To muzzle brake or to not muzzle brake???

[Grendel-Gene]

Just finished building my first Grendel. I always loved the AR-15 but hated the 223. I even own two 308 SR-25s, but they are just too heavy and beefy to lug around and enjoy... Thats why i was so excited about the Grendel concept when i heard about it: it really seems like the ideal "all around round" for the AR.

But now i am thinking about muzzle brakes and i have read good things about the WCI... but its loud, long and heavy.

So my question is: Aren't rifles with a clean muzzles inherently more accurate than those with muzzle devices of any kind anyway?

In other words, if recoil is not really an issue, wouldn't my rifle actually be more accurate with a cleanly crowned barrel???

Thanks

Gene

[bwaites]

Every muzzle device affects accuracy to some extent. The WCI brakes really have a well constructed crown, though, and I did not see any detriment to accuracy. WCI makes a Titanium brake, so if weight is an issue, that would be the solution.

Muzzle brakes are loud to those not directly behind the brake, but the WCI tends to be less offensive than the typical brakes used in AR's. I'm not sure Grendels really need a brake, although using mine I can generally watch the bullet all the way to the target, without having to reaquire.

Not much help, I know!

BTW, Welcome to the boards!!!

[Drifter]

If you ever intend to fire it without hearing protection, such as for hunting, then either go with a plain muzzle, a thread protector, or flash hider. Most brakes / comps are simply too loud without something to protect hearing.

[Whelenon]

My question, just how effective is a brake? I had one put on my shotgun for slugs and it felt like a waste of money. I know I'm comparing grapefruit to peanuts but that my extent of experience with brakes. The AR Grendel has very low recoil to begin with so is it really worth the it?

[Grendel-Gene]

Let me ask my original question in another way: lets say i have two identical rifles, one with a WCI brake, the other with just a clean crowned muzzle; which one will punch the tighter groups? I am assuming that the WCI would be the most accurate version of a rifle with ANY kind of brake.... But what i am tryng to establish is if a WCI braked gun is in fact more accurate than a gun with no brake at all...

Make sense?

Thanks

[RangerRick]

Let me ask my original question in another way: lets say i have two identical rifles, one with a WCI brake, the other with just a clean crowned muzzle; which one will punch the tighter groups? I am assuming that the WCI would be the most accurate version of a rifle with ANY kind of brake.... But what i am tryng to establish is if a WCI braked gun is in fact more accurate than a gun with no brake at all...

Make sense?

Thanks

No difference in mine. I suppose if you had a crappy crown on the barrel to begin with it could improve it.

RR

[Hoot]

No difference in mine...snip

RR

Ditto

Hoot

[LRRPF52]

Adding a balanced weight to the end of the barrel can actually help with accuracy, as it does with high-quality suppressors, as long as everything is concentric and trued.

[bwaites]

No difference in mine, either. I shot .25 MOA groups with/without a brake. With the WCI I used, I even had minimal shift in point of impact. Certainly less than 1 MOA at 100 yards.

[Texas Sheepdawg]

I don't have experience with the Grendel but I have another AR 15 that I put a brake on and it works great in recoil reduction allowing faster followup shots. The brake is crowned and the barrel was not crowned. Also the flash hider/compensator, while it did not provide recoil reduction, it did help reduce muzzle rise. Both the comp and the brake are pretty loud, but I don't want to shoot my big bore AR without a recoil device. When the guy who makes my brakes gets back on his feet again, I will be getting a brake for my Grendel. And like Hoot and the others, I have not noticed any degraded performance with my brake. Just more control.

[Grendel-Gene]

Thanks to all for the feedback.