Muzzle Brake Question...........

ultramagmed

ultramagmed

JKM
I've been reading about muzzle brake design, and saw that brakes with an "expansion chamber" (chamber drilled the same dia. as the threads out to all but the last +/- .250") with an exit hole .020 over bullet dia. supposedly reduce more recoil, and are supposed to be more accurate.

Soooooooooo....my question is.... has any one tried the Harrell's Precision muzzle brakes without boring an expansion chamber since they have just an exit hole all the way through that is to be opened up .020 over bullet dia.? If so, was there any loss in accuracy over boring an expansion chamber? Did it reduce recoil as much as a brake with an expansion chamber? I bought 3 of them and was just wondering if I should use them as is (except for opening up the exit hole of course), or bore an expansion chamber in them.

Any experiences and/or information are appreciated.

Thanks In Advance,
JKM
 
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IMO, and I have built many styles including those styles you mention, there is little difference in the effectiveness and no difference in accuracy potential. I have no way to measure effectiveness other than perceived recoil. I think maybe the non expansion chamber are a little more effective, and maybe because they have many little baffles for the gas jet to crash against. Clamshell type brakes are the most effective for sure but these are not allowed in certain competitions and IMO don't look as nice as some others.
 
I don't think in the end it makes any difference which style you choose. One thing I did learn is to keep the length of the interior of the brake as short as possible. The reason is there is still gas pressure on the rear of the bullet. The longer the two occupy the same space the higher the risk of a loss in accuracy. Brakes with expansion chambers can be very short. The first two rows of holes do 85% of the work. Adding a third is probably all anyone needs but I put four rows in mine. When using brakes with a small diameter hole I have seen velocity increase when the brake was screwed on and a decrease in velocity when the brake was removed. Pretty much like adding/removing an inch of barrel.

Dave
 
I've thought one way to make a fairly effective and easily machined break is to make the body of the break 0.010" over bore dia, then bore two or three perpendicular 1/2" holes from the side of the body. Pretty much a clam shell design, and my understanding is the larger dia vents make for a break that doesn't have such a harsh muzzle blast as the multiple smaller holes.
 
Maybe.....

I'll do a little experiment, I think I'll drill it .020 over bullet dia. and put the brake on the way I got it from Harrell's, and if I like it I'll leave it alone but, if I don't like the results I'll bore an expansion chamber in it and see if there really is any difference.(only be out $30) I'm more worried about accuracy than recoil reduction but, the best of both worlds would be nice. Thanks for all the replies I knew I could count on y'all. If anyone else has anything to add I'd love to hear it.

Thanks again,
JKM
 
Before Shrewd came out with this brake I was making almost an identical one. I kind of copied a popular brake only angled the holes slightly forward... then Shrewd came out with it...

It has 20 thou bullet clearance and works very well. Not as loud as some and reduces recoil very effectively. I think it looks as good as any. This is on a very skinny barreled very light 300 Short Mag.
thin%20barrel%20brake%201.jpg
 
got several different types of brakes on different rifles, all seen to work and all seem to be loud,,,,,,,,,, the last 6-7 that I installed have been from Harrell's, neat, clean, easy to fit and priced right with great service from Lynwood,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, so I stick with his, because it works!!!

the wind is my friend,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

DD
 
Dennis.......

Dennis Sorensen said:
Before Shrewd came out with this brake I was making almost an identical one. I kind of copied a popular brake only angled the holes slightly forward... then Shrewd came out with it...

It has 20 thou bullet clearance and works very well. Not as loud as some and reduces recoil very effectively. I think it looks as good as any. This is on a very skinny barreled very light 300 Short Mag.
thin%20barrel%20brake%201.jpg
Click to expand...


Is that brake the same diameter clear through, or does it have an expansion chamber with a smaller exit hole?
 
ultramagmed said:
Is that brake the same diameter clear through, or does it have an expansion chamber with a smaller exit hole?
Click to expand...

They come with a small pilot hole so you can do what you want... I just go with 20 thou clearance straight through.

