I don't think a 223 "needs" a brake, recoil is easily controlled if you have good form but if you're competing then a good brake will help make you a little bit faster.
I've used a few of them and have found that I can't handle a brake on an AR ten inches or shorter, the concussion blast is too much for me to be comfortable shooting more than a few mags. I tried a Rainier Arms single chamber mini comp on a ten inch AR to figure that one out but it was fine on my 14.5. On a 14.5 inch or longer I'm fine with a brake so my 16 inch AR has a JP 2 chamber that works very well and keeps the reticle on target for fast second shots (it's quite loud though). My NR ACR has a Griffin flash comp which works well for slight recoil control without being too loud and since the rifle is heavier than an AR the recoil is less to begin with. My shorter rifles get a linear comp to keep the concussion away from me, no noticeable recoil reduction but pushing the sound downrange is nice.
PWS FSC556 is a very effecient one. No muzzle rise, no recoil for quick follow up shots on an AR15
I tried the FSC556 on a 10inch once before.
Felt like someone was hitting me in the face every time I shot
Its a great brake. But like cr5 said, they can be brutal on short barrels.



















































