ejumicate me... fireballs.

[colt933]

Sometimes you see sparks, sometimes it's just a big flame/fireball. I wonder if the sparks could be carbon residue breaking loose. Also, sometimes I see sparks exiting titanium suppressors, and I think it's the titanium - maybe dust left over from the manufacturing process.

[militarymoron]

Well ESK is a pretty smart guy. I wonder if it could be a combo of carbon particles, the build up on the device altering muzzle blast flow, and ammo fluctuations too.

It'd be interesting to run a Magneto speed at night and compare the velocities on flashy rounds to the velocities on non-flashy rounds.

i'd be interested in seeing that as well. yup - ESK is a sharp dude so when he talks, i listen, ask questions, then listen again

it's an interesting question though, and the phenomenon still seems to persist with both 'good' ammo and the stuff like wolf. maybe try a mag of your best hand loads, minimize any ammo fluctuation and see if you get random fireballs still?

As leaveammoforme mentioned on the first page, LAV also speculated about it being similar to first round pop; related to oxygen or unburnt powder in the barrel. i found this video that illustrates the randomness of muzzle flash. no info at all on what ammo he's using, but we've all seen this sort of random flash before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZeATz9Vqwc

[markm]

Yeah. Inconsistent oxygen in the barrel is a good possibility too.

[Ned Christiansen]

I have always attributed random red sparks to being carbon particles breaking loose. You'll get that even with the King of Flash Hiders (in my book anyway), the Vortex.

[sevenhelmet]

I've seen this from a 16" barrel AR on an indoor range with a standard A2 FH as well, shooting American Eagle 55 grain ball round. Every 3 to 5 rounds would be an especially bright flash (bright yellow), no apparent correlation with firing rate or gun temp. We never came up with a decent reason why. I've never seen it before or since, probably because I normally use outdoor ranges.

[markm]

I wonder if it's unique to ball powders.

[RVTMaverick]

I think it would be interesting to see IF it still happened with waiting min. 3 seconds to as much as 5 seconds between firing off rounds, giving plenty of time for unburned power to clear
away from the muzzle....?

[Caduceus]

i'd be interested in seeing that as well. yup - ESK is a sharp dude so when he talks, i listen, ask questions, then listen again

it's an interesting question though, and the phenomenon still seems to persist with both 'good' ammo and the stuff like wolf. maybe try a mag of your best hand loads, minimize any ammo fluctuation and see if you get random fireballs still?

As leaveammoforme mentioned on the first page, LAV also speculated about it being similar to first round pop; related to oxygen or unburnt powder in the barrel. i found this video that illustrates the randomness of muzzle flash. no info at all on what ammo he's using, but we've all seen this sort of random flash before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZeATz9Vqwc

Well, in this context it is random. Others, like a Mosin M-44, are just shy of a flash-bang...

Interesting thoughts all. Thanks for the info, and glad I'm not the only one slightly confused by it.

[JHoward]

Mine mostly does it with XM193. This is an A2 FH and XM193. I just installed an ALG SCB, so I will try to get a low light condition and do the same video with two different ammo's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y0k4zyXU1U

Also, I would have to disagree that these big flashes are carbon breaking off and igniting, maybe the sparks that are sometimes visible when the large flashes are not. These shots you see in this video are within the first 100 rounds this rifle has ever seen.

[markm]

Also, I would have to disagree that these big flashes are carbon breaking off and igniting, maybe the sparks that are sometimes visible when the large flashes are not. These shots you see in this video are within the first 100 rounds this rifle has ever seen.

That looks a classic example. I've found, however, that video doesn't always capture flash that the eye can see... but maybe that's just my crappy video gear.