hey everyone i just got the true shot slip on flash-hider and before i lock it down i was wondering does a flash hider affect the accuracy at all has anyone tested this any info is greatly appreciated thanks

The only effect will be to change the harmonic vibrations of the barrel. This may or may not improve the accuracy. The only way to know for sure is a series of before and after shoots.

I doubt you'll notice any difference; their flash hider is too light to add any appreciable mass to the end of the barrel. A steel compensator/muzzle brake often does make a difference.

You need something that adds a few ounces to the barrel. I'm going to the range this weekend with a BlackHole Weaponry Dragon Head Brake on mine.

And technically, you're not improving the accuracy - you're actually improving the consistency. Accuracy is controlled by the sighting system, and consistency is controlled by the barrel, ammo, and shooter.

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*Aim small, miss small...

At lunch today, a friend had some targets that were shot when he ordered a new barrel for his AR 15 clone. They had re-installed his flash suppressor and the groups were "unacceptable"~2". The flash suppressor was removed and groups shrunk to <1"(5 shots). Pretty graphic evidence that yes there is an effect.
So with this gun, there was an adverse effect.

what do u mean by ar15 clone was it a 22lr if not do u think it would have the same effect on a 22lr

I've found with very few exceptions that slip on type flash suppressors are bad for accuracy.

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Hold my beer and watch this!

Clones are replicates... it was 223 cal

A barrel will resonate with anything fired from it. The magnitude may be less with a 22lr but there will be resonance. I would try shooting with and without the flash hider. Then you can decide what works for your rifle.

Afternoon mr.pmpn

It doesn't have to but sure "can" effect accuracy. It really depends on how small the center hole in the flash hider & how that hole lines up with the center of the bore.

If the hole in the flash hider is just slightly bigger than the bore size & doesn't line up perfectly on bore center it can act just like a bad barrel crown.

On my CMMG dedicated 22 that gun shot noticeably better groups without the flash suppressor in place. Put it back on & the groups opened up again.

So, I chucked the flash suppressor in my collet lathe & bored the center hole out to just under thread size. Put it back on & groups just as good now as without the flash suppressor.

On my 15-22, that gun groups so bad it would be difficult to tell if it makes a difference or not but I bored the flash suppressor center hole out anyway just hoping it would improve the accuracy.

interesting info fellas well i tried a few 5 and 10 shot groups with and without the flash hider and didnt notice any significant difference if anything it shot better with it on same size groups just better consistency had a few doubles through the same hole but the spread was about the same at 30 yards with a red dot so i busted out the loctite and locked it down thanks though I really appreciate the help

has anybody with the factory threaded barrel and flash hider ever tested this??? doh i forgot to test the accuracy without the handgaurd end-cap lol i guess thatll have to wait im happy with it for now

5 shot groups from sport down to .668moa using reloads.
likes 60gr hornaday a-max and varget.
lattered recipe should probably go down to a consistent <.5moa.
no preception that flash hider affects accuracy.

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A&M'61,NRAlife'61.

What about adding a barrel shroud? Would that improve the harmonics?

One of the goals of bedding a barrel and also free floating a barrel is to change the harmonics. If a shroud is in contact with the barrel then the harmonics will change. For better or worse, I guess you won't know till you try. Browning/Winchester BOSS changed the harmonics by screwing it in or out. Never had one but some people swore by them. I imagine there was an equal number that swore at them.

If all one does is slip it on and tighten a couple of set screws, like the cheap cast pieces of junk sold for the 10/22, I tend to agree with you because there is nothing to prevent a secondary vibration at the end of the barrel.

On the other hand, if it's a tight fit and one puts a bead of Blue LocTite between the barrel and the flash hider and gives it a couple of days to cure, it essentially becomes bonded to the barrel and sets up no vibration of it's own.

I mention Blue Loctite because it will make a sufficiently permanent bond for most shooting applications but still can be removed with little or no heat required. For a much more permanent bond Red Loctite can be used but it will take the heat from a torch to make it release.

Mine shoots the same with or without the factory flash hider. Same for with or without my suppressor(17/64 bore) attached.
The Smith & Wesson gods must have smiled on me

Well here is accuracy with a Jerry Miculek compensator, CCI Tactical Ammo, free hand and standing at 50 yards for a 22LR using a Vortex StrikeFire Red Dot.. This is Zombie ready for sure...
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So, if the firearm is locked in a sighting rest and fired with and without a flash guard/brake, compensator (or what ever you want to call it) there would be no difference in the POI?

Romanian PSL 8 rounds 1200 frames per second - YouTube

It's amazing how much barrels flex.

Well the accuracy (groups size) will improve if you install a SIMS Barrel De-resonator and tune it for whatever ammo you use. The only issue with an AR15-22 is whether the accuracy point is in front of the handguard or under it. I frankly don't know. On my stock Rem 597 with the sporter barrel I managed to shrink the groups by at least 1/3 once I tuned it for CCI-MM which I was shooting at the time. Had to redo it for CCI-SV. Bought one of the bull barrel versions to use when Scott Volquartsen made me the carbon-fiber sleeved bull barrel for it later. However that gun off the rest could shoot .1" groups at 25 yards and .3" groups at 50 yards so I never put it on. Now I'm thinking I might try the sporter one on either my 15-22 PC or my AR build. Problem is both of them now have long handguards so not sure if they have enough free barrel area to tune. I will get around to trying before the year is out though.
I was preparing to do a compensator test for RimfireCentral late last year but got caught up in too much match shooting to do it. Idea was to do a test of comps similar to the one done on the 6mmBR.com done the .223. If you want to know the bottom line about that test the best comp for eliminating recoil and muzzle lift were the ones similar the the Tac Sol and VQ rimfire ones with symmetric multi-hole patterns around the barrel. some of those were as much as 100% effective. But the AR versions of those cost way more than the rimfire ones. Still Jerry's comp scored something like 75% which was very good, considering it was one of the cheaper one. for multigun you don't want a comp that has holes on the bottom for when you have to shoot prone. The cheapest one in the test was the Nordic Tactical at $27 and it was 52% effective and since it was small I bought one for my 15-22.
Anyway no one has done an actual accuracy test of comps, brakes, and flash hiders. I know bench rest shooters often use the symmetric multihole ones in the form of a combined comp and barrel tuner.