SGW Gunsmith
"Accipere non casus-Virga Bis"
I've seen quite an array of compensators attached to .22 rimfire barrels over the years. Some are made with huge gaping ports at the top of the "muzzle brake", and some have slots or ports all around the periphery of the compensator. Some are called comps and some are called brakes, take your pick, but the outcome desired is pretty much the same. To reduce muzzle flip and get to "sequential target acquisition" much quicker. Then, there are those folks who will declare that there isn't enough 'force' behind a .22 Long Rifle bullet to provide any benefit in reducing muzzle flip. I don't agree:
The above is my "bowling pin shooter", it has a compensator that I made which is actually screwed on, though you will never be able to find the 'line where it meets with the muzzle'. The ports have been found to work very well when the diameter chosen is used, along with the position and number of ports done.
My analogy to show how these ports work is to compare the pressure being created sorta like a garden hose. Without any nozzle on the end of the hose, water just dribbles out, same as a huge gaping slot on a .22 muzzle with expanding bullet gasses, When the hose has a nozzle affixed to the front end to regulate pressure by constricting the water to create more pressure, then, even the hose will have some slight recoil, for lack of a better term. That's what the diameter and position of the ports I chose to use come into play, like so:
I placed one wrap of painters tape to cover the above ports and then fired one CCI Mini-Mag round. The expanding and escaping gasses blew the tape off the ports.
Next, I wrapped four layers of painters tape around the brake to cover the ports and fired another CCI Mini-Mag round:
The gasses easily blew away all four wraps of tape, so, next I wrapped four pieces of painters tape along with a playing card, which is a bit thicker, over the ports and fired another CCI Mini-Mag round:
he escaping gasses had no problem removing the thicker material. This proves to me, that the expanding gasses are effective in reducing, and counter-acting muzzle flip, too some degree. This will help a shooter get back on target much quicker than a shooter not using a brake with the proper design. That could be why there are differing 'classes' between uncomped and comped barrels in some shooting disciplines.
The above is my "bowling pin shooter", it has a compensator that I made which is actually screwed on, though you will never be able to find the 'line where it meets with the muzzle'. The ports have been found to work very well when the diameter chosen is used, along with the position and number of ports done.
My analogy to show how these ports work is to compare the pressure being created sorta like a garden hose. Without any nozzle on the end of the hose, water just dribbles out, same as a huge gaping slot on a .22 muzzle with expanding bullet gasses, When the hose has a nozzle affixed to the front end to regulate pressure by constricting the water to create more pressure, then, even the hose will have some slight recoil, for lack of a better term. That's what the diameter and position of the ports I chose to use come into play, like so:
I placed one wrap of painters tape to cover the above ports and then fired one CCI Mini-Mag round. The expanding and escaping gasses blew the tape off the ports.
Next, I wrapped four layers of painters tape around the brake to cover the ports and fired another CCI Mini-Mag round:
The gasses easily blew away all four wraps of tape, so, next I wrapped four pieces of painters tape along with a playing card, which is a bit thicker, over the ports and fired another CCI Mini-Mag round:
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