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Thread: Muzzle brake question

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Over tighting a muzzle break to time it can make the muzzle tight from the Vee threads torque compressing the muzzle. This is one reason why the flash hider wrench for the M1A/M14 was such a simple little stamping and not made as strong as some thought it should be. The added weight of the muzzle break added can affect a barrels harmonics. Browning had a set up that was adjustable for matching harmonics to a given load.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master Cap'n Morgan's Avatar
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    The efficiency of the brake will diminish slightly with a hole larger than about 1 mm (.04) over bullet size, and not much is gained going smaller.
    Cap'n Morgan

  3. #23
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    Do yourself a favor and don't install it. A flash hider won't increase the noise as much as a true brake, but still loud enough that they aren't enjoyable to shoot. The major thing is it's going to change your bullet point of impact and your accuracy to some degree. Think of it as a barrel weight tuner that isn't adjustable like a real barrel tuner. Next you don't need a flash hider unless you're in the military and in battle with an enemy. Most the whiz bang gizmo's on AR15's is because most everyone has to have everything on them including the kitchen sink. Not saying you have an AR, I understand the rifle you are talking about.

    The thing on the Brownings is called the BOSS and some Winchesters had them too. They are barrel harmonic tuners and the work VERY WELL. There are two versions of them: vented (thus a tuner and muzzle brake both) and an unvented (which is just a tuner). Like I mentioned muzzle brakes are almost unbearable to shoot and many gun ranges don't allow you to use them. I was testing a muzzle break on a 308 rifle and even with ear plugs and ear muffs it was loud.

    Just put the thread protector on it and leave it alone.

  4. #24
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    i have two or three Smith Enterprises Muzzle Brakes and I have to tell you that they work really well. One is on my Garand and it virtually eliminates the recoil on that gun. I have another on my RGS77 and it cuts the recoil on that gun down to .223 levels.

    Excellent quality products and they have been around for a long time. They have a video on their site that shows an M16 mag 50 round mag dump. The muzzle doesn't even move!!!

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  5. #25
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    i have two or three Smith Enterprises Muzzle Brakes and I have to tell you that they work really well. One is on my Garand and it virtually eliminates the recoil on that gun. I have another on my RGS77 and it cuts the recoil on that gun down to .223 levels. Most of the available Muzzle brakes out there are either .22 or 30 cal. .30 cal works just fine for a 7MM or even a .25. The hole thru the MB must be larger to make sure the bullet doesn't hit the brake on it's way thru due to minor misalignment.

    The alignment of Muzzle accessories does make a difference. The only way to insure perfect alignment is to have a non Threaded register before and after the threads themselves. The Germans figured this out 100 years ago but it appears that many others haven't.

    Very few new guns have this feature even for sound suppressors. As result the exit hole in the accessories are deliberately made larger which only results in slightly less effectiveness.

    Smith Enterprises offers high quality products and they have been around for a long time. They have a video on their site that shows an M16 mag 50 round mag dump. The muzzle doesn't even move!!!

    http://www.smithenterprise.com/

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  6. #26
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    Randy true that muzzle brakes do indeed work, but at the cost of a lot more noise. Some flash hiders also need indexed and the Colt Squirrel Cage models with the bottom vents closed is one. In a small sense since gases exit upward out of that style of flash hider, it is sort of a compensator to keep the muzzle from climbing.

  7. #27
    Boolit Bub
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    I appreciate all the help so far. I have no real use for a flash hider other than maybe it looks better than the thread protector. As for a muzzle brake, I had read that they make things guns significantly louder for the shooter and others standing around them, but I'm not too concerned with noise. I don't shoot at a range, and I always wear ear protection when shooting, especially with a 7mm mag. That's a pretty loud gun on it own. I'm still a little on the fence if I want to spend the money on a muzzle brake, they seem to be pretty expensive and I've gotten by for many years without one. But now that I've been reading on them and claims of reducing recoil by 65% or more is pretty intriguing. I've found one that seems at the lower end of the price scale, but top end of the performance scale. It's made by Precision Armament and they say it's good for anything from .243 up to .338 Lapua. https://precisionarmament.com/produc...l-compensator/
    I would be happy to hear your thoughts on that one, or if anyone has actual experience with it, . They claim 65%-75% reduction in recoil, watched a YouTube video that got results of 64.6% recoil reduction. So anyway, that's where I'm at at the moment.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by BlackIce05 View Post
    I appreciate all the help so far. I have no real use for a flash hider other than maybe it looks better than the thread protector. As for a muzzle brake, I had read that they make things guns significantly louder for the shooter and others standing around them, but I'm not too concerned with noise. I don't shoot at a range, and I always wear ear protection when shooting, especially with a 7mm mag. That's a pretty loud gun on it own. I'm still a little on the fence if I want to spend the money on a muzzle brake, they seem to be pretty expensive and I've gotten by for many years without one. But now that I've been reading on them and claims of reducing recoil by 65% or more is pretty intriguing. I've found one that seems at the lower end of the price scale, but top end of the performance scale. It's made by Precision Armament and they say it's good for anything from .243 up to .338 Lapua. https://precisionarmament.com/produc...l-compensator/
    I would be happy to hear your thoughts on that one, or if anyone has actual experience with it, . They claim 65%-75% reduction in recoil, watched a YouTube video that got results of 64.6% recoil reduction. So anyway, that's where I'm at at the moment.
    What caliber will you be shooting? You really don't need a muzzle brake for the small calibers. Believe me the noise will eventually bother you wherever you shoot. If you shoot from a confined bench you'd be nuts to use a break unless you're shooting some heavy recoiling caliber.

