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benenglish · August 12, 2012, 07:50 PM

Which is the best way to reduce pistol muzzle rise - downloaded ammo or a compensator?

Assuming I want a range toy that needs no more power than necessary to cut through a paper target, I see two ways to minimize muzzle bounce. The first is to select the smallest cartridge for the desired bore size (in this case, 9MM) and load it with as light a bullet and powder charge as will reliably cycle the pistol. Less-powerful recoil springs and even machine work to lighten the slide may be required.

The other method is to continue to use a light bullet but put a bunch of powder behind it (say, using a .357 SIG if I'm keeping the bore size the same), add a compensator to the pistol, and let the extra gas work through the compensator to hold down the muzzle.

(Two notes - I want to reduce muzzle rise; increased blast and flash are of NO importance. Also, I've never worked with compensated pistols so I don't know how effective they are.)

Which of these two approaches would be more effective?

August 12, 2012, 07:50 PM	#1
benenglish Junior Member Join Date: August 12, 2012 Posts: 10	Best approach to reducing muzzle rise? Which is the best way to reduce pistol muzzle rise - downloaded ammo or a compensator? Assuming I want a range toy that needs no more power than necessary to cut through a paper target, I see two ways to minimize muzzle bounce. The first is to select the smallest cartridge for the desired bore size (in this case, 9MM) and load it with as light a bullet and powder charge as will reliably cycle the pistol. Less-powerful recoil springs and even machine work to lighten the slide may be required. The other method is to continue to use a light bullet but put a bunch of powder behind it (say, using a .357 SIG if I'm keeping the bore size the same), add a compensator to the pistol, and let the extra gas work through the compensator to hold down the muzzle. (Two notes - I want to reduce muzzle rise; increased blast and flash are of NO importance. Also, I've never worked with compensated pistols so I don't know how effective they are.) Which of these two approaches would be more effective?