Google Image Search; "Muzzle Brake"
Google Image Search; "Muzzle Break"
MSN Encarta Dictionary, definition of "brake"
MSN Encarta Dictonary, definition of "break"
Both seem to be a widely accepted/interchangeable spelling, at least in reference to firearms, even though they mean completely different things. I think "brake" describes the device better, since a brake is defined as "a mechanism that diminishes or prevents the motion of another device" according to my dictionary

The word "break" seems, to me, too loose a definition and has too many synonyms that have nothing to do with reducing or lessening of anything (
synonyms for "break" vs.
synonyms for "brake").
Personally, in order to avoid confusion (and ridicule, heh heh

), I'm going to call it something completely different every time

It could be described any number of ways, I mean it could be a recoil reducer, a recoil
retarder, a muzzle blast deflector, a muzzle blast
distributor, a recoil eliminator (JP Precision calls their ultimate muzzle brake a recoil eliminator), a propulsion gas deflection port, etc. etc. I recommend everyone do the same thing, just so that we all know what each other is talking about, since there's
WAY too much confusion over which word is correct
