Compensator bad with cast boolits?

[fatelvis]

I have been shooting IMHSA big bore with a 12" barreled Contender in 357 Max, and enjoy it's accuracy, but it has one annoying trait..... When I shoot it in my usual modified Dead Frog position, the muzzle is extremely close to the front of my shin, and leaves powder marks on my jeans when I'm done with a string of fire. I really wish I had bought a 14" barrel now, but a Gunsmith friend of mine said he would add a 2-2.5" compensator to the end, giving me a little more clearance when shooting. I shoot Lyman's 358627 bullet, and would like to not change loads. Are compensators affected negatively by cast bullets? This would be the only gun I own that has one. Thanks-

[fredj338]

I used to shoot revolver in IHMSA as well as a 10" TC. From Creedmore, use a leather pad or shield over yourpant leg. It's legal, saves the jeans.

[fatelvis]

Thanks Fred, I've seen people use them. I just don't feel too comfy with the muzzle of my pistol on an even plane with my leg, no matter what is covering my leg! LOL

[HammerMTB]

It depends a lot on the comp or brake.
I have a comp on a couple Glocks, that are bore dia and rifled, but they do not spit lead at all. I know some others who have similar setups that seem to shave or "spit" lead from the comp, evidenced by lead left at the comp port opening.
A friend just designed and built a very nice (and effective, he tells me!) brake for a Ruger Blackhawk. We shoot the same load from our BHs, tho he may further spice his up now. 310 gr WFNs at max load are kinda punishing in the short BH.
Anyway, the design is such that there is no contact with the boolit at all. It works well, but does not negatively affect accuracy or leading.
All that to say, it can be done. :cbpour:

[selmerfan]

I've got a 15" barreled Encore in .357 Max that I shoot from a modified Creedmore position (I'm not sure what the dead frog position is!) and it can leave powder marks as well. I had Ross Schuler put a 2" permanent brake extension on it so that it can be a legal carbine as well as a pistol and I also shoot the 358627. If anything, my accuracy improved, but I did change powders to RL7 and H4227 behind that bullet. Anyway, NO, the compensator did not affect my barrel negatively, and I took a pair of Iowa whitetails with it last fall, one at 125 yds, the other at 166 yds, LRF'd.

[fatelvis]

Thanks Guys. Selmer, did you change the powder used to lessen the muzzle blast, or for some other reason?

[Kraschenbirn]

Your original post didn't mention anything about the style of comp you're considering. I'm also an old IHMSA shooter who, once upon a time, shot a comped SSK Contender in Unlimited for a couple years and speak from experience when I suggest that an "over the leg" blast shield is, most likely, your best choice. All compensators (that I've ever encountered) redirect a substantial portion of the muzzleblast sideways and, even with the added length, you're going to catch some of the scatter. (Don't believe me? Try standing off to one side...say 10 feet, or so...from someone shooting a comped SSK or XP-100.)

Just my nickle's worth.

Bill

[jimb16]

The only problem I've ever run into using a compensator and cast ios cleaning the compensator afterwards. There sometimes is a build up of bullet lube in the openings.

[fatelvis]

This would be a custom built compensator from his machine shop. Because it will be custom made, I can ask him to locate as many, (or as few) holes, in any location that I want. He showed me examples of other comps he made for rifles, and they were very well done. He has experimented with different "jetting" designs, using regular caliber rifles, and the big artillery style comps for the 50s. He found that the backward raking holes really worked well, but really weren't needed on rifles smaller than the 50. He said the upward facing hole design worked plenty well, and would provide good recoil control, and would move the full muzzle blast a couple inches forward, saving my leg. I'll send a pic when I can, showing the Dead Frog.

[Artful]

Well my experiences for what it's worth. Lead and lube will come off on the comp so as long as you can clean it that parts good. As far as what it will do with your shooting style the stuff that's being blown forward may be redirected by your comp in another direction if your comp has holes orientated upwards, it shouldn't be a big deal - if the holes direct in all directions like towards your leg I'd want a leather sheild on my leg.

