The installation of a muzzle brake on my .243 went less than smoothly for several reasons but the end result was the muzzle brake is not exactly parallel (I was using a torpedo level so exactly is being used loosely in my case) with the top of the receiver. I’m not overly concerned as I anticipate a suppressor hanging off of the end a majority of the time but the question did pop into my head as to just how far a muzzle brake can be from perfectly flat/level before it causes notable issues.

Sako recommends that the TRG-22 muzzle brake be rotated slightly off center to help with recoil control. I am not completely sure of the reason why, but I assume it has to do with rifling twist. This is how I install mine, but I admit I have no idea whether it helps. It has no detrimental effect that I can detect.



How far off is yours rotated? Can you post a photo?

quote:

Originally posted by CEShooter:
...just how far a muzzle brake can be from perfectly flat/level before it causes notable issues.

Regardless of a brake's rotational orientation, it will reduce recoil with the level of efficacy for which it was designed. If the brake's gas ports are only pointed 180 degrees from each other, there will be no up/down/left/right forces on the barrel. However, if the brake has other ports, these normally serve as a comp -- which should be pointed straight up, to impart a downward force on the barrel.

If the brake is oriented so that a port faces downward, additional dust will be blown up by the gas. This can be disconcerting to the shooter, but it really shouldn't affect the shot -- if the shooter is applying the fundamentals of marksmanship.

I have some brakes and comps with are not aligned to the sides -- 3 and 9 o'clock. They are suppressor attachments. On rare occasions, I've shot these rifles with the can. There is no difference is Point of Impact for the shots, other than that which occurs from the weight of a can on the end of the barrel.

"Proper orientation" of muzzle devices seems to be recent issue on this site. For shooters with good technique, port orientation means little.

I assume... hope you mean clocking?

On semi auto raceguns it's not unheard of to make them not-level on purpose. You tune it to shoot flat, where the ports point be damned.

Doesn't matter.

I have no clue what we are talking about and how one might be using a torpedo level to do something involving the threading of a device on a muzzle? Clocking might be an issue of course but I can't imagine level.

Perhaps not everyone is familiar with them, but some muzzle brakes, such as the Thunder Beast version, direct the muzzle gas left and right and have flats on the top and bottom. If one wanted that brake installed so that the top flat was exactly perpendicular to the vertical line of the bore if for no other reason than aesthetics, it could be accomplished by leveling the top of the rifle receiver with a level and then timing* the muzzle brake so that the flat was also level. I have installed my TBAC brakes by eye, but understand how a level might be useful.

It would still be interesting to see the muzzle brake referenced in the first post.

*(Or is “clocking” the word I want?)

Part of the problem is everyone is picturing something different in their head. lol

For a bolt gun, I think you'd REALLY have to get things askew to notice anything.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
Part of the problem is everyone is picturing something different in their head.

No! Does that really happen‽

Well, hardly; not more than 95% of discussions about techniques and equipment.

quote:

Originally posted by CEShooter:
The installation of a muzzle brake on my .243 went less than smoothly for several reasons but the end result was the muzzle brake is not exactly parallel (I was using a torpedo level so exactly is being used loosely in my case) with the top of the receiver. I’m not overly concerned as I anticipate a suppressor hanging off of the end a majority of the time but the question did pop into my head as to just how far a muzzle brake can be from perfectly flat/level before it causes notable issues.

Some people intentionally clock them because a right handed shooter will generally naturally push the rifle to the right a bit under recoil.

So they may clock their muzzle brake at 1:00, but that depends on the design of the muzzle brake and whether or not it generates any downforce.


Shoot it offhand, very slowly and deliberately, at a target, and see if the muzzle pushes in a direction that you don't like.


If you plan to have a can on it most of the time, I probably wouldn't even worry about it.


I carefully time my competition rifles. Suppressor mounts I barely worry about.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
I assume... hope you mean clocking?

On semi auto raceguns it's not unheard of to make them not-level on purpose. You tune it to shoot flat, where the ports point be damned.

This.

https://imgur.com/a/BsFoXJF

Here is the mount that got the question going in my head.

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

quote:

Originally posted by CEShooter:


Here is the mount that got the question going in my head.

That won't be a problem.

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

I agree that that degree of offset would have no noticeable effect on anything.

I just found a factory reference for the TRG muzzle brake inclination I referenced, and according to it, to eliminate sideways movement of the rifle when firing, the factory muzzle brake can be inclined 45°. That of course is far more than what I have tried, and much more than your angle.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I just found a factory reference for the TRG muzzle brake inclination I referenced, and according to it, to eliminate sideways movement of the rifle when firing, the factory muzzle brake can be inclined 45°. That of course is far more than what I have tried, and much more than your angle.

Wow, I never would have thought that there would be that much leeway in what angle it could be installed at. I wish I could have a little bit of that time back that I spent trying to get the brake aligned "just so".