function of a muzzle brake?

[gslinger]

A muzzle brake reduces recoil,but what else does it do.
Clamp on muzzle brakes,do they work as well as threaded.
If you work up a load for a gun,then add a clamp on later,will it effect your POI
and will you have to change your load.
THANKS

 

[westcliffe01]

I had a brake (Mag-na-brake) on a Remington 700 chambered in 8x57. The brake was cut to a similar skinny profile as the sporter barrel (0.6" in diameter). It made the rifle louder but in my opinion did little else.

Anytime you add a mass to the end of your barrel it is going to impact the vibrational characteristics of the barrel and therefore most likely the point of impact. I believe that in order for a brake to be effective, the ports need a certain amount of surface area for the gases to act against, this suggests something along the line of the "howitzer" brakes like used on artillery or the 50 cal sniper rifles. For smaller calibers one perhaps need not be quite so extreme, but more than .75" in diameter for sure. I am looking carefully at the Holland brakes.

Whether you will need to re-tune your load, I don't know. You will have to shoot it and see. If you are going to use a brake, why would you not practice with it ? I'm considering building a few drum type silencers to use at the local range (installed ahead of the shooters bench) to provide neighboring shooters some relief from people shooting magnums fitted with brakes. This is a common sight in Europe, particularly in Switzerland where there is annual shooting practice with all those military rifles that they keep at home.

 

[J E Custom]

A muzzle brake reduces recoil,but what else does it do.
Clamp on muzzle brakes,do they work as well as threaded.
If you work up a load for a gun,then add a clamp on later,will it effect your POI
and will you have to change your load.
THANKS

It adds weight and length to the end of the barrel and may change the harmonics of the barrel.

This sometimes changes the accuracy due to the harmonics. The load is normally still good but it
just needs to be tweaked a little to get the same performance as before.

If it is installed poorly, it can destroy accuracy and be potentially dangerous.

IMO threaded brakes are the only way to go because the alignment is never as good on a clamp
on brake and the muzzle brake bore is normally slightly larger than the recommended .015 to .020
over the bullet diameter to prevent bullet strike.

When a barrel is threaded and a brake is installed, then the brake bore is cut to size everything is
perfectly aligned with the bore.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Hired Gun]

One last consideration is that in order for a clamped version to stay securely it constricts the barrel bore. That may or may not affect accuracy but it's still something to consider. This also applies to threaded braked if they are torqued up too tight.

 

[Broz]

One last consideration is that in order for a clamped version to stay securely it constricts the barrel bore. That may or may not affect accuracy but it's still something to consider. This also applies to threaded braked if they are torqued up too tight.

Right on!! Screw a thread on brake on too tight and watch the groups open up and the last inch of the barrel copper foul. I saw this on a small #4 coutour barrel when the owner put the brake on with gorilla strength.

Jeff

 

[gslinger]

GOOD ANSWERS: I'm just trying to get more performance out of a factory barrel.I was thinking about a new crown and muzzle brake.
THANKS

 

[bigngreen]

A good muzzle brake may not bring more performance to the rifle but it will bring out more performance in the shooter!!