Are Pistol Compensators Worthwhile?

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There are many accessories you can add to your EDC gun these days. Optics like red dots, night sights, extended safety levers, weapon-mounted lights (WML), and lasers are common and in wide use. They all provide a direct benefit when you are in a stressful shooting situation. Optics and lasers enable you to acquire your target faster, night sights and WMLs improve low-light performance, and extended controls make it easier to manipulate the safety when under stress or if your hands are wet. Pistol compensators are a less common accessory, although they are quickly gaining popularity. Full-size compensators have been used on competition guns for years, but new, more compact models are now being offered for concealed carry guns. The question is, are they worth it?

What Is a Pistol Compensator?

A pistol compensator is a device that attaches to the muzzle of a handgun to mitigate recoil and help control muzzle rise, or flip. Unlike a muzzle brake, which diverts gas out the sides of the device to counteract the rearward force of recoil, a compensator diverts gases upward instead of out the muzzle, compensating for the upward jump of the muzzle as the gun is fired. This helps the shooter to fire quicker, more accurate follow-up shots. They are easy to install, simply threading onto the end of a threaded barrel, and sometimes incorporating a set screw to prevent them from backing off the barrel. There are also some pistol compensators, like the Strike Industries Mass Driver Compensator, that do not require a threaded barrel.

Changes in Pistol Compensators Over Time

Pistol compensators gained tremendous popularity for competition shooting

starting in the 1980s. Competitors shooting compensated pistols had a significant advantage in speed and accuracy over those without compensated pistols. Competitors weren’t concerned about concealability, so the added bulk and weight of a compensator were inconsequential, but their use on an EDC handgun was impractical since their bulk made concealability more difficult and required special holsters. In addition, they added significant length to a handgun which could interfere with a fast draw and make reholstering more difficult. That didn’t matter to competitors since most used custom holsters. However, as compensators grew in general popularity, manufacturers began offering compensators designed specifically for concealed carry, like the Strike Micro Threaded Comp which only adds .64” to the barrel length. Their compact size enhances concealability and makes it possible to carry them in a normal open-ended holster.

Benefits of Pistol Compensators

Pistol compensators offer some definite advantages, the most obvious of which is the reduction in recoil and muzzle flip. This helps keep your sights on target for faster and more accurate follow-up shots. It also makes handguns more comfortable to shoot for people who are recoil averse. Compensators reportedly reduce recoil anywhere from 8% to 14%, depending on the gun and ammunition. They are also very easy to install.

Another advantage of a compensator’s reduction in recoil is the ability to use +P and even +P+ ammunition without a noticeable increase in recoil from standard ammunition. Since +P ammo produces about a 10% increase in recoil, shooting it through a compensated handgun feels like shooting standard ammo without a compensator.

Finally, there is the comparison between porting a barrel and installing a compensator. Porting your barrel requires a permanent alteration of your gun, installing a compensator does not. In some cases, porting can also result in a reduction in muzzle velocity. While this is not a problem when shooting competition, it is not desirable in a defensive encounter.

Pros:

• Easy to install
• Does not require permanent alteration to your handgun
• Reduce felt recoil
• Reduced muzzle flip during rapid-fire
• Allows the use of more powerful ammo with the same recoil
• Does not reduce muzzle velocity

Drawbacks of Pistol Compensators

Like so many things in life, pistol compensators have their downside. The most obvious is the additional length, usually between .6” and 2”, and weight compensators add to your handgun. This makes a gun more difficult to conceal and more tiresome to carry. Fortunately, the newer compensators designed for concealed carry alleviate much of this problem. Nevertheless, a pocket pistol would possibly no longer fit in your pocket. 

Compensators also make your gun louder to shoot because the compensator ports direct some of the muzzle blast up instead of out the muzzle and away from you. They also vent gases straight up instead of away from you. That can make indoor range time unpleasant and even cause a headache and nausea during prolonged indoor shooting sessions. 

Compensators can also affect retention shooting situations because when you have your gun tucked back close to your body instead of pressed out at arm’s length to prevent it from being grabbed by a bad guy, your upper body and face are right above the point where the compensator is directing muzzle blast and gases. This makes practice more difficult and could even be a negative factor in a real-world situation. 

Finally, there is the additional cost involved. The cost of a compensator can run anywhere from $50 to $200. If your gun does not already have a threaded barrel, that could be another $75 to $200, depending on your gun, and the threaded barrel you choose.

Cons:

• Add length and weight to the barrel
• Most require a threaded barrel
• Can reduce concealability
• Maneuverability when holstering can be a challenge
• More exposure to gases
• Louder than a stock handgun
• Cost

What a Pistol Compensator is Not

Just as with any other accessory, such as a red dot, a pistol compensator is not a replacement for training and proper gun handling techniques. If you are experienced and your skills are up to par, a compensator might be a good addition to your EDC to complement your abilities. On the other hand, buying one to ‘compensate’ for poor skills or lack of practice is laziness and could come back to bite you when the chips are down. 

Summary

Is putting a pistol compensator on your EDC gun worthwhile? Yes, they can be beneficial, but it pays to give the disadvantages some thought before laying your money down, and then finding out that you do not like it. It is also essential to remember that no accessory, no matter how good, will ever be a substitute for training and practice.