There's a gazillion of them on the market, in all shapes and sizes. How do you decide which muzzle device is the best one to put on your rifle? Brownells Gun Techs™ Caleb and Steve are here to tell us what we need to know to choose the right muzzle device. The guys are using AR-15 type rifles as examples, but almost any rifle can be fitted with a muzzle device, even your bolt action hunting rifle.
FLASH HIDER: A flash hider reduces the size of the fireball coming from the muzzle, which is why it's also often called a "flash suppressor." In low-light conditions, the reduced flash will preserve your night vision. Think of what a camera flash does to your vision for a few seconds. You don't want that happening when you're varmint hunting at dusk or in a home-defense emergency at night. Some flash hiders are also quick-attach suppressor mounts. When you're shooting unsuppressed you get the flash reduction benefit, and it's easy to snap on the suppressor to quell both the flash and the "boom."
COMPENSATOR: A compensator usually has a solid bottom and ports on top. It directs the combustion gasses coming out of the muzzle upwards to counteract muzzle rise. This helps you keep the muzzle level and the sights on the target, so you can take multiple shots without having to realign the sights each time. Compensators all work pretty much the same, so if you choose one because it looks cool, we won't judge!
MUZZLE BRAKE: "Gimme a brake," is what you'll say if you want to reduce felt recoil because that's a muzzle brake's job. If your rifle kicks too hard for comfort, a brake may be what you need. It has ports that redirect the gases exiting the muzzle so all the force of the blast is not pushing straight back against your shoulder. The higher the velocity of the bullet, the more recoil reduction you get from a muzzle brake. You get more benefit from putting one on your .300 Win Mag or 7mm Rem Ultra Magnum rifle than you do on a gun shooting a low-velocity round. The drawback of muzzle brakes is they are a lot louder, for you the shooter and the folks on either side of you on the firing line. Everybody needs to wear good hearing protection.
BLAST DEFLECTOR: Also called a "blast can," this device have ports only out the front. All the gas is directed away from the shooter, which means all the concussion and noise are also sent forward. This makes life a lot more pleasant for the shooter AND the folks on either side of him/her on the firing line. A blast deflector doesn't actually reduce the noise. It just directs it away from the folks who will be bothered by it.
SOUND SUPPRESSOR: Also called a "silencer," this device's primary job is reducing the noise of the gunshot. It also reduces felt recoil and muzzle flash. "Once you try one," says Uncle Steve, "You won't want to go back." You must get an ATF tax stamp to own a suppressor, and they are not legal in all states and municipalities. Check your local laws and ordinances carefully before purchasing one. You can get a "direct thread" suppressor that screws right onto the muzzle threads. Or you can put compatible flash hider/suppressor mounts on multiple rifles and swap one suppressor between them. One suppressor = cost of only one tax stamp.
A suppressor adds some length and weight to your rifle, but the benefits usually outweigh that. As a bonus, it will do the job of a flash hider, muzzle brake, and blast deflector, along with its primary function of reducing the noise.
