I see more and more people putting them on...

They are very good at helping maintain back pressure, to help short barrels with muzzles close to the gas port (ie. 10.5 CQB barrels) cycle more reliably.

They are also good for you and your buddy's ears.

If I SBRed, I'd probly have one.  I think the benefits outweigh the ugliness.


- BG

Nothing like putting a little over a 1/2 pound of weight directly on the tip of the muzzle.

It really improves the weapons balance! LOL

I have shot a 9" and 10.5" with and without a Krink flash hider, and I will NEVER shoot another short barreled rifle without a Krink.  Not only does it help tremendously, I think it looks very intimidating.

I like it on my SBR 10.5"....

It's ugly and it weighs a ton, but it's not coming off anytime soon, just makes shooting it so much more pleasant (especially indoors, under a canopy, and standing next to it).


It's a love/hate relationship for me.

You still have to wear hearing protection so what is the point?  It increases back pressure which will exacerbate reliability issues in rifles that have adequate functioning to begin with.  It makes mounting a suppressor over it impossible.  It will increase cyclic rate of a weapon whos cyclic rate is already too high.  Its heavy as hell for a flash hider... why not use a suppressor instead and go all the way?  It is not as effective a fash hider as others in the field.  I just dont get why everyone loves these things.  Can someone explain it to me?  I have never had issues shooting SBRs with hearing protection or with suppressors.  I cant figure out why these things are selling.

Sound Suppressor- $1000, a lot of red tape, an additional 20 oz, and a long wait.


Krink- $85-$125, 8.7 oz, no hoops required, and available immediately.

To me the Krink completely elimates the blast and reduces the preceived noise to less than that of a 20 inch barrel.

If I had to I could shoot the AR/krink without plugs/muffs.

Without the Krink my ears would bleed, maybe/maybe not, but I don't want to find out.

The Krink is not my friend, it is the friend of the guy on either side of me.  All of my SBRs are reliable already, but in an enclosed or confined space the Krink is invaluable.  Thay have a specific niche - for operators who shoot as a team with each other as it directs the concussion and noise downrange.  

They are non-NFA items and an eight man team can be outfitted for $1K vs. the cost of eight suppressors and $1600 in NFA taxes.

So there are benefits and it does help with those "finicky" SBRs that already have some existing problem.

For the guys who shoot as a team, they are great.  If you think you need one on a 14.5" or longer barrel you're looking at the wrong piece of gear.  They are not for everybody, nor are they designed for every rifle.  They were designed for practicality, not looks, and I prefer function over form in this instance.

YMMV

If I decided to build a SBR in the future, I'll get a Krink FS for it.

All of the users so far seems to be satisfied with it.

When I get the extra dough to toy with a KFH will go on one of my SBR's.

I guess I'm old-fashioned,I like the A2 birdcage or the Phantom on an AR-type weapon.And I don't have an SBR,so I guess I'm ok.

Quoted: You still have to wear hearing protection so what is the point?  It increases back pressure which will exacerbate reliability issues in rifles that have adequate functioning to begin with.  It makes mounting a suppressor over it impossible.  It will increase cyclic rate of a weapon whos cyclic rate is already too high.  Its heavy as hell for a flash hider... why not use a suppressor instead and go all the way?  It is not as effective a fash hider as others in the field.  I just dont get why everyone loves these things.  Can someone explain it to me?  I have never had issues shooting SBRs with hearing protection or with suppressors.  I cant figure out why these things are selling.

Me either.  They are the most fugly things I have seen hanging off the end of a barrel in a long time.  Now if they improve function, that is fine and I'd be all for it, but my 7.5 inch AR pistol is running 100% with the Phantom on it so what is there to gain for me?  NOTHING!  I don't shoot anything without plugging and muffing so blast is no concern to me what so ever and since when I shoot I shoot mostly alone, or even when there is someone they are a good 50 yards away, there is nothing to be gained by "near by" shooters either.  To each their own though.

i asked about this on another thread, but for sbr's they are fine from what peeps tell me. but what i still dont get is why peeps are putting them on longer bbls, whats the use in longer bbls than 10.5"???
must be the cool factor, not that i'm havent succumbed to it before myself. oh well...


meat

Quoted: They are non-NFA items and an eight man team can be outfitted for $1K vs. the cost of eight suppressors and $1600 in NFA taxes.

