Most of the time I shoot my AR-15, I use a muzzle brake or a compensator, something like the Surefire MB-556 or the Rainier Arms RMC. But what about the times I don’t want to deafen those shooting next to me, or the times I want to shoot in the dark? The standard A2 flash hider does a very good job of mitigating flash, but what if you want something better? Enter the Battle Rifle Company Disintegrator flash suppressor. 

The helical design of the Disintegrator is catchy, but I was extremely doubtful that it would perform better than a standard A2 muzzle device. Simply put, very few other muzzle devices do as good a job at both protecting the shooter from flash and hiding his position from those down-range. I’ve been very impressed with the old A2 and wasn’t sure this twisty muzzle device, with its large winding gaps, would do a very good job. To be honest, I thought it would flop.

How many times will I have to say, “I was wrong” before I stop making assumptions?

I installed the Disintegrator on a 16-inch barrel chambered in 5.56mm and with a carbine-length gas system. This configuration is the one I most commonly see at the range. I used Prvi Partizan M855 ammunition in the tests. All night-time testing was conducted between the hours of 10 and 11PM to ensure maximum darkness and thus, maximum opportunity to see flash.

Of 48 different high-speed images taken at night during testing of the Disintegrator, none managed to capture any flash from the muzzle. None. Functionally, this was an incredible result. From a photography standpoint, however, it was incredibly disappointing. High-speed video was only slightly more successful, capturing the faintest of flash in the night.

It’s important to note that the Disintegrator diffuses flash along with hiding it. The flame visible in the video from the Disintegrator is simply not as intense, not as bright, though it may seem larger, especially since the camera was zoomed in on the muzzle.

As a piece of kit, the Disintegrator is extremely simple and robust. Every 500 rounds or so, you should clean it with a brush and CLP to make sure carbon does not build up on the manganese phosphate-coated metal. It’s this particular coating on the 4140 steel of the Disintegrator that supposedly interacts with the burning powder and gasses exiting the muzzle.

I’m happy with the function of this flash hider.

-By Allen Cosby

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53gr

53GR is an avid shooter, hiker and tinkerer. Introduced to guns at an early age, the hobby became a passion in his early twenties. After two years in Iraq as a contractor for a defense company, he developed an unhealthy addiction to military surplus gear. Though he's currently in treatment, the prognosis is that the condition is chronic.

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