How long do Brakes/Comps Last?

[wsimpso1]

OK, I looked and searched, and couldn't find it anywhwere... Can we expect a compensator to last as long as the barrel does? And as the baffles get worn away, does anyone know how the compensator performance changes, if at all?

[Larry White]

Most of the comps out there are made of steel, I dont know how long one will last but I would think at least it would wear out a barrel. I have 2 Benny Hill comps. One it one of his first versions but made of Ti, It has outlived at least one barrel and has been on several rifles, it showes some gas cutting in the front baffle of the first chamber, it has at least 8k rds thur it and I havent noticed any decrease in effectivnes. The other one is stainless and I dont think you can wear one out, they cost a little more but work better and they last forever. Alum wouldnt last til the water got hot.----------Larry

Edited March 19, 2010 by Larry White

[wsimpso1]

Thanks Larry.

I have a Miculek with about 1500 rounds and AK74 style from Bushy with about 1000. Both are showing quite a bit of wear on the baffles, and I wondered if replacement was a regular thing. Stainless lasts longer? Something to think about for the next one.

Billski

[aessu]

Some 10k+ is what most people tell me as a life of a brake. Think of them similar as to oil filter in your car - it has to be replaced now and then for the motor to run well.

Edited March 25, 2010 by aessu

[Aloha Robert]

Like so many other things in shooting, "it depends". Light weight metal or some excessively blasty amo that shreds micro bullet shaving leads to shorter comp life. A well made brake should last longer than just about any other part. At GoGun, in our super heavy duty Talon Brake we have not yet detected any wear even with full auto fire. However, it is still relatively new on the market and ask us in 10 years.

Although we have done some in stainless and Titanium, the sweet spot for price and wear is still probably Chrome Molly Steel. If metal is too hard or to brittle it tends to crack. Of course for ultra lightness Titanium is best but not practical for most manufacturers or shooters.

However, if you want to replace yours regularly (like oil), we would be happy to sell you one of ours, but you probably won't replace it again.

Edited April 5, 2010 by E-Tac CNC

[sierra77mk]

OK, I looked and searched, and couldn't find it anywhere... Can we expect a compensator to last as long as the barrel does? And as the baffles get worn away, does anyone know how the compensator performance changes, if at all?

Very timely posting.

I was scraping carbon from my Miculek and noticed the wear. I had just bought another one and comparing the two shows noticeable erosion. The hole in all baffles has opened up from 1/4 to 9/32 (1/32) and on the muzzle side of the 1st two baffles, the metal looks like it was counter sunk for a #10 wood screw (I'm a wood worker, not a metal worker)

I'd estimate I have 5000k on the comp, 6000 on the barrel.

[Wicked Wrister]

The amount of erosion is largely irrelevant. JP recommends a MINIMUM of .040" over bore diameter for the final exit hole of their comps. That gives you maximum gas redirection and baffle surface area while maintaining enough clearance for the bullet. The exit hole will get larger over time, but I have seen no appreciable difference even with a final exit hole at .100"+ over bore. Even a .308 comp will give great performance on a .223, especially when compared to a flash hider or some other muzzle device. I say, don't sweat it. It's not likely the comp will fail and I don't see the need to change comps between barrel changes.