Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Linear compensators, quieter??

Hunting in Calif so no suppressors.
Question #1, I know LCs push noise forward supposedly making it quieter for the shooter. Do they work? All comparisons I see are against muzzle brakes, well no schit it's quieter, but how about a LC vs flash hider, any quieter? Worth it?
#2, any change in POI?
#3, brand recommendations?

I have a linear compensator on my AR and am working with one on my 300WM bolt gun. My perception is that the report is directed forward making it seem quieter for the shooter. At the range, the effect is very noticeable if you're at the next bench, compared to using a brake that directs sound sideways.

I haven't noticed a significant change in POI. My thought is that the pressure change within the compensator isn't going to effect the bullet much - it's accelerating so quickly in the barrel and the drop in pressure is still behind the bullet, just as it would be without a brake or compensator. Others may have more objective views.

I've also gone to using electronic ear protection no matter if I'm hunting or at the range, and regardless of whether I'm shooting with a compensator or not. The existing damage to my ears is testimony that I should have been doing that long ago.

Don,
There's a company that make what's effectively a suppressor with the tube open at the end. It's just as loud down range, but advertised as ear safe to the shooter. The name escapes me at the moment, but if legal in CA might be something worth looking at.

Good question. I think the first poster answered your questions well. I'll agree. The linear comp is quieter than a flash hider or brake, for sure. I have not noticed a change in POI, or precision. I use cheap ones though, and they work well. In another thread, someone mentioned a better Linear comp that drastically reduces noise. Maybe revisit that thread, and see which brand that was. In my experience, though, a linear comp is much better than some factory and aftermarket brakes. Some like the Ruger cheese graters are way too fu cking loud and obnoxious. This isn't a "YMMV" type of thing.

Calif laws are screwed up beyond belief. Flash hiders are illegal unless you have a fixed magazine but compensators and brakes are legal in any configuration AR. I'm hunting with mine and worried I might have to take a shot before I can get ear protection on. Probably just buy a cheap one and try it out with a db meter.

FYI from what I have found, just a bullet breaking the sound barrier is @ 135db

https://hearing.health.mil/Prevention/Causes-of-Injury/High-Decibel-Levels#:~:text=With%20extended%20or%20up%2Dclose,can%20cause%20instantaneous%20hearing%20loss.

On a 9mm carbine, the difference between a bare muzzle and a blast forwarding device (a far better name than "linear compensator"!) is remarkable. Huge difference in sound. Makes it sound like you're not shooting the gun, but like you're standing 15 feet behind someone else shooting the gun. Unfortunately, on a 223 rifle, the difference is not nearly so dramatic. Still, it is noticeable and every little bit helps. I put them on everything now. The 9mm has the Kaw valley precision, most of my ARs have the KAK Industry slim "flash can". I find it produces a lower tone, which i like.

I use them on everything I have. I believe the perceived reduction in muzzle blast is worth it.

I figure if I NEED to grab a rifle, I'm not gonna have time to put ear plugs in. The "flash can" tones it down just enough to make shooting without ear plugs more bearable, at least for a little bit.



I do not have any of the really short barreled guns, and I expect that the devices are rather less effective with those.

Stophel, hard to tell from your pic, you using extended or standard length?

I have the slimline standard length. It's like 3 1/4" long. The extended one is much longer and more resembles a small silencer. The inside of it is a large cone shape, and while it is NOT a flash suppressor for the purposes of sale to California, it's basically a cone type flash suppressor, and does a fairly good job of that for me, so it pulls double duty.

I have one of the Kaw Valley Precision ones on another rifle. To my ears, the volume is the same as with the KAK, but the KAK produces a lower-pitched tone, which I prefer. But practically speaking, I don't think it matters much. I don't think I've shot this in low light yet, so I don't know what it does for flash.



It's rather more compact, and is little larger than the standard flash hider. Too big to put my bayonet on though, dangit!

It's not really a "perceived" reduction in muzzle blast. With some schidty brakes, like what Ruger puts on their AR's, it is quite substantial, because those ones direct the muzzle blast back to the shooter. That is a concussion that can be quite obnoxious. Get one of those, and report back on what you perceive. The linear comp directs the muzzle blast forward by design. As a direct result, the sound is also directed forward, away from the shooter. The plus is, it is also not directed to the side, like a common brake. So innocent bystanders will thank you as well.

BSA, you are correct in what you are saying and I have found the same. But, I was meaning that the noise decibles might be the same depending on the location of the meter, but your perception as the shooter is that it is much quieter as the sound is moved more forward rather than the sound being directed sideways like the regular muzzle break.

I'm interested in one of those KAK flash cans for my 450 bushmaster. I use hearing protection but shooting out of an elevated blind, still loud as hell.

Would this muzzle brake help if I can get the muzzle atleast close to or out of the blind?

It's not a muzzle brake at all. It will help with sound, though probably only a little bit. I personally think every little bit helps, and it's worth a try for somewhere around 40 bucks.

I would actually really like to try one on a pistol.

Just ordered a slim flash can from KAK. Figure what the hell, spent $50 (with shipping) on worse things.

I have 2 different ones. One is aluminum and the other is steel. I got them both from Midway. One is called a blast can and it's aluminum and the other is called a linear muzzle brake and it's made from steel. They work best with simple ear plugs but they don't do much if you are wearing no hearing protection at all.
kwg

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022194949?pid=417920

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021158557?pid=908642

If you could post results on these it would be great. I just purchased the Midwest "flash can" also. I downloaded a decibel meter to my phone and I want to compare (no muzzle device) against (flash hider) against (blast can)

Short of a suppressor, I've yet to see anything make a 16 or 18" AR quiet enough to shoot w/o ear pro.

Or even with a longer barrel.

Even one time.

YMMV

MM