Hi All,
I am not sure why this rifle was ordered with the brake but it was and this was back in the mid 1960's from the proof marks. I recently acquired this rifle for my collection it's a BSA Majestic Featherweight with BESA Recoil Reducer machined into the muzzle. The rifle weighs 6 1/4lbs sans scope. Now the BESA was developed in 1955 or thereabouts due to calls from customers of these light rifles for reduced recoil. Sure they wanted the light weight but not the recoil
.
I can understand it with 3o cal chamberings and maybe even .270 but .243? anyway it's the first one I had actually got in my hands so I brought it and are not trying to sort out previous owner caused problems like screwed up bedding and lack of cleaning
.
Well I brought soem Remington factory ammo to try it out after repairing the bedding and barrel channel using wood filler and the first shot with the brake uncovered nearly deafened me and this was outside. There is no way that I could hunt with this without soem hearing protection nor if hunting with someone else like a guide of gamekeeper. I say brake uncovered because it came with a "Range Adaptor" fitted which closes off the brake but using it I would expect to alter point of impact as it's a piece of steel so adds weight to the muzzle.
Having shot it at the range recoil is mild but the gun still moves off the target, well with me shooting it, but so far accuracy has been inconsistant so I have more work to do. Now for recoil supression and also be more user friendly I would recomend a "Sound Moderator" as they also reduce recoil but of course in the US this makes you a sniper and the BATF certainly frowns on them and if you do get a licence for oen they want a big chunk of money for the privilage
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Brakes are fashionable and there is a crowd at our club which have rifles with them mainly tactical type rifles like the SAKO TRG, all black synthetic and bipods, huge tactical scopes and all chambered for 7.62x51 Nato
Whilst they are certainly accurate I cannot see the need for them
one guy who wanted to get in on the act had a beautiful Parker-Hale 1200P (Presentation model) butchered to take a brake then proceeds to rattle off cheap eastern bloc 30-06 ammo as fast as he can then says it not very accurate
The 1200P is a hunting rifle and as such has a light barrel. It's a fashion statement having a muzzle brake for these folks I am sure
mine is a piece of gunmaking history and is part of my little collection and once I get it sorted out and restored I might never hunt with it as I have other rifles to choose from.
