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Old May 28, 2017, 10:24 PM   #1
rep1954
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22LR/223 Flash Hider

Does a .223 flash hider work well with a 22LR or are there certain flash hiders that work best for the little Rimfire? I'm asking this for more of a SBR barrel.
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Old May 29, 2017, 06:27 AM   #2
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I have a standard A2 flash hider on my 22LR AR upper. Mostly it's on there due to the barrel being threaded and something needs to occupy that space (mostly a thread protector). I'm sure it would function as well at is does for a 223 but I'd be surprised if a 22 had any 'flash' to hide out of a rifle barrel.
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Old May 29, 2017, 06:28 AM   #3
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My 10" SBR .22 doesn't have much muzzle flash, so pretty much any .223 FH will work fine.
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Old May 29, 2017, 09:20 AM   #4
rep1954
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I'm going to be using a 5 1/2" barrel and will be using hyper and high velocity ammo. Actually I am going to SBR a handgun. I'm more interested in the hiding the flash from being seen from the muzzle end rather than the shooters view.
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Old May 29, 2017, 09:38 AM   #5
Art Eatman
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rep, you're wanting a physical impossibility. Any flash, no matter how small, will always be visible to anybody in front of the muzzle.
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Old May 29, 2017, 09:43 AM   #6
rep1954
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True but a pen light isn't as noticeable as a search light. In my quest I have come across this.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/201...ider-shootout/
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Old May 29, 2017, 04:44 PM   #7
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Why would you need one? Honest question.
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Old May 29, 2017, 06:08 PM   #8
James K
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In spite of all the hype, romance, and BS, the main reason for a flash hider is to keep the shooter from being blinded by his own rifle, not to conceal the firer's position.

Jim
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Old May 29, 2017, 07:30 PM   #9
rep1954
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Quote:
In spite of all the hype, romance, and BS, the main reason for a flash hider is to keep the shooter from being blinded by his own rifle, not to conceal the firer's position.
Well I guess if that's what you've decided to settle for then good for you but I believe that someday steam that thing people heat and cook with will be harnessed to power boats and run things called generators that make electricity to power big bright search lights. If you have watched the video to the link that was posted then you should know people are working to defiantly trying to eliminate the flash from both sides of a gun. But I suppose that even though if someone has one they would just turn on their rail mounted flash light any way.
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Old May 31, 2017, 07:29 AM   #10
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Well ya lost me with that one!
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Old May 31, 2017, 11:27 AM   #11
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Quote:
In spite of all the hype, romance, and BS, the main reason for a flash hider is to keep the shooter from being blinded by his own rifle, not to conceal the firer's position.


Well I guess if that's what you've decided to settle for then good for you
Huh?

James K is 100% correct on this topic.

The main purpose of a flash hider to reduce muzzle flash from a shooter's perspective to help preserve one's night vision. The A2 flash hider also has a secondary purpose of reducing the amount of dust being kicked up when shooting prone (hence the solid bottom of the flash hider).
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Old May 31, 2017, 12:13 PM   #12
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What you're looking for is silencer/suppressor level muzzle flash elimination from a flash hider, which by definition is what James described. With the crazy muzzle flash .22LR ammo gives, I doubt the type or style of flash hider you use will have much effect. I could of course be wrong, and would be interested in hearing about your experiences whatever route you go.
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Old May 31, 2017, 01:19 PM   #13
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+ttarp

With .22 LR, in my experience you will still end up with a basketball sized white hot muzzle blast no matter which flash hider you plan to use. The only other gun I own that beats my .22s in muzzle flash is my M44 Mosin Nagant, but not by much.

I think you are better off getting a muzzle brake due to the horrendous recoil of the deceptively small cartridge.
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Old June 1, 2017, 12:17 PM   #14
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Quote:
The A2 flash hider also has a secondary purpose of reducing the amount of dust being kicked up when shooting prone (hence the solid bottom of the flash hider).
This statement shows we have entered the confusion zone, due to incorrect usage of terms.

A flash HIDER does not just have a solid bottom, it has a solid everything, except for the hole the bullet passes through.

Flash hiders are solid cone shaped devices attached at the muzzle. They do NOT have holes of slots in the sides.

Flash Suppressors have holes or slots in the sides.

