Ks7 muzzle devices and lights

1790 Views 29 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Charlie Bravo, 5 d ago

Meray

Discussion Starter · 7 mo ago (Edited)

Hi I have had my ks7 for about 10 days now and just joined. I am wondering what the best muzzle device for me is. I am interested in the defender or the defender choke.
Does the choke version reduce recoil at all when the chokes are not installed?i do plan on buying a kel tec extended buttpad.
Does anyone know if the modlites will withstand being next to the muzzle break?

Edit:does anyone know the overall length with the defender and the extended butt pad? Math says it should be about 29.5?

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ARA

· #2 · 7 mo ago

I have the Defender on my KS7 and am satisfied with it. As my weapon is a home defense and truck gun that I wanted to be able to fire slugs if need be, I opted not to choke it. I have an O-light on it mounted to the M-lock position on the carry handle. The light is therefore to the rear of the muzzle and is not affected by muzzle blast.
My advice to you is to keep your KS7 simple.

Reactions: 1

dfariswheel

· #3 · 7 mo ago

There are a number of posts on the forum about muzzle brakes on the Kel-Tec shotguns, but in general a shotgun muzzle brake isn't nearly as effective as a brake on a rifle or pistol.
The reason is, the shotgun is operating at a much lower pressure, and a muzzle brake works by a jet effect of the gas venting through the slots or holes.

Some people report some felt recoil reduction, others not much, and shotgun brakes seem to be more cosmetic then useful.
You get far more felt recoil reduction with reduced recoil shells and good butt pads.
So, it's up to you.

Reactions: 2

Meray

Discussion Starter · #4 · 7 mo ago

dfariswheel said:
There are a number of posts on the forum about muzzle brakes on the Kel-Tec shotguns, but in general a shotgun muzzle brake isn't nearly as effective as a brake on a rifle or pistol.
The reason is, the shotgun is operating at a much lower pressure, and a muzzle brake works by a jet effect of the gas venting through the slots or holes.

Some people report some felt recoil reduction, others not much, and shotgun brakes seem to be more cosmetic then useful.
You get far more felt recoil reduction with reduced recoil shells and good butt pads.
So, it's up to you.

Thank you,that was something i was also wondering. I may just do a choke adapter after all and an aluminum follower. Is it normal for ks7s to wear a line(looks shiney and bare metal) on the barrel and tube parkerizing so fast? Its overall a home defense gun but damn that was fast for a brand new gun.

BJK

· #5 · 7 mo ago

Meray, I moved from a brake and have a choke adapter on mine (looks like the brake) and I still haven't decided if it'll stay on the KS7 or not. I'm ruthless when evaluating add-ons and they either lend something or they're gone. I think it changes the balance and adds useless weight and length to the muzzle. So it's gotta give me something for me to tolerate that. All firearms and add-ons are trade offs.

FWIW, the choke tube that stays on it is a rifled choke tube. I need to get it to the range and shoot it a bunch to evaluate it with and w/o slugs and buckshot.

Now a light/laser is a horse of a different color. I wouldn't be without one on a HD gun. Also a hand held or slung light for ambient light that can't be easily shut off by a perp, no casual pointing the gun and mounted light at folks to merely illuminate them.

Meray

Discussion Starter · #6 · 7 mo ago

BJK said:
Meray, I moved from a brake and have a choke adapter on mine (looks like the brake) and I still haven't decided if it'll stay on the KS7 or not. I'm ruthless when evaluating add-ons and they either lend something or they're gone. I think it changes the balance and adds useless weight and length to the muzzle. So it's gotta give me something for me to tolerate that. All firearms and add-ons are trade offs.

FWIW, the choke tube that stays on it is a rifled choke tube. I need to get it to the range and shoot it a bunch to evaluate it with and w/o slugs and buckshot.

Now a light/laser is a horse of a different color. I wouldn't be without one on a HD gun. Also a hand held or slung light for ambient light that can't be easily shut off by a perp, no casual pointing the gun and mounted light at folks to merely illuminate them.

The idea with a light is to have it at low ready and make the powerful light illuminate the room. Othertimes the light can be used as a weapon itself with blinding abilities of course. I have had a two break ins and too me,the light itself is a defense tool.

Reactions: 2

ARA

· #7 · 7 mo ago

Meray said:
Thank you,that was something i was also wondering. I may just do a choke adapter after all and an aluminum follower. Is it normal for ks7s to wear a line(looks shiney and bare metal) on the barrel and tube parkerizing so fast? Its overall a home defense gun but damn that was fast for a brand new gun.

