Had a chance to use one of these compensators and thought I'd share. The application for which me and some of my friends have been evaluating compensators, is CQB and IPSC competition. While 5.56 and 223 have almost no recoil, in speed-oriented action-shooting, it is very helpful to have the minimum of recoil so that you can get back on target quicker than other competitors.
After some research we found an excellent review of many different muzzle devices at "The Truth About Guns" (http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/11/jeremy-s/556-muzzle-device-shootout/). In this article and in other reviews, the Precision Armament M4-72 Compensator was hailed as one of the most effective recoil reduction devices available, beating such long-time favourites as the JP Recoil Eliminator and the Miculek...and to our surprise it was available in Canada from a CGN site sponsor.
Precision Armament M4-72
After a few months of anxious waiting for it to be restocked and shipped it arrived. Machining and finish were good with a nice a matte, dark grey colour that matched the barrel of the AR very well. The only downside is that neither a crush washer nor any other sort of washer/shim was supplied with the compensator, so a small parts-hunt was required before the compensator could be installed. Once attached it looked great on the end of the barrel. The gills on the side of the compensator add a certain something compared to an A2 birdcage. Looks aside, how does it shoot?
Here is where the the story gets interesting. Shooting from both standing and at the bench, the reduction in recoil was very apparent. There is no doubt that this is a very effective muzzle device showing little recoil or muzzle climb when shooting off-hand - even the concussion was not much more than other muzzle devices that we've tried. To say it is like shooting a .22 is not an exaggeration however, one factor makes this otherwise excellent device a disappointment. The brake's gills throw copious amounts of smoke and un-burnt powder back at both the shooter and everyone around and behind them...and I mean a lot. After a fast string, so much smoke built up under the roof of the covered benches that folks were coughing and looking for fresh air. Even as the shooter, the blow-back causes some flinch and after a string my eyes were starting to water.
To round things up, a great compensator except for the gas blow-back. Could this work for outdoor shooting? Probably for short bursts when doing a stage and moving from position-to-position. More use might allow us to ignore the gas issue when making follow-up shots. Indoors the gas blow-back poses a problem, especially for those of us who are trying to be careful about our lead exposure. Maybe different ammo might lessen the amount of smoke and eye-irritation but I doubt it. Quite torn about the performance but I think I'd be willing to give up recoil reduction to reduce the amount of blow-back. What do you folks think?
After some research we found an excellent review of many different muzzle devices at "The Truth About Guns" (http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/11/jeremy-s/556-muzzle-device-shootout/). In this article and in other reviews, the Precision Armament M4-72 Compensator was hailed as one of the most effective recoil reduction devices available, beating such long-time favourites as the JP Recoil Eliminator and the Miculek...and to our surprise it was available in Canada from a CGN site sponsor.
Precision Armament M4-72
After a few months of anxious waiting for it to be restocked and shipped it arrived. Machining and finish were good with a nice a matte, dark grey colour that matched the barrel of the AR very well. The only downside is that neither a crush washer nor any other sort of washer/shim was supplied with the compensator, so a small parts-hunt was required before the compensator could be installed. Once attached it looked great on the end of the barrel. The gills on the side of the compensator add a certain something compared to an A2 birdcage. Looks aside, how does it shoot?
Here is where the the story gets interesting. Shooting from both standing and at the bench, the reduction in recoil was very apparent. There is no doubt that this is a very effective muzzle device showing little recoil or muzzle climb when shooting off-hand - even the concussion was not much more than other muzzle devices that we've tried. To say it is like shooting a .22 is not an exaggeration however, one factor makes this otherwise excellent device a disappointment. The brake's gills throw copious amounts of smoke and un-burnt powder back at both the shooter and everyone around and behind them...and I mean a lot. After a fast string, so much smoke built up under the roof of the covered benches that folks were coughing and looking for fresh air. Even as the shooter, the blow-back causes some flinch and after a string my eyes were starting to water.
To round things up, a great compensator except for the gas blow-back. Could this work for outdoor shooting? Probably for short bursts when doing a stage and moving from position-to-position. More use might allow us to ignore the gas issue when making follow-up shots. Indoors the gas blow-back poses a problem, especially for those of us who are trying to be careful about our lead exposure. Maybe different ammo might lessen the amount of smoke and eye-irritation but I doubt it. Quite torn about the performance but I think I'd be willing to give up recoil reduction to reduce the amount of blow-back. What do you folks think?
