PWS KAC556 Compensator/Brake Review (Also referred to as SM556)

[Hanwei]

So... my 14.7" LWRC upper came with a permanently attached A2 flash hider... which is great... but I wanted to do something about the recoil. The combination of the piston system and the A2 FH made for a bit more recoil than my Bushy with Izzy brake, or my brother's Stag with Miculek brake. And quick follow up shots at 25 yards were difficult, if not impossible for me.

I started to look into comps/brakes... and the rave reviews for the PWS FSC556 caught my attention. Excellent at reducing muzzle climb and recoil... while doing a great job at reducing flash. How much more can you ask for? Well... The FSC556 is .35" longer than the A2 FH... and the reason I got a 14.7" barrel with a permanently attached A2 in the first place was because I wanted the shortest barrel length possible without going NFA. So I wanted a muzzle device that was as close to the A2's length as possible.

This was when I stumbled on the PWS KAC556 Comp/Brake. It's a shorter version of the FSC556 made to allow the use of the KAC QDSS-NT4 Suppressor (similar baffle design as the FSC556 but only has 1 blast chamber instead of 2). It is shorter than the FSC556... and almost the same size as the A2 FH. Perfect!

The only review I could find on the KAC556 was from a very reputable source... and his experience was that even with the 1 blast chamber instead of the FSC556's 2, it still did a "fairly close" job at reducing muzzle climb and suppressing flash. Reading this was good enough for me to pick one up.

I asked my brother for help with getting rid of the permanently attached A2 FH (as he's done this before) and we were able to get it off in short time with a dremel and vice without hurting the threads or barrel or crown

We installed the KAC556 compensator... drilled, pinned, and welded it on. It's great having a brother who knows how to weld And off the range I went.

Range Report:

I got to the range... zeroed the rifle... and started shooting rapid sequences at 25 yards. I tried some double taps... and WOW... what a difference compared to the A2 FH. On the target, with each shot my red dot would jump up a bit... but then would immediately return back down to target. The KAC556 made double taps EASY at 25 yards. I could consistently keep all shots on paper (a small silhouette target). I decided to try triple taps... same result. After each shot the red dot simply returned back to target without me having to do any work at all. Awesome. I also didn't notice any more flash compared to my A2... Awesome again.

Anyway, needless to say... I'm very happy with the comp. Only .10" longer than the A2 FH... and does an excellent job at reducing muzzle climb and flash. And with only 1 other review out there on this muzzle device... hopefully other people will find this helpful

Pics

Manufacturer Pics of FSC556

Manufacturer Pics of KAC556

KAC556 on my LWRC

 

[WaldoOneFive]

Kick ass review. +1!

All I can say about mine to add to your write up is that I F-ing LOVE it!

The rifle I have the FSC556 installed on I kept a DI system (as opposed to doing a piston upper, or AA kit on it) because currently this gun is the smoothest shooting AR I have ever fired.

14.5in BCM Middy Upper DI with the FSC556, H buffer, and Auto bolt carrier and this baby has practically NO recoil, very smooth to shoot and the follow up shots are unbelievable!

I went back to an EOTech on this rifle because I like the recticle a lot, but my Aimpoint Micro on Larue mount found its way to another rifle. I'll have to post that up when the rail comes in next week and she is done.

 

[Hanwei]

Our AR's are cousins

And yes, your experience with the FSC556 is exactly what I kept seeing... so I'm just glad I found the shorter KAC556.

Side note... midlength gas systems have less recoil than carbine gas systems... is that right? I might have to look into that when I build my other lower up. hmm...

 

[op4guy]

I love PWS brakes. I got a FSC-556 about a year ago and love how much flip it takes out of the muzzle. A couple months back I got to attend a carbine course put on by LMS Defense and there was a few guys present from PWS with some new offerings and one of them was the KAC556.

I got to test drive it and really love how much it controlled flip for only having one blast chamber and being on a 12.5 bbl, which tends to be really violent. If you have ever shot an SBR you know what I am talking about.


One thing to note about the FSC family of brakes: they put out some crazy blast unless you are directly behind the gun. Standing even off to the side of the shooter you will notice about twice as much blast as you would from a standard A2 cage. To some this is a turn off and I have had people decide to call it a day when they are next to me at a range due to it's output. Get say 6ish of them firing online together and it will just blow your mind. That said PWS makes an awesome product and they are a stand up bunch of guys. It's the only brake I will consider running on my guns.

 

[Hanwei]

Thanks for the post op4guy! Yes, the KAC556 certainly will make it unpleasant for any shooters to the side. But after having been pounded while shooting next to my brother and his Stag with miculek brake... I just consider it time to return the favor

 

[xTACKLEBERRYx]

Great write up. I'm glad it's working out of you.

As I've stated in other threads the PWS FSC NT4 is just as good the KAC Triple Tap and if the PWS didn't void my warranty with my NT4 Suppressor I would have gladly stuck with the PWS and saved myself the $300 difference.

 

[Hanwei]

I hear ya. I've read great things about the KAC TT. But it's good to hear the FSC performs just as well... (makes me feel better about not having the $ to drop on the Triple Tap ).

 

[KMM696]

Don't have either 556 PWS brake (yet) , but I can say that their FSC30 is also excellent.

 

[617bones]

Very cool. Are these MA compliant on a post-ban AR?

 

[Hanwei]

These are muzzle brakes/compensators... not flash hiders (per the BATF)... so yes... MA compliant on post-ban AR's.

 

[617bones]

Sweet, thanks Hanwei! I am beginning my first AR build and this helps! =]

 

[Hanwei]

No problem!