Compensators, Yea, or Nay?

[Hworth18]

Thoughts on compensators? I see a fad/trend especially on some Sig forums of adding a compensator to an extended frame. And I'm beginning to see them on more and more gun forums. I seem to remember a time when people more or less made fun of people that ran compensators if they weren't competing.
My initial thought when I see someone running a compensator with an extended mag on a compact pistol is, "Why didn't you just buy a fullsize"?

Anyway, I was just curious what the current thoughts are on these?

 

[swampratt]

I tried them on rifles the Jerry Miculek brand.
There is a space where the device has an air gap where it does not sit against the crown and the crown
of the rifle would get severely carboned up.

Accuracy would suffer.
Then there is laying prone and that thing blowing grass/dirt and other matter in the air to blow in my face.
And stupid loud compared to nothing on the end.

Way too many negatives for me and I gave all of mine away to a buddy.

 

[forindooruseonly]

In a caliber that has high pressure, you'd be surprised how well they work. I have a .38 Super carry gun with a Nowlin compensator, and the compensator is very effective. I have the same gun in a .45, and it isn't near as good. It helps, but not like the Super.

People bashed compensators because they think they're going to be blinded by the muzzle flash and it's going to be too loud. Well, the muzzle flash thing isn't really an issue, and any handgun of decent power is going to be loud, especially indoors. Mostly, it became a trendy thing to bash so it became one of those internet lore things. Lots of people still bash them, but I doubt many who have actually tried a good setup in any prolonged fashion.

 

[SoonerP226]

Mike Glover of Fieldcraft Survival seems to like them.

 

[ttown]

I like my G23 with a factory compensator, it makes a difference shooting both.40 and .357 sig.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

I was born this way. Compensating isn't gonna change that...

 

[rc508pir]

I run a Griffin Armament Micro Comp on my G26. It now shoots like a G19

 

[AKguy1985]

Then there is laying prone and that thing blowing grass/dirt and other matter in the air to blow in my face.

That is why the military went from the A1 to A2 flash hider.

 

[JEVapa]

I never had one on a pistol...I've been meaning to though.

 

[Gideon]

The only real downside to a handgun compensator is the added length.
Oh and maybe some reliability issues with weaker ammo but that's just a matter of trial and error.

EDIT: This is assuming that you have a holster that the thing will fit in. Had to take a heat gun to my duty holster to fit mine but I'm using it on a different gun that it was intended for.