system up in Oregon we had to test the sound levels of out horns and bells. Our decibel meter was just fine for the horns, but the sound wave from the bell was much too short for the meter to accurately read it. The meter we had with the calibration tester and accessories was around $500. To get one that was fast enough to capture the bell tones as the bell clanged ran us a couple of grand.
I do appreciate the effort though. Thank you, again.
You might want to try a krink brake. It dramatically cuts the muzzle blast but not enough to be regulated as a suppressor.
.308 / 7.62x39 / 7.62x51 / .300 Blackout Krinkov Muzzle Brake Can 2 Piece Canister Cone 5/8-24 TPI With Crush Washer Included - CX3TACTICAL™
Length: 3.50″ OAL Knurled Surface Outside Cone Length Minus Flats: 2 15/16″ Diameter: 1 3/8″ Exit Hole: .338″ Weight: 8oz Threads: 5/8-24 Machined From Carbon Steel C1045 Heat Treated Magnesium Phosphate Finish For A Variety of Calibers .308, 7.62×39, 7.62×51, .300 Blackout, .30 Caliber Rifles...
You can't beat that price! Even the 1/2x28 223 brake is the same low price:
.223 / 5.56 Smooth Finish Krinkov Muzzle Brake Can 2 Canister Cone 1/2-28 TPI With Crush Washer Included - CX3TACTICAL™
Specifications Length: 3.50″ OAL Smooth Surface NOT Knurled (See Other Listings For Knurled Version) Outside Cone Length Minus Flats: 2 15/16″ Diameter: 1 3/8″ Exit Hole: .253″ Weight: 8oz Threads: 1/2-28 Machined From Carbon Steel C1045 Heat Treated Magnesium Phosphate Finish For A Variety of...
cx3tactical.com
I have multiple AR15's and 3 308's with threaded barrels to include my SFAR. 4 x 308's if I count my M1A Scout. I finally found a solution to run my Dead Air Nomad suppressor on almost all of them except the M1A. The M1A is heavy enough as it is, I just don't see adding a heavy suppressor to it.
Griffin's Gate-Lok QD Suppressor hub assembly screws in to my DA Nomad-L.
For my 1/2x28 threaded 223 AR15's I can use inexpensive $10 "Nato Spec" A2 Flash Hiders from the following companies:
Wilson Combat
Aero Precision
Windham
Bushmaster
Possibly Colt and FN (not tested by me)
However for 30 cal - 5/8x24 threaded barrels, you need to use Griffin Gate-Lok flash hiders / muzzle brakes:
Muzzle Devices - Gate-LOK™ - Griffin Armament
www.griffinarmament.com
I just ordered 3 of their birdcage 30 cal Gate-Lok flash hiders to use on my SFAR, Savage Scout, and Savage Hog Hunter.
Would I recommend the Dead Air Nomad-L suppressor? No.
While it suppresses well, I can shoot it without ear pro with no ear ring. It is long and heavy.
I wish the lighter weight titanium version was out when I bought it, as I would rather have a lighter weight can. I would also prefer a shorter length can.
Old pic with DA Keymo Hub and Keymo Flash Hider:
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Pat Riot
Contributing Member
I just bought a Krink brake. It should arrive later next week. I am looking forward to trying it out. Thanks for the advice.
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Pat Riot
Contributing Member
UPDATE:
I installed and tried out the Krink brake recommended by @someguy2800 . It works very well. I like it.
The gun club I belong to has metal roofs over the rifle and pistol range bench areas. There is no sound concussion coming from the gun and the roof when firing. The brake doesn’t mitigate recoil or flash but that’s fine with me.
As for the operation of my SFAR. It is running like a top. I didn’t want to post about it until I got a couple of hundred more rounds down range with it. The only problem I had was my own fault. I hand loaded some ammo and let a round get into the box without checking it in my drop gauge.
I have found that ammo hotter than Service Load velocities causes the ejectors to dig into the case heads during firing and ejecting cases. This isn’t really a problem for me as it seems this gun is most accurate with cartridges in the 2600-2700 FPS range for 150 grain projectiles. The 2800 FPS stuff is the ammo that the cases take a beating.
