Muzzle Brake question!!!

[bsumoba]

If am building a 284 shehane in 28-30" barrel, but i want to have a brake on it, can it be timed (barrel will be kept in its stainless finish) and then when/if I am doing a match that does not let me use a brake, i can spin it off and use a thread protector? but...when I go to reinstall it, will the timing be an issue if it is swapped off and on a few times?

[ar15barrels]

If am building a 284 shehane in 28-30" barrel, but i want to have a brake on it, can it be timed (barrel will be kept in its stainless finish) and then when/if I am doing a match that does not let me use a brake, i can spin it off and use a thread protector? but...when I go to reinstall it, will the timing be an issue if it is swapped off and on a few times?

It depends on how well the threads are fitted.
If you lap them together, they will not change much through a few dozen install/remove cycles.
If they are loosely fitted, they will cinch up some within a few removal/installation cycles and the timing will change.
If you use a brake with ports all the way around, timing does not matter...

[LynnJr]

Radial ported brakes stir up more dirt in prone that side-only ported brakes.
Harrells gets $45 for side-ported brakes.

Yes but you can get there side ported brake without the top holes.The Schuler brakes all had the top holes and he was using them in his machining operation so you couldn't opt out on them. I tried and he said no.
The Schuler brakes are a great money saver.
The holes on the top of the brake force the muzzle down which in turn forces the stock into your face/cheek.On a radial brake they equalize each other out but not on a side ported brake.

[pklin1297]

Yes but you can get there side ported brake without the top holes.The Schuler brakes all had the top holes and he was using them in his machining operation so you couldn't opt out on them. I tried and he said no.
The Schuler brakes are a great money saver.
The holes on the top of the brake force the muzzle down which in turn forces the stock into your face/cheek.On a radial brake they equalize each other out but not on a side ported brake.

I've used both Ross/Wright brakes (with top ports) on ARs and bolt guns, and I currently use Mini FTE (with side ports only) and I'll be darned if I can feel the difference... With proper cheek weld and squared behind the rifle (prone or otherwise), recoil is straight back into my shoulder; the rear of the gun does not "jump" up to hit me in the cheek.

Where my face/cheek gets the most beating is when I shot my over/under 12 ga. trap gun before, with no ports anywhere and the muzzle *rising* after each shot...

[LynnJr]

If the brake is efficient meaning the top holes do anything at all they will always force the buttstock upward if no holes are on the bottom to counteract them.
The reason a brake works at all is do to the gases impinging upon the surface area of the ports which counteracts the rearward force or recoil..If you have 4 ports on each side of the brake with the same surface area and orientation they equalize the lateral forces and the felt recoil is reduced.
If you put 4 ports on one side only the gun would want to turn in the opposite direction of those 4 ports.
With the 4 holes on the top and none on the bottom the muzzle will be forced down.
The best brake for efficiency is a clamshell which not only has large surface areas for the combustion gases to impinge upon but they are also swept rearward.
Picture yourself sitting in a Corvette sitting at a stop sign.When the light turns green you mash the throttle and accelerate to 80 mph then stomp on the brakes.
You are still moving forward but instead of being pushed back into the seat you are now trying not to eat the dash.
When the rifle is fired and the bullet is heading for the muzzle that is the same as the corvette leaving the intersection when the light turns green.
When the combustion gases behind the bullet slam into the holes or ports of the muzzlebrake that is the same as slamming on the brakes.

[pklin1297]

My personal opinion, take it as you will (LynnJr), those little holes on the top of the Schuler brake won't do much after most of the gasses have expelled from the much larger side ports, and certainly will not produce enough force to cause much rise at the cheek rest, if any. Some have commented that it will help push the front of the rifle down and help minimize bipod hop, but after taking a class and re-learning how to shoot a rifle correctly, I learned quick how much of the aftermarket accessories is hype and decoration, and how little "help" you really need if the body position is correct...

To the OP, get a brake, any brake, most of them will work and it just depends on how much you want to spend, but as pointed out previously, if you plan on shooting prone (close to the ground), you will have to contend with flying dust and debris in you face if you get a brake with ports all around. Either way, your neighbors won't like you, or think you're shooting a much larger caliber than you really are since it'll be loud and they will feel the concussions.

[bsumoba]

why not just get a badger thruster?

[pklin1297]

why not just get a badger thruster?

$69 + shipping for Thruster versus $45 shipped for Schuler type brakes. Works equally well, or better with the 1" diameter Schuler type brakes with only the rear of the brake tapered to barrel diameter instead of turning the entire brake diameter to match barrel. The "look" will be different but different strokes for different people.

[LynnJr]

Bryan
The reason the larger diameter brake works better is the ports are now thicker do to the larger diameter and giving the gasses more surface area to impinge upon or the center is hollowed out creating a chamber.More surface area equals better recoil reduction.

Likewise if the holes on the bottom of a brake work well enough to kick up the terra firma the holes on the top do the same amount of work.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Darryl Holland makes a chambered brake but it also costs alot more than $45.

The top brake in stainless steel with a bloop tube is on a competition 22 rimfire.
The black ultra thin brake is on my 338 Norma Ackley Imperoved.
The skinny stainless steel brake with the holes all the way around it are on one of my 6mm-06 deer rifles.
The large black brake on the second row is on my 50 bmg heavygun.
The brake next to it is made out of titanium and is on my 50 bmg lightgun which barely makes weight.The piece of titanium stock cost $350 before any machining takes place and machining on titanium isn't cheap.
The black clamshell is made by K-P Barrels and is probably the best muzzlebrake money can buy.
The bead blasted brake next to the clamshell is Darryl Hollands chambered brake which is very efficient as well.Notice there are no holes on the top or bottom of the Holland chambered brake are any of the 50 bmg brakes nor on the 338 brake.

[webcruzzer]

Make it sexy. PWS PRC