When shooting a rifle with heavy recoil, adding a muzzle brake goes a long way towards easing the pain and impact that occurs with each pull of the trigger. While no muzzle brake can completely eliminate recoil, any amount of relief from the impact is ideal for any shooter.
An AR-15 rifle chambered in .450 Bushmaster is a platform that really calls for a muzzle brake. It may not be as punishing as some other calibers and gauges, but comfort while shooting shouldn’t be overlooked.
Take a look at the best .450 Bushmaster muzzle brakes down below!
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for 450 Bushmaster Muzzle Brakes
- OUR TOP PICK: Silencerco ASR 450 Bushmaster 3/4-24 Muzzle Brake
- RUNNER-UP: Next Level Armament 450 Bushmaster Muzzle Brake
- SECOND RUNNER-UP: 5/8x32 458 SOCOM 450 Competition Muzzle Brake
Comparison of the Best .450 Bushmaster Muzzle Brakes
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What to Watch For When Buying a Muzzle Brake
There are a few important things to keep an eye out for when choosing a .450 Bushmaster muzzle brake. They are not all made equally and you don’t want to make the wrong choice. Depending on the design of the muzzle brake and the type of ammo being fired, the right muzzle brake can cut felt recoil nearly in half.
However, even knocking ten or twenty percent off felt recoil can really ease the punishment on your shoulder. Use the following tips and information to help guide your purchase decision.
A Proper Install
Properly installing a muzzle brake on any rifle barrel is incredibly important. A solid and aligned installation must be achieved to gain the most benefit from the muzzle brake and to ensure a safe shooting experience. Many .450 Bushmaster barrels are threaded on the end to accept muzzle brakes and other barrel accessories.
Make sure to check that the threading on your barrel is compatible with any muzzle brake before buying. If your barrel doesn’t have threads, you’ll either need to have it threaded by a gunsmith. Muzzle brakes that don’t require a threaded barrel are not ideal.
Bringing the Noise
Another important factor to keep in mind is the increase in noise that a muzzle brake tends to bring to the party. The increase in gas being forced out to the sides of the muzzle brake contributes to the louder report that results.
It goes without saying that hearing protection is required, but adding a muzzle brake to your arsenal is a good time to evaluate and potentially upgrade your hearing protection. The increased noise is also important to keep in mind on the range in consideration of other shooters and bystanders.
Dimensional Shift
Adding a muzzle brake to a .450 Bushmaster, and any other rifle for that matter, is going to add length and weight to the rifle. This is pretty obvious, but it is still an important point to consider when choosing a muzzle brake. Keep your most common shooting situations in mind when shopping. If you are primarily a bench shooter, this likely won’t be much of a consideration. However, added length and weight will come into play for hunting, competition shooting, and home defense needs.
Are You Finished?
Turn a discerning eye on the finish of the muzzle brake you are considering especially if the aesthetics of your gun are important to you. Some prefer performance over looks, but there is nothing wrong with doing your best to keep things matching.
Features of a Great 450 Bushmaster Muzzle Brake
Cutting down on the recoil produced by the .450 Bushmaster is obviously the end goal of a muzzle brake, but not all created equal. The very best muzzle brakes will:
Reduce Recoil by at Least 50%
Not all muzzle brakes will reduce recoil this substantially, so be sure to know how well they work in this fundamental task!
Allow You to See Bullet Splash
Directly tied to recoil reduction, the ability to see bullet splash is enhanced by a good muzzle brake.
Increase Accuracy
While you won’t see a massive change in your accuracy, a solid muzzle brake will produce noticeable differences.
Not Break Your Bank
As with all virtually must-have components that produce drastic results in firing, a muzzle brake can get expensive. Naturally, we've rounded up the products that are excellent values.
Minimize Noise
No, we’re not saying that the muzzle brake will act like a suppressor. Quite the opposite, actually, the muzzle brake will redirect the blast toward the shooter. A great muzzle brake minimizes the effect, although you’ll never get rid of it entirely and you should definitely invest in hearing protection.
