What happened to compensators?

[Monac]

When I read saturno_v's thread about the Rock Island long-slide 10mm automatic (which is a great looking pistol, BTW), it reminded me something I've been curious about: What happened to muzzle compensators? Those devices or barrel ports that direct some of the muzzle blast up in order to reduce muzzle climb?

10 or 20 years ago, they seemed to be everywhere. Pistols in all the magazines seemed to have them. Now I hardly ever see them. Were they just a fad that faded? Did they not do as much as they claimed? Where they more a magazine thing that ordinary shooters never adopted in quantity?

It reminds me of tailfins on cars, or bell bottoms...they were everywhere for a while, then they vanished. But weren't compensators more functional than that?

 

[WestKentucky]

My experience shows that they work very well. I had a taurus m44 and a s&w that it was imitating, both in 6" at the same time. The smith kicked like a mule. The Taurus is ported and not only does it shoot softer, it shoots much more accurately. A log of guns still have them, primarily anything chambered to a cartridge with magnum in the name. I think when it first came out it was the newest thing and everybody oohed and aahed over it, but then the new factor wore off and focus went to other new things.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I was out with mine today. Works great and love it in 10mm. Go over to the autoloader area and I posted a long writeup on shooting my 10mm G20.

 

[tuj]

^^ Cool setup Peter!

I personally hate comps, particularly shooting next to someone with one.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

The comp is nothing compared to shooting next to me if I am shooting say a 30 carbine revolver or a 357 Maximum. It is all relative.

Comps work in high pressure rounds. There is no doubt to me of that.

 

[Monac]

Thanks, all! Would I be right to say that compensators do work, but they were never as common as gun magazines made them seem to be. And they are still around, probably nearly as much as they ever actually were?

 

[herrwalther]

I ask what about compensators but from a different perspective. One firearm I am hounding for is a Walther P22. About once a month I peruse the local gun stores looking for a P22 in the 4" barrel without the lawyer lock on the side frame. The only version they seem to stock is the 5" compensated version. I understand the purpose of one, but on a .22LR they seem and look ridiculous.

 

[Monac]

I have a vague recollection of seeing simple compensators (muzzle brakes) on 22 Short automatics made for some kind of Olympic rapid fire target competition. But that doesn't explain the one on the Walther you saw.

 

[ritepath]

Let's hope they were a fad....you couldn't give me a gun with one, or crappy ports for that matter.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I always thought the Sig 226 Sport looked like a sweet setup. Never have seen one in person.

 

[Snyper]

They're fun to play with, but aren't much good for a carry gun, and most recommend not using lead bullets, so you can't really shoot cheap target loads,

They do a great job of reducing recoil if you don't mind the muzzle flash directed straight up

They seem to have been replaced by "muzzle brakes" on almost every rifle now

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I shoot lead in mine with little problems. It tends to build up so far and then the gases blast the chunks out. It is sort of a self cleaning proposition. Ports are different and I keep my lead out of my ported guns.

 

[barnbwt]

I think porting replaced the comps, except for 1911s it seems

TCB