G.Mitchell
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Grande Prairie Alberta
So today I received two brakes to try out.
I have been wanting to try the Special Forces Brake System (SFBS) ever since I first read about it. I have been watching this thread and finally ordered one. Corwin Arms was fantastic to deal with, they will get more of my business for sure, I also received a Czech Large Muzzle Brake (CLMB) the standard issue one with holes on the top and one on each side.
Here is the bag of goodies
I opened up the bag and the first thing I noticed was the finish on the two devices. The CLMB had a nice matte finish that matched the finish of my rifle nicely and the SFBS had a more blued/glossy finish. First appearances are that the CLMB is a very straight forward no BS design that simply is intended to work. The SFBS is another beast all together. The fit and finish and the machining that went into this system are extremely impressive. It isn't simply full of holes, there are straight holes ( 90 degree to the body ) and angled holes that I assume helps direct the gas more efficiently. The machining makes the perfectionist in me very happy. Nice clean work, very well executed.
The two brakes side by side comparing overall length, also shows the difference between the two finishes.
Here are the two brakes side by side with the brake system broken down to view the interior flash suppressor.
One of the things that I was hesitant about was how much the overall length would increase by adding a muzzle device.
Stock thread guard
CLMB
SFBS flash suppressor, this needs to be indexed to get best function, Corwin mentioned one click either way to best line up with rifling.
SFBS complete
Overall barrel with CLMB
Overall with SFBS
Neither brake is really tight on the rifle, they both thread on and are locked on by the front sight base. The CLMB is slightly tighter than the SFBS. Once I choose the brake that will stay on the rifle I will try to fin a shim of some kind so the fit is a little tighter.
My first impression is that the SFBS will work better, from everything I have read it is a great system. The benefits come at a cost though. Purchase price is higher. It is a two part system so cleanup is slightly more complicated ( not really but compared to a one piece brake ). Also if you don't mark the exact point on the inner brake you may reassemble to the wrong position after removing and replacing the system after cleaning. All of these are just my opinion. The cost is relative, if performance is majorly improved than the cost is irrelevant. Cleaning, well take it apart, boiling water scrub with a toothbrush and then some oil, no big deal. Reassembly is fixed by marking the correct position with a punch or other tool once I know where I need to align the brake with my rifling.
So why do I, or should you, care about adding a muzzle device to your rifle. If you are a casual shooter and never intend to shoot quickly or shoot multiple targets a brake isn't really of much use to you. If you are an avid shooter and like to shoot fast or at multiple targets a brake will reduce felt recoil and increase shooting performance. If you are like me and choose weapon systems that today can be used for fun target shooting and hunting but know that things can change and your fun gun might be pressed into service as a defensive weapon (insert catastrophic event here) then you are likely interested in muzzle devices that will increase shooting performance and also reduce muzzle signature for both the shooter and anyone looking for muzzle flash. It is for that very reason that I was so interested in the SFBS.
I intend to compare the brakes in a few ways: muzzle climb and felt recoil, dust signature, shooter perception of muzzle flash and target visibility of muzzle flash.
These are my thoughts so far. Please let me know what you guys think.
I will get a shooting video up soon and share my findings with you guys.
I have been wanting to try the Special Forces Brake System (SFBS) ever since I first read about it. I have been watching this thread and finally ordered one. Corwin Arms was fantastic to deal with, they will get more of my business for sure, I also received a Czech Large Muzzle Brake (CLMB) the standard issue one with holes on the top and one on each side.
Here is the bag of goodies
I opened up the bag and the first thing I noticed was the finish on the two devices. The CLMB had a nice matte finish that matched the finish of my rifle nicely and the SFBS had a more blued/glossy finish. First appearances are that the CLMB is a very straight forward no BS design that simply is intended to work. The SFBS is another beast all together. The fit and finish and the machining that went into this system are extremely impressive. It isn't simply full of holes, there are straight holes ( 90 degree to the body ) and angled holes that I assume helps direct the gas more efficiently. The machining makes the perfectionist in me very happy. Nice clean work, very well executed.
The two brakes side by side comparing overall length, also shows the difference between the two finishes.
Here are the two brakes side by side with the brake system broken down to view the interior flash suppressor.
One of the things that I was hesitant about was how much the overall length would increase by adding a muzzle device.
Stock thread guard
CLMB
SFBS flash suppressor, this needs to be indexed to get best function, Corwin mentioned one click either way to best line up with rifling.
SFBS complete
Overall barrel with CLMB
Overall with SFBS
Neither brake is really tight on the rifle, they both thread on and are locked on by the front sight base. The CLMB is slightly tighter than the SFBS. Once I choose the brake that will stay on the rifle I will try to fin a shim of some kind so the fit is a little tighter.
My first impression is that the SFBS will work better, from everything I have read it is a great system. The benefits come at a cost though. Purchase price is higher. It is a two part system so cleanup is slightly more complicated ( not really but compared to a one piece brake ). Also if you don't mark the exact point on the inner brake you may reassemble to the wrong position after removing and replacing the system after cleaning. All of these are just my opinion. The cost is relative, if performance is majorly improved than the cost is irrelevant. Cleaning, well take it apart, boiling water scrub with a toothbrush and then some oil, no big deal. Reassembly is fixed by marking the correct position with a punch or other tool once I know where I need to align the brake with my rifling.
So why do I, or should you, care about adding a muzzle device to your rifle. If you are a casual shooter and never intend to shoot quickly or shoot multiple targets a brake isn't really of much use to you. If you are an avid shooter and like to shoot fast or at multiple targets a brake will reduce felt recoil and increase shooting performance. If you are like me and choose weapon systems that today can be used for fun target shooting and hunting but know that things can change and your fun gun might be pressed into service as a defensive weapon (insert catastrophic event here) then you are likely interested in muzzle devices that will increase shooting performance and also reduce muzzle signature for both the shooter and anyone looking for muzzle flash. It is for that very reason that I was so interested in the SFBS.
I intend to compare the brakes in a few ways: muzzle climb and felt recoil, dust signature, shooter perception of muzzle flash and target visibility of muzzle flash.
These are my thoughts so far. Please let me know what you guys think.
I will get a shooting video up soon and share my findings with you guys.
