Tips on Reducing the Recoil and/or the Explosiveness of an AR-15?

[Geardo]

Keep this upper as a basic beater.

Try a 18 or 20" barrel with a rifle length gas system. It will be pleasant to shoot.

Other posters mentioning a heavy buffer will help, but not nearly as much as either a rifle length gas tube or a properly sized gas port.

The best option if you want to keep this gun/upper would be to install an asjustable gas block this allows you to dial the gas to be just enough to cycle the gun.

Some pictures of the gun would help us too.

All fixes to the gas block and buffer will help with recoil, but a longer barrel is the best fix for noise and concussion.

 

[Member 34319]

Keep this upper as a basic beater.

Try a 18 or 20" barrel with a rifle length gas system. It will be pleasant to shoot.

Other posters mentioning a heavy buffer will help, but not nearly as much as either a rifle length gas tube or a properly sized gas port.

The best option if you want to keep this gun/upper would be to install an asjustable gas block this allows you to dial the gas to be just enough to cycle the gun.

Some pictures of the gun would help us too.

All fixes to the gas block and buffer will help with recoil, but a longer barrel is the best fix for noise and concussion.

I don't know, my brother has a 20" bull barrel with a target crown and that thing is loud as F.

 

[Medic!]

Guns are loud..
They use explosive propellent to launch a projectile down range at some 3000-3200 FPS [In the case of 5.56].

The original desighn meant that you could sent this payload down range and kill your enemy. Who was usualy sending an exualy loud 7.62 X 39 projectile in your direction.

 

[bbbass]

I don't know, my brother has a 20" bull barrel with a target crown and that thing is loud as F.

My 18.5" with rifle length gas and a light carbine buffer shoots as soft as a fat pussycat... but with the forward thrust muzzle brake it IS loud as a crack whore!!!

My advice to OP is to double up on earplugs under good muffs first of all, make sure the stock is very snug into the shoulder, then chase gas ports and buffers... that rifle should not be more uncomfortable than a 12ga to shoot!!!!!!! Try a friend's or maybe some member can go shooting with.

 

[edzz]

Guns are loud..
They use explosive propellent to launch a projectile down range at some 3000-3200 FPS [In the case of 5.56].

The original desighn meant that you could sent this payload down range and kill your enemy. Who was usualy sending an exualy loud 7.62 X 39 projectile in your direction.

exualy ???

 

[notazombie]

"Explosiveness" and high recoil aren't terms I've experienced with the AR platform. Certainly no where near the typical 12ga. They are kinda loud though, if your hearing protection isn't up to snuff. I 2nd the stock placement suggestion too. Maybe lean in a little while you're at it.

 

[Overwatch]

My $.02.

Carbine barrel with mid length gas, rifle buffer tube and rifle buffer and spring, and if you want, a mussle brake

 

[jbett98]

Try a Spikes ST-T2 and a Sprinco blue spring.

 

[Mark W.]

Save up your money and buy a M1 Garand. Then buy up one of the surplus ammo cans full of M2 ball ammo. Get you a couple hand fulls of clips and head out to the range. Set up a target at 100 yards and shoot at it a 100 times with the M1 Garand and I assure you the recoil you feel from a .223 / 5.56 AR-15 will never bother you again LOL.

From an idiot that once threw 220 rounds of M2 out the barrel of his Garand as fast as I could load it. And it was all on clips when I started.

 

[bbbass]

OP... please stop using the word "explosiveness", it does sound less than manly. "Concussion" "Noise" "Blast" "recoil" are all acceptable w/o branding the user as a noobie wuss...


BTW, are you shooting from a bench or offhand? IMO a benchrest should seem softer because the rifle is braced with sandbags or whatever, but it won't lessen the noise or blast out the front end.

 

[Geardo]

I don't know, my brother has a 20" bull barrel with a target crown and that thing is loud as F.

Well yeah. A bare muzzle sucks. I use an A2 flash hider on all my builds. Not a huge fan of the linear comps from the ones I have tried.... The best thing is a suppressor. Haha.

 

[Mikej]

Consider, I don't know squat 'cept what I've learned here about the AR15. We have two...One off the shelf, and one I put together a simply as possible. We may have 400 rounds down range between the two.

@9mm guy I'd ask where do your empties land? If I'm on the right track here....About 4:00 o-clock and 4'-6' away? If so I'm thinking that gun is shooting just the way it is supposed to? Have you ever shot an AK 47? I'm pretty wuss-like when it comes to recoil, but the AK47 recoil is heavier than the AR but nothing to me. I also find the report sharper and louder that the report on the AK47.

I like what @Mark W. says! But in my limited experience, my 03A3 hurt enough I had to trade up to an m1 Garand.

 

[Kruel J]

"Explosiveness" and high recoil aren't terms I've experienced with the AR platform. Certainly no where near the typical 12ga. They are kinda loud though, if your hearing protection isn't up to snuff. I 2nd the stock placement suggestion too. Maybe lean in a little while you're at it.

This. TBH I never understand when people ask about trying to reduce an ARs recoil. It's a gun. It shoots a projectile via explosives. It's gonna recoil a lil bit. But the 5.56 is as manageable as they come for centerfire cartridges.

As far as the muzzle blast....forget brakes and all that garbage. Put a flash hider on and shoot the damn thing. Brakes just make everyone around you miserable and the reduction in recoil is negligible. At least in a properly gassed/tuned rifle.

 

[bbbass]

He's right. My brakes are not really needed, but I enjoy that little bit of extra comfort. I do take them off and put a flash hider on when shooting around others at a range though.

 

[MannyGlocks]

I'm with KJ.

Having been in the infantry for many years, I started out with the M-14 that shoots the 7.62×51mm NATO round. I laugh at complaints of recoil and muzzle blast of shooting an AR 5.56 Nato round.

Please...

I was in when we transitioned from M-14's to M-16's.

I was shocked by how easy the recoil is and the insignificant comparative muzzle blast of the M16 civilian AR15...piddling in comparison.

An AR15 or M4 if you will, is not much more difficult to shoot than a .22 Long Rifle.

 

[bbbass]

An AR15 or M4 if you will, is not much more difficult to shoot than a .22 Long Rifle.

For somebody that never shot a .22lr, the diff might be unexpected and surprising.

 

[3MTA3]

@9mm guy since you mentioned defensive purposes I would NOT suggest a compensater/muzzle break. In a defensive situation you 1) won't have time to put on hearing protection and 2) you won't notice any recoil at all if you have to fire.

Muzzle devices beyond flash hiders dramatically increase noise to the shooter. I mistakenly shot one round through such a device without hearing protection and for two days thought I had lost my hearing. The gain is minimal and the price is high.

Look into the adjustable gas blocks and buffer/spring combos as has been advised above.

 

[bbbass]

BTW, I built an AR15 from a Polymer80 lower for my daughter... she shoots it just fine. The kids, a 13yr old boy, and a 10yr old girl, shoot it too!!

It is a PSA 16" upper. Pretty light weight overall, but the nina and nino love shooting it.

In my experience, guys love things that go BOOM!! Get some Cherry Bombs and some M80s and get used to loud noises/explosiveness!!!!!!!!

 

[quneur]

Convert your AR into an AR-9. Then you can make a comparison between a pistol and the rifle in the same caliber.

 

[Kruel J]

Convert your AR into an AR-9. Then you can make a comparison between a pistol and the rifle in the same caliber.

That makes no sense. An AR in 9mm has MORE felt recoil than in 5.56. The OP is looking to go in the opposite direction.