Axelson Tactical was founded in honor of the memory of Matt Axelson, a SEAL who was killed in the line of duty.  The fact that I’m starting the review process of the ROC Competition muzzle brake the day after Memorial day is not lost on me.  Now that the day dedicated to the memory of our fallen warriors is over, it’s time to get back to the business of living.  In this case, that means testing out the ROC brake and seeing how it performs.

First lets look at the tech specs, as provided on Axelson Tactical’s website.

• Made from 4140 steel
• Black Nitride finish
• 10 tunable ports
• Facilitates fast, flat shooting
• Rounded, snag-free profile
• Extreme recoil reduction
• Concussion reduction
• Muzzle rise elimination
• 16 ports total for superior performance
• Legal for USPSA Multi-Gun Limited Division/3-Gun Tactical Classes

The version I received for testing and evaluation was the 7.62 variant, which comes in at 3.4oz and 2.25″.  Installation is easy, with my version threading onto the 5/8×24 end of the barrel and tightening down onto the included crush washer.  A dot of loc-tite secures the assembly.  I put the brake on a notoriously (and unexpectedly) hard recoiling Ar-10 in .308.  One installation note: the allen screws that plug the tunable ports, bottom out before entering the bullet’s travel channel, preventing the user from screwing them in too far.  I thought that was a nice touch, keeping Pvt. Murphy at bay.

The considerations for performance in a muzzle brake are (in no particular order)

• Recoil reduction (rearward force)
• Muzzle rise reduction (vertical force)
• Increase in noise
• Downward blast (very important for prone shooters)

I compared the performance of the Axelson ROC brake to that of a bare muzzle, first with all allen screws still installed then with all removed.  With all screws still in, I was able to feel a significant reduction in recoil, though muzzle rise remained unchanged.  Sure, the rifle was a bit louder and had a sharper bark, but that was outweighed by the reduced recoil and lessened concussive effect.  Once I removed all allen screws, there were 10 more vents for gas to escape upwards, pushing the muzzle back down: muzzle rise had indeed been reduced, allowing me a better look at the impact of my rounds when I had the scope’s magnification dialed up a bit.  The side vents on the ROC brake had little-to-no downward component, so I can’t say I noticed any significant dust kick up from the ground.

While the ROC competition brake did a pretty good job of taming this Ar-10 a bit, I can imagine it being exponentially more effective on smaller calibers.  I can see it being a little too effective with all ports open, which is why having the ability to tune the brake to fit your rifles blast impulse is such a luxury, and of such importance to competitors.  One can easily see why a competition shooter would opt for a brake like this, reducing recoil and speeding up the shooter’s ability to make rapid follow-up shots.  If you’re in the market for a solid muzzle brake, the folks at Axelson have made a product worth checking out.  The ROC competition brake retails for $149.95.

This article was originally published on the Loadout Room and written by Rex Nanorum