Hello, I have a new BFG and a couple of Rugged cans I can mount on it.

I'm torn between the Rugged three chamber 7.62 brake or short 7.62 flash hider.

I think the brake might help preserve my cans, but damn it will be obnoxious without the suppressor.

What say you guys?

The answer, of course, is to not shoot unsuppressed.

All the testing in the last few years with the guys who have all the super expensive equipment show that brakes make a noticeable difference in terms of better suppression. They also act as a sacrificial baffle, so yes, a brake will help preserve your can. I've seen a lot of pictures of blast baffles that have flame cutting from various prong style flash hiders, so I avoid those outright.

I don't like the idea of shooting an unsuppressed rifle with a brake, and yes, it is a lot more punishing both for the shooter and everyone else. It also turns your gun into a little pyrotechnics show. We shot a night vision match early this year and one of our guys forgot his can. Unfortunately for him, it was a YHM and he was using a YHM brake, which meant nobody could loan him a can because we all Plan B. I felt like I was getting brain damage from the concussion standing 15-30 yards behind him on every stage because the rifle itself was bad enough, but the high berms in the narrow action bays just sealed in the freshness. 11" AR. He got so much shit for that match. Every round looked like a lightning flash under NV.

I've shot a few rounds through my 11.5" without the can, and the Rearden SPB is incredibly punishing. I have one on my .308 Bergara and cleared out two or three benches on either side of me the last time I went to the range with it. Shit was rattling loose from the sound dampening stuff overhead, looked like it was snowing.

But with any can mounted? More pleasant than the best flash hider or forward comp.

Yeesh, flame cutting, I was not aware that could happen with flash hiders.

There are very few scenarios where I would shoot this thing un-suppressed, so I guess that answers that.

Thanks Smudge!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DoctorSolo,

Not every brake is a winner. In the surefire ecosystem I lived in until recently the brakes are much louder even when suppressed. And at least in the tradional surefire cans the FH doesn't seem to be problematic in any way in terms of blast baffles etc. even at relatively high round counts.
But like P220 Smudge says look at some of the muzzle devices in tests like the Socom surge and they are pretty much destroyed.