ASK THE GUN EDITOR
Letters containing questions for answering by Nick Harvey must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope. Mail your letters to: The Technical Editor, 3 Reef Street, Hill End, NSW 2850.
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Muzzle brakes and accuracy
Q These days a good many rifles come from the factory equipped with a muzzle brake and a threaded cap. Does attaching a muzzle brake to a rifle have any effect upon accuracy? What happens to the velocity of the bullet? How does a muzzle brake work?
—Brian Martin
A Some people can handle heavy recoil, but many more cannot. Recoil has given some shooters a permanent flinch. For those who are sensitive to recoil I’d definitely recommend a muzzle brake. Some makers claim a reduction of as much as 40 to 60 percent in recoil, and some modern brakes do give that much reduction in recoil.
A muzzle brake is a device attached to the muzzle of the rifle which, on passage of the bullet past the gas port holes, directs expanding and escaping powder gas to the rear. The gas must be directed to the rear; if it was directed straight out the sides the jet effect of the gas would do nothing to reduce recoil. Gas being directed to the rear decreases the mass of the gas jetting forward from the muzzle and pulls the rifle