Review of the Best .450 Bushmaster Muzzle Brakes
Now that you know why a muzzle brake is so critical to enjoying your .450 Bushmaster, it’s time to look at the best products on the market. Of course, we point out the ideal customer for each product and reasons it might not be for you. Carefully review the advantages of muzzle brakes and things to consider before scouring over each muzzle brake’s stats to get the best one for you.
Pros
Cons
We’re rarely disappointed in products offered by SilencerCo, and for those with a larger budget, this muzzle brake deserves serious consideration.
As you’d expect, it’s built from high-quality stainless steel with a black oxide finish for great long-term durability and corrosion resistance, offering a big step up in quality from the budget solutions. Utilizing three large ports, this brake substantially reduces recoil, keeping you on target and allowing quicker recovery between shots for a noticeable improvement over cheaper options.
Where it really shines, however, is in the options it provides. It’s easy to suppress your big bore AR-15 with this muzzle brake, as you can easily mount the SilencerCo Hybrid 46 sound suppressor. Additionally, SilencerCo has designed it to function as a quickly attachable or detachable mount compatible with the Hybrid 46 sound suppressor. This attachment functionality is quick and easy, requiring a single hand.
While we love the build quality and these extra features, there are some downsides you’ll need to weigh out. First, the price is much higher, which is certainly a fair value in exchange for greater durability and more options. That said, those options also require the use of an additional SilencerCo product, making them negligible otherwise. If you want to use a suppressor, however, this is a strong candidate.
This muzzle brake fits any muzzle with a ¾”-24 thread per inch specs. Also, take note that it is only available through Brownells at this time.
Bottom Line
For those looking to spend a little more than is required of a budget solution, SilencerCo has produced an excellent option for easy compatibility with a suppressor.
Runner-up:
Next Level Armament 450 Bushmaster Muzzle Brake
Pros
Cons
Choosing the best muzzle brakes for the .450 Bushmaster is no easy task, as we had some high expectations. Aside from the usual high-quality build and features, it needed to be affordable. Most gun owners will find themselves needing to take the muzzle brake to the gunsmith, so a low price point is critical to providing a great value.
We’re happy to say that Next Level Armament’s 450 Bushmaster Muzzle Brake provides a value that’s an absolute steal. Not only that, but there are no sacrifices on quality here, either. Made from high-quality stainless steel and CNC machined, it does an excellent job of reducing recoil and potential muzzle jump.
It is 2.5” long, 0.88” in diameter, and weighs a modest 2.9 ounces. Its length is about standard for muzzle brakes while its weight comes in a bit on the lighter side. Given that many who use the .450 Bushmaster uses longer barrels, the bit of weight that muzzle brakes add might not seem like much but every bit does count when it comes to portability and maneuverability in the field.
It utilizes 11/16” x 24 threads per inch and is thus, compatible with the Ruger American Bushmaster rifle or any other barrel with the same thread specs.
Overall, it does not have the absolute best performance or reduce the noise effect introduced by muzzle brakes. However, when it comes to value, there is absolutely no beating this muzzle brake. It does an excellent job while being priced affordably enough for anyone in the market for a muzzle brake.
Bottom Line
When shopping for a muzzle brake, the Next Level Armament Muzzle Brake for .450 Bushmaster is hands down the one of the best values. While there are more premium options, you’ll be hard-pressed to get more bang for your buck.
Second Runner-up:
5/8x32 458 SOCOM 450 Competition Muzzle Brake
Pros
Cons
Naturally, each of our choices would have the same virtues of excellent design along with exceptional value. Finding muzzle brakes that meet our tough standards isn’t easy, but we’ve got you covered with an 11/16 x 24 TPI alternative. Thus, coming in at third on our list is the SOCOM .450 Competition Muzzle Brake.
Also machined from stainless steel, it provides ample product durability and great performance in reducing recoil and muzzle jump. The stainless steel will provide not only the strength needed to withstand routine and immense pressure, but also resistance from moisture. At three ounces, it will minimally add to your build.
