[darkwriter77]

Picked up a PLR-16 last weekend after hem-hawing about it for a long time. Already gave it a bit of a "fluff and buff," at least as far as filing/sanding off the rough plastic bits all over the exterior where the seams had sharp or rough edges, and gave it a nice, slick lube-up. But I can't help but find myself bothered by that darned thread protector on the end that is just BEGGING for some kind of a muzzle device to be screwed on there.

Being that these things make a crazy amount of muzzle flash and noise, my first inclination was to invest in a flash suppressor type of device. Y'know, one of those Flaming Pig style thingies. But they're kinda heavy and look rather ugly unless they're on an AR pistol with a handguard that halfway covers it, giving it a Star Wars blaster look, and they do nothing to help with muzzle jump. Of course, there's the Kel-Tec brand muzzle brake specifically for the PLR-16, but all the statements I've read about that say it works but it's stupid-loud for the shooter.

Soooooo, I stumbled across a few of these kinda deals, which are basically muzzle brakes with a threaded rear part so you can slip over a "can" that comes with it to make it function as a "sound forwarder." Want recoil/muzzle climb reduction? Take off the can. Want to project the sound downrange instead to be less obnoxious to shooters in lanes beside you and/or to yourself? Screw the can back on. Seems like a neat idea to me.

Anyone tried one on a PLR-16? Does it work worth a hoot? Or does the "sound forwarder" (can) interfere with the pistol's cycling and cause malfunctions by acting like a muzzle booster and pushing the pistol and bolt carrier back with too much force?

 

[buzzsaw]

With the "can" it would function something like a Levang linear compensator. I doubt that it would cause malfunctions. However, I am wondering if it might increase turbulence that might adversely affect accuracy. The Levang-type compensators have six forward-facing ports that are symmetrically arrayed around the bore, so it shouldn't cause any unbalanced forces to act on the bullet. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/52...levang-linear-1-2-28-thread-ar-15-steel-matte

I have a Levang and it does help with blast outdoors, but not in an indoor, two-lane 25-yard range. The only thing that would help there requires a tax stamp. I haven't done a systematic accuracy comparison with and without it, so I can't tell you what effect the Levang has on accuracy with my PLR-16. Indoors, even with the Levang, the muzzle blast from the PLR-16 stimulates my nose and causes me to sneeze. Outdoors, it caused leaves to fall off a nearby tree. It was autumn, but still...

buzzsaw-I need to shoot my PLR a bit more. So many guns, so little time...

 

[darkwriter77]

Even though the PLR-16 is capable of distances over 25 yards, *I* am not. I don't expect that I'll be using it for anything beyond 25, so unless it affects accuracy to a severe degree, I'm not too worried about that aspect. I just don't know if it will affect cycling reliability by acting as a muzzle booster. I saw a video of a guy with an SBR'ed PLR-16 that had one of those Krink-style muzzle devices on there, and it kept jamming, supposedly because it was affecting the piston/bolt carrier's cycle rate.

Whether I'm just a cheapskate or too lazy to deal with the paperwork or whatever, I've just never really had much desire to go through the hassle of getting a suppressor for any of my firearms. Even one of those oil filter adapter doohickies (which also require a tax stamp) don't really hold any appeal to me. Maybe if I was hardcore set on using an AR carbine or PLR-16 as a dedicated indoor home defense weapon, I might, but otherwise ... meh.

That Levang brake looks close to what I'm wanting, although the ones I had in mind had either a knurled exterior that you can grip and/or wrench flats toward the back so you can tighten it down more easily, like the Troy Industries Claymore ... although I dislike and have no need for the silly spikes on the Claymore. The combo brake I mentioned above was just another alternative I was considering, with the added benefit of being able to unscrew the "sound forwarder" can/sleeve/whatever when I'm somewhere that I don't have other shooters on either side of me at the range or whatever. (Muzzle brakes are nice, but on AR and AK pistols, they work better at annoying other shooters than anything else.)

 

[darkwriter77]

So, ummmm ... NOBODY with a PLR-16 has tried one of these combo muzzle brakes? Really?

 

[darkwriter77]

Whelp, went with the linear/Levang-style brake. Found one sold by Ultimate Arms (cheesy name) on Amazon that I liked, with some nifty knurling on the outside to make it easy to tighten down and "Molon Labe" etched on one of the flat sides. Also bought a couple of jam nuts and used one to screw on and tighten down the brake on the PLR-16. Haven't had a chance to test it out yet at all - with or without the brake - but as long as it isn't bored improperly and experiences bullet strikes, I figure it should do its job well enough as advertised ... at least as far as directing the sound forward and away. (I seriously doubt it'll do anything to reduce recoil, and probably nothing for muzzle jump, but oh well, not all that much to be had from 5.56/.223 anyway.)

Handy-dandy pic for anyone who cares:

 

[gearheadesw]

I'm all into muzzle devices on my PLR-16, been going back and forth with a CMMG .223 device, and an eBay downrange sound projector thing....

 

[mtn_chef]

wow older thread but I too endorse those devices. have no experience w ar or plr-16, but I do have one on my .223 ak pistol and it’s awesome. got mine off ebay for cheap...like $30?

sound and blast reduction are awesome, blue loctite on outer sleeve, cause hand tightened didn’t stay put. Accuracy out to 50 yards was fine.

 

[magiccarpetrides]

Im using an AAC Blackout Brake/Flashhider/Suppressor adaptor...before I was using an A2...the A2 tamed the flash some....im hoping this AAC will do a lot more....haven't ran it yet...hopefully this weekend.