My AR sounds like a tuning fork!

AR/M4 AR General Discussion
1

I assembled this a few months ago. When I shoot it sounds like a tuning fork. I suspected it was the Vortex muzzle device. I bought this Vortex in 1991-92. I had it on my first Colt. Can’t remember why I took it off. I found it in one of my parts boxes. I installed it on this carbine because I wanted something different. The rifle resonates similar to a tuning fork when I shoot it. To test my theory, I shot the carbine with the Vortex removed. It sounded like my other ARs. Has anyone else had this happen to them or something similar?

2

Probably right. Similarly designed devices like the AAC Blackout have a notorious ping, I couldn’t stand it on my Noveske.

3

Yes, it’s your muzzle device. You can pull it off gun and flick it and it will ping. Battlecomp!

4

My B.E. Meyers 249F flash hider pings slightly too. Just comes with the territory of an open ended, pronged flash hider.

5

I had the same muzzle device and it did the same thing. In my experience it’s been one of the best flash hiders I’ve ever seen, but it got pretty annoying. I eventually replaced it with a muzzle brake.

6

OP, that’s simply the nature of open pronged flash hiders. No way around it, unfortunately.

That’s what I’ve got on my precision/coyote AR. It definitely rings, but hides the great gouts of flame quite impressively.

7

Pick up the Knights 3 prong, designed to have no ping.

8

Current Smith Vortex flash hiders exhibit no ping (at least on 8 of my rifles).

9

I have a number of 51T’s, and a vortex…Must be my hearing is bad, even with electronic ear pro I’ve never noticed.

10

I have one of those. The solution back in the day was to wrap stainless steel safety wire around the grooves on the front. Not pretty but stopped the noise.

11

Yep. Same with the AAC FH I am going to be tossing soon.
Originally, I planned on going with the M4-2000 but never did. Since I’m not in on that suppressor, I am going with Surefire and getting a closed FH. Oddly I never noticed it on the AR-180 or at least not as bad. Nothing against 3 prongs but the twang can be annoying at times. Then again so can the sproing of the buffer spring. I just would rather have a closed FH.

I sort of think that the 3 prongs maybe should stay in the 60s.
YMMV

ETA: That might seem a bit harsh and controversial but I won’t reverse myself. I understand the concept of 3 prong but if I had a choice it would be closed. It’s not the twang as much as things hanging up on it.

12

I read once where someone drilled a small hole through one of the prongs near the end and it eliminated the ringing. I don’t recall which model of flash hider this was.

The SilencerCo Trifecta flash hider is designed not to ping.

13

I’ve got the aac blackout and it kings like crazy. I actually love the noise…

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14

Odly enough, the flash hiders that are shaped like tuning forks…act like tuning forks and ring.

15

Complaint of noise coming from a firearm. SMH.

16

The twang sound gets annoying. I might just put an A2 on it. I have a few of those laying around.

17

My PWS Triad had no ping. There are some open-ended flash hiders that don’t ping but you have to go looking for them.

18

I have two vortex FH’s, one of mine does, one of mine doesn’t. Neither really concerns me - I think a layer of high heat spray paint may do enough to damp it.

19

Changing the mass/length would probably help. That’s why the hole helped and that’s why the trifectas don’t ring. The tuning fork effect is from (nearly) identical length and mass prongs near each other with a common base. So mess with the identical-ness (for lack of a better term) of the prongs and you can make the resonance go away.

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20

My AAC upper came with a 51T Blackout. I haven’t shot it yet, but if you just bump it the wrong way it will ring.