    One more thing, some muzzle brake affect cast bullets, ask me how I know.

  9. #29
    Boolit Bub
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    It's a 7mm Remington Magnum, and it probably won't ever see cast bullets. If it will cooperate it'll maintain a strict diet of ELD-X bullets. It's primary use will be hunting whitetails and with any luck maybe eventually an elk or two.

  10. #30
    Boolit Master wonderwolf's Avatar
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    And to throw another wrench in I always use "O" rings on my thread protectors.

    #1. The fine knurling on most is easy to mess up with any kind of tool
    #2. They always seem to shoot loose no matter how tight you get them. One "O" ring and they stay put.

    Now, Compensators and brakes work very well but think of it like a fire hose...you have to have a restriction where the gas comes out to cause the forces to work in your favor, the direction of the restrictions dictate just what direction the forces are directed...er yeah. I made my own compensator for a "race" gun awhile back and without it you can really tell the difference, the key was I had a nearly 1/2" expansion chamber and then a 1/4" muzzle that allowed the gases to dwell and "fire hose" out the top causing the muzzle to keep from rising as much and follow up shots are quicker.
    My firearms project blog

  11. #31
    Boolit Bub
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    In order to get the most beneficial recoil reduction, the hole in the brake needs to be about 0.020" larger than the bullet diameter. I doubt that a 30 cal. brake will do much, if any, good for a 7mm.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master

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    I have been making brakes for about 20 years, even built a testing device to see what works. A lot of brakes on the market look great but some do not do much to help in the reduction of recoil, I tested them. The whole idea that makes a break work it to redirect the gas pressure so it does not have the rocket effect. Large holes do not do as well as small holes at redirecting the gas flow. Holes in line with the barrel will not help. Holes slanted forward will be more quiet but have less reduction in recoil. Holes slated backwards toward the shooter will be harder on the ears but not give any more reduction in recoil. I did testing on holes from 60 degrees to 120 degrees. Best is to have the holes at 90 degrees from bore. The holes I use are 3/16" and the wall thickness should be close to the same. Some people like the brake turned down to the barrel diameter but then the brake does not work as well. Exit hole should be .020" to .040" over bullet diameter, I try for .020". All my testing was done with a 22" barrel on a 308 and I was able to get 50% reduction in recoil.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master

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    i mostly agree with the above post. most brakes do reduce recoil some, however there are ones that are signifigantly better than others. a quick search will net you a lot of you tube videos testing brakes, actually you can watch hours of them. i did lots of watching for my last one and came up with the SJC Titan, there are a few that run with it, but most others dont come close.

  14. #34
    Boolit Bub
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    I wondered about an O-ring, but wasn't sure how it would hold up to a hot barrel, or if it would work loose with changing weather conditions since it'll be primarily a hunting rifle. I'm certain there are better ones out there than the one I linked to, but for just testing the waters I wouldn't really want to spend the $250 or so that a lot are sold for, and that one did very well in every comparison video I could find that tested it. Having said that, I did manage to shoot the rifle Sunday and the recoil wasn't bad for a 7 lb 7mm mag, a little lead shot in the plastic stock helped balance and further reduce the recoil. I don't really need one, but I am curious to try one out just to see the difference in noise, recoil, etc., and to be honest, it would probably look better than the thread protector. Also for anyone that is curious, that thing loves my handloads with ELD-X bullets, took 2 shots to sight it in, next 3 were 3/4 inch group, next 3 were 1/2 inch group all at 100 yds. Ya just can't be that for that price tag.

  15. #35
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    Brakes are 100% obsolete. To get the same recoil reduction benefit AND not wreck your ears, get a suppressor.

  16. #36
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by charles1990 View Post
    Brakes are 100% obsolete. To get the same recoil reduction benefit AND not wreck your ears, get a suppressor.
    Yep, I wasn't going to post it but I will agree with this.
    Although I will say a great brake will do better than a poor suppressor in my testing.

    Last edited by Artful; 10-18-2017 at 01:44 AM.
    je suis charlie

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  17. #37
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    M-Tecs's Avatar
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    You don't have to notify anyone that you are taking a brake across state lines.

  18. #38
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by M-Tecs View Post
    You don't have to notify anyone that you are taking a brake across state lines.
    Unless your brake is on a semi-auto and you travel to NY, CA, NJ, etc
    je suis charlie

    It is better to live one day as a LION than a dozen days as a Sheep.

    Thomas Jefferson Quotations:
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

  19. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by charles1990 View Post
    Brakes are 100% obsolete. To get the same recoil reduction benefit AND not wreck your ears, get a suppressor.
    Except you can make a brake, install a brake, and not have to do squat with the feds.

  20. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by M-Tecs View Post
    You don't have to notify anyone that you are taking a brake across state lines.
    Where did you ever get that idea ?

    I don't traverse or go to slave states.

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