First please excuse my ENGLISH its not my first language and this is my first post. I just completed my first mid length AR15 built. I have put all the parts together and took out to the range run perfectly, but it has a lot of recoil. My brother inlaw AR is a carbine length and it seen a lot less recoil and less muzzle then my mid length. I ran 170 rounds through it perfectly cycle every round then after i get home cleaned the gun then i realize that my A2 flash doesn't look like my brother inlaw. is cut out is face upward then i remember when i installed my flash hider all i did was to get it as tight as i can and not realized it need to be timed or index after i do some research today I WAS COMPLETELY OVER LOOK HOW TO INSTALLED THE FLASH HIDER. i can't get it to where it need to be now because my crush washer is now bad i know i need a new one . I was just wondering is that why i feel so much recoil because my flash hider was not property timed or indexed? would it do any harm to the barrel at all? Thank you in advance and again please excuse my English.

Are you in the usa?  I have a crush washer you can have so you can time it.  All the muzzle flash is going down wards instead of up

yes I lives in usa, but I can pick it up at my local gun shop thanks though. I'm just curious if I have the a2 flash hider time incorrectly would effect the muzzle and recoil as I was experienced at the range. Hard recoil and stronger muzzle than a carbine setup.

"Felt" recoil is caused by many things.

Sometimes it is merely perception, caused by not comparing apples to apples.  Different surroundings, shooting indoors vs outdoors, shooting different ammunition with more or less muzzle flash or pressure curve/velocity.  

Sometimes it is a difference in the equipment, using different rate springs, different weight buffers, different weight stocks and barrels, and barrels with significant over-gassing.

The direction of the slots of an A2 flash hider has LITTLE to do with anything.  The A2 flash hider is not a muzzle brake.  The solid area at the bottom was designed to decrease dust signature when shooting prone, not to reduce upward recoil.  Shooting an A2 va A1 flash hider is practically undiscernable.... unless prone on soft ground.


I'd argue your "recoil" comparison is likely perception and incorrect evaluation, or possibly some equipment differences.  In *general*, across two similar weapons one being carbine length gas and one being midlength, the midlength will have a softer recoil pulse.  Both being very minor as the 5.56/.223 AR just does not have much recoil to begin with.  

Thank you.





yes there was some of equipment differences He got the H2 buffer and I got the carbine spring with the H buffer. Barrel are the same rate heavy barrel with 1/7 twist. his 16" with flash hider and mine 17.5" with flash hider. both run 5.56 at the same range same day. I was searching for mid length buffer tube, is there such thing? I seem to fine it.

Thanks guys

The proper term is receiver extension, and no, they don't make them different for midlength gas.

Whatever gas system you choose, is independent of your receiver extension choice.  The receiver extension is going to be Carbine, or Rifle, with their specific buffer length and spring for each.

(with the only exception being the oddball vltorA5 system, which is their propriety and non-standard)

In the carbine world, you can adjust the weight of the buffer, standard, H, H2, and heavier than H2.  Generally speaking, the standard buffer is fine for midlength gas systems, given their slower gas impulse.  The standard buffer was just fine for carbine systems for decades, until the short barreled M4 switched to a heavier buffer to slow unlocking, and now everyone wants to have these with their carbine gas systems.