While it is very affordable, nonetheless, it is produced in the US, which we always love. Our main concern here is the scarcity of the component, as it is not a mass-produced part. This is always a double-edged sword, as you’ll often receive a superior product with careful attention to quality, but they can be difficult to procure. In short, if you want a quality, but affordable muzzle brake, you should act fast to prevent ending up with a back order.
As it is 5/8” x 32 threads per inch, be aware that it is only compatible with barrels that have this same thread specification. Other picks on our list may only be compatible with any 11/16” x 24 TPI barrel, so pick the right muzzle brake for your gun.
Bottom Line
An excellent value with great performance, this muzzle brake is compatible with any 5/8” x 32 thread per inch barrel, but its availability might be limited, so don’t delay.
Best 11/16-24 Muzzle Brake .450 Bushmaster:
Glfa Muzzle Brake .450 Bushmaster 11/16"x24 Threads
Pros
Cons
GLFA produces some great products for compatibility with .450 Bushmaster, including a barrel we’ve reviewed separately. Naturally, we expected their muzzle brake to perform just as well, and it certainly does.
This muzzle brake is 11/16” x 24 threads per inch and made from stainless steel. Contrast this to the 5/8” x 32 threads per inch to be sure you get the proper muzzle brake for your barrel.
It is two and three-eighths inches in length. Additionally, it has an attractive black finish that resists reflection, so between the length and the finish, it blends in nicely with your rifle.
Also, it weighs just under half a pound, making it heavier than some of the other components on our list. Our runner-up pick, for example, is 2.9 ounces, and this is more than double that weight at 6.4 ounces. Many will argue that this is a matter of preference, and indeed it is. It might not seem that half a pound is substantial, but when it comes to maneuverability, particularly at this spot on the gun, the difference can be felt.
So, is the added weight bad? Not necessarily. While it is very difficult to discern, at least in theory, the added weight should increase recoil resistance, which is the entire point of a muzzle brake. That said, in performance, it mostly appears to perform about on par with the other entrants to our list.
Lastly, we’d like to point out the price, which once again is markedly cheaper than the muzzle brakes offered by many top manufacturers.
Bottom LineGLFA’s muzzle brake stands out not only as a well-constructed product but also with its reflection-resistant black finish and weightier build.
Honorable Mention:
450 Bushmaster Muzzle Brake 3/4-24 (Ebay)
Pros
Cons
Northwest Precision has produced a very deeply thought-out muzzle brake with a lot of specifics that gets an honorable mention as it will be just what some shooters are looking for.
Designed by master gunsmith, Chuck McIntosh of Mac’s Gunworks and made right out of Wyoming, each brake is finished upon order for exceptional attention to detail. Each is individually threaded, crowned, custom bored, and contoured by request. This provides the ability to have a fully seamless transition from the barrel to the brake.
Why does the custom contour stand out? This is advantageous as it can be specifically fit for a transition from a .850” diameter muzzle to the larger 1.25” brake, for example. Potential outer diameters include .850”, .950”, 1”, and 1.25” while the minimum custom contour diameter is .825”.
The muzzle brake features a top reduction port as well as side ports. The lack of a bottom port helps put extra downward pressure, further negating recoil.
Each brake is 2.46” long and machined from 416 R stainless steel. Two finishes are available. By default, Northwest Precision uses a belt-sanded polished finish. Alternatively, a media blast can be chosen for a less reflective finish, preferable for stealth hunters.
Lastly, because Northwest Precision puts the love for what they do into each muzzle brake, we greatly appreciate that they are incredibly reactive to customer needs and requests. They openly support customer questions, feedback, and interaction throughout the process, greatly reinforcing the custom-made concept that makes their muzzle brakes so notable.
Bottom Line
For the shooter with exacting needs, Northwest Precision offers a custom-fit solution and top-notch customer service.