Mil, LE, Operators et al. are exempt from the NFA taxes... just do a Form 5

As for the "Krink" can, it is not a new idea really (but everything old is new again it seems); we looked at using the 74U style FS on the M4Ward project to increase back pressure without having to open the gas port, but the idea did not last long... Many reasons, not the least of them the overbearing size of the device -- but in the end, a more compact moderator (ala XM177) seems a much better choice.

...but, I guess they are different enough to be popular?

"The white zone is for loading and unloading only..."

Quoted: You still have to wear hearing protection so what is the point?  It increases back pressure which will exacerbate reliability issues in rifles that have adequate functioning to begin with.  It makes mounting a suppressor over it impossible.  It will increase cyclic rate of a weapon whos cyclic rate is already too high.  Its heavy as hell for a flash hider... why not use a suppressor instead and go all the way?  It is not as effective a fash hider as others in the field.  I just dont get why everyone loves these things.  Can someone explain it to me?  I have never had issues shooting SBRs with hearing protection or with suppressors.  I cant figure out why these things are selling.

If you're not shooting full auto, then the cyclic rate isn't an issue.  A suppressor also won't fit on a number of other muzzle devices, but that's not important if you're not planning on suppressing the gun.  It weighs more than a "regular" flash hider, but less than a suppressor, but costs a fraction of what a suppressor does and is not an NFA item.  So the Krink has a market: it's for people who don't want/need a sound suppressor, want to reduce the noise they hear when they shoot, and want to improve reliability on sometimes-unreliable setups (like 10.5" setups).   Time will tell if they're a plus or minus.  So far I think I've only seen one person here complain about reliability after installing one, and he took it off.

Quoted: They are very good at helping maintain back pressure, to help short barrels with muzzles close to the gas port (ie. 10.5 CQB barrels) cycle more reliably. They are also good for you and your buddy's ears.

I don't get that one, I was standing next to PX when he shot his 11.5 and the blast wasn't anything worse to me then if he was shooting the M4.

I just like the way they look and would love to get one for the 40cal upper just for the looks.

Quoted: Quoted: They are very good at helping maintain back pressure, to help short barrels with muzzles close to the gas port (ie. 10.5 CQB barrels) cycle more reliably. They are also good for you and your buddy's ears. I don't get that one, I was standing next to PX when he shot his 11.5 and the blast wasn't anything worse to me then if he was shooting the M4. I just like the way they look and would love to get one for the 40cal upper just for the looks.

I've never shot a 10.5, but my friend's 11.5 SBR was not notably harder on my ears than my 16.  Maybe the secret is good ear protection.

If your ears are all plugged up it won't matter with an SBR. You will probably only feel the blast indoors or under a canopy (we have wooden shade canopys at my range that cause the same indoor effect).

Shooting indoors etc, the people around you will feel the blast and WILL complain (ask me how I know ).

Shooting an SBR without ear protection (during a situation were you need to fire but don't have time to put in plugs) will be VERY hard on the ears.  Using the Krink will greatly reduce (not eliminate) the pain for yourself and people next and slightly forward of you.

But I also hate it because the Krink FH (aka the pig), really is a pig, it gets nasty dirty and sucks to clean.

I keep hearing they are an alternative to other flash hiders yet they suck at flash reduction.

I hear they are an alternative to sound suppressors yet you have to wear hearing protection.

If the entire team can be outfitted with these for less money what good are they when you could outfit them with $2 foam plugs and $5 A2 flash hiders and be better off?