I would recommend the Defender muzzle device as a means of assuring that the shooter's weak hand doesn't get out in front of the muzzle in an uncontrolled situation. Just my opinion, of course, but I've got skin in the game.

dfariswheel

· #8 · 7 mo ago

Most all pump shotguns will quickly wear the finish on the magazine tube and often the barrel where the hand guard rubs.
That kind of wear is normal.
A lot depends on what "That was fast" is and how bad it is.

ARA

· #9 · 7 mo ago

Meray said:
Thank you,that was something i was also wondering. I may just do a choke adapter after all and an aluminum follower. Is it normal for ks7s to wear a line(looks shiney and bare metal) on the barrel and tube parkerizing so fast? Its overall a home defense gun but damn that was fast for a brand new gun.

There are a LOT of places on the KS7 where there are sharp edges of the plastic. They're all over the place. A little judicious rounding of those edges with jeweler's files and/or fine abrasive paper does wonders.

dfariswheel

· #10 · 7 mo ago

I did a fluff & buff on my KS7 and did an article about it in the "Fluff & buff Tech" area.
I spent most of my time and effort using my wife's old fingernail boards smoothing off the sharp edges of the plastic, especially around the loading port.
That makes a lot of difference in a more user friendly feel.

Reactions: 2

duncan

· #11 · 7 mo ago

Speaking of tactical flashlights, really like this 850 lumen light with a push button (Nightstick TWM-852XL):

Mount a short picatinny rail on your carry handle in the front and ready to go!

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Sudsy

· #12 · 4 mo ago

New here, just picked up my KS7 yesterday.
It's going to be used for way off grid RV / home / bear / meth-head protection.

I was looking at this light / laser combo to mount on the handle. Anyone have any experience with it ??

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BN39V85W/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A3W4CA1EPHP513&psc=1

BJK

· #13 · 4 mo ago

Sudsy said:
New here, just picked up my KS7 yesterday.
It's going to be used for way off grid RV / home / bear / meth-head protection.

I was looking at this light / laser combo to mount on the handle. Anyone have any experience with it ??

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BN39V85W/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A3W4CA1EPHP513&psc=1

Welcome to the forum. I'll try to go easy.

So basically Home Defense against lethal adversaries, correct? When weighing gear against my life I NEVER, and I do mean NEVER look to the lowest bidder, but to the gear that has a reasonable amount of people who used it without it failing. Does that make sense? I never heard of your posted gear before you linked to it. I wonder if anyone else has? If you want to save a few bucks and have it in your Will that any failure will be posted here so that we can tell folks to stay away from it I suppose that would make it worthwhile for us. But that won't do anything for you. I would steer clear of anything inexpensive and unknown. I know you didn't know and are asking. But the price alone tells me to stay away from it. It would work for some uses but if I were you and what you want it for I wouldn't consider it.

Story time. I once had a friend, now deceased, who would buy really nice firearms. But he never quite saw the value of spending much $ for sights. I could never get through to him regarding the value of quality sights on a quality firearm. I worked in QC where we both earned our living and learned early on that mixing feces with good stuff just resulted in turning all the good stuff into feces. One day he brought his newish bullpup over to show it off and shoot it on my private range. It was a bright sunny day and he proceeded to tell me about how his low priced sight had different reticles and colors available, and wasn't that special? Then came time to shoot. He could not see any reticle of any color because the sight was just garbage and not bright enough. It couldn't be seen over full daylight. That made the entire rig completely useless, and the bullpup was a good one, but turned into crap by his choice of a substandard sight that had a good price and all sorts of doodads to attract the unwary. I think the lesson of this true story is to get something of quality even if it means spending a few dollars more. You do not want to be my buddy when your life is on the line and your gear must work RIGHT NOW! My buddy maybe would like what you linked to, more so if it projected pictures in different colors.

Story #2. I shoot competitively with a gent who put a (my observation) early gen' red dot sight on his competition gun. Pretty much every year he can be counted on to have 1 or 2 battery failures due to the sight being a battery hog. He only shoots with us 1/2 of the year so I assume he also has them down where he winters. I have no idea how much he paid for the sight but when I saw it 3 years ago I knew it was an early gen' sight. Contrast that with a sight that I put on my comp' gun. I used it for years and never changed the power cell. Then one day I went to the range and attempted to use it under the roof of the range. It was definitely dim, but it was in shade. Then I stepped out into ful sun and everything was fine, but it has solar cells that can power it. My buddy had to change batteries IMO frequently to keep his sight powered, but no doubt he saved a few bux. How long had my sight been housing a dead battery and I was ignorant to that because mine used the sun for power if the battery was dead? When the SHTF which would you rather have? That's why I always buy quality (to make up for my failings) and not to save a few $. Life is on the line? That makes it even more imperative that it MUST absolutely work without fail.

