AR comps

[Patrick Sweeney]

In an earlier thread, someone asked about the JP comps.  We just had our 3-gun match, and I had a chance to shoot a few comps and compare.  (I ran the 40-round rifle stage, lots of runnin' and gunnin'.)

McArthur:  The "coke can" of comps, it is so efficient at diverting gas it will blast paint off a baricade.  I can see the bullet strike on a plate at 100 yards, and the crosshairs don't leave the plate.

JP:  Tames the jump and recoil, but the crosshairs jerked from side to side.  I had to push the crosshairs back on the plate, even when adjusting buttstock seat and body position.  It pushed right, unless I made a strong effort to get the stock as close to my centerline as I could, then it drifted left.  I couldn't find a center position that kept it from tracking.

Clark:  More violent, but it was on a 16" barrel.  The crosshairs vibrated around the plate, with no predictable pattern.  I'd like to try it on a 20" barrel, as I think the longer barrel would dampen the observed vibration.

Sweeney comp:  A series I made some years ago, and stopped making when the McArthur proved smoother.  Too bad, as it makes the size limit for Limited guns now.  The muzzle rose just a bit over the plate, straight up, and was easily pulled down the small amount to get back on steel.

Modified A2 birdcage:  An SOF sleeper comp, unless you know what to look for you can't tell it from a standard flash hider.  The muzzle doesn't rise, but there is no dampening of the vibration or recoil.  Useful only in an SOF context where you can't have any comp at all.

I hope this proves useful to you all.

[Bill H]

Patrick do you have a phone # for McArthur? Gotta try a coke can.

Bill Hearne

[Patrick Sweeney]

Yes, Flint 'n Frizzen Gun shop, 810-625-3333.  Say hi for me.

[Even]

Patrick,

could you help me out with a picture of the McArthur comp?

Even

[Flexmoney]

Patrick,

You da man.

[Bill H]

Thanks Patrick. I have a McArthur ordered. He said he was about a month behind. Your experience with the JP is what I see also when shooting. It has been the best brake I have used so far.Hopefully the the "Coke Can" will do better.  

Bill Hearne

[kellyn]

I did not care for the modified A2 birdcage as it came from EGW.  In my experience and with my loads, it "overcompensated" and blew the muzzle dramatically downward.  I could watch the sight go from the A zone to beaneath the target.  I had to have the hole cut to a greater diameter.  Even then it has - as Pat noted - a lot of vibration.  Since SOF has broadened the comp rule I would steer clear.

I've never shot a McArthur, I'll have to check that out.

[Chriss Grube]

Kelly,

I had the same problem with the EGW comp. Mine was on a 16" barrel. George has been playing with my gun for the last month. He finally has it all worked out. We had it to the range last Thurs. test firing. It now works great. It is totally redesigned. I'm not sure yet if he is going to make them for general sale. I'll let you know Fri.

[Patrick Sweeney]

When I was making comps, I went the A2 birdcage route for a "stealth comp" and found I had to use two different internal diameters for 20" and 16" barrels.  The only reason to use thm was because the rules forbade "comps" but allowed flash hiders.

And, maybe for antry teams and the like, who can't use a real comp but would want every advantage, real or imagined.

I don't have a digital camera, so it will be tough getting a photo up.  But I'll see what I can do.

[DblTap]

I know it's not as high tech as a JP, Berquist, etc, but the Wilson Combat Tac Brake is a good choice. It does a good job of stabilizing the muzzle, is not nearly as loud as most other brakes, looks good and isn't a half bad flash hider. What the heck, it's very reasonably priced as well!

[Ross Chevalier]

I have a pair of Bushmasters with the A2 style flash hiders.  When (after reading this section) I looked more closely, I see that the bottom of the flash hider (for lack of a better name) is closed off like the EGW comp (as best I can tell from the web site - you wouldn't believe the hassle getting gun parts shipped up here).  Could any of the experts on the forum advise whether this is providing any compensation at all?