These devices DO NOT allow the team to go without hearing protection and I DO NOT see a problem shooting next to a guy with an SBR.  Its not distracting, its not any louder than an M4, etc. as long as I am wearing hearig protection.

I also hear repeatedly it for "the guy next to you in your team" and wonder how many of the people who have this item on their weapon shoot in a team at all...

Quoted: If I SBRed, I'd probly have one.  I think the benefits outweigh the ugliness. - BG

+1. I'd put one on a SBR build, that is all.

But noone has given ANY benefits...

Just so we are clear a FEATURE is not a benefit.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: They are very good at helping maintain back pressure, to help short barrels with muzzles close to the gas port (ie. 10.5 CQB barrels) cycle more reliably. They are also good for you and your buddy's ears. I don't get that one, I was standing next to PX when he shot his 11.5 and the blast wasn't anything worse to me then if he was shooting the M4. I just like the way they look and would love to get one for the 40cal upper just for the looks. I've never shot a 10.5, but my friend's 11.5 SBR was not notably harder on my ears than my 16.  Maybe the secret is good ear protection.

Ear protection? whats that?

Just kidding. Though neither of us was wearing ear protection for the couple shots. It's good to know what it would be like without ear protection. If I hve to pull it out of the trunk in a bad situation chances are I won't have ear protection. This way I know how my ears are affected and how much it will effect, if at all, communicating verbaly. Though I do have a nice set of plugs tat still lets me hear pretty well and I do try to  keep them with the gun at all times it doesn't always happen that way. I should just invest in a second set and leave them with the gun.

Quoted: I also hear repeatedly it for "the guy next to you in your team" and wonder how many of the people who have this item on their weapon shoot in a team at all...

While I'm not on any "team" when we get together to practice/train we do do some two and three person drills. So it's the same "team" environment. But honestly I have wondered that myself. How many of the people that say that are actually on a "team" either SWAT, military, whatever.

Quoted: If your ears are all plugged up it won't matter with an SBR. You will probably only feel the blast indoors or under a canopy (we have wooden shade canopys at my range that cause the same indoor effect). Shooting indoors etc, the people around you will feel the blast and WILL complain (ask me how I know ). Shooting an SBR without ear protection (during a situation were you need to fire but don't have time to put in plugs) will be VERY hard on the ears.  Using the Krink will greatly reduce (not eliminate) the pain for yourself and people next and slightly forward of you. But I also hate it because the Krink FH (aka the pig), really is a pig, it gets nasty dirty and sucks to clean.

This is why I never saw a difference when I shot my friend's SBR: I haven't shot indoors in a long time.  I can see the reduced noise without earplugs being a benefit, but then I guess you could debate simantically what the difference is between a "benefit" and a "feature."  

I just picked one of these up used for a pretty good deal in the EE, so I'll get to see what it's like.  I have a DPMS dissipator barrel comming and figured that if I had any cycling issues with Wolf ammo, then I could put the Krink on it and fix that.  Theoretically, I shouldn't have any issues because DPMS has sorted out the gas port size on the barrel and all.  

I keep hearing they are an alternative to other flash hiders yet they suck at flash reduction.

When I shoot either my 10.5" or 9" I see no flash at all.  I could care less what other people see since flash hiders are designed to hide the flash from the shooter so he doesn't get blinded at night by the shots.

I hear they are an alternative to sound suppressors yet you have to wear hearing protection.

I never said they are an alternative to suppressors.  I said they redirect some of the sound forward so I don't hear as much as when shooting an A2 flash hider.  An A2 is considerable louder when shooting at MY indoor range where each shooting lane has cinder blocks for walls.  The sound is magnified b/c of the walls.

If the entire team can be outfitted with these for less money what good are they when you could outfit them with $2 foam plugs and $5 A2 flash hiders and be better off?

So, that doesn't help me.

I DO NOT see a problem shooting next to a guy with an SBR.

Great, then don't get one.  I shot my 10.5" with and without the Krink and my buddy in the lane next to me much prefers when I shoot WITH the krink as opposed to a standard flash hider.


