Hi all, it's been a long long time since I've been here between moving and health problems but I'm getting back into things.

If anyone can explain to me the true difference between a muzzle brake & a compensator I would appreciate it. I'm doing a little shopping, since I'm back in this God forsaken state of N.J.and want to be sure that I'm really looking for what I'm really looking for. Thanks. Bob.  

There isn't much of a difference between a muzzle break, compensator, or recoil check. In terms of the designs of actual devices, you will see some that reduce muzzle rise, some that reduce recoil, and some designed to manage both. However, I haven't seen much agreement on any of those attributes or combinations thereon beiung attributed specifically to any of those names.  There's also barrel porting and popple holes that may figure into various designs, those imply more specific things.. usually. 

 

 

For NJ, you are mostly interested in "not a flash suppressor", and the rest doesn't matter. 

AFAIK, a brake and a comp are essentially the same thing. They are a device which redirects the gases of a fired round. An argument could be made that a brake directs the gases rearward, thus braking the recoil impulse, while a compensator directs the gases upward helping to mitigate muzzle rise.

 

What you don't want is a flash hider. Brakes/comps are differentiated from hiders by virtue of the fact that the exit hole is very close to projectile diameter, while a hider has an open end.

 

HTH. Welcome back.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

Thanks Raz0 & Pizza Bob. Raz you hit it on the head with "what I don't want" It's great to be back here, the forum, not N.J. I had to leave a few things with a friend in PA. & I really want them back in N.J.

So Pizza Bob, what your saying is it all amounts to the size of the "exit hole"

So Pizza Bob, what your saying is it all amounts to the size of the "exit hole"

That's about the size of it. LOL

Thanks Raz0 & Pizza Bob. Raz you hit it on the head with "what I don't want" It's great to be back here, the forum, not N.J. I had to leave a few things with a friend in PA. & I really want them back in N.J.

So Pizza Bob, what your saying is it all amounts to the size of the "exit hole"

 

 

No, that just happens to be a convenient characteristic to check. An example that fails that is the noveske fire pig. While the bullet passes through a hole just a bit larger than caliber size on the forward baffle, it is a flash suppressor. What you want is for it to not substantially reduce flash, at least to defend your choice in court. If you want to play it safer than that, you want it to NOT be advertised to reduce flash in addition to that. 

 

For most everything out there, there are night shoot videos on youtube comparing it to an A2 flash suppressor, which is a known bad feature, and to a PWS FSC556, which is a known 94 AWB acceptable muzzle brake/comp. 

 

This is a guide for California compliance, it is generally pretty conservative, especially when examined form the perspective of NJ compliance as CA DOJ can and has issued rulings on devices. In NJ it is more like NJSP maybe or maybe not make a deal of it by some random process if someone asks. 

 

https://sites.google.com/site/featurelessrifleguide/muzzle-devices

I like the PWS simply because they provide documentation of their website from the ATF stating it is not a flash suppressor.

Just recently picked up my first AR.  Ended up getting the S&W M&P15 Sport.  It came with the 16" barrel and was looking to see if its possible to install a muzzle brake on it?  Sorry might be a stupid question for some, but was just wondering if there is something that just wraps around the barrel vs the threaded way.  Any info would be much appreciated.  Thanks.

That's about the size of it. LOL

This is exactly it lol