Compensators on pistols have been around for a very long time and were primarily for competition purposes or for heavy-caliber pistols. That’s changing, and today they are increasingly found on duty and EDC pistols.
So, what exactly is a compensator? It is a device that reduces felt recoil on a firearm. On rifles, this often takes the form of a muzzle brake. On pistols, they function similarly, but usually attach to the barrel and vent gases upward to control muzzle rise.
This review focuses on the Radian Weapons Afterburner + Ramjet system.
The Old Problems With Pistol Comps
About 10 years ago, if you were in the firearms world, you started to see more comps on 9mm pistols, especially in the competition world. The most common setup was the “Roland Special,” and it looked like a little brick attached to the end of a barrel on a 9mm pistol. A lot of people started to use them. They did seem to be effective in reducing recoil.
Many also stayed away from them, including myself. There were many setbacks when it came to these comps during this era. Reliability was in question. Some of the comps reduced recoil so well that they wouldn’t cycle certain types of ammunition.
Some were mounted via threaded barrel, which are illegal in some states. Most needed to have a set screw to stay in place — if it got loose during firing, it could fly off, get lost, or worse, injure someone.
Holster compatibility was also an issue. Pistols with comps generally didn’t fit in most holsters, so one would have to buy or make a lot of customizations that would be permanent. Lastly, field stripping the pistol required additional steps to complete. That is a lot of setbacks, and frankly, it wasn’t worth having less recoil out of a 9mm pistol for me.
Enter the Radian Afterburner + Ramjet
Jump forward to 2022, and Radian Weapons came out with their first line of Afterburner + Ramjet products. Radian Weapons is well known in the industry for their awesome Raptor AR-15 charging handles for their Model 1 rifle. They have a reputation for engineering and high-quality manufacturing.
The Afterburner + Ramjet is a system that consists of a match-grade barrel (Ramjet) and compensator (Afterburner). They are constructed from hardened 416R SS. What sets it apart from every compensator system before it is that it is legal in all 50 states due to its unique design and not having a threaded barrel.
They focused on the Glock 19 platform for their first version. With an MSRP of $389.95, it is a very expensive system that is more than half the cost of the host pistol. It may be out of reach for many in terms of cost versus benefits, but that is all subjective and up to each person.
I thought it was a groundbreaking design, and it sparked my interest in running comps. They sold like hotcakes and are still hard to find in stock, even today. I wanted a set but decided to wait it out until they were more available.
I have been carrying the P365 as my EDC pistol for many years now, and it is my go-to pistol that I rely on to defend myself and my family.
When Radian Weapons announced their line of Afterburner + Ramjet products for the Sig Sauer P365, I was extremely interested. I visited their booth at SHOT Show, and the Afterburner + Ramjet looked great on the P365. I spoke to the representatives, and they placed me on a list to review their Afterburner + Ramjet for the P365. I was excited.
While I waited for the P365 Afterburner + Ramjets to become available, I requested a set for my Shadow Systems MR918, which is similar in dimensions to a Glock 19 Gen 4. Radian Weapons sent out an Afterburner + Ramjet for the Gen4 Glock 19.
It came in some very nice packaging with each part in separate boxes, inside the main box. You get a compensator, match-grade barrel, locking screw, and corresponding Torx bit.
Once you start removing the parts out of the box, you will quickly notice and appreciate the fit and finish, the quality of the machining, and the overall appearance of each part.
Every part just fits together like a glove. I can see why this system costs what it does. From the engineering process to the precise production, all the way to a finished product—it is just impressive.
Installation
Installation is very simple, especially when compared to other compensator systems. All you need to do is field strip your pistol by removing the slide from the frame, replacing the stock barrel with the Ramjet. Next, place the recoil spring back in the slide assembly, then slide the Afterburner until it lines up with the slide.
Get the locking screw and start a few turns by hand, making sure it’s not cross-threaded, and then use a screwdriver with the included Torx bit until it is hand-tight. That’s it. There’s no need to work on timing to get the correct position or tighten more set screws.
To field strip and clean, just reverse the process. It is repeatable and easy to accomplish with hardly any effort.
