OK, I’m done with it

[doubleh]

I’m done with a muzzle brake on my AR now. I learned what I wanted to using it and am switching back to my old 3” bloop tube. After doing some mods to my gun I went to the range and sighted it in this morning. I tried a new to me load and it’s great. I got it shooting where I wanted it and the fired a three shot group at 100 yards that measured .476” and I quit right there and sighted in another gun. It was a first on this particular load and I will do some more testing plus adding a little oomph and removing a little just to see what happens or if the group was a fluke.


The bark from the brake is more than I want to put up with. I had a cup of coffee in a tall Rtic insulated cup sitting on the left side of the bench and it actually got blown off the table by the side blast. Bummer. I lost about half my cup off coffee before I could retrieve it.

 

[AK Hunter]

Yes the ported muzzle brakes will put out a large blast (noise & pressure) from the sides of the brake.
I have one on a AR10 .308 that can knock over my steel military ammo box. I can't have anything sitting on the shooting bench when I fire it & it is so loud I have to use plugs & muffs to keep my ears from ringing.
I get a lot of bad looks from other shooters using the range at that time.

 

[Armored farmer]

I like my tube style flash hider best too.

Your story reminds me of the day I got my model 66 snub. I bad been shooting my mild reloads zo long I forgot what factory. 357s were like.
I had been shooting reloads and putting the brass back in the box. I was satisfied with the sights, so I decided to check them with some factory loads that I had planned to use for carry ammo. When I touched off the first round, I thought the gun blew up. The empty brass jumped out of the box and rattled on the concrete floor.
Oh yeah...this is why I reload!

 

[792mauser]

Love my suppressor. No blast and makes shooting much more enjoyable.

Unless you are the "Richard" that complained to the rangemaster that I was shooting with a suppressed 338 win mag mod 70.
He saw no issue or safety issues so just informed me that my neighbor is unhappy I had a suppressor.

He kept saying that they were only for the government and police.
So I obliged and spun it off the rifle and spun on the JP tank break.

He left complaining a few shots later.

A 270gr bullet, 76gr H1000 and a muzzle brake made everyone happy when I spun the suppressor back on.

 

[DerMerchant]

Flash hiders have always been my preference, I only have one brake on a 20" 308 and even that is a bit much, will blow apart targets in the lanes next to me. Used to have a brake on a 5.56 and it would hurt my ears even if I doubled up on earpro.

 

[SwampWolf]

I'm not a big fan of muzzle brakes but that "side blast" is what helps reduce the recoil being felt on your shoulder. Brakes are two-edged swords and the edge that bothers me most is the muzzle blast-even when doubling up on the ear protection.

 

[rdnktrkr]

The only brake I have is on Armalite AR50s, I was told it would break my shoulder if I removed it, it sets the grass an fire after about 5rnds, whoever is on the spotter scope usually has sinus problems about the same time.

 

[doubleh]

Love my suppressor. No blast and makes shooting much more enjoyable.

Unless you are the "Richard" that complained to the rangemaster that I was shooting with a suppressed 338 win mag mod 70.
He saw no issue or safety issues so just informed me that my neighbor is unhappy I had a suppressor.

He kept saying that they were only for the government and police.
So I obliged and spun it off the rifle and spun on the JP tank break.

He left complaining a few shots later.

A 270gr bullet, 76gr H1000 and a muzzle brake made everyone happy when I spun the suppressor back on.

Way to go. He deserved what you gave him.

 

[doubleh]

Flash hiders have always been my preference, I only have one brake on a 20" 308 and even that is a bit much, will blow apart targets in the lanes next to me. Used to have a brake on a 5.56 and it would hurt my ears even if I doubled up on earpro.

I put one on my Ruger precision rimfire just because I could. It doesn't make much of a fuss but the darn thing improved my groups a little. It's staying in place. I also have a brake on my Ruger MK III 22/45 lite and it has really tamed the muzzle flip on that little sucker. It exhausts straight up and it is very noisy under the tin roof over our firing line. It's a LOT louder than a regular 22.

 

[mgmorden]

I've never fired a rifle with a muzzle break - but I've shot BESIDE someone shooting one and that was all I needed to know that I don't care to ever own one. My shoulder can take more pain than my ears . . .

 

[BigBore44]

Sometimes, if you NEED the gun, you WANT the brake. But they aren’t always much fun for the people around you. My 338WM for example.

 

[David Hoback]

Obviously there are some calibers which really do need a comp/brake. 5.56 is NOT among them. Neither, do I believe, is 7.62, 7mm, 6.5mm, etc.

