5 Best AR 15 Compensators

Having the best AR 15 compensator means effectively controlling the muzzle rise of your weapon, getting you back on the target faster.

If you have heard the phrases “compensator”, “flash suppressor”, and “muzzle brake” thrown around, then you have probably been misled.

Many people incorrectly use these terms interchangeably.

They are certainly not the same muzzle devices.​

A lot of the confusion comes from the fact that you can get a mix of these effects in the same device.

Don't worry though, we are going to clearly break down what these devices do.

After that, we are going to look at the top 5 compensators that you can get for your AR-15. If you are looking to reduce your recoil, check out the top muzzle brakes.

Before we break down the top 5 AR compensators, let's clear up what each of these nifty tools does for your black rifle.

Disclosure:   Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, where I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Compensator vs Muzzle Brake

Compensator

A compensator does exactly what it sounds like: it compensates! What does it compensate (for)? Muzzle blast and the resulting rise of your rifle’s barrel.

Although the 5.56 and .223 are small rounds, they still pack a punch. The faster that bullet travels, the faster (and harder) that energy throws your barrel off target.

A compensator works to redirect gas from the muzzle of your rifle in the opposing direction of the barrel’s travel. In effect, it helps to cancel out all that rising energy, leaving your barrel planted, your sight picture less disrupted, and your follow-ups and general accuracy in better shape after each shot.

Flash Suppressor

When comparing a compensator vs flash hider (suppressor is the more correct term), the flash suppressor simply helps hide the flash, just like its name suggests.

A flash suppressor decreases the fireball that exits with all that spent gas at the end of your muzzle. This fireball will normally distort your sight picture and give away your position.

Flash suppressors function similar to compensators only by happenstance. Some flash suppressors provide a measure of compensation, but that is not their primary purpose.

Muzzle brake

A muzzle brake most closely resembles the mechanical function of a compensator.

However, the two are not the same. A muzzle brake’s primary function is to reduce felt recoil – not barrel rise.

Most muzzle brakes are angled rearward to redirecting gas from the muzzle back toward the sides of the shooter. This cancels out felt recoil and keeps things comfortable.

Muzzle brakes inherently help reduce barrel rise, but not as well as a compensator. Most muzzle brakes do not vent their gas upward to such a great degree as a compensator does unless designed as a two-in-one deal.

Whew. Now that this is cleared up finally, let us look at the top 5 best AR compensators on the market. Which reduces barrel rise the most? Which is the coolest, most innovative, lightest, and fastest? Let's find out next.

Best AR 15 Compensators - Top 5

Check your local, state, and federal laws to make sure your firearm and any add-on devices are legal.

5. Schuster ATaC

Pegging #5 on the list is a two-for-one combo: The ATaC Compensator and Muzzle Brake from Schuster. This bare bones stuff works well.

The Schuster looks a little rough around the edges thanks to its billet tool steel and basic parkerized finish. This is basic material and manufacturing stuff in the land of ARs.

If you are budget-minded and do not care about gorgeous looks or Cool Guy points at the range, and you just want a compensator that does a great job, then this is the device for you.

A traditional vented design keeps things looking USGI. The functionality is great. Users report a surprisingly high reduction in barrel rise and a moderate reduction in felt recoil. A nice bonus.

The relatively compact and light ATaC brings 14.5” barrels to the legal 16” with a standard crush washer and pin job. At a little over $60, this great entry-level compensator works well and doubles, in part at least, as a decent muzzle brake.

4. YHM AR-15 Slant

Pegging #4 is the AR-15 Slant Muzzle Brake from Yankee Hill Machine (YHM). This is another “two-for-one” compensator that is billed a muzzle brake. You can begin to see how people interchange these terms so much.

This compensator/muzzle brake reportedly kills barrel rise by a substantial margin and offers plenty of felt recoil reduction by acting as a side-ported muzzle brake.

The YHM departs from small, consistent USGI vents and goes with two wide ports on the sides with 14 moderately sized, recessed ports on top.

The YHM features some very nice machining, cool looks, and a smooth, mil-spec phosphate finish that will match any barrel and receiver.

At 0.75” diameter and nearly an inch long, the YHM is certainly an in-your-face muzzle device, but its style does not cause an eyesore.

The YHM is available for around $60 like the ATaC. Therefore, if you are sticking to an everyman’s budget but want something with a little more flare, this is the compensator to pick up.

3. Smith Enterprise Good Iron

The Good Iron Muzzle Brake from Smith Enterprise is designed specifically for rapid follow-up shots. This muzzle brake features 14 gas ports crafted from quality 8620 steel and treated with a salt bath nitrite finish.

It boasts a hardness rating of 60RC. In lay terms, this thing is tough as nails. The uniquely vented top-facing ports direct gas upward and forward, in a complementary direction to the travel of vented gas.

While this does not do much for recoil, it creates a highly effective compensator that pushes gas more efficiently.

In effect, the Good Iron Muzzle Brake pushes gas away quicker and keeps the barrel planted more proactively against the fired round. This is where Smith Enterprises gets their claim of ensuring rapid follow-up shots—and it certainly does work well.

The Good Iron is 0.86 inches in diameter and 2 inches long. This keeps things relatively conservative against some other, flashier compensators and brakes.

It can be had for around $55, making it a wonderfully inexpensive, highly effective compensator and an acceptable muzzle brake.

2. Diamondhead 5.56 NATO T-Brake

If you like the idea of YHM’s Slant Muzzle Brake, but prefer a muzzle device that provides more compensation (a helluva lot more, to be precise) then take a look at the T-Brake from Diamondhead.

This thing has some serious design elements that result in a nearly laser-steady barrel after each shot.

Utilizing a widened base and triangular housing, the T-Brake plasters as much gas as possible against its bottom plate while using wide, angled-by-design outward and upward ports to vent all that gas quickly.

The result is an ultra-efficient gas vent design that pushes the barrel down and stabilizes your rifle better than most other compensators on the market.

The Diamondhead is one of the most aesthetic compensators. If you want a cohesive look, you can pick up Diamondhead’s VRS-T handguards that match this compensator’s design.

The T-brake measures a rather robust 4.5 inches long, 3 inches wide and 1 inch tall, making it one of the biggest compensators on the market.

That said, bigger is better when it comes to compensators. This unit can be had for around $130 – a little premium, but you get what you pay for.

1. Effin A MKII

“F***in’ A” is what you will say once you have honed in the modular design of the Effin A MKII Compensator by Ares Armor to your recoil and barrel patterns. This compensator over-performs.

It lets you dial in the path of barrel rise and resistance down to every individual gas port. It looks bada**. It is priced well. It is finished beautifully. It just works better than anything else on the market today.

So, what is so great about the Effin A? Why is it Numero Uno? Because you can turn it into whatever compensator you would like.

It is tunable, seriously. You can start with all gas ports open then start dialing in the compensator function by plugging each port with the provided plug and Allen key.

To be sure, this thing is neurotic and is designed for shooters who just have to have perfection. It even comes shipped in a blue prescription bottle that reads, “Take for management of recoil symptoms.

If symptoms exist, adjust as necessary”. A nifty instruction pamphlet walks you through how to dial in this bad boy. Once everything is set up, expect to have zero barrel rise or wavering in any direction.

See, every shooter is different. We all hold our weapons different ways and react to recoil in different ways. No one compensator can be perfect for everyone – except this one. You can mold it to you.

The Effin A MKII Compensator can be had for a surprisingly sweet $100 – if you can find it in stock. You want the best compensator available and want to make it yours—this is the way to go.