The hottest commodity in the firearms world right now is probably compensators.
Now, compensators aren’t anything new, but interest in them has skyrocketed over the last few years. Certainly, that is partly due to major manufacturers releasing models with built in compensators.
But while that has spiked interest, that isn’t the only way to have a compensator on your firearm, and some would argue that it’s not even the best way to use them.
Before you have that debate, though, you really should consider whether using a compensator would be a good idea for you.
With that in mind, we turn to YouTuber Honest Outlaw to go over the pros and cons of using a compensator on a pistol (along with a healthy dose of range time). You can watch that video below (warning: some swearing and off color humor).
Now, for those of you who didn’t take the time to watch the video, you really should just watch the video right now. It’s worth the watch.
But if you just refuse to do that, here are pros and cons of using a compensator on your pistol:
Pros:
- Reduced felt recoil which leads to more enjoyable shooting experiences, leading to more range time and you being a better shooter
- Reduced felt recoil which leads to getting back on target more quickly which leads to you being a better, more accurate shooter
Cons:
- It dirties the gun more quickly which can lead to malfunctions and requires more frequent cleanings
- Compensators add more complexities and moving parts (at least with screw on compensators) which can lead to more malfunctions
- Lowered bullet velocity can cause malfunction problems when using aftermarket compensators, though, this shouldn’t be an issue with factory installed compensators
- Blast. Yes, you could sometimes get blast coming out off the vent holes instead of just the end of the barrel pointing away from you
- Flash. Some people say that a compensator flashes more and can cause night blindness making it hard to take follow up shots
- Noise. Compensators can be louder, some people say much louder.
Of course, the question of whether you should use one depends on the aspects that are most important to you… and whether you’re willing to train to use a compensator.
For those who like them, though, they would argue that the pros outweigh the cons.
What do you think about compensators? Tell us below.