Muzzle brake
A
muzzle brake is a device that is affixed to the
muzzle of a
firearm, and which redirects propellant gases to either counter the
recoil of the
gun, or to prevent the muzzle from climbing during rapid fire. They are very useful for combat and timed competition shooting, and are commonly found on rifles firing very large cartridges (often big-game rifles).
The major disadvantage to using a muzzle brake is the fact that they necessarily increase the noise level of the report dramatically; generally, the more effective the muzzle brake is, the louder it will be.