M4 with 14" barrel and Muzzle Blast?

[MichSteve]

I have been looking to buy my first AR, my son was coming into town and brought his M4 with a 14" barrel and a flash suppressor, the muzzle blast or noise from the M4 is 3 to 4 as much as my .223 bolt action rifle.

My question is are all AR's this loud?

I it barrel length or the flash suppressor?

I don't think I want a AR if that much noise is normal, one reason is our range is close to some great neighbors and I don't want to subject them to the noise, and my ears ring tonight even with having my normal ear plugs during shooting today.

[deputy tom]

I've shot a few ARs and haven't experienced a really loud report until I shot a 14.5" with a pinned/welded brake on it.I was flinching with every shot.This has me thinking of buying a full length rifle and forgetting about carbines all together.YMMV.tom.

[The Archangel]

Was the flash hider a flash hider, or a muzzle brake?

[variablebinary]

They are loud.

Not awful. Awful is Mk18 and Colt Commando.

A 20" barrel is much quieter.

What muzzle device was on the "14 inch"? Muzzle brakes are bad ju-ju

[moose01]

I've fired the M4 extensively, and own a 14.5 inch midlength I fire several times a month, and haven't really noticed it being excessively loud. I'm comparing to a couple 16 and 20 inch ARs, and the 20" M16. Never tried a brake, and I always wear one layer of ear protection, so ymmv. Was this under an overhang at a range, or was a brake used?

[RetreatHell]

You could always rock a sound suppressor!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIZCKy4ZZSE)

They ain't bad at all once you get used to 'em. Now an 11.5" upper with a Surefire brake in an enclosed indoor shooting lane.... WOWZA!!!:eek:

[MichSteve]

I am sorry it is a flash suppressor, I did notice more noise while someone else shot and I was behind them, verses me shooting.

[markm]

Awful is Mk18 and Colt Commando.


No doubt!!

I let a round fly out of my Colt Commando with my muffs sitting up on my head, above my ears.....

I thought the gun Kaboomed!!! :D

[Stickman]

No doubt!!

I let a round fly out of my Colt Commando with my muffs sitting up on my head, above my ears.....

I thought the gun Kaboomed!!! :D


Ouch, I've been on the range when someone test fires without letting anyone know..... its painful.

[RetreatHell]

Ouch, I've been on the range when someone test fires without letting anyone know..... its painful.

True dat! My dumbass sat there and watched Belmont load his Mk12 upper with an Ops Inc brake on it, flip the safety onto "fire," and squeeze the trigger... all while my electronic earpro was sitting on top of my head.

My right ear rang like a son of a bitch!:eek:

[decodeddiesel]

Good God my hearing must be worse than the VA has my disability listed for. :eek:

Earlier this summer I shot a few rounds of M855 from my LMT 10.5" sans hearing pro just to see how bad it really was. I remember thinking "OK...it's loud I guess but not that bad." LOL...crap. Heck, I think my 14.5" LMT with a Vortex and AK101 with muzzle brake are downright quiet and pleasant to shoot now.

Then again I fired a lot of damn rounds from my M4 in Iraq with no hearing pro whats so ever, and the whole "auditory exclusion will protect your hearing" is a crock of shit.

[kaltesherz]

True dat! My dumbass sat there and watched Belmont load his Mk12 upper with an Ops Inc brake on it, flip the safety onto "fire," and squeeze the trigger... all while my electronic earpro was sitting on top of my head.

My right ear rang like a son of a bitch!:eek:

One time I was asked to spot for zeroing a M107 (.50 Barret) and I was so used to spotting for M14's that I assumed my usual spot to the left of the shooter... exactly in the baffle blast of the muzzle break. Thank god I was wearing ear pro, for a couple seconds I thought I'd gotten RPG'd again. Let's hear it for being retarded!

Anyway, I've never really noticed the difference between M4's and M16's. The 10.5 SBRs I was around didn't seem too much louder either, but I've always had my ear pro on for those.

[beckman]

...the muzzle blast or noise from the M4 is 3 to 4 as much as my .223 bolt action rifle...It's interesting that you feel you are able to quantify the difference in sound level to such a level of accuracy (3-4 times as much). I assume that your bolt action has something like a 22-24" long barrel, so it's clear that the shorter barrel (you stated 14") will be louder. There is no question about that.

The muzzle device does make a difference, but you said that your carbine had a flash suppressor, although you didn't specify a model. Although flash-suppresors are generally less noisy than muzzle brakes, it also depends upon where the listener is standing, as you mentioned. It also depends upon the particular model of muzzle attachment. I know that a 20" with a "loud" muzzle brake is MUCH louder than a 16" with an A2 GI flash suppressor.

Still, if your ears were ringing after your shooting session, then something is very wrong and you should not reapeat the experience without making a major change. Either you need to wear better earplugs, good earmuffs, plugs and muffs, shoot at a different range, or shoot a rifle that is more quiet.

Yes, the range, itself, can make a difference in the noise level felt on your eardrum. In the worst case, a small indoor range will reflect more of the muzzle blast back to the shooter. Shooting at an outdoor range can be reasonably quiet if the area is is very flat with nothing to reflect the sound except the earth and the backstop. However, an outdoor range can also reflect a fair amount of the muzzle blast back to the shooter, depenending upon the surroundings.

Again, if your ears were ringing, either try to use better hearing protection, shoot something else, or shoot somewhere else.

[spamsammich]

True dat! My dumbass sat there and watched Belmont load his Mk12 upper with an Ops Inc brake on it, flip the safety onto "fire," and squeeze the trigger... all while my electronic earpro was sitting on top of my head.

My right ear rang like a son of a bitch!:eek:

I used to do that shit all the time (zone out watching the shooters), or I'd wake up to my crazy friends waking everybody up with AR fire when we'd go camping in Alaska. I'm pretty sure I have some tinitus going on, I rock Surefire EP4s now all the time on the range just in case I forget to pull my electronic earpro down.

[d90king]

I have noticed no real difference from my 16" rifles running a 14.5 with this>http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CCQQgwgwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bravocompanyusa.com%2FProductDetails.asp%3FProductCode%3DSF%2520FH556-212A&rct=j&q=surefire%20212a&ei=96BkTJikMcT48AbxoeDOCA&usg=AFQjCNEUr2Hjp-ixYh-EzEZJNLkCVyXXLQ