[fatelvis]

I've heard horror stories of gas checks hanging up in the comp, and the next round fired really jacks things up. Is that an old Wives Tale?

[JTknives]

well i run a custom made comp on my glock 20. it was a comp that i designed and built. it is very efficient in what it does, keeping the barrel down. a comp with low pressure rounds really does nothing or very little. you need the high pressure to gain force from the comp. but i will tell you this straight out. if you run high pressure loads with a comp and lead you will get lead inside your comp. the people that say the powder does not have enough time to melt the base of the boolit have not run a comp. my comp is only ported vertically and the chambers are very deep to allow gas expansion. like i said it works very very well. BUT if you look inside my comp you will see lots of lead buildup on the inside of the comp. this is not from bullets scraping the sides as the through hole for the boolit is .451 and the boolit is .401-.402 so its not scraping lead off. but there is a lot of lead in there, i don't mind as the chambers are very deep. so yes the base of the boolit is melting and when it leaves the barrel the escaping gasses blast it into the chambers. i think i have had a gas check come off in my comp as i spotted a place on a baffle where something looked like it struck it. and it must have stayed inside and the next shot hit it. here is a picture of my comp, the porst go all the way to the bottom on the comp. if you want to see the lead buildup i can take a picture.

http://www.jtcustomknives.com/calendar/files/1/One%20glock1.jpg

[fatelvis]

you need the high pressure to gain force from the comp. but i will tell you this straight out. if you run high pressure loads with a comp and lead you will get lead inside your comp.
Well the 357 Maximum is right up there in the top few high pressured handgun cartridges. It definately helps with muzzle flip, but I have to say that I always have the "gas check myth" and lead buildup problem in the back of my mind, as I shoot it. Not very settling.

[leadman]

I have fired thousands of cast gas checked loads thru muzzle brakes on my Contender barrels. Never had a problem with gas checks, loss of accuracy, or build up in the brake.

I use the foaming bore cleaner on the brakes when they get pretty dirty. Along with q-tips this cleans them right up.

I have fired some pretty high pressure cast loads in my 30-30AI and 375 Win. Fired many sub-sonic cast loads with a 206gr cast bullet in my 300 whisper with a brake with no problems. This barrel was threaded at the muzzle when I bought it and when I had a different brake installed on my 30-30AI I installed the old brake on the 300Whisper just because I could.

[bobthenailer]

I have a ssk muzzel break on a Fa 454 I use 99% cast bullets with gas checks and nothing faster than WW820 powder ! zero build up in comp in or out.
I also have 4- other handguns with comps . I use jacked or gas ck bullets with the slowest ball powder that will work , some times use the lightest bullet so you can use more powder. In the 45 acp & 38 super, 357 mag , loaded to full power to blast out the lead build up in the comp. you may have to shoot a few rounds ! it depends on how bad the build up is .

[redneckdan]

Instead of a comp you could also go with a bloop tube. Just a tube extension on the end of your muzzle.

[jsizemore]

+1 on the bloop tube and it's less noise under a covered shooting line. I was next to an XP in 308 with a comp. It made it 2 rounds before it was put away by the owner/shooter.

Since your shooting a TC you can always look down the barrel for an obstruction.

[63 Shiloh]

To clean my comp, a STI Trubor, I made up a brass scraper. Just a piece of brass flat from a hobby shop.

Soak the comp in solvent for a few minutes and then use your scraper to make an opening in the fouling. Just work on this opening of clean steel and the crud just falls away.

Works a treat.

Mike

[ricksplace]

I only have experience with muzzle brakes on rifles. I have brakes on my 375 H&H, 416Rem and 458Mag. I shoot mostly cast through all of them and have never seen any leading in the brake, and never stuck a gas check. This is over 20+ years of shooting cast through big boomers. The brakes are bored pretty tight too, with .015 clearance over bore size. (eg. .338 bore in the brake for a .308 barrel) All of my boolits are gas checked.

[stubshaft]

I've heard horror stories of gas checks hanging up in the comp, and the next round fired really jacks things up. Is that an old Wives Tale?

Yup!
One of those persistent rumors that no one has shown to actually happen.