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Compensated
Handguns in the REAL WORLD
Want
to buy a compensated gun? This is what they don't tell you.
They look cool,
but are not only impractical, but also dangerous to the shooter
and his surroundings:
- Wrist or hip
shooting cannot be performed safely with the compensator.
The handgun must be held at arm's length from the shooter.
- A compensated
pistol must not be discharged in proximity to the shooter's
eyes, legs, arms, clothing, or to bystanders.
- The exhaust ports
vent high-pressure/high-velocity gas when the gun is fired
and can damage property several feet away. Caution must be
taken when shooting to avoid overhead objects that may be
in the path of the exhaust port's blast (that includes curtains,
walls, etc.).
- Use only fully
jacketed ammunition. Shot cartridges, frangible ammunition,
and some plated bullets can send hot shrapnel flying through
the open ports.
- The compensated
weapon may require heavier loads than usual to cycle reliably.
The exhaust ports slow the velocity and decrease the foot-pounds
of your rounds.
- The exhaust ports
increase the noise level of shooting and pose a serious danger
to hearing when shooting in a closed space without ear protection.
- You must never
cycle the slide with your hands over the ports. The open ports
must be treated like an extension of the business-end of the
weapon. If the gun fires accidentally and your hand is over
the ports, you risk serious injury.
- Competition shooters
should be aware when shooting through props such as windows
ports, culverts, tiers, etc. Tell your range officer that
you are shooting a compensated weapon.
- The front site
will accumulate heavy powder debris during shooting.
- The blast from
the open ports
relates a clear signature for the bad guy to tag you.
- The blast from
the open ports
hinders your secondary sight picture on succeeding rounds
being fired.
Picture
taken from the Glock site:
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