My non-technical evaluation of an AK Concepts Dave Neth Compensator. (unbiased)

[Glockster35]

NON-TECHNICAL COMPENSATOR EVALUATION
By “Glockster35”
1 December 2006​

PURPOSE: To evaluate AK Concepts Dave Neth Tactical/Competition Compensator (DNTC) for the AR15, M16 rifles and any other 5.56/.223 rifle (with a ½” X 28 threads per inch-threaded barrel).

INTRODUCTION: I should explain first, I am not an AR15 or firearm industry expert. I am your everyday self-proclaimed gun nut, and practicing gun plumber. This is the first AR15 build I have done and the first AR style rifle that I have owned. I have been in the United States Air Force for 18+ years, with 4 years of Firearms Instruction under my belt. I have considerable experience shooting the M16 and M4 rifles, as it has been my primary weapon for many of these past years. I am used to shooting the AR style of rifles, all of which used the basic US Military compensator/flash suppressor, as found on the M16A1 or the newer M16A2 rifles.

The AK Concepts Dave Neth Compensator​

COMPANY INFORMATION:​

AK Concepts
2390 East Commercial Street
Unit #7
Meridian, ID, 83642
United States
Phone (208) 562-1212
Fax (208) 562-1438​

AK CONCEPTS WEBSITE
CAN BE FOUND AT: akconcepts.com/

PREFACE: On 21 October 06, I posted a message on AR15.com, asking for information on compensators for the AR15 style rifles. I was simply looking to make a purchase. Several people responded, but none of the compensators mentioned struck me as a must have.

For more information, see thread here: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=12&t=300345

To my surprise, within an hour of placing the post, I received an instant message (via AR15.com) from Todd Tuttle of AK Concepts. Todd was gracious enough to send me one of his companies newly manufactured DNTC compensators for evaluation.

The package as it arrived (instructions included)​

Todd and I exchanged e-mails for days, until and even after the compensator arrived. As it turns out, Todd and I have a lot in common.

Todd explained, the compensator was named after Dave Neth. At the time, I had never heard of Dave, however; I quickly learned. I feel it is important I mention I am not completely sure what Dave’s relationship is with the crew at AK Concepts, but I do know Dave is from the same general area of Idaho as AK Concepts calls home. They probably shoot at the same range, or run in the same circles. Here is a little bit about Dave.

Dave Neth is a Champion 3-Gunner and an Idaho State Police Officer with a passion for precision shooting. His results include: Two-time World Champion, Team 3 Gun, Three-Time Champion, MGM Iron Man 3 Gun Tactical Multiple State Championship Pistol, and 3 Gun Titles. DPMS Rifles currently sponsor Dave. (Information taken in part from: http://www.eberlestock.com/Team Eberlestock.htm[/COLOR] )

WHY DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG: Soon after receiving the compensator, I attended a local tactical pistol course. While shooting the course I began having pain in my right elbow. Several days passed, the pain got worse and would not subside. I have seen the doctor several times, and he tells me he believes I have Lateral Epicondylitis otherwise known as tennis elbow, or maybe Tendonitis. Military doctors as they are, I have simply been letting it heal. I have not been able to complete my evaluation of the compensator for almost two months while I waited impatiently for my elbow to hear on its own. I was however able to complete the build on my AR15, while I waited.

MY RIFLE: I started my build with a new Bushmaster XM15 complete lower, and I added an A2 style buttstock. I purchased a CMT flat top upper and attached a Colt M4 profiled, 14.5 inch barrel assembly, which I believe to be chrome lined and chrome bored. A Colt AR15 bolt carrier group rides inside the receiver. I attached a Knights Armament RAS-4 rail, Knights covers and a Knights vertical handgrip. I utilized the standard A-frame for the front sight system, with a MaTech rear Back-up Iron Sight. I also used an Aimpoint (CLONE) red dot scope with KAC style mount; I got this scope off E-Bay for about $80.00 to test. I had low expectations for this scope, but it seemed to function just fine during the evaluation. I will be getting a new red dot scope later in the year, but cannot afford one right now. In the picture below I have the DNTC mounted.

My rifle, as I have it now​

FIT AND FINISH: The fit and finish of the DNTC was flawless, it has what I describe to be “Evil” in appearance, and I really think it makes the rifle look nice. Based on the looks of this compensator, I would conclude the angles used are based on function, for controlling both recoil and muzzle climb. The DNTC comes with a crush washer, and is nicely packaged. The install was without issue.

MY INTENTIONS: I intend to conduct my evaluation by firing 10 rounds from a prone position to ensure a repeatable zero on the rifle. The barrel will be cleaned thoroughly after each shot, and allowed to cool after each volley.

I will fire 10 more rounds from a prone position to ensure a repeatable zero on the Aimpoint (CLONE) scope. The barrel will again be cleaned thoroughly after each shot, and again allowed to cool.

I will be using several compensators during this evaluation. These three compensators are to be evaluated using the same criteria for each. My evaluation of these compensators will consist of shooting 20 rounds from a standing position, at a slow pace (20-30 rounds per minute), while evaluating accuracy along with felt recoil, muzzle climb and low light flash suppression (for this I had my friend Tom standing by to assist in judging the flash). The three compensators I evaluated are the US Military A2 Compensator, AK Concepts, Dave Neth Tactical/Competition Compensator (DNTC), and the Yankee Hill Machine Company, Phantom 5C2 Comp/Flash Suppressor.

