flash hider Archives - The Truth About Guns

Do You Know the Difference Between a Flash Hider, a Compensator and a Muzzle Brake?

March 5, 2025October 1, 2023 by Foghorn

I hear the terminology for different muzzle devices misused and mangled frequently. As in…a lot. And it’s not just newbies who are guilty of mis-identifying these things. Plenty of “gun guys” don’t really know the difference. So to help alleviate the problem and clear up some confusion, here’s the difference between the most commonly used … Read more

A Beginner’s Guide to Muzzle Brakes

March 5, 2025May 5, 2022 by Josh Wayner

A question I am often asked is if a person should get a muzzle brake for their rifle. There is some ground to cover in answering that question, so let’s start with some definitions. The Different Muzzle Devices In today’s shooting world there are many guns that come with threaded muzzles that can accept a … Read more

The 6 Best AR-15 Muzzle Devices

December 28, 2018 by Jeremy S.

Whether a muzzle brake, compensator, flash hider, suppressor, or something else entirely, the world of AR-15 muzzle devices is vast and deep. The best one for you may not be the best one for me, so try not to freak out when you see my list of the six best muzzle devices for the modern … Read more

AR-15 Muzzle Brake Shootout #3

October 25, 2016 by Jeremy S.

Welcome to the third installment of our 5.56 muzzle brake testing series. This time around we’ve put 42 new muzzle devices to the test, measuring the recoil reduction performance of each. Recoil Testing The procedure for this test was the same as the previous brake tests. You can find the first one here, the second one there, … Read more

AR-15 Flash Hiding Test #2

December 14, 2015 by Jeremy S.

As a follow-up to the AR-15 Flash Hider Shootout, test #2 here adds a variety of new flash hiders to the mix and also includes a lot of combination devices and even some straight-up brakes and comps. So, yes, for the pedants out there this is a “flash hiding” test, not a “flash hider” test. We received a lot of comments from people more curious about how the all-around muzzle devices and brakes fare than how the dedicated FHs do, so there’s a good mix of contenders here. Once again, not only did we capture photographs of each device in action, but with the use of a trick light meter we were able to record actual brightness measurements and scored some real, objective data . . .

AR-15 Flash Hider Shootout

June 16, 2015 by Jeremy S.

In Muzzle Brake Shootouts Part 1 and Part 2, we were primarily testing recoil reduction performance. With something like 64 brakes and comps recoil tested, it was time to move onto muzzle flash. For this shootout we were able to gather 33 different muzzle devices — mostly dedicated flash hiders but also some hybrid units — and pit them against each other for flash suppression prowess. Not only did we capture photographs of each FH in action, but with the use of a trick light meter we were able to record actual brightness measurements and scored some real, objective data. . .

AR-15 Muzzle Brake Shootout #2

April 24, 2015 by Jeremy S.

In the past, we compared 35 different AR-15 muzzle devices. That shootout, like this one, pitted them against each other in a sled test to see which reduced rearwards recoil energy the most. However, this time around there are [almost] no flash hiders, linear compensators, or other devices not actually designed to reduce recoil. A total of 37 brakes and compensators joined in the fun for roundup part deux, although 8 of them are carry-overs from the first test, including the previous recoil eliminating winner. . .

Gear Review: 5.56 Muzzle Device Shootout

November 24, 2014 by Jeremy S.

King Armory contacted TTAG and asked if we’d like to review their KA-1222A muzzle brake/flash hider. As there are just way too many options from way too many manufacturers to review them individually, the project quickly escalated into doing a bit of a “shootout” with muzzle devices from multiple companies. Hopefully we’ve achieved a decent mix of well-known units from well-known manufacturers as well as some from smaller shops that many folks may not be familiar with. Basically, the intention here is to highlight a variety of muzzle device options — we gathered 35! — state my blunt opinion on machining, fit/finish, and utility plus any items of note, along with relevant stats. Since many of these devices specifically claim to reduce recoil I created a test rig to measure just that, and a winner has been declared . . .

AK Muzzle Device Test Part 1: Recoil Reduction

December 12, 2012 by ttag

The 7.62×39 cartridge is a fairly heavy hitter in the world of intermediate-caliber military rifles. Its .312 caliber slugs don’t shoot as fast or as flat as zippier 5.45 or 5.56mm rounds, but they’re almost 50% wider and almost twice as heavy. They hit hard and chew through barriers that their lesser brethren simply can’t. Drawbacks to all this punch include increased recoil and muzzle jump, but most AKs have 14×1 left-hand threads on their muzzles and spring-loaded retaining plungers. These make it a snap to mount whatever kink of muzzle brake or flash hider you want, with no need for wrenches, crush washers, or Loctite. So . . .

© COPYRIGHT 2025, THETRUTHABOUTGUNS.COM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.