Rifle muzzle brakes on pistols?

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  • D.R.SCOTT

    Plinker
    Nov 24, 2010
    119
    28
    Indiana
    My newest pistol is a Beretta M9A3, and its my first pistol that is threaded. A friend of mine has a 9mm carbine that has a muzzle break attached, and they both have the same threading and they are the same caliber. So we thought it would be fun to throw switch the break when we go shooting next to see if there is any difference for science sake. But it got me wondering...

    Are they interchangeable?

    I would assume so, Same threading and caliber, but there is always the possibility of some obscure knowledge that would say other wise. I couldn't find much on the interwebs either. I have lots of experience with firearms, but not so much with threaded pistols so I figured I would ask and see what others have to say before I just try it.
     
    Last edited by a moderator:

    Tombs

    Grandmaster
    Jan 13, 2011
    12,022
    113
    Martinsville
    As long as there isn't a bore obstruction caused by installing the BRAKE, it shouldn't be a problem.

    It should work fine on your beretta but browning action type pistols may or may not like a brake depending on the gun.
     

    D.R.SCOTT

    Plinker
    Nov 24, 2010
    119
    28
    Indiana
    browning action type pistols may or may not like a brake depending on the gun.

    Would that be because of a locked breech vs blow-back action design? I can see how changing pressure would effect the cycling of a blow back action. I also heard of tilting barrels causing some issues with larger comps and suppressors, as it changes not only pressure but also adds moving weight that acts like a fulcrum for the tilting barrel. As you said, it should work fine as the A3 was designed with these issues in mind, as well as the light weight open slide. I will still try out multiple ammo loads tough to see how it handles high/low pressure variations.

    Thanks, if I end up liking it and purchase my own muzzle device I can think of this stuff before hand so I can avoid ending up with issues.
     

    Drail

    Master
    Oct 13, 2008
    2,542
    48
    Bloomington
    I cannot decide if everybody mis-spells "breach" or "break" these days because they cannot spell or because their computer is constantly "correcting" their spelling. Sometimes "spell check" just screws things up more. I turned mine off because it's dumber than a 4th grader.
     

    WebSnyper

    Maximum Effort
    Jul 3, 2010
    15,419
    113
    127.0.0.1
    I cannot decide if everybody mis-spells "breach" or "break" these days because they cannot spell or because their computer is constantly "correcting" their spelling. Sometimes "spell check" just screws things up more. I turned mine off because it's dumber than a 4th grader.

    Well, the spell checker also doesn't generally understand context either so it is not smart enough to know when brake vs break is needed. I'm guessing OP used the correctly spelled word in the incorrect context. That said, I knew what he meant, and it wasn't a big deal.
     

    russc2542

    Master
    Oct 24, 2015
    2,111
    83
    Columbus
    Would that be because of a locked breech vs blow-back action design? I can see how changing pressure would effect the cycling of a blow back action. I also heard of tilting barrels causing some issues with larger comps and suppressors, as it changes not only pressure but also adds moving weight that acts like a fulcrum for the tilting barrel. As you said, it should work fine as the A3 was designed with these issues in mind, as well as the light weight open slide. I will still try out multiple ammo loads tough to see how it handles high/low pressure variations.

    Thanks, if I end up liking it and purchase my own muzzle device I can think of this stuff before hand so I can avoid ending up with issues.

    M9/92fs isn't blowback, it's a falling block. the barrel travels back some fraction of on inch locked to the slide before the block unlocks.

    Suppressors and tilt-barrels don't go well together because you're trying to rotate the can with the barrel and you can snap the end of the barrel off. the linear motion of the M9/92 still stresses the threads but just putting them in tension rather than trying to bend the barrel. Putting a brake on the M9 may affect the action since the barrel does travel rearward.
     

    Drail

    Master
    Oct 13, 2008
    2,542
    48
    Bloomington
    I have always believed that language and music are without any doubt the human race's greatest creations. But there are rules - and spell check doesn't seem to understand the rules very well - or doesn't believe they matter. Kinda like the Democrat party........
     
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    WebSnyper

    Maximum Effort
    Jul 3, 2010
    15,419
    113
    127.0.0.1
    I have always believed that language and music are without any doubt the human race's greatest creations. But there are rules - and spell check doesn't seem to understand the rules very well - or doesn't believe they matter. Kinda like the Democrat party........


    Gun powder is a pretty good one too...
     

    russc2542

    Master
    Oct 24, 2015
    2,111
    83
    Columbus
    I have always believed that language and music are without any doubt the human race's greatest creations. But there are rules - and spell check doesn't seem to understand the rules very well - or doesn't believe they matter. Kinda like the Democrat party........

    Quite the opposite. Spell check and computers are all about rules and exactness but English is about the most ****ed up lawless language there is because it uses bits and pieces of all languages wherever it happens to show up so for every rule there are six exceptions (like the dems) and that doesn't even touch on contextual uses, colloquialisms, emotional interpretation, etc. and phonetics is just a joke. to, two, too. their, they're, there. pear, pair, pare. what's plural for Prius? why do we even have the letter C? The simple existence of the words like homophone, homonym, homoglyph, heteronym is nuts.

    Yes that's mostly a rhetorical rant. no actual questions to be answered.
     

    D.R.SCOTT

    Plinker
    Nov 24, 2010
    119
    28
    Indiana
    M9A3.jpg
    Update: I needed a crush washer, but it worked perfectly and I ended up buying an A2 style birdcage for myself. After 250 rounds, there was no issue, performance was improved, and reliability not hindered in the slightest. Still going to get a lighter recoil spring and test it with low recoil ammo, for science :D

    As to the very odd conversation about language, its kind of ironic how people are having such a well spoken debate on the English language while ignoring the concept of context and leaving no pertinent information to the actual topic at hand. But Ill add to it out of the spirit of enjoying a good discussion.