Holster Compatibility
The MR918 or Glock 19 with Afterburner + Ramjet has the same profile as a Glock 17. This makes it fit in Glock 17 holsters. No special or custom holster needed. That’s a big win and one less thing to think about or purchase. I run it in my Safariland 7TS holster for the Glock 17 without any issues.
So the question remains: How effective is it? The short answer is that it is very effective.
Of course, I will elaborate on that. When I took the Afterburner + Ramjet along with my MR918 to the range for the first time, I made sure to shoot the gun without it installed for a full magazine and then quickly installed it to shoot the rest with it on.
The felt recoil is drastically reduced. I cannot quantify it in percentages or numbers, but it is very noticeable. The other thing I noticed was that I was able to continuously track my red dot on my Trijicon RMR. Without the Afterburner + Ramjet, I would normally lose the dot during the recoil phase when firing and would have to start looking for it for the next shot.
This made my splits between shots decrease and increased my rate of follow-up shots by a lot. Overall, I enjoyed shooting the MR918 so much more.
I let a young shooter who was with me that day have a try with it. He normally would need me to assist him in holding a 9mm pistol to help mitigate the recoil. With the Afterburner and Ramjet on the MR918, he was able to shoot the entire magazine all by himself without any assistance from me.
The best part of all was reliability. It shot without a hiccup with various types of range ammunition.
Testing on the Sig P365
The Sig P365 is a lightweight micro-compact pistol and, therefore, is known for a very snappy recoil. It is the price you pay for compactness and concealability.
So when Radian announced it for the P365, I was excited because it is the pistol that I carry the most as my Every Day Carry option.
The P365 version installs in a very similar manner as the Glock version. The ports look much bigger in comparison to the Glock version when you have them side by side.
Just like the Glock models, the P365 with Afterburner + Ramjet installed has the same profile as the P365 XL and, therefore, fits holsters for XL. It makes things simple and easy.
The P365 has always been a snappy shooting pistol for me, and I knew it and expected it. I did the same thing as I did with the Glock version: shoot a magazine without the Afterburner and Ramjet and then the rest with it on.
The recoil is tamed and noticeable with the Afterburner and Ramjet installed. However, the felt recoil is much more than with the Glock platform setup. That is to be expected as the overall weight and size difference between a Glock 19 and P365 is considerable. My expectations for the P365 Afterburner and Ramjet setup were a little skewed because of how light the felt recoil was on the MR918 setup.
I’m not saying that it doesn’t work on the P365. It does decrease recoil and allows for quicker follow-up shots when compared to shooting without the Afterburner and Ramjet. I’m just treating it a bit unfairly by wanting it to feel the same as the MR918 version, which would not be possible with less mass, a shorter barrel, and other factors.
The P365 with Afterburner and Ramjet ran very well without any malfunctions. I am amazed how reliable both systems are. Decreased recoil is a desired feature, but being able to run reliably without issues is way more important to me for any pistol used for self-defense.
What About Muzzle Flash and Night Vision?
With anything that has ports, there will be obvious gases expelling out of them during firing. That is the byproduct of having reduced recoil. It is something that is discussed often when it comes to comps.
There are many who believe that is why comps don’t have a place on duty and defensive pistols. The claim is that the added flash will ruin your night vision in low-light conditions.
Yes, additional flash and noise are coming from the business end of the Ramjet. However, I don’t believe it is so drastic that it will have a detrimental effect on your night vision.
A bare muzzle produces plenty of flash all by itself, and most Duty and Defensive pistols nowadays have a weapon light attached, which helps with target identification, so there are quite a few other illuminating factors at play in low light conditions. A little bit of flash from your comp isn’t going to be too much of a problem.
The Verdict
If you’re in the market for an effective, reliable, user-friendly, well-made compensator system for your Glock or P365, the Radian Weapons Afterburner + Ramjet are worth the price of admission. The lineup now covers the Glock 17, 19, 43X, and 48 across multiple generations, including the newer Gen 6 Glocks, plus the Sig P365X, so there’s a good chance your carry gun is already on the list.
