Quiet Muzzle Break

[John O]

I came across this "quiet muzzle break" by David Gentry. They claim that it does not increase the muzzle noise to the shooter. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about this? I would like a break on my 300 mag, but value my ears too much, so I endure the recoil. This one may be an option, however I don't know if I trust their claim.

 

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/Pro...ET+MUZZLE+BRAKE

[Coues Sniper]

I don't have any experience with those. The only "quiet brake" i have heard of is made by Gentry, and from what i hear they are still loud. Seems to me a quiet brake is about as possible as skinny, opinionated Rosie but what do i know. I use a brake and carry earplugs, but that too is a flawed system at best.

[Red Rabbit]

A "quiet brake" is an oxymoron.

If it directs the gas more forward to make it quieter (you can see that the ports are angled forward in the pic), it will also be less effective in reducing recoil.

[youngbuck]

I don't have any experience with those. The only "quiet brake" i have heard of is made by Gentry, and from what i hear they are still loud. Seems to me a quiet brake is about as possible as skinny, opinionated Rosie but what do i know. I use a brake and carry earplugs, but that too is a flawed system at best.

I too have a break on my rifle and carry muffs and disposable plugs. The best "system" ive found is the banded ear plugs. They are held together with a thin flexable piece of plastic. I wear those around my neck, where they are close, instead of zipped up in my pack.

[chrismp51]

I too have a break on my rifle and carry muffs and disposable plugs. The best "system" ive found is the banded ear plugs. They are held together with a thin flexable piece of plastic. I wear those around my neck, where they are close, instead of zipped up in my pack.

 

Thats a good idea. My left ear has been ringing since November. I learned my lesson with the muzzle breakers.

[scoutm]

I don't know about the "Quiet Muzzle Break" but I have had Harry Lawson in Tucson put a break on two of my rifles. Rather than venting the gasses at a 90 degree angle it vents the gas/noise at about a 40% angle. It doesn't reduce the recoil to the level a traditional break does but it's a nice balance between reduced noise and comforatable recoil.

[Coues Sniper]

I too have a break on my rifle and carry muffs and disposable plugs. The best "system" ive found is the banded ear plugs. They are held together with a thin flexable piece of plastic. I wear those around my neck, where they are close, instead of zipped up in my pack.

Those would probably work better. I usually have a pair with chords in my pocket, but the ones you are talking about would be a better way to go. Still kind of a pain in the butt though. I was helping a buddy with his Strip tag last year and last day he decided to whack this little 160" buck (worst year ever up there). Anyhow, during the last part of the stalk he puts his earplugs in. We get to where he wanted to shoot from and the buck had gotten up on us and actually came our way quite a ways. We're glassing and i pick up the top of his rack right below us and he has us pegged. I'm trying to whisper to Brad that i have the buck, but he can't hear me 'cause of the dang earplugs. I start throwing little rocks to get his attention (we're about 10 yards apart) with no luck. Finally, the buck busts out and Brad yells "There his is!" We got him killed, but it wasn't pretty. If it wasn't a carp, he'd have gone home empty handed.

[GameHauler]

A "quiet brake" is an oxymoron.

If it directs the gas more forward to make it quieter (you can see that the ports are angled forward in the pic), it will also be less effective in reducing recoil.

 

 

What am I missing here?

I have brakes on 2 rifles

and one on my new TC Custom Shop barrel.

The TC are just drilled holes.

The brakes on the rifles are angled forward and yes, they are loud.

I am not sure why you think angled hole would be less effective

at reducing the kick Doug.

The gases are moving forward so they should be able to exit easier

than if they had to make a hard 90.

So in my mind they should work better

[Red Rabbit]

Mike,

If those escaping/expanding gases could be directed back towards you, it would help thrust the rifle away from your shoulder (but would be very loud). Any angular component of the escaping gas directed away from you pushes the rifle into your shoulder. Think of it as a rocket and which direction you want the thrust directed.

 

RR

[GameHauler]

Not sure I agree with you on this one.

Yes if the gas was angled back it might give a little extra boost

What you are saying (I think) that with any brake you are loosing velocity

and I don't think that is true.

You have not changed the barrel except for adding a couple more inches

that only lets some of the pressure escape before the bullet leaves the barrel,

Hench less recoil.

Yes Sir I did get a paper towel and wipe behind my ears

[Red Rabbit]

From Wikipedia about muzzle brakes:

 

Disadvantages of Muzzle Brakes:

The advantages of brakes and compensators are not without cost, however. The most obvious of these to the shooter or gun crew is the increase in sound pressure level as well as the increase in muzzle blast for the shooter or gun crew. This occurs because the sound, flash, and pressure waves normally projected largely away from the shooter are now partially-redirected outwards to the side or even at backward angles towards the shooter or gun crew. While eye and ear protection should always be used when shooting, this is not even enough to avoid hearing damage with the muzzle blast directed back towards the shooter or gun crew.

 

"Recorded noise levels (on certified audiological instruments) at the muzzle of a magnum or high velocity rifle with a muzzle break normally exceed 160 decibels. Permanent ear damage occurs at 120 decibels. If you read the fine print on the finest set of ear plugs and ear muffs available, you will find the total noise reduction only between 22 and 31 decibels. This means that on a rifle with a muzzle brake, even if you are wearing hearing protection, you are suffering permanent damage."

