I’d like to have a discussion about muzzle brakes… where they are appropriate and where not. Hoping it can be kept high level, I mean there will be various opinions I expect and hope, but there are also some facts that are irrefutable (in my opinion 
). I’m not going to say things like, “if you run a muzzle brake you’re stupid”. I hope no one says “If guns are too loud for you either man up or get another job.”
First I’m not saying they should all disappear. If you want to run a brake for this or that application I don’t see why not… I say that despite my admitted anti-brake bias but I also admit to having used them in competition and just mucking around on the range. I even had brakes that I made and offered. I think they are still on my site but I haven’t sold one in years and I’m fine with that! I would take them off but sometimes it’s hard to get changes on the site. For something like PRS where you want to spot impact or three-gun where you want to take another second out of an 18-second stage, sure.
My context for the discussion is police Patrol Rifle use and self-defense. Brakes are prohibido in our Patrol Rifle classes but once in a while, for various reasons, one gets through. My prime directive Monday mornings in class is to be the Brake Nazi. I do a visual survey of everything in the room, anywhere from say 22 to 36 guns. When I spot a brake I have a discussion with the student. If it’s a brake that is a QD for a suppressor I ask if he has the can for it and there is only one right answer. When it’s something else, I gently as possible inform that it has to come off. Most guys don’t buck this-- either they didn’t realize the issue or “it’s what the Department gave me for the class.” Sometimes it’s “YES! I hate this thing, please take it off.” Once in a while the student bucks me on it and wants to run it by the lead instructor, which is not me. This is universally guys that work where personally owned rifles are allowed and maybe the department does not have much or anything in the way of qualifying specs.
These guys will say something like, “Do you know what I paid for this thing? Do you know how much recoil it takes out of the equation and how fast it enables me to shoot it?”
We prohibit them because they are loud; often the owner doesn’t realize it because he has not had to stand to the side of it while it’s being shot. Most guys when they understand the issue, go along with the program. Some will go to lengths to keep it-- explaining all kinds of reasons why they should be able to keep it on. The advantages to them, or the ego and dollar investment, appear to be more important than the health of their line mates, coworkers, teammates. Yes, I find that inconsiderate, selfish, irresponsible, and irritating.
They are not just loud. It’s not just a big increase in noise, they also spew high-velocity particles and outright concussion. Our line gets packed a little tighter sometimes than we would like. I mean if we could run students 20’ apart all the time that’d be great but it’s not the reality of our situation or of most others. Translate this to a callout. Can you tell guys to make entry but don’t be closer than 20’ to each other? Anyway-- with some brakes 20’ would not be enough even with double hearing protection. I mean, bare muzzle or proper flash hider at 20’ is already way too loud with no protection.
YES! Some are not as bad as others but the best of them in terms of less side blast are still egregious when you’re 4-5’ away… or closer. Tell me that an officer, or home defender, will never, ever have to fire a shot *right now *with a teammate or family member right alongside them. We do one evolution where I’m standing between two shooters no more than 3-4’ away, observing. Even a 16" barrel with a standard birdcage, literally hurts my teeth. If it’s a brake? I am simply not going to be there. Yes I’ve done it in the past but in recent years as we transitioned to the "no brakes " policy, I’m not going to be there any more, giving up even more hearing, shot by shot.
Anyway, “the best of them”, the least blasty, are less good at being a recoil reducer. I feel solid in saying this and have seen other opinions that it is so, although at the moment I can’t cite where I saw them (because I don’t remember). I’m not going to get into trying to rate them by brand and model as my experience with a great many of them has not been in an atmosphere conducive to taking the time to attempt it. Any ratings would be anecdotal but I can say that every last one was noticeably louder than a birdcage. Good 'nuff for me.
In the last couple weeks of classes we (I) removed 5-6 brakes. I buy A1 flash hiders and loan them to guys for the class, or if they want to own it, $5. None of us instructors are there to sell stuff but you also can’t give everything away. I often do though-- I lose most of them because at the end of the last day everything’s a jumble and it’s hard to track them all down and get them back. Guys aren’t “sneaking off” with them, they just are in a hurry to get on the road and don’t think about it. I don’t care, it’s well worth $5 a piece for 2-3 students per class, so no one has to deal with the brake hazard.
We had one this week that was pinned and welded. For those I have collars that set-screw over them to shut them up for the week but I don’t have multiple collars for every possible size, plus I’m down one that walked off last year. This week’s guy, we put him on the end when possible. Could we remove it even though pinned and welded…? Yes-- and then someone, or everyone involved, is a felon-- 14.5" barrel once it’s off. Screw an A1 on there without re-pinning and rewelding: felon. Stupid laws that help no one, make criminals out of people that do no harm other than not knowing, and actually endanger people… even cops. Same as during the idiotic “Assault Weapon” Ban where you could have brakes but not flash hiders. My, think of all the lives that were saved.
I wear 33db reduction plugs, plus muffs. I very frequently find that I have yet again unconsciously put my hands to my ears to try and seal out more noise. I am experimenting with gluing wetsuit or mousepad material to the outside of the ear shells of the muffs. My thinking is that the hard shell when struck by sound waves will transmit some to the inside-- I think the foamy rubber helps. They are electronic so of course I’m not covering the mics. I’ve tried to find electronic plugs that work, several are good as to electronics and controls but fail on noise attenuation. Anyway-- if I could find something, some combo, that worked perfectly-- it still does not solve the issue of firing a round alongside a partner / family member in an emergency.
but… put it in the oven at ~ 490 for a while. Not sure about Ti but on bare steel you’ll get a beautiful bronze color.