Thank you,

Ross

[Bill Schwab]

Ross,

I am no expert, but my understanding is that the A2 style flash hider had a closed bottom for two reasons:

a) to prevent the muzzle blast from blowing dirt up off the ground when firing in the prone or foxhole positions

to provide a mild compensation effect

I cannot comment on the effectiveness of the "mild compensation effect" because I've never shot the A1 hider vs the A2 hider on the same configuration AR, BUT I have shot the M16A1 and A2 and know that there's a big differnce in controllability that I would say is mostly due to the extra weight and longer stock of the A2.

Hope this helps.

Bill

[Patrick Sweeney]

The A2 flash hider offers a very minimal compensation over the A1 or a bare muzzle.  to increase its effect, you hav eto bore the interior out to a cylindrical shape, and I don't recall what the correct diameter is off the top of my head.

When you do that, it dampens vertical rise, but still does nothing to tame the rearward component of recoil.  Some would argue the "recoil" of an AR is too small to bother reducing.  They are called also-rans.

The bored-out A2 trick is useful Only when comps are prohibited (and they don't peer into your flash hider) or in tactical work where a real comp in a hallway would be blasting your team members.

[kellyn]

Before they allowed comps in Limited, I used a "caveman" comp: lead.  In highpower, heavy ARs using lead weights in the butt and under the handguards are the norm.  I adopted this in practical shooting.  For 2 years, I shot the Mystery Mtn match w/ a 15 lb AR. You want to talk about no recoil!  The front sight hardly moved.  It was as effective as any comp that I have seen on a  limited rifle.  Luckily, I only had to carry the rifle from my truck to line.  

[Ross Chevalier]

Bill, Patrick and Kelly, thanks a bunch for the comments.  Since I've never tried removing the flash hider, does anyone have recommendations on a comp and installation process I could perform myself?

Thanks,

Ross

[Patrick Sweeney]

Ross,

If they are post-ban those comps/flash hiders are soldered on and you aren't removing them without a lathe. If they are pre-ban then they're simply threaded on.  If it is solder, you'll see the joint.

You can install a threaded pre-ban barrel on a post-ban rifle if you permanently attach the comp.  That means solder, welding or a blind or welded cross pin.

You should show it to a gunsmith with experience in these things to see what's up.

[Chris]

Patrick,

I have a Grade I JP AR-15 with a 20" barrel and his comp obviously.  I can spot every shot on an 8" plate at 200 yards off the bipod rapid fire.  No side to side or up and down at all.  I also have the stock full of old 200 gr. .40 bullets resulting in a 14lb rifle

My buddy has the bolt on JP comp on a normal heavy barrel AR and has no problems either.

[Patrick Sweeney]

I tried the rifles offhand.  A bipod is going to hide differences between comps, and the lead, well, if I want to shoot something that weigh in the teens, I'll drive north and borrow Richard's BAR for an afternoon.

[Flexmoney]

I wanted to bump this thread to the top.  

Any new info?  

[ErikW]

Chris rocks with his Mongo rifle. The thing doesn't move. He took plates at 200 yards faster than the ROs could call them hits.

[shred]

Any thoughts on the Miculek comp as seen in the Dillon catalog?  The JP is way-cool, but not Limited OK.

[TDean]

I haven't seen mention of ther SMITH brake?

[ErikW]

shred, there is a Limited-legal JP comp, known as the Cooley tactical <cough> model. I picked one up from the RGN prize table. I shot one at the 3GN after my rifle died.

[actionshooter]

Has anyone noticed any changes in accuracy when changing comps? I was shooting a homemade A2 comp (washer welded on the end) and then switched to a JP,seemed my groups opened .50 when I switched. Why?

Steve

[BigDave]

Handloads or factory?  Maybe your homemade comp was more efficient or utilized what porting you did have better than the JP.  Perhaps the JP would be more accurate with a different load/bullet weight/pressure?