 

Measurements indicate that on a rifle a muzzle brake adds 5 to 10 dB to the normal noise level, increasing total noise levels to 160 dB +/- 3 dB. Painful discomfort occurs at approximately 120 to 125 dB, with some references claiming 133 dB for the threshold of pain. Active ear muffs are available with electronic noise cancellation that can reduce direct path ear canal noise by approximately 17-33 dB, depending on the low, medium, or high frequency at which attenuation is measured. Passive ear plugs vary greatly in their measured attenuation, ranging from approximately 20 dB to 30 dB, depending on whether or not they are properly used. Using both ear muffs (whether passive or active) and ear plugs simultaneously is a practice that is often used for obtaining the maximum protection, but the efficacy of such combined protection relative to preventing permanent ear damage is not conclusive, with evidence indicating that a combined noise reduction ratio (NRR) of only 36 dB is the maximum possible using ear muffs and ear plugs simultaneously, equating to only a 36 - 7 = 29 dB protection against a 160 dB noise level.Relative to a noise level of 160 dB, this means that even using ear muffs and ear plugs simultaneously cannot protect a shooter against permanent ear damage when using a muzzle brake, through leaving a shooter exposed to noise levels of approximately 131 dB that is 11 dB above the point where permanent ear damage occurs.

[John O]

From Wikipedia about muzzle brakes:

 

Disadvantages of Muzzle Brakes:

The advantages of brakes and compensators are not without cost, however. The most obvious of these to the shooter or gun crew is the increase in sound pressure level as well as the increase in muzzle blast for the shooter or gun crew. This occurs because the sound, flash, and pressure waves normally projected largely away from the shooter are now partially-redirected outwards to the side or even at backward angles towards the shooter or gun crew. While eye and ear protection should always be used when shooting, this is not even enough to avoid hearing damage with the muzzle blast directed back towards the shooter or gun crew.

 

"Recorded noise levels (on certified audiological instruments) at the muzzle of a magnum or high velocity rifle with a muzzle break normally exceed 160 decibels. Permanent ear damage occurs at 120 decibels. If you read the fine print on

the finest set of ear plugs and ear muffs available, you will find the total noise reduction only between 22 and 31 decibels. This means that on a rifle with a muzzle brake, even if you are wearing hearing protection, you are suffering permanent damage."

 

Measurements indicate that on a rifle a muzzle brake adds 5 to 10 dB to the normal noise level, increasing total noise levels to 160 dB +/- 3 dB. Painful discomfort occurs at approximately 120 to 125 dB, with some references claiming 133 dB for the threshold of pain. Active ear muffs are available with electronic noise cancellation that can reduce direct path ear canal noise by approximately 17-33 dB, depending on the low, medium, or high frequency at which attenuation is measured. Passive ear plugs vary greatly in their measured attenuation, ranging from approximately 20 dB to 30 dB, depending on whether or not they are properly used. Using both ear muffs (whether passive or active) and ear plugs simultaneously is a practice that is often used for obtaining the maximum protection, but the efficacy of such combined protection relative to preventing permanent ear damage is not conclusive, with evidence indicating that a combined noise reduction ratio (NRR) of only 36 dB is the maximum possible using ear muffs and ear plugs simultaneously, equating to only a 36 - 7 = 29 dB protection against a 160 dB noise level.Relative to a noise level of 160 dB, this means that even using ear muffs and ear plugs simultaneously cannot protect a shooter against permanent ear damage when using a muzzle brake, through leaving a shooter exposed to noise levels of approximately 131 dB that is 11 dB above the point where permanent ear damage occurs.

 

 

For those who do not understand the dB units, I want to just add a little to what is stated above, to provide some perspective. dB is unit of mathematics related to an exponential scale, not a linear scale. That means that a 5-10 dB increase of a 100 dB sound does not mean a 5-10 % increase. The best way to think of it, is that for every 3 dB increase, you double the value you start with. So 103 dB is double the sound of 100 dB. 109 dB is more than 300% increase in the sound level of 100 dB, and so on. The other direction works similarly. For every 3 dB reduction, the sound level is reduced by half. So a 100 dB noise reduced to 97 dB is cut in half, and so on. A 30 dB rating on ear protection is over 98% reduction in noise.

 

The reason I am so sensitive to this, is on my first game hunt I shot a pig with a .357 magnum, and my ears physically hurt for several weeks. I vowed never to make that mistake, so this year I carried around a set of muffs in one hand the whole hunt. I even missed an opportunity early in the day, while putting them on. In the end I was able to harvest a nice pig, with my muffs on, and no ear ringing! I refuse to end up that old grumpy geezer in the assisted care home, that can't hear anything, and is too stubborn to wear a hearing aid.

[Outdoor Writer]

I refuse to end up that old grumpy geezer in the assisted care home, that can't hear anything, and is too stubborn to wear a hearing aid.

 

 

 

Eh? What did you say?

[GameHauler]

I refuse to end up that old grumpy geezer in the assisted care home, that can't hear anything, and is too stubborn to wear a hearing aid.

 

 

 

Eh? What did you say?

 

[billrquimby]

"I refuse to end up that old grumpy geezer in the assisted care home, that can't hear anything, and is too stubborn to wear a hearing aid. "

 

 

WhoseYourDaddy: How do you know when an assisted-care home is deaf and stubburn? Do they really make hearing aids for them?

 

Tony: Where do you keep finding those pictures of me?

 

 

Bill Quimby