AK Noise level comparison slant-style versus full-muzzle brake

[doofus47]

Yes, I wear ear-protection, but...
I was curious if the AK slant-style was louder than a full, bulbous, muzzle brake on an AK. Obviously, they are both "loud as a rifle shot," but I mean loud relative to the shooter.

I've only had one muzzle brake in my life and it was on an 8mm Hakim. It was the loudest thing I've ever shot. Nice rifle, just loud. My 98Ks were whispering in comparison. I am not looking forward to repeating the experience.

I have been looking at several varieties of AKs and some have the open/slant muzzle brake (I don't see how it could suppress muzzle-flash) and other AKs with much more bulky, muzzle brake/flash suppressors. I would suppose that there are more than one type of full-brake and maybe the experience just varies from type to type. If you have personal experience, I'd be glad to hear it.

My guess is that the slant style would direct sound/gas forward only and would be relatively less noisy for the shooter. I have an SKS w/out a muzzle brake and it's a joy to shoot.

I'll say it first, so no one else needs to: "Yes, I'm a wussy."

I may be using some incorrect terminology here, so if there's something missing in my descriptions, please let me know.

Thanks

[FoxtrotRomeo]

That's not exactly what the standard brakes are designed for.

The brakes use expanding gas at the muzzle to push the rifle muzzle down in the right direction to minimize muzzle rise and increase your ability to re-aim faster (I call it "Time on target".)

It's pretty good for double tap and helps when dealing with a legal "fun-mode/fun-switch" like on Class IIIs but not so good at concealing your muzzle flash or to redirect sound.

Which works the best at their intended task? My opinion is that they both work about the same. Some say one over the other but I say about the same.

When they get louder is when you have hearing protection and you're right beside them. When you're the operator, you're behind the path of the sound projection and don't hear as much.

[Jo6pak]

When they get louder is when you have hearing protection and you're right beside them. When you're the operator, you're behind the path of the sound projection and don't hear as much

Ditto.

[Dfariswheel]

The AK slant "brake" is isn't a flash hider or really even a muzzle brake, it's a diverter.
The idea is, under full-auto fire the muzzle blast is deflected upward, pushing the muzzle down and limiting muzzle rise.
It does nothing at all for the muzzle flash, and since it diverts the blast upward, it tends to sound louder to the shooter.

The AK-74 type brake is a real muzzle break that not only limits muzzle rise, it also reduces felt recoil.
However, it also isn't a flash hider, although it does help.
The AK-74 is notorious for increasing the noise heard by the shooter and any bystanders unlucky enough to be standing to the sides of the muzzle.

Since most actual flash hiders and muzzle breaks do divert the blast, at least some increase in shooter-heard noise is inevitable.

[Beentown71]

The BOSS system on my Browning are enough to make people jump at the range.

Beentown

[doofus47]

Thanks, guys

[LaserSpot]

Is it possible to put a Noveske fire-breathing pig on an AK? These are supposed to focus the blast downrange, away from the shooter.
http://noveskerifleworks.com


http://store.a51tactical.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1777
http://store.a51tactical.com/images/kx3556p_3d.jpg
http://store.a51tactical.com/images/kx3556p_2d.jpg

[Dfariswheel]

Depends on the rifle.
The standard AK usually has a 14.1mm left-hand threaded muzzle, and the AK-74 has a larger 24x1.5mm right-hand thread.

If the "Pig" is not threaded for either of those, you may be able to use a thread adapter to convert to the new brake.

[hank327]

I have AKs in 7.62x39mm which have both the slant break and the AK-74 brake. My SGL21 has the larger threaded muzzle previously mentioned and a true AK-74 brake. I honestly can't tell any difference in the loudness of the report between either of them while shooting the rifles. Having said that, I have not been standing to the side of the rifles as they are fired. So there maybe a difference in loudness to an onlooker.

[doofus47]

Thanks for the suggestion, LaserSpot.
I may not be able to use it, but I LOVE examples of American ingenuity.

[Scorch]

I was curious if the AK slant-style was louder than a full, bulbous, muzzle brake on an AK.
Well, the slanted ones go BANG!! when you shoot, the "bulbous" ones go BANG!! instead.
some have the open/slant muzzle brake (I don't see how it could suppress muzzle-flash) and other AKs with much more bulky, muzzle brake/flash suppressors
Typical misconception about flash suppressors. A flash suppressor does not eliminate muzzle flash, it simply makes it so that the flash does not blind the shooter in low-light firing. Which has nothing to do with muzzle brakes, which is what you have on your rifle. As others have pointed out, the muzzle brake eliminates muzzle rise when firing.

[Bart Noir]

Scorch, I have to respectfully disagree.

Not long ago there was a nice test in one of my magazines about flash hiders and how much some did and did not hide flash. Some really do hide flash, and the photos were taken from the side, not from the shooter's location.

And to add something about the slanted muzzle-brake thingy, I removed them from my AKs. A test of muzzle brakes (by maybe Pat Sweeney, but I am not sure) showed that those slanted ones reduced the accuracy.

Which makes sense, if you look at how only one side of the bullet, just after it leaves the barrel, will be buffeted by gas because the slant-cut part is on only one side. And that gas will not be exactly the same from shot to shot.

So my AKs wear only the thread protector. I don't need to worry about full-auto or semi-auto at an amazing rate-of-fire. I take time to aim, and these guns don't kick all that hard. So no muzzle-brake needed.

Bart Noir
Who know people laugh at the idea of aiming the AK. But it has sights....

[essohbe]

I had a slant-cut brake and removed it to add a cage-style flash hider.
I want to say that even though I don't notice any difference in the flash, the cage brake seems to keep the gas "open" and in front, if that makes sense, so the barrel stays kinda centered while the slant one simply pushed "down" on the muzzle using the gas coming out of the end, eliminating climb.

When I bump fired with either of them, the rounds go just everywhere anyway and the brakes don't seem to make any difference. So under auto-fire, I would pressume they would act almost the same since I don't notice any comparison. But actually being able to aim on full-auto and bump-firing are two very different circumstances.

:)

[jman841]

does the AR-15 break (or whatever it is considered) reduce accuracy as well? the bird cage where only the top half is bird cage and the bottom is not?

[essohbe]

"...does the AR-15 break reduce accuracy as well? the bird cage where only the top half is bird cage and the bottom is not?..."

I couldn't tell you, my AK brake has the slots all the way around. If it's only on the top half I would surmise that it would function like the slant brake, to reduce climb while at the same time attempting to address the muzzle falsh issue.

It'd probably be better that the one I got, come to think of it...
But the typical AR round is not going to be the same situation as with a 7.62.

[stubbicatt]

I've shot the AK74 in both semi and automatic configurations, and the brake does nothing that I can discern with recoil, but in automatic it does keep the muzzle closer to the point of aim. Recoil on this rifle is very mild.

Only think I hate about it is that it is so darned difficult to clean that brake and the muzzle face of that crusty carbon laced with corrosive salts. The inside chamber of the brake is chrome lined, and that is a good thing.

[essohbe]

Where'd you get your brake at stubbicatt?