Brownells - Flash Hiders

[cory07ink]

Gotta love that sound

[SURVIVALISTNUTCASE]

2:46 (phantom) 3:49 (vortex) - both look good!

[tansit2344]

Tim Lafrance did a good thing when he came up with the original straight flute Vortex. I still don't know where my circa 95ish F/H was made by Richard Smith or Tim Lafrance. It's got a goove at the tip designed for a split ring (like keyring) to keep out branches but rumor has it that they unscrewed under full auto fire (Lafrance's big thing back then as C2) hence why Ron Smith is now selling the helix kind. More rumor says the helix doesn't help the flash rather than the tangential cut flutes.

[tansit2344]

Young Manufacturing sells the "original" Lafrance based design with straight flutes but no snap ring groove. Mine looks just like the one in this patent from Lafrance 5433133. Vortex wasn't patented until 1997 and Lafrance sort of dismissed his F/H as "prior art" and in common use. Meanwhile Ron Smith sues left and right for the Vortex name and concept. To quote the Lafrance patent "The flash at night from the vortex flash hider is nearly undetectable."......Great product but the guy is a shark.

[Jrhoney]

I love Brownells ^^

[illinoisbadges]

There's no doubt, The Smith Vortex won this test hands down!

[brbm2]

The vortex is very good at hiding the muzzle flash, but used in the military as the standard ordnance rifle's flash hider, I wouldn't think so. Snag is the biggest issue due to the (yet effective) prong design. Plus it makes a funny ring, that is actually annoying after a while.

They make a new one with tungsten carbide pointy bits at the end of all four prongs for window (or skull I imagine) breaching.

[Conservativepacheat]

i have the phantom,but the smith looked the best from what i could see,but u c it was fired at a different angle than the first 2 wonder why

[Kylef7735]

BOOM, ting ting ting

[FastEddie718]

any idea if u could take this with u into the military and how much the vortex costs? estimated?

[tone1132]

@FastEddie718 im pretty sure modifying any military weapon with non authorized parts is against regulation:)

[xJolkm556x]

I have a phantom 5C1 on mine just because it is 0.5" longer than the A2, (i like the long, exposed "needlenose" barrel look) but it's good to know that it works so well for it's intended purpose, should i ever need to shoot at night.

[bjcisneros]

why ist it scientific?

[drewd1987]

I think it's due to the spiral design, as indicated by the name, which causes the unburnt powder to mix with the air and burn extremely fast, eliminating all flash.

[RacerXGTO]

The Vortex is nice, but if you drop your rifle while at the training range or on a SWAT callup, one of the fingers will break off. It has happened.

I wish we could see some muzzle brake footage to compare.

[Squ1bst3r]

I think that Smith Enterprises won with their Vortex Flash Hider. It looked to be completely gone.

[jgrossma]

Goodspittin,

There is no reason why you CAN'T put a flash hider on your Mosin M44. Just take off the bayonet, and have the barrel threaded by a gunsmith. Since the Mosin uses 7.62 caliber bullets, any standard .308 or AK suppressor should work.

[1911sa]

vortex rules. i got them on all my ar-15, FALs, and M1As

[PeerlessWonder]

While no measurements with instruments were taken, just visually watching the video is proof enough for me.

Vortex has the largest vent areas so it seems that's why it works so well.

Yankee also had wide slots and was second in lowest flash.

[samtaekwondo123]

The only problem I would have with the vortex is that I don't know of any QD surpressors that could fit on it. If there are some, then cool. If not, then I would have a problem.

[Dauntless07]

rpblcan, no need, smokeless powder

[Goodspittin]

I wish I could fit a flash hider on my Mosin M-44, I bout went blind last time I went hunting with it.

Oh well, I hunt with a .243 now anyways, or my SKS... or my WASR-10/63 with an AK-74 brake.

[deltafreelancer]

Vortex performance is amazing, almost none existant of any light.

[rpblcan]

smoke hider?

[05MagnumSXT]

Very informative video. Too bad I cant have one on my AR here in the Peoples Republic of New Jersey.

[tanerofies]

I'd heard the Vortex did a bang-up job and it sure looks to be so. Great vid!

[rightsman123]

Yankee and the vortex seemed to do the best job. Though I'm still happy with my a2 I'd consider these two flash hiders in the future.