The four-prong design isn’t new, and the open-tine design is a classic flash suppressor style. Specifically, the SOCOM 4-Prong Flash Hider doubles as a suppressor QD point, but more on that later. While the general military went with and stuck with the A2 birdcage, the American Special Operations Command went with Surefire. The A2 is the best budget choice for shooters looking to build a quality, budget rifle. Side benefit of this is that it doesn’t kick up dust when firing in the prone - it keeps things nice and comfy for low-prone shooting positions. That closed bottom also prevents the design from blasting gas downward. The open-top and closed bottom ensure it works rather well. It keeps the barrel on target as you rapidly fire the weapon. On shorter guns, it might lack some pizzazz but will still reduce the flash enough to help preserve your natural night vision.īeyond great flash suppression, the design also functions as a compensator. They do a great job at killing flash, especially from M4 and M16 length barrels. The prongs at the top break up the unburned powder. Over the last few decades, the United States military has proven the A2 design to be a functional choice.308 A2 Flashider, Top It might not be sexy and fancy as a lot of the flash suppressors on this list, but the A2 birdcage has lasted the test of time for a reason. We cover those too in Best Muzzle Brakes & Compensators.īut for now…let’s go over the best flash hiders.
Some of the best flash hiders also double as compensators or muzzle brakes, so you’ll be getting a little better performance in the recoil department as well. What you’re left with isn’t a totally invisible flash - and if you’re running 5.56 in a less than 12-inch barrel you’ll still have a sizeable fireball - but the results from a good flash hider will be remarkably better than a bare barrel. This allows them to cool further and keeps them from igniting in the great big fireball you’d have otherwise. They do this by using prongs to cool the gases and unburnt powder and shunt them away from the end of the barrel. These devices work by quickly dissipating the expanding gases, cooling them, and dispersing or containing the unburnt powder. You’ll find yourself wondering why you thought it was a good idea to do this in the first place.Įnter the humble flash hider -here to spare your corneas and save the day. God help you if you’re doing something like action shooting sports where you’re ripping through mags. If you’re shooting at night without a good flash hider, you’ll be seeing stars for minutes afterward. If you’re using an AR-15 defensively, you’re going to have problems without a flash hider.įirst, you’re going to clearly give away your position even more than you would with the sound of the shot alone.Ī gunshot in close quarters may not be as easy to triangulate the origin of as you might think, but a giant fireball tells the bad guy just where to empty a mag. This unburnt powder creates a brilliant flash of light that can blind the shooter and can make stealth in such a situation an even more difficult proposition. With these weapons, less powder is burnt before the bullet leaves the end of the barrel, and thus you have an expanding cloud of powder leaving the barrel along with the bullet. So keep reading if you’ve ever pondered whether one of these is worth the cash…įireball from a Tac-14, but you get the idea.Ī flash like this is especially evident in something like a short-barreled rifle, a shotgun, or an AR pistol.
We’ll go over how exactly these flash hiders work, how to choose a new one, and some of the best ones out there. One of the biggest problems with shooting in the dark is losing your sights against the brightness of a muzzle flash.Įven if none of the above apply, but you just want something that looks a bit better on the end of your rifle than the factory flash hider, I recommend picking up an aftermarket flash hider. This is especially an issue in a number of scenarios, such as hunting close to dark (or after dark, when legal), keeping the flash from your weapon low for stealth, or shooting in a competition that runs late in the day.
Many folks don’t realize just how blinding and disorienting a muzzle flash can be in low-light scenarios. It seems, though, there’s one category that’s often overlooked.Ī humble flash hider is a frequently-ignored option that really shines in the right situations-particularly on a short barrel or for night-time use.308 A2 Flashider, Bottom When it comes to AR-15s, there are a number of great muzzle devices out there, especially if you’re into shooting sports like 3-Gun competitions, where big compensators and muzzle brakes are the names of the game. Trending: Ammo in Stock, Best AR-15s, & Best Beginner Handguns