MAE bushless moderators?

Jonny Boy

Active Member
Anyone tried these bushless moderators? My new rifle has a fluted barrel and I've been advised against an over barrel design mod as the fluting will slowly cut away the bush. I know there are some very short end of barrel mods available but I think they look a bit out of proportion. These were advertised in a magazine and although I'm sure there are down sides to them, has anyone got any experience with them? Failing this it looks like I'll be going for an ASE mod.

Cheers

Jonny
 
I was using a bushed MAE mod on a variety of rifles...until I tried to fit it to my Sako .222 and the bush was too tight
in the absence of time and tools I used it without a bush and havent looked back!

other than trapping the occasional pine needle or leaf it does what it did before
doesnt mark the barrel either
 
So your using a bushed mod but with out the bush? What does the bush actually do then? I thought it was to do with pressure chambers until I asked about using a fluted barrel, which obviously wouldn't hold any pressure back. Is it to do with accuracy? I can only assume repetitive shots might cause it to unscrew?
 
I put a bushed, over-barrel mod on my Mannlicher and realised it would slowly remove the blueing. In for a penny, in for a pound - I had the bush skimmed in a lathe to give 10 thou. clearance all round.

The result?

No more marking on the barrel
No appreciable change to sound reduction
No blowback of gasses
And believe it or not - improved accuracy.
 
So your using a bushed mod but with out the bush? What does the bush actually do then? I thought it was to do with pressure chambers until I asked about using a fluted barrel, which obviously wouldn't hold any pressure back. Is it to do with accuracy? I can only assume repetitive shots might cause it to unscrew?
That is a very good question. I have an A-Tech Maxim that I use on my .243 Finnlight and .260, both of which have fluted barrels. I have never used the rear bush and it makes no difference to the best of my knowledge. The moderator does not unscrew itself at all when firing shot strings for load development.
 
There must be some reason of importance given the number of bushed to bushless mods. It was my local gunsmith that advised against a bushed mod with a fluted barrel and he also said no bush was a bad idea too. I should ask him although he can get a bit technical.
 
I think the bush just fills the gap and stops all sorts of rubbish getting in between the mod and the barrel. A 1/2" twig stuck in there would affect accuracy. Ive machined mine so that it clears the barrel all round. I've also used it without the bush and its been fine.
 
We've sold dozens of the new MAE bushless mods imported by Julian at JMS. It's called the "Compact". A few of the staff have moved over to these on their own personal rifles.

Previous models were quite long back over the barrel, so the idea behind the bush was that it supported the moderator in the event of a knock - preventing both the rifle & moderator thread from being bent or cracked. The new model is quite short (though still a reflex mod) so the leverage isn't sufficient to put the thread at risk without a bush.

The older MAE models actually lock down into the shoulder of the thread in the same way that the new one does, so the risk of bending or snapping either the rifle or moderator thread is non existent on modern barrels with appropriate threads.

We see approximately 5 bent threads a year, but they are always on non-reflex moderators on rifles with lightweight barrels that were barely suitable for a 1/2x20UNF thread in the first place. It's taken the rifle being dropped and the mod striking the ground first to bend or snap the thread, and one even got driven over

We've never had an MAE mod fail or cause damage to a thread. The quality is exceptional, the sound attenuation is one of the best on the market, and as a weight/length/attenuation combo the new MAE Compact is very hard to beat.
 
I am using the MAE bushless moderator and find it the best I have used, good sound deafening and recoil suppression ,short and not too heavy and no marks on the barrel , great product.
 
Well that makes more sense then Raker. I've not been shooting long enough to know the history and development so it's always nice to pick up bits here and there.

Cheers

Jonny
 
So your using a bushed mod but with out the bush? What does the bush actually do then? I thought it was to do with pressure chambers until I asked about using a fluted barrel, which obviously wouldn't hold any pressure back. Is it to do with accuracy? I can only assume repetitive shots might cause it to unscrew?

Support in the event of a knock I assume
just don't knock it!,
have put 30 odd shots down it without it unscrewing
dont see why it would unscrew any more than a muzzle can


We've never had an MAE mod fail or cause damage to a thread.
The quality is exceptional, the sound attenuation is one of the best on the market,.

I am a big fan of MAE mods but I have tested one to destruction....launched it 70 ft down range when the outer shell parted company with the inner. Rear weld failed
An older model made in a period of the companies evolution
new models are very different now
customer service was first class from both Jms and mae, new mod arrived within 48 hours
 
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