Linear Comp for AR

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  • Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    I built the rifle I use for 3gun mostly out of parts I had laying around and no real plan. It had a 16 inch barrel with an A2 flash hider on it.

    I really don't like being around guns with brakes. It is even worse when ROing matches (because I can't hide). I decided to go the other way with my rifle to make it as pleasant as possible to be around by putting a linear compensator on it.
    Lcomp.jpeg

    I don't remember the brand name...allegedly made in USA from ebay. It definitely cut down on some of the felt/heard blast, but really screwed up my group size. I remembered hearing that, from an accuracy standpoint, "the best muzzle device is no muzzle device."

    I shot 3gun yesterday with just a thread protector...and won't be doing that again :o First off, I really didn't like throwing the rifle into the dump bucket with no real protection for the crown. Also, it was really loud. It rang my ear pretty good shooting next to a barrel (my good ear, which is still hurting today :sad20:). So, I guess it's back to A2 for now.:rolleyes:

    I'm thinking about cutting the end off of this linear comp. Maybe getting rid of the ring of little holes at the end and making it just a funnel will alleviate some of the blast turbulence that is throwing the bullet off? I would cut it on a lathe, so it should stay pretty square.

    I have another "device" that I think was called a "blast deflector" (which is what I'm trying to do) that I bought for another rifle. It was just a funnel, and worked great. Unfortunately, what showed up in the mail was way bigger than I had envisioned from the pictures online...it was like sticking a shot glass on the muzzle (or maybe even a little bigger). Aside of getting laughed at for its comical looks, I didn't like the weight. I think it was meant for a pistol.

    So, anybody have any good experience with a linear compensator/blast deflector? I don't want to break the bank, or go NFA...I'd just like to push a little more of that noise and unpleasantness downrange, without messing with the bullet's flight too much. :shrug:
     

    LimaVictor

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 9, 2012
    2,245
    Southern MD
    I've used a few of them on my earliest builds. Kaw Valley Linear Comp, Noveske Pig. I just wanted the big fireball display when I shot them.
     

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    I put a linear comp on one of my 9mm ARs and it is effective and did not affect accuracy. Have you tried cleaning out the one you have? There may be crud in one or more of the ports causing the accuracy issue.
     

    Silverlode

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 16, 2010
    4,797
    Frederick
    So, anybody have any good experience with a linear compensator/blast deflector? I don't want to break the bank, or go NFA...I'd just like to push a little more of that noise and unpleasantness downrange, without messing with the bullet's flight too much. :shrug:

    I have a lot of experience (thousands of rounds over ~ 8 years) with Kaw Valley Precision linear comps on 5 different ARs. They all ring center mass size plates with factory 855 and 193 out to 300 yds all day long. I haven't tried past that distance.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    They do little to nothing for recoil / muzzle movement. An actual brake is practically a necessity on a competitive 3 gun build, a decent one can cut recoil in 1/2 or more and speed up shots substantially. The 2A armament T3 and Griffin Hammer comp are probably.the mildest comps I have used that reduce muzzle movement and recoil noticeably. Not much more blast than an A2, and both are well built. I have Griffin suppressors, run the Paladin 2 port brake on a couple of my comp rifles, it's very effective and balanced, as good as the JP brake, but add the suppressor, or even the taper mount blast shield, and it's pleasant to shoot in practice. No great way to really cut down the blast from the most effective comps in a match, most just run plugs under muffs.
     

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    I had one of these on a 10.5" 5.56. It did a good job of pushing the blast away. Don't know if it affected accuracy or not.


    https://simplethreadeddevices.com/
    I wish there was more description of it on the website...like how big it really is. I'm guessing by the pic (and the wrench flats that it isn't huge). Definitely a possibility.

    Art,

    Here is what I used when competing. It doesn't bother your groups and sends the muzzle blast downrange.

    https://www.joeboboutfitters.com/KAK-INDUSTRY-1-2x28-223-5-56-FLASH-CAN-p/kak-flashcan-223.htm

    That looks a little bigger than what I want, but, being aluminum, may not be that heavy. I like the price, and I'm sure I'd be able to scrounge up enough other stuff from JoeBob to get the free shipping.

