5.56 MUZZLE BRAKE PLUS
5.56 MUZZLE BRAKE FREE

30 caliber devices means the baffles will allow more gas through. This discrepancy is not unexpected, as the larger bore diameter on these. In 5.56, that figure was 73.84% in test one and 73.5% in test two. 308, the M4-72 reduced recoil by 64.43% from a bare muzzle. In a design that’s shorter, narrower, lighter, and less expensive than a lot of its competitors. I’ve now thrown 95 different muzzle devices at it, and it’s still reigning supreme. Precision Armament’s M4-72 Severe-Duty Compensator! So, who won? Well… .308 may not be 5.56, but a good design is a good design…

5.56 MUZZLE BRAKE PLUS

All of the data here has been converted from that to decimals.Īs simple and as “redneck” as this test looks - and is, sure - the average difference between the shortest slide and the farthest slide for all 25 tests (24 muzzle devices plus bare muzzle) was 0.1425″. Recoil distance was measured in 1/16″ increments.Each muzzle device was timed properly, and tested twice.This means the action did not cycle - the bolt remained locked in battery - and each round was manually ejected before loading the next. The rifle’s Syrac Ordnance gas block was turned off.308 was loaded for each shot (one in the chamber, zero in the mag). This is one method of quantifying rearwards recoil energy. Bare muzzle is the basis for comparison against which all of the muzzle devices are measured. I measured how far the rig slid back for each shot.

5.56 MUZZLE BRAKE FREE

The 元0 Heavy Metal was strapped to the test rig, which was free to slide on a plastic table.

For more info, refer to the video above and/or the 5.56 muzzle brake tests. We’ll keep the test procedure description quick. They’re one of the country’s largest stocking dealers for Primary Weapons Systems - anything PWS ships free - but they carry just about everything you can think of (including Lancer Systems and Gorilla Ammo, actually). Next time you’re in the market for firearms, NFA goods, optics, gun-related gear, etc, give Jeremy Ball or Nick Brown there a call (509.535.4444) and tell ’em I sent you. Frankly, I’d like to do the next 5.56 test and other stuff there, too, but it’s a big ask since they have to shut down half their range for a couple hours. Doing it indoors also helps with consistency thanks to a constant temperature, humidity, flat ground, etc. With no end to that in sight, Sharp Shooting saved my hide and put a roof over my head. Originally the test was going to happen in early November, but has been weather-delayed since then.

My local indoor range and one of my go-to FFLs, Sharp Shooting Indoor Range & Gun Shop, was kind enough to shut down their South bay for me so I could perform the test there.

It’s among the most consistent ammo on the market. 308 loads to perform this test with some to spare. Knowing that precisely-loaded, consistent, repeatable ammunition was critical, I reached out to Gorilla and was thrilled when they agreed to send me enough of their 175 grain Sierra MatchKing. The way the test works, loading inconsistency in ammo will directly skew the results.

Gorilla Ammunition provided the ammo for this test.

308s out to 1,000 yards before and have had this carbon fiber beast out to the woods with me a few times since December, and it’s going great. I’m hanging onto it for a while longer, and after some accuracy testing and a few hundred more rounds I’ll follow up with a review on it. It’s an AR-10/SR-25 pattern gun, and it’s dang nice.

Lancer Systems loaned me an 元0 Heavy Metal rifle to use as the test bed.

This test was made possible with the assistance of a few sponsors: As a Patron you can also get free stuff, join live streams, gain early access, and more. Please consider supporting this sort of testing via my Patreon page. I also want to do another AR-15 trigger roundup (component triggers this time) and a couple of flashlight roundups (tactical and gun-mounted). But I have a lot of brakes to round up for that and the funding is low. I’ve purchased air pressure sensors designed to log blast waves so we can compare the amount of concussion each muzzle device generates, and these will be used in test four. These tests are expensive, but I’d love to do more. Flash hiding test #1 is here, and #2 here. You may also be interested in the AR-15 Drop-In Trigger Roundup here. For the Operators out there, we got a sweet Lux meter and tested the muzzle signature reduction effectiveness of flash hiders and other muzzle devices as well. You can find the first one here, the second one there, and the third one over here. 308 test was basically identical to the 5.56 muzzle brake tests.