Originally Posted by
Ridge Runner
SC, since the AR 15 is a gas gun and chambered 223 (if that's what your getting) recoil is minimal, so you don't really need a brake for recoil, just a compensator to keep the crosshairs on target, mike milli of dedicated technologies offers some that are quiet but tame the muzzle jump quite well.
RR
So what's the difference between a brake and a compensator?
They are both an extension with openings on their sides that is attached to the muzzle of a gun. These openings allow some of the expanding gasses to exit out the side of the barrel which reduces recoil.
Muzzle jump is caused by recoil, so when you reduce recoil, you reduce muzzle jump. I don't see how you can reduce muzzle jump without reducing recoil.
By locating the openings on the top half of the barrel, the escaping gasses will "push" the barrel downward which will counter muzzle jump, but recoil will also be reduced and the noise of the report to the shooter will also be increased.
When you redirect the expanding gasses out the sides of the barrel, you also change origin of the sound waves of the report of the gun from the end of the barrel to the sides of the barrel, which makes the report louder to the shooter. This happens with the sound waves coming from any openings regardless if the openings are on a muzzle brake, a compensator, or a flash suppressor.