Best .450 Bushmaster Muzzle Brake 5/8x32:
5/8x32 TPI Muzzle Brake (Ebay)
Pros
Cons
Another excellent option for a muzzle brake threaded to 5/8” x 32 thread per inch specs, Apache Armaments offers this tanker-style muzzle brake at a great price point, too. Compatible with Ruger precision rifles, NEF single-shot rifles, and any other matching this threading spec, it’s a great opportunity to get an affordable muzzle brake without sacrificing quality.
Crafted from stainless steel, it not only provides excellent durability but resists moisture and build up. It is also lightweight, at under three ounces, producing a maneuverable weapon and is perfect on a variety of barrel lengths.
We also love the fact that not only is this muzzle brake a great value by itself, but Apache Armaments offers volume discounts. Often, such discounts require a large purchase, but in this case, it is available for anyone purchasing three or more. Those who need to outfit a number of weapons or who do builds for others, as well as gunsmiths, take note! Additionally, Apache Armaments offers free shipping.
In the field or on the range, you’ll enjoy recoil reduction that is about comparable to our previous entrants on the list. All of this said, as with previous option, it is produced by an independent seller. If you want to take advantage of this excellent price on a great muzzle brake, it would be wise to act fast to prevent a back order. Plus, for a limited time, Apache Armaments is including a free crush washer with orders.
Bottom Line
Should you have difficulty procuring our other options on the list, Apache Armaments produces an excellent alternative with some nice extras.
Benefits of Upgrading Your 450 Bushmaster Muzzle Brake
It doesn’t take long after upgrading to .450 Bushmaster capability before realizing the advantages of a muzzle brake. A quality upgrade offers:
Recoil Reduction
Hands down the most important benefit of a muzzle brake, taming the powerful .450 Bushmaster, enhances field performance, accuracy, and recovery time between shots. Many gun owners are not prepared for the power behind the .450 Bushmaster shot, especially if unaccustomed to shooting with anything but lower-power rounds. Especially for novices, a muzzle brake is virtually a must.
Suppressor Support
While not all muzzle brakes allow for easy support of a suppressor, some do, and minimizing the noise they produce is a great benefit for many owners. This is particularly important for those who want to shoot in groups or in any area where noise is a concern.
Compatibility
The market for products that support the .450 Bushmaster is still growing as it gains in popularity but upgrading to a quality muzzle brake from our list ensures maximum compatibility with your rifle setup.
Cost
Hitting the market without reviewing our guide and round up of products could easily break your bank. If you carefully read our pointers and check out the products we’ve listed, a muzzle brake can actually be quite affordable, and considering the multitude of benefits, it makes it a very wise investment.
How to Install Muzzle Brakes
Regardless of the muzzle brake you choose, installation is about the same. That said, it can be confusing if you’re not used to modifications or are doing it for the first time, so be sure to read our step-by-step guide and follow along with the included video.
- As always, be sure your gun is unloaded.
- Place the upper receiver into a vise to make life easier if you wish.
- If required by the muzzle brake, install the crush washer.
- Thread the brake clockwise until it is tight against the washer.
- Apply torque of between 15 and 20 pounds, starting low and working up.
- Be sure the muzzle brake is properly aligned with any visual indicators on the model.
- Depending on the muzzle brake, it may need to be permanently affixed to meet the 16” legal length requirement.
As for the last step, be aware that registration and a $200 fee, or “tax stamp”, is required of guns that are legally classified as short-barreled rifles. Thus, along with the barrel itself, you will need to consider how the muzzle brake affects the total length of your gun to keep it at or above 16” in length.
Conclusion
A muzzle brake is a virtual must for taming the power behind the .450 Bushmaster, especially for those unaccustomed to ammo with such high kick. Without reading our guide, it’s easy to accidentally spend too much. Be sure to keep our guidelines in mind for what makes a great muzzle brake, and pick from our selection of the best brakes on the market today to keep your shots low-recoil and high-accuracy.
BeT 45” bushmaster brake guide on the net!
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