{"id":1358,"date":"2014-05-29T12:00:41","date_gmt":"2014-05-29T16:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?p=1358"},"modified":"2023-06-20T11:23:17","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T15:23:17","slug":"muzzle-flash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/muzzle-flash\/","title":{"rendered":"Blinded by the Light: Handgun Muzzle Flash"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the topic of muzzle flash comes up, we’re usually talking about carbines. The high volume of burning gases from a rifle cartridge can cause some serious fireworks out of the end of\u00a0a 16-inch\u00a0rifle barrel. But handguns have muzzle flash, too, and if you’re trusting your life to a short barreled carry gun, it can be a serious nuisance.<\/p>

In firearms used for self-defense, muzzle flash presents two problems. First, it can reveal your position\u00a0to an\u00a0attacker. But\u00a0unless you’re getting into extended firefights in the woods at night, this is shouldn’t be a major concern for the average citizen. The second and more serious problem is that muzzle flash can really mess up your low-light\u00a0vision.<\/p>

\"S&W<\/a>
Muzzle flash from a .357 magnum round in a S&W 327 TRR8.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Think back to the last time you caught an eyeball full of a camera flash in a dark room and how you couldn’t see anything but the back side of your scorched retina for the next 10 minutes. Now imagine that happening to your vision after you’ve fired a couple of shots at an armed assailant in a dimly lit parking deck (not that you’d ever be so dense as to leave your car in a dimly lit parking deck). Muzzle flash is\u00a0not usually\u00a0as bright as the average camera flash, but it can still do a number on your ability to see what’s happened to the\u00a0bad guy after firing a\u00a0shot in poor lighting. Since the majority of defensive gun uses occur in low light, it’s an issue worth considering.<\/p>

Demonstration: Standard vs. Low Flash Ammo<\/h3>