Gunsmithing muzzle brake thoughts

[565fitter]

I was at my local gunsmiths house this evening and we got into the discussion about muzzle brakes and their design. I just put a ross schuller on my 700 aac and love it. he thinks(from his experiences) that each port should have the same on the opposite side. my schuller has 3 ports on both sides that he says are fine, then 3 on the top to help with muzzle flip. now to his explination and before you guys call him a joke, this is not scientific just what he suspects. when the gas hits the holes on the top it pushes the rear of the bullet down because there are no holes on the bottom to even the flow of gasses.

does this make any sense to anyone? I can see his point but if he's right wouldn't the manufacturers have figured this out and started making them symmetrical?

 

[Hairball]

The holes on the top of a muzzle brake are used to decrease muzzle rise (not even sure they work half the time) and has nothing to do with pushing down on the bullet. There are muzzle brakes that have holes on the bottom but if you intend on shooting it prone you better be wearing goggles and keep your mouth closed unless you like the taste of dirt.

 

[TOP PREDATOR]

they're "brakes"

using the same reasoning, it would actually push the bullet upward as it doesn't have the same cushion of air above it to "rest against".


there may be something to that theory, but so slight that it's (i'm guessing) so slight it's neglegible, or using the same reasoning as above, gets equalized when leaving the crown of the brake.

i'd be more concerned about POI shift due to the added weight at the muzzle, harmonics and barrel whip than porposing, if it does happen at all.

 

[565fitter]

they're "brakes"

I knew that.. don't know why I spelled it that way

 

[farrier]

keep in mind that the gases do not escape the break until after the bullet has passed the ports. POI may change with addition of a brake but that is all.

 

[DAVETOOLEY]

It's been my experience from years of making any and all configurations of brakes that there is a window, no more than 1.5" long, where the expanding gases have no affect on the bullet. If you have a brake with multiple baffles that shortens the distance to the first baffle that's even better. Any pressure imbalance is left behind in the first chamber.

 

[Soct]

I have never noticed anything like that myself with any brake I have used. My latest brakes I'm using are the Battle Comp's. They work great is you hate muzzle climb and your eardrums.

 

[Sinus211]

Only difference in POI I noticed was with my .300win mag because I stopped flinching in expectation of the shoulder punishment. I think he may be overthinking it.

Edit* forgot to mention I run JP brakes with 4 top ports