Brake vs No Brake

I shot a ruger American gen 2 in a 204 with the factory brake
Holy crap that thing was loud, I didn’t use muffs and my ears were ringing after the first shot
I used muffs after that lol
 
I've threaded a few rifles and built radial brakes for them as well as building a few brakes for other buddies rifles that were already threaded.

I have done a 243 Savage Axis compact that is 'owned' by a youth and the brake is a bit louder but makes that rifle really mild to shoot.

308 Enfield with a little brake on it, and another Enfield in 44Rem Mag with a brake

the one I built for the 8x63 is a beast, radial brake, OD 1.2" with 54 individual holes, it definitely tames the recoil and has a bit of a slap to is but its nothing compared to the 6.5 300 Weatherby, tiny pencil barrel .680" muzzle and the brake is as small as I dared .710" with 36 holes .020" and you want to be on the trigger, if your standing beside the shooter you are going to feal that muzzle blast.

done them now in 1/2 28TPI, 9/16 24TPI, 5/8 24TPI, M15x1, M18x1 for various individuals.

I keep building them and installing them.

I don't have brakes on my main hunting rifles but may slap one on the 300WM sometime down the road.
 
Deathrawt said:
I shot a ruger American gen 2 in a 204 with the factory brake
Holy crap that thing was loud, I didn’t use muffs and my ears were ringing after the first shot
I used muffs after that lol
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Man those things or a 223 in a short barrel without a break are freaking vicious already lol

The short barreled ARs give you TBI if you shoot em enough unsuppressed
 
If the propelling gasses are being vented off to the side before the bullet exits the barrel i'd think it makes sense this will change things somewhat. In fact, i've always wondered about this. I also wonder why one would feel they needed a muzzle brake for a 6.5. My main shooters (and i shoot them with regularity) are .375 H&H's - as much as you'll ever need for anything on this continent - and they have no brake, nor i would argue need one in a rifle of correct weight-for-calibre.
 
thewoodsrunner said:
If the propelling gasses are being vented off to the side before the bullet exits the barrel i'd think it makes sense this will change things somewhat. In fact, i've always wondered about this. I also wonder why one would feel they needed a muzzle brake for a 6.5. My main shooters (and i shoot them with regularity) are .375 H&H's - as much as you'll ever need for anything on this continent - and they have no brake, nor i would argue need one in a rifle of correct weight-for-calibre.
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Because people might like staying in the scope, seeing where shots hit, etc.

Because people might be doing more demanding shooting than you do with your 375s.

People tend to boil this down to simply "you can take the recoil or you can't take the recoil", and its reductio ad absurdum. Someone could have a brake on a relatively lower powered rifle and still use/shoot bigger guns too.
 
thewoodsrunner said:
:unsure: I had a .204 Ruger. A calibre with literally zero felt recoil nor muzzle jump. Muzzle brake?
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It definitely does not need it
I don’t know why Ruger puts them on from factory they should just have the cap on the end to cover the threads
Be a heck of a lot quieter if they did that plus I’m sure a cap is cheaper then the brake
 
I shoot a few rifles with brakes I use Plugs and Muffs I find mostly
Radial brakes are less NASTY then big ported brakes
They definitely tame a monster down but I quit shooting the big Boys mosty now so it’s not a big problem for me .

Rifle barrel BRAKES are not allowed in F class competition any where so that’s Nice
Silencers would be “ GOLDEN “ and advantageous to saving people’s hearing but thev government is to Fuking stupid to understand that 🤬
 
Deathrawt said:
It definitely does not need it
I don’t know why Ruger puts them on from factory they should just have the cap on the end to cover the threads
Be a heck of a lot quieter if they did that plus I’m sure a cap is cheaper then the brake
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At least include one, its like 50 cents

Was gonna throw one of S&J's linear comps on my 223 but sold the rifle first
 
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thewoodsrunner said:
If the propelling gasses are being vented off to the side before the bullet exits the barrel i'd think it makes sense this will change things somewhat. In fact, i've always wondered about this. I also wonder why one would feel they needed a muzzle brake for a 6.5. My main shooters (and i shoot them with regularity) are .375 H&H's - as much as you'll ever need for anything on this continent - and they have no brake, nor i would argue need one in a rifle of correct weight-for-calibre.
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Propelling gasses cannot vent off to the side before the leaves the barrel… in order to propel, they need to be behind the bullet. There is a small amount of gas, then the bullet, then the rest of the gas.

R.
 
thewoodsrunner said:
If nothing is vented off to the side (except of course for the noise, which we know gets worse) then how does the brake function?
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That isn't what was said? The gasses are vented. They are vented after the bullet leaves, not before.
There are also two sources of the noise. The bullet breaking the sound barrier, which is the "crack", and the gasses breaking the sound barrier, which is the "boom"

R.
 
AI Overview


A muzzle brake functions by redirecting high-pressure propellant gases as they exit the barrel, using physics to push the firearm forward and counter rearward recoil. [1]

How It Works
    • Newton's Third Law: When a firearm discharges, expanding gas pushes the bullet forward, creating an equal and opposite rearward force (recoil) on the gun. A muzzle brake catches a portion of those fast-moving gases before they dissipate into the open air. [1]
    • Internal Baffles: As gases rush out behind the bullet, they slam into flat internal walls called bafflesinside the brake. This impact transfers a forward momentum to the muzzle brake—and consequently the barrel—pulling the gun slightly forward to offset the kick. [1]
    • Ventilation Ports: After hitting the baffles, the gas is forced out through side or top vents.
      • Side ports vent gas laterally to reduce felt rearward recoil (often by 40% to 50%).
      • Top ports (or compensator sections) push gas upward, creating a downward force that counters muzzle rise (flip) during rapid or heavy firing. [1, 2]
 
A well designed brake will reduce recoil, even on a .22LR.
Less recoil allows for more accurate shooting, even on light rifles.
“Need” is subjective.
I dont think anyone would argue that a brake on a 204 or 223 is “needed”.
But if the gun can be shot more accurately then it might be a worthwhile addition.

Radial brakes suck tho, even if they do work.

And of course I agree they should be optional. I appreciate Ruger adding them at the factory but a thread cap should be included. Preferably a matching one.

Curiously, i recently purchased a “prairie” which I think is intended for longer range applications and it comes sans brake.

I wud happily have a ranch with no brake in exchange.

But again, radial brakes are not my jam so are replaced immediately
 
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