KX3 and barrel length questions.

[GhostB14]

Hello,
I know the KX3 is intended for sbr's, but the fact that it redirects sound seems like a good idea. I have some questions about it-

1:If I had my barrel cut down and one perm. installed for an OAL of 16" would the cycling be affected? (middy gas system)

2: What does the KX3 do for flash with that long(~13") of a barrel? Not that important to me, but just curious.

3: With said OAL, does the KX3 do anything for muzzle rise or recoil? Again just curious.


Thank You
Patrick Scott

[Blackjack272]

I'll be able to tell you soon, as I'm playing with a 13.7" KX3 gun, middy gas system these days.

From all accounts I've heard the flash suppression and recoil characteristics are pretty good, as long as the gas system is set up with the right port dia.

Again, I'll be able to give first hand experience and photos/videos soon to confirm.

S/F

[USMC03]

I would not recommend a KX3 for a barrel over 11.5" (give or take an inch).

I ran a KX3 on my 11.5" barrel for work. I liked that the KX3 directed the muzzle blast, flash, gases, and noise down range (toward the target).

Short barreled rifles can be obnoxious and when shooting in close proximity to other Officers a KX3 on a short barreled rifle has a utility.

Take the following into consideration if considering the KX3. The KX3 is 8 oz (1/2 pound) and adds approximately 2.75" to the overall length of the barrel.

My 11.5" barrel with KX3 was only 1.75" shorter than my 14.5" M4 with Sabre Defense long A2 flash hider (overall length is 16.1").

In my opinion the extra weight and length of the KX3 were a fair trade off for the benefits gained by the KX3 when running it on a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR).

Putting the KX3 on a 16" barrel would make the overall length of the barrel 18.75" (that's almost 19"). If you put 1/2 lbs on the end of a 16" barrel and on the end of a 10.5" - 12.5" barrel, you will notice the weight a lot more on the 16" barrel (the weight is further away from the center of balance).

I like the KX3's on SBR's, but they have little to no use on longer barrels. In the picture below, the bottom gun is a 11.5" SBR w/ KX3, the gun above it is a 14.5" M4 with a Sabre Defense long A2 flash hider perminately attached (overall length 16.1"):




The KX3 does little to nothing to reduce muzzle flip or felt recoil. If you want quicker follow up shots (reduced muzzle flip), a muzzle brake or compensator is what you need. The down side to most muzzle brakes / compesators is that they are louder than a muzzle device like the USGI A2 compensator. The reason that most muzzle brakes are louder than flash hiders is because muzzle brakes directs the gases, muzzle blast, and noise directly out the sides of the muzzle brake (to the right and left).



As a general rule, on a 16" barrel, my personal opinion is to stick with the factory A2 flash hider / compensator.



Just my .02

[GhostB14]

Blackjack272,
Thanks, I am looking forward to seeing that.

Jeff,
Good post, very useful info. Looking at the two rifles together is an eye opener. Looks to me that the middle gun should be just as handy(if not more) than the KX'ed SBR. I'm just a civy shooter and wouldn't be shooting close to others or indoors(I hope). It would be nice to get the noise more down range, but since the KX doesn't help with follow ups that setup seems like it would be more of a loss for me than a gain.


Thank You
Patrick Scott

[Leviathan]

2: What does the KX3 do for flash with that long(~13") of a barrel? Not that important to me, but just curious.

It does nothing for flash. In fact it makes it much worse given the ammo type. I would recommend that you test your given load so you know what your signature would be if it were to be used tactically. It did not get the "Flaming Pig" name for nothing.

[immaculate]

Patrick,

One of my setups is a 13.7" w/the pinned KX3. Here are my observations.

1) My 13.7 is mid-gas. I run an H buffer and an AR15 (Young NM) BCG. No cycling issues.

2) Lots of flash out of the front. No concussion to the sides/to the shooter

3) This one is a bit subjective - my other ARs are set up with either SureFire MB556K or PWS FSC556 brakes. The KX3 obviously doesn't compare in terms of muzzle-rise reduction, and that certainly isn't the intent I imagine. The best that I can describe it is that the KX3 (vs a regular A2 hider) makes the recoil feel "different." It's not necessarily less or more from what I can tell. I don't find the 5.56 to be a heavy recoiling round to begin with and the KX3 certainly doesn't make it worse...I just don't feel that it improves it much either.

[erik_]

It may not have the same CDI factor but have you considered a Levang linear compensator?

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=5...AR_COMPENSATOR

They have the same forward sound projection as the KX3 yet weigh less, cost less, and are much smaller. You could permanently attach one to a 14.5" barrel and just scrape by on minimum length requirements.

Where they differ from a KX3 is the lack of increased backpressure. For a non-SBR carbine, I'd see this as a positive.

[Armati]

The LeVang and Noveske both seem pretty popular. Does anyone know the advantages of one over the other?

Anyone who have been in a room with several 10.5" bbls firing knows how distracting that can be. While these devices may help the individual shooter, do the do anything for other members of the assault force using Point of Domination? I can see how it may help everyone using Wall Domination.

[theJanitor]

after trying a 13.7/kx3 gun from one of the Magpul guys, i decided to build one too. Denny/GTS had one left so i bought it, and i'm still running it today, after a couple of years.

the biggest benefit, TO ME, was the blast management. Where i live, the only readily available training area is at a small indoor range, so we're normally, running/moving/shooting within a 25x25 yard concrete box. here is where the benefits of minimal side blast are a godsend, for both the instructor, and myself.

the recoil impulse feels longer, not any weaker. the surefires/PWC/triple taps do a much better job of recoil management than the KX3. Actually, the reason the Noveske 13.7's run so well is the mid-length gas system, not the KX3, specifically.

So WHY do i run one? well, for the training reasons above, and the fact that where i live, no supressors are allowed. i live in a small apartment. if i gotta use the AR in my home, ANY type of blast management would help my wife retain her hearing and senses in a critical situation

hope this helps

[ridewaves]

I ran one on a 13.7 for a while.

No flash supression. Less concussion... noticeable blast redirection. Heavy.

The biggest utility for me was that the weight helped keep me on target during rapid strings. I got rid of it when the Triple Tap became available.