A muzzle brake-compensator (DTC) is a special device designed to reduce the recoil of a firearm, using the kinetic energy of powder gases that exit the barrel after a bullet or projectile is fired. In addition to reducing the level of recoil when firing (at the level of 25 to 75 percent, depending on the design), the muzzle brake-compensator reduces the toss of the barrel of the weapon, leaving it on the line of sight, which reduces the time required to produce the next shot. Today, such devices are widely used in artillery and small arms, mainly in automatic weapons.
The muzzle brake was known even before the start of World War II, but it was during the war years and after its end that this device became most widespread. Initially, DTKs were used in artillery, but with the development and widespread distribution of automatic small arms, they began to be used on small-caliber weapons. Today, almost all modern machine guns and assault rifles are equipped with a muzzle brake-compensator by default. DTK redirects powder gases and really reduces the recoil and toss of the barrel of the weapon when firing. They are in demand not only in models of military weapons, but also in civilian models used by sports shooters. At the same time, by changing the direction of movement of the powder gases, the DTK can amplify the sound of a shot that the shooter or artillery crew hears. Moreover, the more effective the device, the louder the sound of the shot. For athletes, this is not a particular problem, they usually use headphones, but in the army, personal hearing protection is more of a luxury. Therefore, very often the designers of army small arms deliberately limit the effectiveness of the vehicle.
The muzzle brakes existing today use the energy of some of the powder gases that come out of the bore after the fired bullet. Muzzle gas devices are more advantageous in terms of energy, they do not worsen the ballistics of the weapon, in addition, they are distinguished by high reliability and simplicity of the device. The efficiency of using such devices depends to a significant extent on the speed, quantity and direction of movement of the backward propellant gases. At the same time, an increase in the efficiency of their work is usually accompanied by a strong effect of powder gases on the shooter or installation, making it difficult to aim, as well as on the ground, which provokes unmasking due to the formation of dust that rises with powder gases. Due to the use of various muzzle gas devices, designers can significantly reduce the recoil energy of small arms or moving parts of their automation, reduce the fieryness of a shot, increase the accuracy of firing from automatic weapons, etc.
All muzzle brakes can be divided into three main groups according to their effect on weapons:
- axial muzzle brakes, they provide a reduction in the recoil energy of the weapon or the barrel only in the longitudinal direction;
- muzzle brakes of lateral action, they provide the effect of a lateral force directed perpendicular to the axis of the barrel bore. Such muzzle brakes are often also called compensators, they are usually used in handguns, in which an overturning moment can occur, deflecting the axis of the bore in the lateral direction;
- muzzle brakes of combined action, they provide both a decrease in the recoil force in the longitudinal direction and the creation of a lateral force that compensates for the overturning moment of a firearm. Such muzzle brakes are called compensator brakes. It is they who are used mainly in modern models of small arms.
Various types of DTK for the Kalashnikov assault rifle
According to their principle of action, muzzle brakes are divided into models of active action, reactive action and active-reactive action.
Active muzzle brakes use the blow of a gas jet coming out of the barrel bore on the surface, which is attached to the barrel of the weapon. Such a blow forms an impulse of force directed against the action of the weapon's recoil, thereby reducing the recoil energy of the entire system.
In automatic models of small arms, the most common are jet-type muzzle brakes, the action of which is based on the use of the reaction of the outflow of powder gases. Their main purpose is to reduce the recoil energy of the barrel or the entire weapon system by ensuring a symmetrical removal of a part of the powder gases in the direction of recoil. At the moment the bullet leaves the bore, part of the powder gases are retracted through special channels in the muzzle brake. At the same time, under the influence of the reaction of the outflow of powder gases, all weapons receive a push forward, the recoil energy decreases. The greater the volume of gases will be diverted back and the higher their speed will be, the more efficiently the muzzle brake will work.
In models of active-reactive muzzle brakes, both of the above principles are combined with each other. In such devices, the gas jet is hit in the forward direction (active action) and the jet is thrown back (reactive action). A similar device was used, for example, on the Tokarev SVT-40 self-loading rifle of the 1940 model.
SVT-40
Also, muzzle brakes can be classified according to design features that can significantly affect the effectiveness of these devices. The main such design features include: the presence or vice versa the absence of a diaphragm (front wall); number of rows of side holes; number of cameras; the shape of the side holes. A muzzle brake, which lacks a diaphragm and a front wall, is commonly called tubeless. At the same time, a muzzle brake equipped with a diaphragm provides greater efficiency compared to tubeless devices due to the creation of an additional pulling force in the direction opposite to the recoil, this is ensured by the impact of the outflowing powder gas on the diaphragm. In modern weapons, one and two-chamber models of muzzle brakes are most widespread, since a further increase in the number of chambers only insignificantly increases the effectiveness of such devices (no more than 10 percent), while the mass and dimensions are increasing. The shape of the side holes can be different: rectangular or square windows, longitudinal or transverse slots, round holes. In these cases, muzzle brakes are called respectively - single, slot or mesh. Within each of the chambers, such holes can be located in one or several rows at once, both along the perimeter and along the length of the muzzle device.
Along with muzzle brakes in modern models of automatic small arms, compensators are very widely used - devices designed for asymmetric removal of powder gases to the sides from the axis of the barrel bore,which is necessary to stabilize the weapon during firing. Muzzle brakes-compensators work due to the action of powder gases that flow out of the bore in the direction opposite to the action of the overturning moment. Typical models of modern DTK can stabilize the weapon when firing in one or two planes.
Today muzzle brakes are very actively and massively used in small arms. One of the reasons for their widespread use by designers is the simplicity of the device, which is combined in them with high efficiency. In modern automatic weapons, muzzle brakes are equipped with large-caliber machine guns and small-caliber guns in order to reduce the effect of recoil on the machine, as well as self-loading and assault rifles, machine guns, submachine guns, high-precision large-caliber rifles for powerful cartridges.
DTK assault rifle AK-74M
Today, one of the most famous and common examples of the use of a muzzle brake-compensator can be attributed to the famous Kalashnikov assault rifle - AK-74. This model of automatic weapon, among other changes, was distinguished by the presence of a fundamentally new design of the DTK in comparison with the previously used device on the AKM assault rifle.
The AK-74 assault rifle had a significantly improved muzzle brake-compensator, which became a long and two-chamber device. The first chamber of the DTK of this machine was a cylinder intended for the exit of a bullet, it also had three outlets for powder gases and two slots located near the diaphragm. The second compensator chamber had a slightly different device - two wide windows, and in front - the same diaphragm for the bullet exit. Such design changes made it possible to improve the tactical and technical characteristics of the machine. In particular, they had a positive effect on the accuracy of shooting and balancing, at the same time, the camouflage of the shooter improved, since the flashes of flame at the moment of the shot became very difficult to notice. In one form or another, a similar design, as well as its modifications (DTK 1-4), are used in Kalashnikov assault rifles today.