I have not found any benefit to the expansion chamber. I used to do them...

I like larger diameter brakes so the ports have some depth to them... I think [no proof or tests] they are more effective than thinner brakes... just a theory/feel thing...
 
Careful with the expansion chamber brakes, I shy away from them after this little experience;

Customer wants a brake on his 22-250 PD gun, also getting a new barrel. He picks a Shrewd Varmit brake, single expansion chamber and all the vent holes come off the top 180 degrees.

So I fit and chamber the cut rifled barrel to the customers action, instal the brake, and send him on his way. A week later he stops in with 10 targets with 5 shot groups running around one inch to one and a half.

I take the gun and give him a free bedding job, that he didn't ask for. Load up some of my quality 22-250 loads and comence to shoot 3 groups that measure a little over 1".

After days of fiddling I call the barrel maker, I told him I was ready to screw off the brake and try it again. He suggest a bad barrel may have slipped out and I should return it. So A week later I am fitting a replacement barrel and the same brake. Customer returns a week later with groups identical to the first barrels.

Now it hits me I told the customer to screw off the brake and try it again.

Just like that a 1/4" gun, I then installed a Shrewd angle ported radial style brake, and the thing remained a 1/4" gun.

Lesson learned, make damb sure your confident with the product you screw on the end of a barrel or it may cost you a free barrel fitting, and your barrel maker a barrel. You can't put a price on a good education!!

Ironically I fitted the first barrel to a sav action and chambered in .223. That happens to be the most accurate .223 varmit gun I have ever had the pleasure to shoot. I called the barrel maker and related the whole story, we both learned somthing.

No more expansion chambered brakes for me, I'm sure the holes on just the top of the brake were the contributing factor.
 
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Paul H said:
I've thought one way to make a fairly effective and easily machined break is to make the body of the break 0.010" over bore dia, then bore two or three perpendicular 1/2" holes from the side of the body. Pretty much a clam shell design, and my understanding is the larger dia vents make for a break that doesn't have such a harsh muzzle blast as the multiple smaller holes.
Click to expand...


Paul, I have done this exact thing. I copied the muzzle brake on the Apache helicopter and also the brakes that Dana Campbell put on his rifles before he was killed in a car wreck (Mountain Rifles inc.) I settled on about a .625 diameter for a .550 muzzle and bored three 1/2" holes through it- I don't remember the spacing. The muzzle hole was .012 over bore diameter. The brake was threaded 1/2" 28 tpi. We left the inside the same diameter as the drill used to set up the threads- whatever that size is- don't have a chart in front of me.

They were very effective brakes and because the holes vented laterally, they didn't kick up dust when shooting prone like a lot of other ones do. The rifles shot as good with as without. There was no effort made to blend the brake and muzzle together. A rounded abrupt shoulder was left on the brake to keep the diameter bigger.

The only down side to this is they have to be timed. The typical brakes don't.

All this said, I decided that the brakes were too loud to hunt with so don't use them anymore- I just bought scopes with more eye relief and better recoil pads!
 
slugger said:
Paul, I have done this exact thing. I copied the muzzle brake on the Apache helicopter and also the brakes that Dana Campbell put on his rifles before he was killed in a car wreck (Mountain Rifles inc.) I settled on about a .625 diameter for a .550 muzzle and bored three 1/2" holes through it- I don't remember the spacing. The muzzle hole was .012 over bore diameter. The brake was threaded 1/2" 28 tpi. We left the inside the same diameter as the drill used to set up the threads- whatever that size is- don't have a chart in front of me.
Click to expand...

Do you have a picture of that brake? That sounds pretty cool. I'm thinking of building a .300 Savage barrel to put on my LRPV for long range GH hunting but I don't really want a lot of recoil - this brake sounds very usable for me - I already have tinnitus so I always wear ear plugs when hunting.

Thanks
Fitch
 
Fitch, my buddy has the last rifle that we did with such a brake. I will see if he can take a picture of it for me.
 
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