    I've used a few of them on my earliest builds. Kaw Valley Linear Comp, Noveske Pig. I just wanted the big fireball display when I shot them.
    I remember looking at the Pig when I was first shopping for something, and it is just bigger than I want (it's practially a suppressor!) Kaw Valley looks like a good option.
    I put a linear comp on one of my 9mm ARs and it is effective and did not affect accuracy. Have you tried cleaning out the one you have? There may be crud in one or more of the ports causing the accuracy issue.
    Less than 200 rounds through it; it's clean. When I was studying the inside with a light (that's how I'm so confident that it's clean ;) ), I noticed something that didn't seem right to me. I don't have enough hands to hold the light, comp, and camera in the right orientation to get a pic to show it. When the holes were drilled in the ring around the "bullet hole" in the middle, they were drilled what I would consider too deep by about half an inch. Meaning, in the open area behind the "web" at the front, there are half cylindrical grooves cut into the inside of the walls of the whole thing for about half an inch behind each hole. Does that make sense?

    I'm not at all an expert on these things, but it seems to me that when creating a device to handle sudden rushes of extremely fast moving air, you would want everthing nice and smooth and flowing without sharp edges or pockets that could create turbulence. :shrug: I dunno, that just didn't seem right...and it also seemed like an area that, over time, could indeed accumulate hard to clean out crud.

    I have a lot of experience (thousands of rounds over ~ 8 years) with Kaw Valley Precision linear comps on 5 different ARs. They all ring center mass size plates with factory 855 and 193 out to 300 yds all day long. I haven't tried past that distance.
    Another Kaw Valley vote :thumbsup: At this point, I occasionally may have to reach out to 200 (which I was able to do with the pictured comp...but they were very big targets :o), but most of my shooting will be around 100...so that's good to hear.
    They do little to nothing for recoil / muzzle movement. An actual brake is practically a necessity on a competitive 3 gun build, a decent one can cut recoil in 1/2 or more and speed up shots substantially. The 2A armament T3 and Griffin Hammer comp are probably.the mildest comps I have used that reduce muzzle movement and recoil noticeably. Not much more blast than an A2, and both are well built. I have Griffin suppressors, run the Paladin 2 port brake on a couple of my comp rifles, it's very effective and balanced, as good as the JP brake, but add the suppressor, or even the taper mount blast shield, and it's pleasant to shoot in practice. No great way to really cut down the blast from the most effective comps in a match, most just run plugs under muffs.
    I'm not interested in recoil mitigation (although shooting over a barrel yesterday with no device at all was...weird:rolleyes:). I would love to go the suppressor route, but that's just not in the cards right now.


    Thanks for all the suggestions. I've been pondering this today, and have kinda talked myself into cutting the end off of the comp I have first, just to see what happens. I've also been wondering if going to an 18" barrel with just an A2 might help (since most of these devices put me to about that length anyway :shrug:) I can't spend that kind of money right now, though :o In fact, with the ammo situation, I shouldn't be spending any money on non-ammo/component gadgets:rolleyes:
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    I use Kaw Valley linear comps on half my guns and Black River Tactical Linear Comp/flash suppressors. I haven’t seen a negative effect on accuracy out of any of my guns (though I’ve only done with-without testing on a couple and saw no groups size difference. If anything a fraction smaller, but changes were too small to be of any note).

    The BRT I like better than the Kaw. They are slightly lighter and work as a flash suppressor. A problem if you want a folder on your AR. Otherwise not an issue. Haven’t tested the flash suppression personally (haven’t shot in low light with one yet. I have with the Kaw on my
    Hunting 6.5 Grendel and it’s barely better than a bare muzzle). At least in TTAG testing it was a bit better than an A2 for flash suppression. Which IMHO is important to me on my hunting rifle which is sometimes shot in low light and my HD rifle. And an A2 is WAY better than a bare muzzle.

    Right around first/last light the muzzle flash in the scope is bright enough to lose track of everything for a couple seconds with the Kaw/bare muzzle (that’s on an 18” barrel).

    For sound redirection I’d say they are similar with maybe a very slight edge to the Kaw.
     

    308Scout

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 27, 2020
    6,545
    Washington County
    Completely different application, but +1 on the BRT comps. I added a BRT covert comp to a Ruger Gunsite Scout in .308 with a 16.1 barrel. It made a world of difference on redirecting blast downrange. Immediate improvement on perceived sound at the bench (and on the hunting stool in side a blind). and absolutely no measurable impact on accuracy.
     

    Meditator

    Active Member
    Dec 9, 2007
    558
    Bethesda MD
    I have one just like the OP, but 1/2 size shorter. Worked well in my Pistol w/ 10.5" barrel. No concussion felt , although it created big muzzle flash with Tula ammo. With H3 buffer, it makes AR pistol more enjoyable to shoot, more like Carbine.
     

