AllOutdoor Review – Southern Precision Tooling HU-DU Muzzle Brake
Paul B. 08.08.23
It isn’t often you come across something as simple as a muzzle brake that is refreshing and different. Southern Precision Tooling has done just that with their HU-DU series, claiming 80-95% reduction in recoil in a small, attractive design. When I met the fine folks at SPT, I was very skeptical with their claims of virtually eliminating recoil up to 300 win mag until I was shown a video of one of their guys firing a lightweight 300 win mag bolt action rifle from the chin and being fine and not spitting out teeth. Video below showcasing a cheek shot with their 260 Dingo. Obviously, I still would not recommend you do that but read on for my findings with the HU-DU for .223 caliber rifles.
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Southern Precision Tooling
Southern Precision Tooling (SPT) has been in the business of making high-quality products since 1979. Originally specializing in precision gauges and instruments with tolerances as close as 40 millionths of an inch, the company entered the firearms industry almost by accident when a Tennessee firearms dealer asked them to fix a problem rifle.
SPT’s repair work was so good the dealer asked them to do more repairs, so they decided to get federal firearms licenses and opened a gunsmithing arm to the company. Word of mouth spread, and nine years later SPT is repairing three times as many guns every year than they targeted for a successful gunsmithing operation.
Although they were already gun enthusiasts, once SPT started focusing on repairing guns they started seeing opportunities to improve gun performance, so they started applying their high-precision tooling approach to the problems they were commonly seeing with firearms.
Now, between the game-changing Hu-Du muzzle brake, the Church Mouse suppressor, high-velocity Dingo rounds, custom rifles and other developing projects, firearms work has become the company’s core business.
Meeting the guys at SPT was a breath of fresh air in the firearms market, a small team of dedicated firearms enthusiasts engineering products that they stand by in good ol’ Tennessee. The HU-DU is one piece of their business, and in the near future, I’m hopeful that we can share a very exciting new addition to their lineup directly related to the HU-DU, stay tuned for that.
HU-DU
The clean, simple design allows the HU-DU to attach to a threaded barrel with ease. Once attached and timed, muzzle rise and recoil reduction are immediate. Whether attached to an AR15 or a .338 Lapua, the HU-DU can scale to any caliber and delivers the same dynamic performance every single time.
Check out our videos to witness the HU-DU in action or stop by our office in Maryville, TN to get HU-DU’d!
Each HU-DU is developed to tame one specific caliber. This is one way the HU-DU is as effective as it is, complete focus on doing one thing very well instead of attempting to work well enough on a wide range of calibers. The HU-DU brake I was using for this review has been designed and tuned for .223. .223 is already a light recoil caliber, in many cases I would say putting a brake on one outside a dedicated competition gun is largely pointless and only adds excess noise.
HU-DU Effectiveness
Installing the HU-DU is as easy as an A2 birdcage style flash hider. SPT includes a new crush washer, time onto the rifle with the SPT logo facing down, and you are ready to go. Non-concentric threads are not a common issue with most US made firearms, but with the tight machine tolerances of the HU-DU, it would be a good idea to check with an alignment rod.
I’m not sure how long the machine time is on each HU-DU, but it must be a while. The quality of the final product is impressive. The directional ports, edges, threads, and body of this brake is a near work of art.
The first rifle I installed the HU-DU on was my 11.5 in SBR AR-15. Between the light CMC trigger and this HU-DU, I had accidentally created one of the most entertaining ARs in my collection. The flash that comes out of the HU-DU with the directional ports, complete lack of recoil, short trigger reset, I was burning through ammo faster than ever with a huge smile on my face the entire time. Double taps are hilariously easy with the HU-DU, muzzle rise is nonexistent. Is it loud? Of course, it is. It’s an SBR AR with a muzzle brake on it, but it isn’t as loud as I was expecting and certainly not the loudest brake I have experienced on a shorty AR. This still isn’t something I would want to use in an indoor range without pissing off people next to you. On an outdoor range, the HU-DU is surprisingly decent to be near.
When I moved the HU-DU over to my wife’s 16in AR-15, it was still a blast. The concussion was tamed due to the longer barrel, what little recoil may have been present on the lighter 11.5 was further reduced by the slightly heavier 16 in rifle. By this point, I was sold on the HU-DU. I spent a considerable amount of time letting other shooters experience the HU-DU during multiple range trips, and everyone that tried it all gave me the same laugh and smile.
Final Thoughts on the SPT HU-DU
The HU-DU absolutely works. This clever muzzle brake eliminates recoil, looks good, is machined well, USA made, and backed by a company that truly enjoys shooting. They shared stories with me of hunters with disabilities that prevented them from shooting large caliber rifles, once a HU-DU was installed, it tamed rifles enough for them to get back out to the range and fields again, giving back their freedom.
As impressive as the HU-DU is, there are a couple drawbacks. The HU-DU isn’t magic, this will obviously be louder than a flash hider. While the HU-DU is not as punishing to the ears as many brakes on the market, it is still something to keep in mind. The included crush washer did not work on my 16 in AR, I instead used a shim kit to time it. I personally would like to see a shim kit to be included. Being a brake, there is a very noticeable flash, especially on shorter barrel rifles. The HU-DU is also on the expensive side, carrying a MSRP of $169.99-229. Street prices are, of course, a bit lower. I have close to 500 rounds through this HU-DU, and it is not showing any signs of erosion, further demonstrating the use of quality materials.
Expense and noise aside, the HU-DU does exactly as SPT states. It is near impossible to convey in words, pictures, or video how well this muzzle brake works and is well worth a look if you are in the market for a muzzle brake. I could see this being a game changer for a lightweight full power hunting rifle or competition rifle. Interested in checking one out for yourself? Visit SPT’s product page here or take them up on their offer to drop by their office in Tennessee and experience one for yourself.
