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define muzzle brake vs flash hider

GreenLanternGreenLantern Member Posts: 1,647 ✭✭✭
edited November 2001 in Ask the Experts
I'll start out by saying I know what the difference between what a brake does and what a flash hider does! BUT, how do you legally define what is a brake as opposed a flash hider?I've been to some sites lately, Wilson Combat being one of them, that are selling muzzle brake that look suspiciously close to flash hiders. Where do they draw the line?L8R
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Comments

  • cwcw Member Posts: 5 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    (Tongue in cheek) Come on .......Everyone knows the difference....Muzzle breaks are legal and flash hiders are evil!!!! Just ask any gun grabbing politition! Every muzzle break I've seen is specific to the caliber of the firearm. That is to say the hole at the end is just a "bit" larger than the diameter of the bullet. So the gasses are directed through the gas vents before they exit the muzzle. The flash hiders on my Ruger mini 14 and M14 are both very similar, more or less just a "cage" attached to the end of the barrel. These are just my observations, hope they help. CW
    Watch that front sight! Teach a kid to shoot!
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    greenlantern, as far as I can tell, the flash hider directs the blast in several directions, down/left/right/up or some combination of those. This allows a shot at night to be less detectible when "assaulting" a target. A muzzle break vents the gasses in more of an overall upward direction to reduce muzzle flip. They look cool, this is an attempt by the manufacturers/importers to keep the original ASSAULT look while still being within the limits of the law.
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  • competentonecompetentone Member Posts: 4,696 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Both muzzle brakes and flash-suppressors (and noise-suppressors for that matter too) are SAFTEY DEVICES added to firearms.The muzzle brakes reduce felt recoil and help to prevent tissue damage to one's shoulder and wrists. Medical research has demomstrated that repeated mechanical "shocks" (from rifles and handguns, or other sources) result in long-term debilitating injury to muscle, tendons and joints.Flash supressors, protect against eye strain. When one's eyes are adjusted to the dark, a sudden flash of light--such as the muzzle flash from a firearm--can do serious long-term damage to the light recepters in the eye.Sound supressors, of course, help protect against hearing loss in a far more effective way than ear plugs or muffs.The attempts by the "anti-gun" people to ban/restrict these saftey devices is the evidence I point to when arguing that such people are infact "mean"--they want to make firearms more dangerous to the users; they want to see firearm enthusiasts get hurt!
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  • rg666rg666 Member Posts: 395 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Excellent reply competentone!!! I will steal it occaisionally if you don't mind. RG
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  • byron2112byron2112 Member Posts: 31 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm not sure what the visual differences are,like you said many look similar.I think there has been a very informative description of function(thanks fella's)already.As far as legality goes(I'm no expert)I believe one difference is that a (pre-ban?)type "flash suppressor" is attatched by screwing it on to a threaded barrel and is removable/replacable.Whereas a "compensator"is permanently attached by soldering or pinning and/or both,and is not meant too be interchangable.Hpoe this helps.
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  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    BATF has "the definition" of what is and isnt a flash hider. There are come crossover unitsthey wont accept. New designs have to be submitted to them for approval as being only a muzzle break.
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    From what I have been told by the military guys, the flash supressor was to hide the muzzle blast at night so as not to give away your position to the enemy. This is an assault rifle trait as these weapons are made for closer combat than the battle rifle which proceeded them. Am I mis-informed?
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  • GreenLanternGreenLantern Member Posts: 1,647 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I believe the BATFs gotta have a "definition" like v35 says. However, I can imagine it's just as confusing as any other gun regulation out there. I guess if I'm going to put one on post ban gun it'd be wise to find out if it is approved. I gotta imagine that the one from Wilson is approved if it's coming from them.
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  • steve45steve45 Member Posts: 2,940 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A flashhider hides or reduces the flash to the shooter of the weapon so that you are not blinded(as badly) during night combat. The enemy will always be able to see a weapons muzzleflash.
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    steve45, I am aware that the flash is diminished for the shooter, but doesn't this also disperse the brightness of the flash to the target? By speading the gasses, the intensity of the flash is reduced, right? I thought it was for both?
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