I truly enjoy shooting this rifle now. I have some more load testing to do to find out what loads are most accurate at 100 and 200 yard ranges.
Now that I have gotten this gun running reliably and accurately I do kind of wish I would have gotten the 20” barrel, but the 16” is just fine for me. Maybe someday Ruger will sell SFAR uppers and I will snag a 20” then.
I installed and tried out the Krink brake recommended by @someguy2800 . It works very well. I like it.
The gun club I belong to has metal roofs over the rifle and pistol range bench areas. There is no sound concussion coming from the gun and the roof when firing. The brake doesn’t mitigate recoil or flash but that’s fine with me.
As for the operation of my SFAR. It is running like a top. I didn’t want to post about it until I got a couple of hundred more rounds down range with it. The only problem I had was my own fault. I hand loaded some ammo and let a round get into the box without checking it in my drop gauge.
I have found that ammo hotter than Service Load velocities causes the ejectors to dig into the case heads during firing and ejecting cases. This isn’t really a problem for me as it seems this gun is most accurate with cartridges in the 2600-2700 FPS range for 150 grain projectiles. The 2800 FPS stuff is the ammo that the cases take a beating.
I truly enjoy shooting this rifle now. I have some more load testing to do to find out what loads are most accurate at 100 and 200 yard ranges.
Now that I have gotten this gun running reliably and accurately I do kind of wish I would have gotten the 20” barrel, but the 16” is just fine for me. Maybe someday Ruger will sell SFAR uppers and I will snag a 20” then.
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RE Ruger selling complete uppers.
Over on AR15 dot com there was some angst over the fact that Ruger wont sell spare Bolts or Bolt Carrier Groups for the SFAR. Preppers got to have spare parts...
The recommendation was to buy a significantly more expensive POF Rogue as POF will sell spare bolts and BCGs.
I did the math, and it's cheaper to buy 2 Ruger SFARs than it is to buy the POF Rogue and a spare bolt, much less a spare bolt carrier group.
Spare bolt assembly for the POF Rogue - $174.
https://pof-usa.com/product/revolution-bolt-and-firing-pin-kit/
Add that to the price of the base 16 inch rifle $1629 = $1803
https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/01662
Ruger SFAR's sell for $899.99 x 2 = $1798
https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/5610
Buying 2 Ruger SFAR's makes far more sense.
Over on AR15 dot com there was some angst over the fact that Ruger wont sell spare Bolts or Bolt Carrier Groups for the SFAR. Preppers got to have spare parts...
The recommendation was to buy a significantly more expensive POF Rogue as POF will sell spare bolts and BCGs.
I did the math, and it's cheaper to buy 2 Ruger SFARs than it is to buy the POF Rogue and a spare bolt, much less a spare bolt carrier group.
Spare bolt assembly for the POF Rogue - $174.
https://pof-usa.com/product/revolution-bolt-and-firing-pin-kit/
Add that to the price of the base 16 inch rifle $1629 = $1803
https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/01662
Ruger SFAR's sell for $899.99 x 2 = $1798
https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/5610
Buying 2 Ruger SFAR's makes far more sense.
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Pat Riot
Contributing Member
Interesting. Thank you. I like your logic.
When I spoke to Ruger Customer Service I asked about when Ruger might sell spare parts and the lady I spoke with didn’t have an answer. I also asked about complete uppers and she said she thought something was in the works for that but had no details.
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Pat Riot
Contributing Member
@drobs
I just went into the Ruger sites looking for SFAR parts. There were none. So I decided to look for parts for the American rifles, since they are very popular. There were none. There were no parts for sale for any of their guns that I could find on that site.
Then I did a DuckDuckGo search for Ruger SFAR parts and I found this:
It’s like a separate Ruger site. There are some minor SFAR parts. Hopefully this is just a start for their SFAR parts page.
I just went into the Ruger sites looking for SFAR parts. There were none. So I decided to look for parts for the American rifles, since they are very popular. There were none. There were no parts for sale for any of their guns that I could find on that site.
Then I did a DuckDuckGo search for Ruger SFAR parts and I found this:
It’s like a separate Ruger site. There are some minor SFAR parts. Hopefully this is just a start for their SFAR parts page.
Thanks for that link, I'll share it on the long running arfcom thread.
