Anyone have a barrel bushing compensator on their 1911?

[silvermane_1]

I was wondering if anyone has a barrel bushing compensator on their 1911, and what your experiences with the compensator is. I purchased a Valkyrie Dynamics Predator Commander compensator for my SR1911 CMD to shoot 45 ACP +P and light ball(185 gr.) light loaded 45 Super.

 

[fxvr5]

You might find the article below of interest:

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/reducing-recoil-traditional-vs-bushing-compensators/99649

 

[doubleh]

I have a bushing compensator on both a 45 acp and 9 mm 1911. I have no experience with the barrel mounted compensators so can't offer an opinion on the effectiveness between the two types. The ones I do have make a difference, more so with the snappier recoil of the 9 mm than the 45 but and the only measuring device I have is my hand and wrist. My wrist is rather tender now and is a good indicator of recoil to me. I credit the additional muzzle weight with part of the effectiveness.

On a side note I have seen a warning that the addition weight added the slide may lead to cracks down the road. How far you have to go down that road I don't know.

 

[fxvr5]

On a side note I have seen a warning that the addition weight added the slide may lead to cracks down the road. How far you have to go down that road I don't know.

What part cracks? Slide? Barrel? Bushing? Source and evidence for this information? Thanks.

 

[ATLDave]

What part cracks? Slide? Barrel? Bushing? Source and evidence for this information? Thanks.

Yeah, I'm skeptical. I have no experience with bushing comps, but it doesn't make sense to me that adding weight forward of the ejection port would lead to crack. The conventional thinking is that slide cracking usually comes from the slide slamming to a stop at the end of its rearward stroke - and all the weight aft of the port applies a big inertial tug on the comparatively thin/weak ejection port area. Typically, adding weight forward of the ejection port would just slow slide velocity and reduce cracking. It also does other not-as-beneficial things to the behavior of the gun in recoil, but it's not immediately apparent to me how it would contribute to a slide cracking.

 

[CapnMac]

In that brief time long ago when i was involved in such things, the bushing comp was 'easier" for being simpler--you just swapped one part for another.
For me, a bushing comp did not do that much, and in a very literal sense--it did not seem to make the weapon much more nose heavy, not seemed to reduce muzzle flip nor recoil. Some of that could well be from many, many years of shooting a plain-jane 1911, whic kind of sets a "normal" of its own.

In contrast, forking over the bucks for a fitted barrel comp did create results that were sensible, which you could magnify by using 185gr ammo vice 230. Barrel mounted comp versus just extended barrel with ports was a bit of a toss-up; the extra weight at the nose probably mattered, but is was hard to sense.

One thing I noticed with bushing comps is that they would sometimes rotate a bit, within the tolerance of the spring cap (which seemed a bit worse with the hollow ones used with full-length guide springs--which may be totally subjective).

Mind, barrel ones want to "peen" the side of the link from the torque imputed by the rifling--not much, and very dependant on how well the gunplumber fitted the barrel, but significant in the round counts associated with competition shooting.

That's my 2¢, from long ago and far away in time. YMMV

 

[9mmepiphany]

Bushing mounted compensators on a 1911 have a long record of not having much effect on recoil or muzzle flip. Their most endearing quality is that they are easy to put on.

In .45ACP, there just isn't enough gas being generated by the cartridge to make even a barrel mounted conpensator very effective. Even if there was enough gas being generated, the bushing mounted compensator has a couple of short comings:
1. Unlike a ported barrel, where gas is building behind the bullet, there is nothing to force the gas upward through the ports. The inner diameter of the compensator is too large to block gas as the bullet travels through the chambers.
2. Unlike a barrel mounted compensator, there are no surfaces for the expanding gas to strike to drive the barrel forward

 

[fxvr5]

In .45ACP, there just isn't enough gas being generated by the cartridge to make even a barrel mounted conpensator very effective.

That's not true. A compensator can be very effective on a 45. That is demonstrated at this link:

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/compensators-pressure-gas/99170

The compensated 45 showed 50% less muzzle rise (than a non-compensated 45) even with heavy 230 grain bullets (using A#7 powder). A lighter bullet in the 45 would have produced even less muzzle rise.

The reason compensators appear to work better on something like a 38 Super is because they use lighter bullets than the 45. If you use bullets of the same weight in the 38 Super and 45 Auto (and the same gunpowder), the compensated 45 will have LESS muzzle rise than the compensated 38 Super. That was tested at this link:

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/compensated-45-vs-compensated-38/99515

That's the result you would expect based on the physics of how recoil works. Why? Because the 45 requires more powder weight to push the larger diameter bullets to the same speed as the smaller bore 38 Super. More powder means more gas and more gas pressure, and more gas pressure creates more force. So the 45 is producing more upward gas force than the 38 Super, so it will have less muzzle rise than the 38 Super.

 

[silvermane_1]

That's not true. A compensator can be very effective on a 45. That is demonstrated at this link:

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/compensators-pressure-gas/99170

The compensated 45 showed 50% less muzzle rise (than a non-compensated 45) even with heavy 230 grain bullets (using A#7 powder). A lighter bullet in the 45 would have produced even less muzzle rise.