You might not want to do as I've been known to do and at times spend as much for sights as the firearm costs, but I've never been let down and my gear always works... always. I think if you ask here you'll find that to be the norm among serious users, I don't think I'm unusual in demanding that my gear always work if my life is on the line. Heck, I don't want it to fail when I'm in competition! But I see competition as the crucible that tells me the gear is worthy of being called upon when I need it when lives are on the line as you indicated yours will be.

Maybe tell us what you want the sight to do (conditions) and ask for suggestions. Then evaluate them. The thread this question is in has aged and things have changed and so might the suggested gear. It won't change for me except the sights have been upgraded by the mfg'r (still in my radar though), and any laser I mentioned has probably been discontinued. It would also help if you would tell us your experience. Why? I let my battery die. Will you? Or unlike me, can you regularly change the battery yearly even if it doesn't need changing?

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Reactions: 1

Sudsy

· #14 · 4 mo ago

I agree with everything you said.
In a life or death situation I'd go to the iron sights anyway, I've never totally trusted anything else.
It's the flashlight that's important to me, I want that to work, be blindingly bright and with a strobe that will by itself deter a critter invading the camp.

I've been looking at reviews on both expensive lights and not so expensive lights (avoiding the very cheap ones), and it seems that the percentage of negative reviews on some of the mid range ones (like this one) are fewer than for the higher priced models.
Makes it really tough to decide

ARA

· #15 · 4 mo ago

@Sudsy, it is long, long odds that the light/laser you posted about isn't designed and manufactured in China. That explains the price, and that price should tell you what you need to know about quality. No green laser worth owning is priced that low. I think that the best outcome that you can realize from purchasing that unit is disappointment.

I suggest you have a look at the Streamlight TLR-2G.

Sudsy

· #16 · 4 mo ago

Where is Streamlight manufactured in 2023:
Most of its products of Streamlight’s are manufactured overseas. Only some of their top-tier lights are assembled in the USA, especially the Stinger and Strion series.
Since 1973, Streamlight has been manufacturing advanced equipment for both military and civilians. Though they are a USA-based manufacturer, most of its items are imported from other countries.
Companies like Streamlight always have extra attention to Chinese laborers and manufacturing facilities.

Is there one that's fully manufactured in the USA ??

Sudsy

· #17 · 4 mo ago

Change of plan - going to get just a light, no laser
If I decide to go with a laser at a future time I'll get a dedicated one. These combo units have too many bits that can break down.

Anyone recommend a light?
Very low profile, M-Loc to go on the side of the handle, no pressure switch preferably something I can turn on easily with my thumb, VERY bright with a strobe.

dfariswheel

· #18 · 4 mo ago

Unfortunately, all too much critical gear is made in China.
An engineer friend told me that you can get as good a quality out of China, depending on how many inspectors you're willing to pay for, and if you're willing to pay for inspectors to inspect the inspectors.
He told me some real horror stories about Chinese and Mexican manufacturing.

You can get some good items from China, like the Bushnell TRS red dots. These have a great reputation for low end sights and I have one for my Colt M4, but I'd NEVER use it for a critical purpose like saving my life.

I always followed the rule of buying the best quality guns and gear i could possibly afford, even if I had to eat candy bar lunches for a while.
The old adage that you get exactly what you pay for is true. You don't have to buy a Cadillac when a good utility Ford will do, but buy a good name brand, not some unknown quality China made junk that will usually fail when most needed.

dfariswheel

· #19 · 4 mo ago

Unfortunately, all too much critical gear is made in China.
An engineer friend told me that you can get as good a quality out of China, depending on how many inspectors you're willing to pay for, and if you're willing to pay for inspectors to inspect the inspectors.
He told me some real horror stories about Chinese and Mexican manufacturing.

You can get some good items from China, like the Bushnell TRS red dots. These have a great reputation for low end sights and I have one for my Colt M4, but I'd NEVER use it for a critical purpose like saving my life.

I always followed the rule of buying the best quality guns and gear i could possibly afford, even if I had to eat candy bar lunches for a while.
The old adage that you get exactly what you pay for is true. You don't have to buy a Cadillac when a good utility Ford will do, but buy a good name brand, not some unknown quality China made junk that will usually fail when most needed.

Reactions: 1

ARA

· #20 · 4 mo ago

Some Chinese manufactured goods are designed in America and merely manufactured in China to that design. But there are many goods in which the American firm provides a performance specification to the Chinese manufacturer, and the item is then both designed and manufactured in China. The latter are the ones to avoid.

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