However, it doesn't provide stellar results which is to be expected from the government's 'limited' budget. The bottom is solid to prevent you from creating a dust signature when firing from the prone position, and it is an overall acceptable flash hider. This flash hider is the most common design you’ll see and is the standard for rifles used by out military. If you have an ‘off the shelf AR15’ you more than likely have an A2 flash hider, commonly referred to as a ‘birdcage’ design. By blending the hot gasses with cooler ambient air in a disruptive pattern, there can no longer be a large bubble to glow and the gas is dissipated in smaller sections.

In order to negate this burst of visible light, flash hiders create turbulence. In simpler terms hot gasses make bright lights. So the ‘flash’ that we see is actually this gas bubble becoming incandescent and briefly crossing the visible spectrum. These hot gasses leave the end of the barrel and create a sort of bubble effect. What that flash actually represents, is extremely hot gasses (usually around 3,600 degrees) expanding rapidly when meeting cooler, ambient air. There is this misconception that muzzle flash is the result of unburned powder. Almost guaranteed to give off flash signature from every shotĪn example of how widely Flash Hiders can vary in design styles.Creates a concussive effect for fellow shooters that are nearby.If you prefer something you don’t have to work on while on the range, we really like Aero Precision’s Gamma 556 Muzzle Brake that takes the guesswork out of tuning. M-15™ TUNABLE COMPETITION MUZZLE BRAKE and with pricing at $139.00, it’s pretty on par with most adjustable devices. One product example comes from the Godfather of the AR world - Armalite came out with their There are even adjustable muzzle brakes on the market that allow you to finely tune your device to your preference. Muzzle Brakes come in many shapes and sizes, with vary degrees of effectiveness and price.Īlso incorrectly referred to as a compensator, a muzzle brake is a device connected to the end of a barrel that redirects a portion of the propelled gasses to combat muzzle rise, linear movement and some perceived felt recoil. A good way to understand muzzle brakes is to look at Newton’s third law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Muzzle brakes direct gasses up, to the sides, or backwards in order to achieve the prior goals, typically making the brake extremely loud so be sure to wear ear protection. Among the wide variety of muzzle devices there are muzzle brakes, compensators, flash hiders, blast forwarding devices, suppressors and even suppressors training devices. So what's the difference? Do I need a muzzle brake? Despite looking similar, they serve very different purposes and can range in price anywhere from $20 to $150 or even more. Some may not know the difference between these muzzle devices, have incorrect information or just may not see why it matters. There are several different AR 15 muzzle device types that help you achieve a desired effect in making each shot as efficient as possible for your AR build.

Let's discuss what exists in the world of AR15 muzzle devices.

One of the most common mistakes made in the gun community is referring to a magazine as a ‘clip’, but a very close second is confusing a muzzle brake, flash hider, and compensator. *Update: This blog has been updated to reflect more accurate information in 2022.

Ar muzzle brake vs flash hider