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Eric
29 September 2009, 07:12
It seems that aftermarket muzzle devices are becoming more common on the AR platform and Rainier Arms has recently jumped into the market with their XTC – eXtreme Tactical Compensator. The standard A2 compensator/flash hider does a fairly decent job of minimizing muzzle flash, but really has no recoil reduction properties. The recoil generated by the .223/5.56 is minimal to begin with, but some folks are always looking for a little something extra to give them an edge. I’ve been using the XTC for a couple months now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/AR15forme/Rainier%20Arms/IMG_6500-1.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/AR15forme/Rainier%20Arms/IMG_6502-1.jpg

For the most part, compensators increase the muzzle blast and noise directed to the sides and back toward the shooter. The XTC is no exception. The redirection of the gases is what keeps the muzzle planted. The XTC appears to have an expansion chamber followed by a short series of four prongs to function as a flash suppressor. The machine work was very clean and it has a dark gray parkerized finish.

The XTC has on overall length of 2.20” and weights in at about 2.4 oz. For comparison the standard A2 is 1.75” long and 2.0 oz. The YHM Phantom 5C2 is 2.225” long and 2.0 oz. I know this isn’t an apples to apples comparison, but they were handy at the time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/AR15forme/Rainier%20Arms/IMG_6483-1.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/AR15forme/Rainier%20Arms/IMG_80181-1.jpg

The XTC easily mounted with the use of a crush washer. The XTC has about 800 rounds through it so far. I ran .223 and 5.56 thought it, to include running a few drills during low light conditions. I had fun shooing with the XTC. The 4MOA dot on the Aimpoint ML2 really kept planted and follow-up shots were quick and easy. During low light shooting, the flames were readily visible coming out of the expansion chamber. I later observed a Primary Weapons FSC556 being fired at night and the flash was similar.

The XTC would be a great choice for use on a carbine or rifle used in competition. For LE/mil/defensive use, I would think that would be an individual choice. However, the increased blast prevents me from using it in that role.

Stickman
5 July 2010, 17:16
My contract with Military Times prevents me from copying the information from one site to the other. Hit the link below for more information, pictures, and the writeup.

http://militarytimes.com/blogs/gearscout/2010/05/24/rainier-arms-xtc-xtreme-tactical-compensator/




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