The compensators I evaluated: From right to left YHM Phantom 5C2, AK Concepts DNTC and the US Military A2​

THE EVALUATION: For evaluation, I fired all shots from a standing position, with the exception of zeroing the rifle and scope. I did this to get a real feel for the felt recoil and muzzle rise. I initially zeroed the rifle and scope using four separate, US Military M4 paper 25-meter carbine zeroing targets at 25 meters. For the actual evaluation of the compensators, I used a man sized green target as my target (with eight-inch circle drawn in the vital area) for each of the different compensators. Winchester .223 Remington 55gr, Full Metal Jacket Q3131A ammo the ammo selected for use. I conducted the evaluation on an indoor range on the base where I am stationed. This was the first time this rifle and barrel is to be shot. I used a 1-10 scale to evaluate each different criteria, with 10 (TEN) being the worst rating, and 1 (ONE) being the best rating.

I started the evaluation using the US Military A2 compensator, firing 10 rounds only. These ten rounds would be used as my baseline. During this evaluation, I listed the felt recoil at a 5, muzzle rise as a 5, and in low light, the flash suppression initially as a 5.

Next, I fired using the DNTC, this time firing all 20 rounds. During this evaluation, I listed the felt recoil as a 2, muzzle rise as a 1, and in low light, the flash suppression as a 5. I was impressed with how much of a difference the felt recoil was, and the rifle seemed to stay on target during the recoil, follow up shots were almost immediate.

Again, I evaluated the US Military A2 Compensator, firing its last 10 rounds. These ten rounds would be used to remind me of the baseline. During this evaluation, I again listed the felt recoil at a 5, muzzle rise as a 5, and in low light, the flash suppression was adjusted to a 7.

Lastly, I tested the Yankee Hill Machine Companies, Phantom 5C2 Comp/Flash Suppressor. During this evaluation, I listed the felt recoil at a 3, muzzle rise as a 3, and in low light, the flash suppression as a 1. Again, the rifle recoil was lighter than that of the A2 compensator, but was a bit more than the DNTC. Follow up shots were also faster than the A2, and I feel like they were just a bit slower than the DNTC.

THE SHOT GROUPS: Shot groups were noted to be well within an eight-inch circle I drew on each of the life sized targets. Groups probably averaged about 3-4 inches. There was no noticeable difference in shot placement from each of the compensators; no fliers were noted on any of the targets. The rifle had no malfunctions (which I am grateful for, since this was the rifles first outing). I think it is important to mention, the rifle was thoroughly cleaned after evaluating each different compensator. I failed to save the targets, and did not bring anything to measure the groupings to see if there was any difference. I also forgot to take the digital camera with me.

CONCLUSION: As I said before, I am not an expert, and this is the first evaluation I have ever done, either for a web forum, or for any company. I am not a technical expert by any means, and this is not meant in anyway to be a technical evaluation. I am an end user, not a competitor, and I tried to do an evaluation based on what I am capable of, and I wanted to record my observations in a fair and impartial manner.

I feel compelled to say that the DNTC exceeded my expectations, not only in fit and finish, but also in overall performance, which included muzzle lift and felt recoil. I believe the DNTC to be a great addition for use in three gun matches, tactical rifle courses or general shooting situations where quick shots are required, auto fire is applied (based on the video on AK Concepts website, this wasn’t tested by me) or where flash suppression is not an overall influencing factor.

I do not think the DNTC had horrible flash suppression qualities, and from what we could tell, it was superior to the US Military A2 Compensator; however, Tom and I did not feel the DNTC was better than the YHM (which is labeled as both a flash suppressor and compensator.)

I do appreciate Todd and AK Concepts for offering me the opportunity to evaluate their compensator. I do hope this non-technical evaluation could be considered evidence enough for at least some of you to make a purchase, and/or conduct your own evaluation, technical or not. Todd is a top notch nice guy, and I have no doubt he will stand behind his product. I am glad I finally got around to trying this compensator out, and it will find a permanent mount on my carbine upper with the flat top. I am impressed with the DNTC, based on its minimization of muzzle rise and felt recoil. The YHM Phantom was a top performer in its own right based on its ability to minimize flash suppression. I had initially planned on using the YHM on my other Carbine upper, which I built for home defense. However, I do know Todd and crew have been hard at work planning a shroud for the DNTC. I may have to wait a while on pinning the other barrel. I believe the DNTC and YHM compensators have specific qualities/uses.

IMPORTANT AFTERTHOUGHTS​

SOUND/REPORT: There was a considerable difference in the report (sound made from the weapon firing) of each of the compensators evaluated. Since this was an indoor range, all compensators produced a very loud report. Without having technical data to back up my observations, I would have to say the DNTC was the quietest compensator of the group, followed by the YHM, and then the Military A2 compensator. Todd had once told me Dave Neth switched to the DNTC from the Miculek compensator, based on the amount of report only. Tom believed the A2 to be the quietest, followed by the DNTC, then the YHM. The DNTC is quiet considering everything else it has to offer.

FLASH SUPRESSION: Once the evaluation was complete, Tom and I agreed that evaluating the flash suppression on the US Military A2 Compensator as a 5 for the baseline was probably not technically correct. I am not confident on our use as flash suppression as an evaluation item or the decision to evaluate the low light effects at all. The DNTC is not specifically a flash suppressor, and the US Military A2 Compensator is hardly adequate for flash suppression duties. In order to make a fair analysis of the other compensators (not flash suppressors) I must add here that the US Military A2 Compensator had the worst flash suppression in low light environments, followed by the DNTC. Lastly, Tom and I were both overly impressed by the YHM Phantom 5C2 Comp/Flash Suppressor’s performance in this area. The flash was almost non-existent.

I AM NOT LOOKING FOR A FLAME WAR:​

I want to make it very clear, I have no association with AK Concepts and am not involved in the firearms industry in anyway. This evaluation is being posted for a couple of reasons. Mainly because I like the DNTC enough to use it on my own rifle, secondly because I told Todd I would provide him an evaluation, however; Todd has not read this review. I will be sending him a link to this post.

"Glockster35”​