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    JoeBob dun sent me the Kaw Valley and the Kak. :party29: I had a brief chance to run a few rounds through them the other day. The Kaw is definitely more aesthetically pleasing (very similar to the one I had, but much smoother internal machining) and seemed to make a difference in blast (as opposed to nothing...I didn't have the time (or maybe forgot :o) bring the A2 for comparison), and did not seem to affect accuracy. The Kak is so big...but it did a great job. For now, even though I'm a little afraid the cool kids will make fun of me for how it looks, I'm going to leave it on my rifle.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    JoeBob dun sent me the Kaw Valley and the Kak. :party29: I had a brief chance to run a few rounds through them the other day. The Kaw is definitely more aesthetically pleasing (very similar to the one I had, but much smoother internal machining) and seemed to make a difference in blast (as opposed to nothing...I didn't have the time (or maybe forgot :o) bring the A2 for comparison), and did not seem to affect accuracy. The Kak is so big...but it did a great job. For now, even though I'm a little afraid the cool kids will make fun of me for how it looks, I'm going to leave it on my rifle.

    Good report. Range trip last week with my 18" AR-10. First trip about 3 weeks ago was bare muzzle. This one I had my BRT comp/flash hider on there. HUGE difference. Bare muzzle and in and over ear protection and its a really noticeable blast. This time I touched a couple off with just my in-ear plugs on before I realized I didn't have my overs on. Would have been instantly apparent before. I'd still want to wear both, or just the overs (the in-ear ones aren't that great. Fine for my 22, but I wouldn't really want to wear just them for more than a few shots for any big boy calibers). But way more pleasant.
     

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    Good report. Range trip last week with my 18" AR-10. First trip about 3 weeks ago was bare muzzle. This one I had my BRT comp/flash hider on there. HUGE difference. Bare muzzle and in and over ear protection and its a really noticeable blast. This time I touched a couple off with just my in-ear plugs on before I realized I didn't have my overs on. Would have been instantly apparent before. I'd still want to wear both, or just the overs (the in-ear ones aren't that great. Fine for my 22, but I wouldn't really want to wear just them for more than a few shots for any big boy calibers). But way more pleasant.

    What's kinda funny is that I have an AR10 with a 16" barrel...and I kinda like the fact that it is obnoxiously loud:o

    I don't shoot it very often though:innocent0
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    What's kinda funny is that I have an AR10 with a 16" barrel...and I kinda like the fact that it is obnoxiously loud:o

    I don't shoot it very often though:innocent0

    I built mine for deer hunting though, and there is at least a fair chance I'll be squeezing one off without ear pro. Eventually I plan to get a silencer for it, but that isn't anytime soon most likely (and even if I moved on it now, 8-12 month wait. *sigh*)
     

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    I built mine for deer hunting though, and there is at least a fair chance I'll be squeezing one off without ear pro. Eventually I plan to get a silencer for it, but that isn't anytime soon most likely (and even if I moved on it now, 8-12 month wait. *sigh*)

    oooh! That's a different scenario to be sure. Mine is pretty much just a range toy...for when I want to be "that guy" (which is not very often...in fact, this whole thread and a good bit of time and money as been dedicated to NOT being "that guy," but...:shrug:...it is fun every once in a while :innocent0).

    Although...my LGS still had a little bit of .308 at less than other place's .223 prices...if things get desperate, I may have to start barking big thunder for 3gun...like "that guy" :tap:
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Yeah outdoor limited has some not terrible prices on PPU M80. $16.99 a box I think? Grabbed 6 boxes and a flat of #7.5 as I don’t have a lot of shotgun shells and again, their price is pretty decent and I was in for shipping on ammo anyway.

    Probably the last Ammo I buy for a LONG time. I wasn’t running low on 308/7.62, but getting my AR-10 tuned and running properly is eating a few trips and a fair whack of ammo. And I am just not in the place to start reloading .308 yet. I’ve got components and dies to reload a few hundred rounds.

    I didn’t have thousands of rounds for my AR-10 anyway. Downside to adding a semi-auto to a bolt gun. A few hundred rounds seems like a lot for a bolt gun. Doesn’t seem to plentiful to a semi-auto...

    One of those “well I wish I’d bought a couple .50 cal Ammo cans of surplus 7.62x51 last year.”
     

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