What Are Muzzle Brakes and What Do They Do?
Muzzle brakes are fairly common, appearing in competitions and action movies. Whether it’s at the end of a Barrett 50 cal or 9mm handguns , they serve a specific function, often appealing to competition shooters and hunters. What does a muzzle brake do, what are the pros and cons, and do you need one? Here’s a closer look. Muzzle Brakes Work to Redirect Gas The first question you probably have is, what does a muzzle brake actually do? Muzzle brakes have angled ports that help redirect the muzzle blast or gases that would normally come out of the barrel. This helps to reduce recoil, which can give competition shooters, even those shooting lower caliber 9mm ammo from a rifle, an edge. The typical muzzle blast contributes a large part of what makes recoil. The recoil impulse is negated thanks to the angle of the ports in a muzzle brake, allowing the gun to naturally pull forward instead of kicking back as hard. Types of Muzzle Brakes There are two common types of muzzle b...