The terms are very similar, both devices do the same job (reduce the visual impact of the flash to the shooter's eyes), but they do it different ways and are different devices.

Since they do the same job, most of the comments apply to both types. But, they are NOT the same thing, and some comments only apply to one type OR the other, not both.

Flash Hiders were used on a number of WWII weapons. The use of flash suppressors has generally replaced the use of flash hiders on post WWII designs, because in practical terms flash suppressors work just as well, or better, and they offer advantages that flash hiders do not.

If you are talking about one thing, but calling it the name of something else, people who know the difference will get confused.
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Old June 1, 2017, 01:16 PM   #15
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I can attest to the use of a flash hider for the SHOOTER. When hunting coyotes at night without a muzzle device, the fireball and dust kicked up was quite problematic. The addition of a compensator help a lot with the above problems.

As far as observers from afar, you can still see it. Longer barrel is the best treatment.
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Old June 1, 2017, 04:54 PM   #16
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Quote:
This statement shows we have entered the confusion zone, due to incorrect usage of terms.

A flash HIDER does not just have a solid bottom, it has a solid everything, except for the hole the bullet passes through.
Getting into semantics here, but it is obvious I am referring to the lack of openings on the bottom of (a properly timed) A2 muzzle device.
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Old June 2, 2017, 01:16 AM   #17
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Quote:
Getting into semantics here, but it is obvious I am referring to the lack of openings on the bottom of (a properly timed) A2 muzzle device.
Yes, we are getting into semantics, because semantics is the study of what words mean.

There are a lot of things in our lives that have names that are used interchangeably, and incorrectly in casual conversation. Generally we understand the intended meaning from context.

However, when discussing technical matters, particularly specific machinery parts, using the wrong term can easily result in confusion, and even getting the wrong part.

Every post before this one,

Quote:
The A2 flash hider also has a secondary purpose of reducing the amount of dust being kicked up when shooting prone (hence the solid bottom of the flash hider).
using the term flash hider, was general enough that it would apply to flash hiders, even though context gave me the impression they should have been saying flash suppressor.

The statement about the A2 muzzle device, is true, and was specific enough that it was clear it was not a flash hider being referred to. The solid bottom of the A2 flash suppressor also performs another function, it acts as a compensator to reduce muzzle rise. The amount of the effect is arguably something the shooter might not notice, given the overall straight line design of the rifle and the small caliber, but depending on who you talk to, the intent of the solid bottom, and its advantage over the older "birdcage" design was that it reduced muzzle climb, and kicking up less dust from the prone position was simply an added bonus.
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Old June 2, 2017, 04:15 AM   #18
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The m16 had a "birdcage" flash suppressor, it had slots all the way around. The three-pronged flash suppressor was gone sometime long before I went into the Army.
Then came the compensator, it had a solid bottom.
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Old June 2, 2017, 06:03 AM   #19
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"With .22 LR, in my experience you will still end up with a basketball sized white hot muzzle blast no matter which flash hider you plan to use."

Man, I've got to get hold of some of THAT 22lr. I was standing beside the bench a couple of days back while Grandson was popping off the 10-22 and all I noticed was a little white puff at the muzzle.
The ONLY firearms I have that make "a basketball sized white hot muzzle blast" are the 4 5/8" 44 mag and 11.5" .223
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Old June 2, 2017, 11:15 PM   #20
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A .22LR burns all its powder pretty quick, in about 16", I think. AND, its only 3-4gr of powder?? Small flash from a rifle, a little bit more from a pistol.

Burn 15, 20+gr of powder and in a short barrel where you get a good amount of powder still burning as it leaves the muzzle and you get a large flash

Burn 45-50gr in 18" or less and you get a nice impressive fireball.
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Old June 3, 2017, 06:52 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rep
Does a .223 flash hider work well with a 22LR or are there certain flash hiders that work best for the little Rimfire? I'm asking this for more of a SBR barrel.
I wonder whether any device with the characteristics of a brake would redirect enough noise to the shooter to be a bother.

EDIT - I recall having used a Volquartsen comp on a pistol a couple of decades ago. I found that the accumulation of interior crud was considerable and was difficult to remove.

Last edited by zukiphile; June 3, 2017 at 09:43 AM.
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