The reason compensators appear to work better on something like a 38 Super is because they use lighter bullets than the 45. If you use bullets of the same weight in the 38 Super and 45 Auto (and the same gunpowder), the compensated 45 will have LESS muzzle rise than the compensated 38 Super. That was tested at this link:

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/compensated-45-vs-compensated-38/99515

That's the result you would expect based on the physics of how recoil works. Why? Because the 45 requires more powder weight to push the larger diameter bullets to the same speed as the smaller bore 38 Super. More powder means more gas and more gas pressure, and more gas pressure creates more force. So the 45 is producing more upward gas force than the 38 Super, so it will have less muzzle rise than the 38 Super.

^Thanks for the links there fxvr5.

 

[doubleh]

What part cracks? Slide? Barrel? Bushing? Source and evidence for this information? Thanks.

The slide was what I read. Will it or won't it? I have no idea. I haven't shot either of mine after adding the brakes a great deal so I have no idea if it's true or not. All I know is to try it and see what happens.

 

[doubleh]

"1. Unlike a ported barrel, where gas is building behind the bullet, there is nothing to force the gas upward through the ports.

As one that has worked with high pressure gasses in an industrial application for many years I can say that gas is going to escape through any opening that has less pressure than the gas does. The ported barrel may be more efficent than the barrel mounted compensator but there will be significant gas flow through the compensator ports. Why don't you try a little experiment? Hold your hand over the compensator very closely and fire the gun, then report back to us how much or how little the gas flow you feel.

 

[silvermane_1]

"1. Unlike a ported barrel, where gas is building behind the bullet, there is nothing to force the gas upward through the ports.

As one that has worked with high pressure gasses in an industrial application for many years I can say that gas is going to escape through any opening that has less pressure than the gas does. The ported barrel may be more efficent than the barrel mounted compensator but there will be significant gas flow through the compensator ports. Why don't you try a little experiment? Hold your hand over the compensator very closely and fire the gun, then report back to us how much or how little the gas flow you feel.

LOLZ

 

[MikeInOr]

I have a Clark Custom barrel with the matching Clark barrel mounted compensator on it. I really can't tell much of a difference between my .45 acp 1911 with the Clark compensator and my other .45 acp 1911 without a compensator even when shooting them side by side with some pretty hot loads. I think the extra weight on the front has more of an effect than and gas redirection. Before I bought my Clark compensated barrel I read several posts saying don't bother... I should have listened.

The only place I have noticed a considerable affect with a compensator is between my .50ae Desert Eagle with a compensator and my buddies .50 ae Desert eagle without a compensator. The compensator on mine doesn't do anything to reduce the felt recoil but it certainly makes a big difference with the muzzle flip.

 

[Demi-human]

I have a bushing comp for my 1911.

In the top tray of my bits ‘n pieces box...


I feel like the ports reduce, at most, between five and seven percent of the recoil and muzzle rise. The weight of the thing making up the remaining three percent reduction.

It also takes an extra inch and a half to clear leather.

All told, a dollar per percent of recoil mitigation, for a total of ten bucks.

Looks neat, matched the slide perfect, technically does work, but I’ll buy a threaded barrel and a true compensator next time I want to mod something for fun.

 

[silvermane_1]

I have a bushing comp for my 1911.

In the top tray of my bits ‘n pieces box...


I feel like the ports reduce, at most, between five and seven percent of the recoil and muzzle rise. The weight of the thing making up the remaining three percent reduction.

It also takes an extra inch and a half to clear leather.

All told, a dollar per percent of recoil mitigation, for a total of ten bucks.

Looks neat, matched the slide perfect, technically does work, but I’ll buy a threaded barrel and a true compensator next time I want to mod something for fun.

Well like I posted on post #1, I put a comp on my CMD, so my SR1911 CMD is only 1" longer with a overall length of 5.25" and even only sticks out a hair on my DeSantis Inside Heat holster, I guess the only real "drawbacks" is my SR1911 takes a fraction of a second more to clear leather and is probably going to be a lot louder when fired. Also I have read that barrel bushing compensators are to reduce recoil a lot more than you're suggesting there Demi-human, like 20%-30%.

 

[Demi-human]

I FEEL like

The advertising make think otherwise if it feels like it...

@fxvr5 ’s link is what lead me to them in the first place years ago, yet I disagree...

 

[Demi-human]

Understand, I am not to dissuade you. I kept mine because it esthetically pleases me.

Even slight measurement changes can have significant effect on performance. Mine was ten dollars from Amazon, it may not be the best one...

My meat-hooks are probably less sensitive than a Ransome rest, too...

 

[doubleh]

I agree that your meat hooks are probably less sensitive than a Ransom rest. However your meat hook can feel sensation and the the rest can't. The compensator may be a placebo but If it feels as thought it reduces recoil that's what matters.

I can guarantee that arthritis and tendonitis in your wrist will make it very sensitive to recoil. Anything that takes away the pain is good in my book, placebo or otherwise.