Q&A ยท 2:09:00-2:09:29

Why large naval guns rarely use muzzle brakes

Longer barrels and a different operating environment are offered as reasons naval guns can dispense with muzzle brakes.

Question

Why are muzzle brakes common on large land artillery but unusual on naval guns?

Short answer

Longer barrels and a different operating environment are the reasons given for avoiding that method of handling the gases.

Notes

Naval guns are generally longer than the land artillery used for comparison. The proposed explanation links that length to handling the effects of propellant gases without a muzzle brake. It also points to the different environment in which a naval gun operates.