The Curse of the Muzzle Brake

[Red Leg]

I continue trying to tell these guys that muzzle brakes are the spawn of Satan - particularly on heavier than .375 calibers.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/w9e1u1

Russian journalist discovering the abrupt joy of overpressure.

 

[BeeMaa]

Must have been doing range work. No one would leave it on for actual hunting.

 

[BourbonTrail]

So you would agree (by this logic) that:

Mk45 Mod 4 >> M109A6.

Asking for a friend

 

[AZDAVE]

I will give you a big AMEN from the choir. I hate muzzle brakes!!!!!!!!!!

 

[fourfive8]

I Love {{{{ KARMA }}}}

 

[crs]

Quick example:
My daughter forgot to remove the muzzle brake from her Weatherby when hunting from a blind in a large cedar tree. She shot a deer and the muzzle blast deafened her for two hours and blew tens of thousands of needles off the tree.
I had told her to use the brake ONLY when shooting targets at the rifle range, but to remove it when hunting.

I never had to remind her again.

 

[USMA84DAB]

THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!

 

[Newboomer]

THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!

Damndest thing ever brainfarted. If you can't handle the recoil get a different caliber or grow a set so you can. I have rifles with threaded muzzles but would never dream of polluting a good gun by even getting a brake or suppressor close to it.

 

[1dirthawker]

@Red Leg,

first, wow, that had to hurt!!

second, a short story re: muzzle brakes. this spring i had the worst experience ever with a muzzle brake. my hunter shot his brown bear at close range with a 338 ultra mag with a brake. i have never personally experienced a flash bang going off, but i suspect my experience was similar. the hunter shot, i was to his left and slightly behind him. i was VERY disoriented, and after the bear had run off and i had time to think about it a while, i could see it being life threatening for every one on DG if the beasties decide to charge.

 

[VertigoBE]

@Red Leg , in your experience, would there be lasting effects for that journalist, blown ear drums, concussion, etc, or would it mostly be limited to a big shove to the ground?

 

[Vintageguy]

I’d like to be able to snap my fingers and have one just like that the next time somebody plops down on the next bench over from me when there are others open and starts up with one like the enemy is almost in the trench with them. Last time at the public range I had a guy with one who also decided he needed to spray my shoot-n-see target with his AR while I was 3 shots into a great one hole group. Dickhead.

 

[Inline6]

Damndest thing ever brainfarted. If you can't handle the recoil get a different caliber or grow a set so you can. I have rifles with threaded muzzles but would never dream of polluting a good gun by even getting a brake or suppressor close to it.

It's not all about being able to handle recoil. Some that shoot competition need it for fast followup shots. Being able to spot impacts to make corrections on the fly. Do they belong on a big game rifle? That depends, if a person has a physical limitation say bad neck or shoulder it may be their only option.

As far as a suppressor goes, why would you not use one if you can? You will still need hearing protection unless you are shooting subs. You are saving your hearing and the people around you. In other countries it encouraged, cuts down on noise pollution. Also for younger/new shooters they walk away with a better experience, they don't get affected by the big booms.

Just .02

 

[Red Leg]

@Red Leg , in your experience, would there be lasting effects for that journalist, blown ear drums, concussion, etc, or would it mostly be limited to a big shove to the ground?

I suspect he was injured. The Soviet era 122 already generates overpressure 2X what the US allows in howitzer design. He was right in the middle of the blast (note his cameraman a few inches away caught only the edge. You can see in the slo-mo that the journalist was actually lifted off his feet. I would bet even money on a burst eardrum and/or concussion. If nothing else, he should fully understand tinnitus for some little while.

 

[Red Leg]

It's not all about being able to handle recoil. Some that shoot competition need it for fast followup shots. Being able to spot impacts to make corrections on the fly. Do they belong on a big game rifle? That depends, if a person has a physical limitation say bad neck or shoulder it may be their only option.

As far as a suppressor goes, why would you not use one if you can? You will still need hearing protection unless you are shooting subs. You are saving your hearing and the people around you. In other countries it encouraged, cuts down on noise pollution. Also for younger/new shooters they walk away with a better experience, they don't get affected by the big booms.

Just .02

My only issue with the use of suppressors is that they can turn a finally balanced and maneuverable rifle into something more akin to a surf rod.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

During my life’s first African safari (Kenya, 1974), Mr. Cheffings (my white hunter) was using a BSA Majestic in .458 Winchester Magnum as his backup rifle. The damn thing had an integral muzzle brake. He had occasion to fire it, while I was next to him.

Yeah, I’ve hated muzzle brakes ever since.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Late to the party, someone else can get the beer.

 

[C.W. Richter]

I continue trying to tell these guys that muzzle brakes are the spawn of Satan - particularly on heavier than .375 calibers.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/w9e1u1

Russian journalist discovering the abrupt joy of overpressure.

And then a sudden uptick in the use of the word "kakie ?" for the rest of his life!!!

 

[Inline6]

My only issue with the use of suppressors is that it turns a finally balanced and maneuverable rifle into something more akin to a surf rod.

Can't argue that point. Personally would not run one on a comp rifle for a long time due to that very reason.

What I can offer is, with today's powder and bullet choices running a 20"-22" barrel and a kcan will get you close to a 26" traditional barrel length, you may loose some fps, that said your ears will thank you.

Now, I'm not under any illusion that someone is going to take a fine hunting rifle of yesteryear and cut it down to run a suppressor. I'm more of expressing that options are a good thing and people may not see the potential.

Tinnitus...given your background I'm sure you have a degree of if. I don't have that type of background. I have shot 10s of thousands of rounds in my life. 99.99% with ear pro. I do wish I had started on suppressors much earlier in life if for nothing else my ears.

 

[grand veneur]

It's not all about being able to handle recoil. Some that shoot competition need it for fast followup shots. Being able to spot impacts to make corrections on the fly. Do they belong on a big game rifle? That depends, if a person has a physical limitation say bad neck or shoulder it may be their only option.

As far as a suppressor goes, why would you not use one if you can? You will still need hearing protection unless you are shooting subs. You are saving your hearing and the people around you. In other countries it encouraged, cuts down on noise pollution. Also for younger/new shooters they walk away with a better experience, they don't get affected by the big booms.

Just .02

@Newboomer has already formulated it correctly. If one cannot, then one leave it.

That a muzzle break can be an advantage in precision shooting is well known, but here is about hunting and especially DG hunting. The game being hunted determine the choice of the caliber and the cartridge, not the shooter's ability to withstand recoil.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Use of a brake on long-range med bore rifles can increase accuracy. Those are the only ones i'll tolerate a "shorty" 1" brake on, contoured to the bbl. Some guns are cut to 23" to keep it to 24" even w/ the brake. And, hunters, unlike journalists, know when to get out of the way! Muffler cans or those M60-style brakes are incredibly ugly and high profile, although you could use as camp shelving in a pinch. Stand back, use fingers and you'll be fine. Shooter should wear ear protection, but it's not always possible on the fly. So, could that video depict a unique style of Defection??