Muzzle attachments

Question 1

Muzzle crown deflection

Answer 1

• The flat end of the barrel is called the crown
• Imperfections or damage to the crown could cause the bullet’s path to be deflected
• Crown damage can cause anomalous markings and scratches

Question 2

Sound suppressors

Answer 2

• Only sound component that can be reduced by a sound suppressors is the supersonic pressure wave
• Can be removeable or integral to the structure of the firearm
• Highly effective with subsonic ammuniton

Question 3

How do sound supressors work?

Answer 3

• Slows the speed that the gases leave the muzzle
• This is achieved by allowing the expansion of the gases and applying turbulence to the gas flow within a controlled chamber (the suppressor) to slow down the gases to below the speed of sound upon release to the external environment

Question 4

Types of sound suppressors

Answer 4

• Can: hollow can-shaped extension on the muzzle: not very effective
• Baffle: a can with partitions for the pressure wave to impact and transfer energy to lose velocity
• Reflex: a can with baffles and additional internal complexity, providing expansion chambers behind the baffles for the pressure wave to impact and transfer more energy to
• Active: a reflex suppressor with spring-loaded baffles which further transfer the energy away from the pressure wave (most effective)

Question 5

Recoil reducers

Answer 5

Two main categories:
1. Muzzle brakes - external accessories and most effective
2. Recoil compensators - integral to the firearm and less effective
* They work by redirecting propellant gases to counter the recoil of the firearm
* Will increase the noise of the firearm

Question 6

Flash hiders

Answer 6

• Very hot mixture of incandescent gases and partially burnt propellant ignites in contact with the oxygen in the air causing an intense “muzzle flash”
  They can either
  1. Physically hide the flash through the use of a cone-shaped device on the end of the of the barrel
  2. Disperse the flash upwards or sideways via a series of fingers or a tube with longtiudinal cuts

Question 7

Grenade dischargers

Answer 7

• A cup attached to the end of a rifle barrel into which a grenade can be launched via a blank cartridge
• Or, the grenade can fit straight over the barrel and be fired with bulleted rounds which are caught with an aluminium or steel baffle

Question 8

Recoil boosters

Answer 8

• Used to increase the rate of fire of short-recoiling automatic weapons

Question 9

Shotgun chokes

Answer 9

• A constriction in the end of a shotgun’s barrel and is used to tailor the shot pattern
• Can either be formed as part of the barrel at the time of manufacture, by squeezing the end of the bore down over a mandrel or by threading the barrel and screwing in an interchangable choke tube
  How it works:
  1. As the shot in the barrel reaches the choke, the diameter of the shot column is reduced, thus elongating its length
  2. This results in the outer layers of shot in the column being given inwards acceleration, delaying the spreading of the shot after leaving the barrel and reducing its dispersion