    I cannot speak for others who use break and brake interchangeable, but my personal primary excuse is that I have never spelled well nor have I ever understood the correct names, terms, or structure rules of the English language. I passed all my classes, college included, by winging it based off of what sounded correct from reading and speaking to others.

    And with language being the passing on of ideas, I would say that both break and brake are correct. Break being used to describe relief from something harsh, or dividing something large into smaller pieces, can accurately describe the processes of redirecting gases and lowering felt recoil.

    In the end it's an issue unique to written language, writing "There over the're changing the breaks on the car" is wrong on paper but speaking it the way its wrote is completely fine. I read by context of the words transformed into a spoken conversation. Since break and brake are the same when spoken, I know via context that what a muzzle brake is.

    Rules are like a stop sign in a big open field with no other cars around. You are supposed to stop, but the point of stopping is to regulate traffic with other cars to avoid accidents. But since no other cars are around... its redundant and following the rule would be the result of focusing more on the rule itself instead of what the rule is trying to accomplish. Either way there will be no accidents, so why stop when the purpose of the rule can be fulfilled regardless?

    By the way that actually happened to me driving in the Nevada desert lol.
     

    russc2542

    Master
    Oct 24, 2015
    2,111
    83
    Columbus
    View attachment 67060
    Update: I needed a crush washer, but it worked perfectly and I ended up buying an A2 style birdcage for myself. After 250 rounds, there was no issue, performance was improved, and reliability not hindered in the slightest. Still going to get a lighter recoil spring and test it with low recoil ammo, for science :D

    As to the very odd conversation about language, its kind of ironic how people are having such a well spoken debate on the English language while ignoring the concept of context and leaving no pertinent information to the actual topic at hand. But Ill add to it out of the spirit of enjoying a good discussion.

    I cannot speak for others who use break and brake interchangeable, but my personal primary excuse is that I have never spelled well nor have I ever understood the correct names, terms, or structure rules of the English language. I passed all my classes, college included, by winging it based off of what sounded correct from reading and speaking to others.

    And with language being the passing on of ideas, I would say that both break and brake are correct. Break being used to describe relief from something harsh, or dividing something large into smaller pieces, can accurately describe the processes of redirecting gases and lowering felt recoil.

    In the end it's an issue unique to written language, writing "There over the're changing the breaks on the car" is wrong on paper but speaking it the way its wrote is completely fine. I read by context of the words transformed into a spoken conversation. Since break and brake are the same when spoken, I know via context that what a muzzle brake is.

    Rules are like a stop sign in a big open field with no other cars around. You are supposed to stop, but the point of stopping is to regulate traffic with other cars to avoid accidents. But since no other cars are around... its redundant and following the rule would be the result of focusing more on the rule itself instead of what the rule is trying to accomplish. Either way there will be no accidents, so why stop when the purpose of the rule can be fulfilled regardless?

    By the way that actually happened to me driving in the Nevada desert lol.


    A2 birdcage style isn't much of a brake as it doesn't direct the gasses rearward to counter recoil. It mainly counters muzzle rise.

    Off topic tangents are the fun of forums.

    Break can also be used as a verb to (break), as it broken. While the device may give you a break from the recoil, it does so by braking and is, in fact, properly spelled brake. You don't call your car's brakes breaks because they give you a break from speed.

    As to spelling being like stopping (or not) at the stop sign in the Nevada desert, I agree that when you're talking to yourself, alone, it doesn't matter. When you're communicating with others it's like ignoring the stop sign altogether because you think you'll get there first anyway so why bother. Spelling and punctuation are precision and that precision is the difference between "helping your uncle, Jack, off a horse" and "helping your uncle jack off a horse". While context helps overcome errors, it does not obviate them. It is precisely because of the insanity of the rules and nuances of English that the precision is necessary. Look at all the argument about the words of the 2nd amendment. Another example from work being the difference between not saying to do something and saying not to do something. In this case "do not stop this process to perform daily checks" was given. The process deviated and shut down automatically and the tech on duty did perform the daily check including adding lube. unfortunately the process was studying the breakdown of a lube sample and while the tech followed the directions (do not shut the process down...) he did screw up the test because the directions were imprecise.

    There are so many rules and exceptions you're almost better off going by feel, but they are almost all written down if you're bored for a few months. From my not insignificant time on the internet and on forums, as bad off as you may be, that you can even follow the conversation means you're above average.
     

    rvb

    Grandmaster
    Jan 14, 2009
    6,396
    63
    IN (a refugee from MD)
    A2 birdcage style isn't much of a brake as it doesn't direct the gasses rearward to counter recoil. It mainly counters muzzle rise.

    ...and barely works to counter muzzle rise at all either, especially if the end is open like a regular M16A2 flash hider.
    No chambers or baffles = lousy brake/comp.
    There's a reason they call the A2 a flash hider vs a brake or comp.
    Not much more effective than threading on a small weight...

    I have a bored-out A2 on my 9mm PCC.... I call it a thread protector, cause it's sure not doing any brake/comp work...

    -rvb
     
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    russc2542

    Master
    Oct 24, 2015
    2,111
    83
    Columbus
    ...and barely works to counter muzzle rise at all either, especially if the end is open like a regular M16A2 flash hider.
    No chambers or baffles = lousy brake/comp.
    There's a reason they call the A2 a flash hider vs a brake or comp.
    Not much more effective than threading on a small weight...

    I have a bored-out A2 on my 9mm PCC.... I call it a thread protector, cause it's sure not doing any brake/comp work...

    -rvb

    but it looks cool and draws forth liberal tears to lube your guns with.
     
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