I don’t think an AR is complete without a Flashhider. And every one of my builds gets the Surefire 3P Eliminator. Reduces flash more efficiently than even the Smith Vortex, and looks amazing!

 

[euclid]

Thank God. Muzzle breaks for the 5.56 are obnoxious and unnecessary, in my view.

 

[mshootnit]

you dont realize the total volume of gas coming out of a barrel until you are right next to a guy with a 308 and a brake on it.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I don’t have a suppressor but I really wish everyone else did.

 

[doubleh]

Obviously there are some calibers which really do need a comp/brake. 5.56 is NOT among them. Neither, do I believe, is 7.62, 7mm, 6.5mm, etc.

Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Mine is that if you wish to use an item for some purpose it is up to you. I wanted to watch my hits with my AR through my scope and the brake made it possible. Now that I am happy with what I wanted to do I see no need for it now but if I wish to do the same thing in the future it will be easy to re-install. If you don't feel a brake is necessary on a 5.56 that's fine with me and I wouldn't dream of telling you what you do or don't need.

 

[DerMerchant]

I don’t have a suppressor but I really wish everyone else did.

Suppressors should be required by law on shooting ranges, and should come with every rifle.

 

[rdnktrkr]

Other countries it is considered rude to shoot without a suppressor and they are cheaper than here.

 

[Bwana John]

Thank God. Muzzle breaks for the 5.56 are obnoxious and unnecessary, in my view.

But dude.... what about the massive punishing recoil?

 

[gotboostvr]

First time I ever saw a comp was when my buddy opened up with his Krink next to me on a firing line.

I was NOT ready for that.

Isn't too bad behind the trigger, but you can definitely feel it in your chest next to the shooter.

 

[David Hoback]

But dude.... what about the massive punishing recoil?

Thank God. Muzzle breaks for the 5.56 are obnoxious and unnecessary, in my view.

Got that right. Many years ago, when I didn’t have quite the knowledge level I do now, I put a YHM Phantom 5M Comp/Brake on a 12” AR pistol. Holy CRAP was it a mistake! I don’t think I got through even one entire magazine. It was unreal. This was in the foothills of Tucson, AZ, so I wasn’t using ears. And I was pretty much used to it...shooting 5.56, in my other ARs, I had a Cetme in 7.62, all manners of pistols & shotguns. Little ringing in the ears, but never really bothered me. Well, this Comp’d 5.56 was WAY TOO MUCH! It caused so much pain, like I said..,couldn’t get through a full mag.

And not just the noise, but the percussion that came off of it. Every shot about near separated me from my Sphincter!

 

[DustyGmt]

Love my suppressor. No blast and makes shooting much more enjoyable.

Unless you are the "Richard" that complained to the rangemaster that I was shooting with a suppressed 338 win mag mod 70.
He saw no issue or safety issues so just informed me that my neighbor is unhappy I had a suppressor.

He kept saying that they were only for the government and police.
So I obliged and spun it off the rifle and spun on the JP tank break.

He left complaining a few shots later.

A 270gr bullet, 76gr H1000 and a muzzle brake made everyone happy when I spun the suppressor back on.

Perfect response.

 

[DustyGmt]

Obviously there are some calibers which really do need a comp/brake. 5.56 is NOT among them. Neither, do I believe, is 7.62, 7mm, 6.5mm, etc.

I don’t think an AR is complete without a Flashhider. And every one of my builds gets the Surefire 3P Eliminator. Reduces flash more efficiently than even the Smith Vortex, and looks amazing!

How does the surefire stack up against the JP 3P hider. I've heard people say there is nothing comparable to the 99% flash elimination of the JP but every where I've looked for the last year has not been in stock. Discontinued I guess. I'm looking for a comparable replacement for my 5.56 pistol.

 

[Sniper66]

This is a great thread. My AR 15 with a muzzle break blew my metal coffee gun off the bench. Mine is only a .223 so maybe I don't really need it?

 

[David Hoback]

How does the surefire stack up against the JP 3P hider. I've heard people say there is nothing comparable to the 99% flash elimination of the JP but every where I've looked for the last year has not been in stock. Discontinued I guess. I'm looking for a comparable replacement for my 5.56 pistol.

They are on par with each other. The Surefire is also 98-99% reduction to a machine. So I think the JP might be a couple tenths better to a machine, but I guarantee to an unknown test, they human eye wouldn’t be able to detect. There is virtually nothing of flash seen.

And to me, the Surefire is much more attractive.