RDI Development

Development of RDI products go through a rigorous and timely process before anything is available to the public. We pride ourselves in the quality, performance and aesthetics with all of our products. Listed below is a summary of the development process we apply to everything we develop and produce.

 

Canik Compensators - Single & Dual Port Variants:

How Long has this been in development for?

Starting development phase to production took 9 Months of development & more than 10 different revisions to the engineering and design of the compensators. We fine tuned everything from port geometry, weight, length, fitment, functionality and overall performance of each design. Good things take time, and these are no exception to that statement.

 

What goes into testing each design to get to the production models?

Thousands and thousands of rounds, and many hours we're spent on the range to help feed data into the improvement of these compensators. They underwent countless hours of in-house engineering & developing, machining, testing and refining designs before we we're happy with the end result.

Each compensator design has undergone more than 5,000 rounds of ammo, on various Canik models with various bullet weights and power factors. One of our development guns has had over 3000 of those rounds through the same compensator to gain the confidence, functionality and performance we require out of a product. We also filmed slow motion video with various shooters to determine the reduction in recoil with both single port and dual port compensators.

Testing showed the reduction in recoil ranged from 25-32% for the single port compensator, and 48-53% in reduction for the dual port compensator based on this method of analyzing.

Everything from the aesthetics, weight, size, and port geometry to improve performance and reduction of carbon buildup was developed and tested thoroughly.

Why did we choose set screws over barrel shims or other alternatives?

We tested various methods of locking the compensators to the barrel, including barrel shims. The set screws came out on top due to the design style we chose, having the set screws triangulated to the to the barrel threads for improved lock-up forces between the barrel and compensator over competitor designs. The ease of installation for customers, and availability of set screws over custom barrel shims we're a no brainer as well.

Barrels shims add complexity to the tolerance stack-up of the components, and unnecessary complexity of shim stack-up when attaching it to your firearm. There is too much potential tolerance variance in the compensator machining and barrel shim thickness to justify the benefits, .001"-.002" can effect how the compensator clocks to the slide when tightened. It makes mounting a potential nightmare for some individuals. Upon removal for cleaning, a higher potential for losing shims is apparent as well. Barrel shims under .010" generally have to be laser etched to achieve a thinner shim, and a .002" thickness adjustment was necessary to get a correct orientation when the compensator is tight, so etching was necessary. This adds to the complexity and cost of the whole system, and doesn't justify the benefits it could offer.

 

Whats Better? Single Port or Dual Port compensators?

This is largely a personal preference, but here are some guidelines on how to choose. 

 

EDC:

For everyday carry, generally a single port is your best choice due to the size difference between single port and dual port compensators. If you aren't worried about size, and have a holster that can accommodate a longer compensator, the dual port is hands down the top performer. Just make sure to test your ammo and are confident with the reliability of your firearm before trusting it with your life.

Range/Competition/Fun:

For competition, range performance and overall shooting enjoyment, the dual port compensator is the #1 choice pending availablity for your firearm. Improvements over no compensator are drastic with both models, but the dual port is king in this category. Just make sure to test your ammo with your firearm to ensure it cycles smoothly with the compensator.