muzzle brakes

[Novagun]

I have done a lot of playing around with muzzle breaks and airstrippers made from steel, aluminium, brass, Delrin and even wood. Some rifles benefit from them and others not so much. Surprisingly my non recoiling Daisy 953 will not shoot well without one but it does have a pea straw barrel.

I got my Hatsan 99 out and it has been modified by shortening the barrel to 11 1/2 inches and reducing the spring power. It shot well with a heavy steel brake. I took that off and it shot well without it. I then turned up a Delrin brake and it shot well with that. the only difference was the point of impact that needed resighting so the weight effects muzzle flip.. All brakes have been a tight drive on fit, so no movement. So far the barrel has shown no effects from the abuse.

I wonder if there would be any advantage or useful purpose in making a full length brake of say 11 1/2 inches. I suppose it then becomes a shroud. I envisage something more solid than the carbon fibre things one sees added to some guns and more substantial than the plastic coated Gamo barrels.

Can anyone give any advice or do I just try it and see what happens.

[Skillet]

Hugh, Please show us some pictures of what you're making.  Air strippers are intriguing.
Do you think that an air stripper can improve accuracy if the muzzle crown is slightly imperfect?  Then would it follow that if the crown was made as it should be, then the air stripper would yield no real improvement?
Would an air stripper be more important on a higher powered gun?