SilencerCo is a suppressor industry leader. One reason for that success is the company’s Active Spring Retention (ASR) muzzle devices. I recently got my hands on the new Henry Homesteader 9mm Carbine. The Homesteader has a threaded barrel and, not being one to allow such a feature to sit idle, I picked up a SilencerCo ASR Single Port Muzzle Brake for my new rifle. Here’s how that went.
What is ASR?
The ASR System is SilencerCo’s proprietary quick attach/detach centerfire rifle suppressor mounting system. It is designed to prevent the suppressor from backing off during normal use due to shock and vibration caused by firing and transport through a secondary locking collar. It requires a compatible muzzle device, such as a muzzle brake or flash hider. The suppressor fits over that device. Shims are provided for any additional indexing that may be required. The system offers easy one-hand attachment and detachment.
I haven’t yet suppressed my Homesteader, but I plan to at some point (those things ain’t cheap). At the same time, that threaded barrel was just forlornly sitting there. So, it just made sense to add an accessory that facilitates later suppression while still enhancing my firearm right now. Win-win and all that.
The ASR Single Port Muzzle Brake
The SilencerCo ASR Single Port Brake is available for 9mm and .30 caliber barrels. My Homesteader is chambered in 9mm Luger, so I did some ciphering and concluded I should get the 9mm brake. I’m scientific like that. The brake has the common 1/2×28” thread pitch, matching my Homesteader’s threads, so that also affected my calculations.
The brake ships with shims and Rocksett thread locker, which is nice. It’s compatible with multiple SilencerCo products. You can check their website for further details. Suffice it to say that I’ll have plenty of options when choosing a suppressor.
Like other muzzle brakes, the ASR Single Port Brake is designed to mitigate recoil and muzzle rise by redirecting the gas generated by the fired cartridge. This particular model funnels the gas to either side, making follow-up shots a bit easier. Constructed of heat-treated stainless steel with a corrosion-resistant finish, the ASR brake is built to last. And it’s specifically designed for pistol caliber carbines. SilencerCo probably envisioned AR-9 type firearms, but it works just fine on my Homesteader.
Braking the Homesteader
The Henry Homesteader is a magazine-fed, semi-automatic carbine designed for utility. Its purview includes varmint control, small and medium game, home defense, and whatever else you might need it for. That versatility includes a threaded barrel for suppressors, brakes, or flash hiders.
The Homesteader doesn’t have much recoil, but that threaded barrel beckoned, so I couldn’t resist. The ASR brake attaches easily, just make certain you use the shims and thread locker. Otherwise, you won’t get a proper fit and the brake will work itself loose. The shims are important to make certain the ports are properly indexed to the barrel. You’ll want the ports at the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. Use the number of shims necessary to achieve that alignment. This alignment doesn’t especially help with muzzle climb but it does reduce felt recoil by slightly pulling the firearm forward as the gas redirects.
The brake’s downside is that it makes the gun’s muzzle blast louder. All muzzle brakes do that. This single port brake, however, isn’t so bad. I’ve worn hearing protection, of course, every time I’ve fired the Homesteader, but the difference seems very small. Not at all like the 4-port brake I have on one of my AR-15s.
Performance
I’m not very recoil sensitive when it comes to rifles. Shotguns are another matter, and they always seem to beat the crap out of me. But not rifles. When I pay attention, I notice a small recoil reduction when firing the Homesteader. My son and co-tester, on the other hand, always thought the Homesteader a bit snappy. He loves the SilencerCo ASR brake, and says it reduces the recoil significantly for him. Different shooters, I guess.
But I will say this. After installing a Vortex Defender CCW red dot while testing the muzzle brake, I tried shooting freehand at a 12-inch steel plate at 125 yards. I went as fast as I could while ensuring good shots — 5-round strings, with the muzzle brake and without. I hadn’t yet applied the thread locker because I wanted to compare with and without.
The Homesteader is very accurate. With the red dot, I consistently connected on four out of five shots, sometimes even five out of five. Once I established a rhythm, I timed my shot strings with and without the brake. The brake shaved an average of a second or so off my times. I didn’t feel much difference in the recoil, but I was clearly lining up my follow-up shots just a little quicker with the brake than without it.
One second is not much in the way of performance for how I intend to use the Homesteader, but it was a measurable improvement. Now, say you compete with a 9mm carbine. One second or so in a five-shot string is a big deal. I’m no competitor, so I can’t say exactly how my decidedly unscientific test translates, but competition shooters use brakes for a reason. Me, I just use this one because it’s cool, I like it, and I think it makes my Homesteader look better. And those are good enough reasons for me.
Quality Products
I began this article by calling SilencerCo an industry leader, and so they are. They reached that position by producing quality products. This ASR Single Port Muzzle Brake is one of them. I’ve visited SilencerCo’s production facility twice. CEO Jonathan Shults even gave me the tour himself once. Each time I came away impressed. So, choosing a SilencerCo product was easy for me because I knew the quality would be there.
The fact that the SilencerCo ASR brake also facilitates suppressing my Homesteader factored in as well. I’ll get to that eventually. Seriously, what’s not to like? If you’re looking for a 9mm brake, or maybe building toward a suppressor, this brake deserves a hard look. It will likely make your carbine a bit more enjoyable and probably help your shooting. Give it a try.