My question to you is have you even tried one of these?  Without even trying one, how can you make these statements?

DevL,

At Gunsite they have a box on the Scrambler course.  You stick your head and shoulders into it and touch off a round.  I was wearing Peltors and I felt pain when I shot the 10.5.  It hurt, and my ears were rignging afterwards.  3 shots in about 1 minute.  The box is OK with a 16 inch barrel.

I read one report on 10.5's that claimed that some auto's windows will blow out from the concussion, if the weapon is fired inside.  I can believe that.

As for a can, they add 3-5 more inches than a Krink, cost 300-500% more, and back heat up... they get hot fast, shortening barrel life and causing all manner of other problems, including, I am told, fires in the baffles.

The Krink is about as effective as an A2 flash sup.  Not that good, but sufficient.  It also directs recoil in line woth the stock.

As for using one, I see no need on a barrel over 12.5 inches long.  The biggest niche for these is with LE tactical teams and special military units.  They routinely discharge their weapons with the muzzle close to their teamates ear.  That is part and parcel of operating in a diamond or other formation.  Do you want 58,000 PSI next to your ear?  I am not a fan.  Particularly if you are operation in 135 degree environments or in a covert capacity, which will preclude active hearing protection.

I have no use for a Krink at this point in time.  Some do.  Most of them don't post on ARFcom, but we knew that already.

I like them on SBRs.

DevL writes:

I keep hearing they are an alternative to other flash hiders yet they suck at flash reduction.

Actually, we performed quite a few tests with the KFH and KX3 and found it to be superior to the A2 flash hider with M855, M193, and BH Mk 262 Mk 0 when shot from the 10.5" platform. If there is excessive fouling on the KFH or KX3, this can cause sparking, but it is still invisible to the shooter. Cleaning the device on a regular basis will address this issue.

I hear they are an alternative to sound suppressors yet you have to wear hearing protection. If the entire team can be outfitted with these for less money what good are they when you could outfit them with $2 foam plugs and $5 A2 flash hiders and be better off? These devices DO NOT allow the team to go without hearing protection and I DO NOT see a problem shooting next to a guy with an SBR. Its not distracting, its not any louder than an M4, etc. as long as I am wearing hearig protection.

The concussion of a 10.5" gun going off next to your skull is distracting. Having just returned from teaching a class for four days inside a shoot house, where SBRs were being used, I can tell you the concussion is real. If you don't wear hearing protection, it is even more pronounced.

My business partner Dave Pennington donated his ears to science and shot a 10.5" carbine w/ KFH sans earpro. He told me it was subjectively less noise than that of his Gov't model. While this certainly isn't something I would suggest to anybody, this is a significant data point.

Gunzilla writes:

Mil, LE, Operators et al. are exempt from the NFA taxes... just do a Form 5

While this is usually the case, it is not always. In Illinois, even police departments are not permitted to own sound suppressors, though SBRs are apparently okay.

The bottom line is: the KFH is not everything to everybody. It provides adequate flash reduction and redirects noise and blast forward, at the expense of slightly increased weight. It also increases backpressure to improve reliability in the sometimes problematic gas-impingement operated SBRs.

Tim

Not everyone has a specific need for a KFH/KX3.

The indoor aspect may be what I am missing.  I do not get to shoot in an indoor setting with 5.56 but I do get to shoot and shoot next to people shooting full auto SBR 5.56 weapons with and without suppressors.  With suppressors I can take the noise but its not quiet by any means.  I could not do this with a Noveske flash hider.  With hearing protection on a SBR does not bother me in an open area.  If it is THAT bad in enclosed areas then I would find THAT to be a benefit to the sound being directed more forward.  I guess it is my lack of experience shooting from inside cars and buildings with SBRs that led me to believe it would be of no use.  I guess I should withhold judgement till I get an opportunity to shoot an SBR indoors with 5.56 pressure ammo.