What is the frequency of muzzle flashes on real guns?

Question

I'm making a movie and would like to know about muzzle flashes, is there really one after every shot and are they really as big as they r in movies, btw I'm trying to give a muzzle flash for an M249 so in short i would like to know frequency of flashes and size

Answer 1

There is some muzzle flash for each shot fired; besides the above the other factor is how good the muzzle break/flash suppressor is on the weapon.  The early M16 had a three pronged flash suppressor that did not work well so the current bird cage was adopted which does reduce flash and the Russian Ak-47 has also changed the flash suppressor for the same reason.

Answer 2

One for every round fired and in real life they're far smaller than in the movies. Movie guns are almost always firing blanks that are specially formulated to produce impressive fireballs.

If you have experience with cinematography you're already aware that you're shooting about sixteen frames a second. An M-60 for example fires about 9 times per second. The M-249 fires 12. The flashes are only occasionally going to coincide with the timing of the shutter. This is why you see Rambo just tearing up the place while his M-60 only appears to flash about a quarter of the time.

Answer 3

Muzzle flash for each round fired.  Size depends on the weapon and the round.

Answer 4

I flash per expenditure of a round... size would depend upon the volume of escaping gases.

Firing a 7MM Rem Mag, I figured the length of the muzzle flash at Twilight was about 10-15 inches.  My 45 ACP in night CCWT, easily 8 inches and probably more since I had a well worn barrel and there was excess gases blowing forward.

Personally, I believe that estimating Muzzle flash density and length is difficult, when you are behind the trigger.  

M249 - GFL. I have no Idea.  

Answer 5

Well a muzzle flash always happens to some extent. The way a bullet works is due to an explosion in a confined space (the chamber & barrel) and so those gasses produced by the explosion have to escape and their only path is out through the barrel, carrying along anything in their path (such as a bullet). The explosive gasses are still exploding when they reach the end of the barrel and this what causes the muzzle flash. The size of the flash depends on the type of gun (length of barrel, etc) and the type of munition (some bullets use less cordite than others). Incidentally, the muzzle flash is basically what kills or injures someone when they're shot with a blank (you've probably heard that blanks can also kill). Also minute peices of metal can be carried along with the gasses.