Ported or muzzle brake, which is better?

[GFO]

A buddy of mine, and myself were having this discussion the other day. Which was better, a ported barrel or a screw on muzzle brake?
He said the muzzle brake would control muzzle jump and recoil better, hence, better accuracy.
I said the porting would strip off gasses while the bullet was still being stablized by the barrel and reduce muzzle jump for better accuracy.
What are the pros and cons of either? Be it hunting/tactical/target, boltgun/ar whatever, anything we are overlooking?
Is there a right answer?

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[joeroket]

I prefer a muzzle brake on a rifle and nothing on a pistol. I like a push on my rifles rather than muzzle jump. On a pistol I just don't like the added weight of a brake and porting, in my opinion, is no good for low light conditions.

It really boils down to personal preference.

 

[DieselScout]

There is no right answer, almost the same debate as Ford v. Chevy or 1911 v. Glock.

The overwhelming positive to me would the the muzzle brake is not permanent, assuming it's a screw on style. You can use it while at the range and punching paper, but if you take it out hunting you can remove it to reduce the unmitigated noise your ears have to take. You can also change it to a different style or swap it for a suppressor if you'd like. I am all about the options.

I don't think you've got a good argument regarding gasses. The bullet moves past those ports so fast there would be no noticeable effect on the bullet. Figure a bullet leaving the barrel at 2500 ft/sec is going 30000 in/sec, so if the ports are 1/2" long the bullet passes them in about 1/60000th of a second. Add to that the fact that not all the gasses are leaving via the ports, just a small portion of it.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Porting or a brake is not about accuracy but about getting back on target for the second shot and reduced recoil.

A brake adds length and weight to the end of the barrel. Porting well reduce bullet velocity. Normally you see brakes on rifle barrels and hand guns are ported.

I have a mag-na-ported M27 and it does work, much less muzzle jump and felt recoil. I have a brake on a 7.5X51 and it has much less recoil than the same rifles without. It makes it easier to shot and that usually means I shoot with more accurately.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

To muddy the issue a little you can have compensators screwed to the end of the barrel which are not brakes. Flash hiders too.

None of these devices will effect the recoil. Felt recoil is another matter though.

 

[Fossilman]

I had a ported 7mm.After awhile my friends quit hunting with me because of the side noise! LOL.........

 

[oregonty]

I like muzzle breaks. Not all breaks are equal and not all breaks increase the noise to a problematic level. For the AR platforms there is a break called the Battle Comp. This is in my opinion the best one out there. I personally own the JDC Titan and the XTC Compensator by Rainier Arms. Both of these are loud. I have tried the Battle Comp and let me tell you....WOW. The Battle Comp has all the advantages of comps that I own without all the noise.

It is difficult to answer your question in full because I dont have a lot of experience with ported weapons. I have fired several and am not overly impressed. I do know that there are options out there for compensators that will do what they are designed for without all the noise that everyone complains about.

I can tell you this though, I will never own a tactical semi-auto rifle without a compensator. Once you have compared two identical rifles (one with and one without) under rapid fire conditions you will understand. You can also check out some of the youtube videos. Just search for Battle Comp, XTC, or SJC Titan. You will be able to tell the difference that a compensator makes.

Ty