Radian Weapons AFTERBURNER™ & RAMJET™
Radian Weapons is easily one of the top manufacturers in the industry. Although they’re most well-known for their AR parts and rifles, their upgraded pistol components have made them a mainstay brand for many enthusiasts. And chief among such pistol components, is their AFTERBURNER and RAMJET compensator and barrel combo.
Threaded barrels and compensators aren’t a new thing for pistols—GLOCK builds mimicking the famous ‘Roland Special’ have been popular since the early 2010s. But most, if not all, other compensators require a threaded barrel to mount on. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but this design adds a lot of excess mass and length in front of the barrel, making them a bit finicky to run reliably at times. Plus, you also have to consider tolerance stacking when using different threaded components, and this can seriously affect alignment. So, rather than making just another compensator, Radian specifically designed the AFTERBURNER and RAMJET to address these issues.
What it does Different
The AFTERBURNER and RAMJET use Radian’s INTRA-LOK mounting system. Rather than the barrel being threaded, the RAMJET barrel extends past the pistol’s slide and features a port on top and a grooved section on the bottom. This groove allows the AFTERBURNER compensator to be mounted with a tapered locking screw that rides within the space of the lower groove. The resulting fitment is incredibly tight, and you won’t run the risk of accidentally over- or under-torquing the compensator since it’s a taper fit. Plus, there’s no need for shims or compensator timing either.
The AFTERBURNER and RAMJET combo is also simple to install. The RAMJET barrel installs in place of your pistol’s factory barrel, meaning it’s as easy as dropping it into place and securing it with the recoil spring assembly. Afterwards, the AFTERBURNER compensator twists onto the barrel and then locks into place with a tapered screw.
Benefits of the AFTERBURNER and RAMJET
Recoil Reduction
By design, this entire assembly serves to reduce your pistol’s felt recoil. After firing, gases rapidly expand as the gunpowder burns, propelling the projectile forward. Without a compensator, this gas doesn’t have anywhere to go except forward. And although this recoil impulse isn’t uncontrollable, it isn’t necessarily pleasant—a notion that’s especially true for smaller handguns.
The AFTERBURNER and RAMJET fixes this by venting the gas upward. This pushes the nose of the pistol down, reducing a lot of that snap that’s felt on handguns. Not only does this make it more comfortable to shoot your pistol, but it also keeps you on target, making it great for making quick follow-up shots.
Parts Construction
Being the part of the pistol that takes the brunt of a cartridge’s explosive forces, having a quality barrel is paramount. And the RAMJET barrel is a solid choice as far as aftermarket options go. It’s made from hardened 416R Stainless Steel, and with proper maintenance, Radian barrels can last several tens of thousands of rounds. Plus, with its INTRA-LOK mounting system, maintenance remains a simple task. Whenever you go to disassemble and clean your pistol, you can quickly remove the compensator by removing the taper screw. With it removed, you can individually clean all your slide components.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that both the RAMJET barrel and AFTERBURNER compensator are both coated in Radian’s proprietary Radianite™ coating. This hard outer coating is a great feature if you dedicate a lot of time to training. It’s both easy to clean and resilient to corrosion, enhancing the overall lifespan of your barrel.
Holster Compatibility
No matter what compensator you look at, they all add material that extends past the slide. And one of the challenges that comes with adding a compensator to your pistol is finding a holster that’s compatible with it. The AFTERBURNER and RAMJET are designed to add as little length to your pistol as possible. It only adds 0.47 inches in overall length. So, your pistol will still be compatible with most holsters, assuming you size up.
For instance, a Radian AFTERBURNER + RAMJET for GLOCK 19/45 Gen 6 pistols will fit in nearly all GLOCK 17 Gen 6 compatible holsters. But, if your holster of choice has an open-muzzle design, you might be able to continue using it. Such holsters aren’t fully enclosed, allowing accessories like compensators to fit within and stick past the holster. That said, we recommend checking fitment guides to make sure your holster is compatible with compensators before buying or using them.
Compatible Models
GLOCK
GLOCK is arguably the most well-known pistol manufacturer. Over the years, several brands have begun making aftermarket components for their pistols, netting them one of the largest parts aftermarkets in the industry.
Radian is one of the most popular brands in the bunch, with them currently offering the AFTERBURNER and RAMJET for the following GLOCK pistol models:
- G17 Gen 5
- G47/G49
- G19 Gen 4 and Gen 3
- G19/G19X/G45 Gen 5
- G19/G45 Gen 6
- G43
- G43X
- G48
The breadth of options they offer has you covered on nearly all fronts if you run a GLOCK. Each of the models listed are some of the GLOCK’s most popular handgun models. As listed above, they carry combos for some older GLOCK pistols too, with the AFTERBURNER + RAMJET for GLOCK 19 Gen 4 handguns being one of their most sought-after. So, whether you’re upgrading your EDC, competition gun, or your duty pistol, Radian has something for you.
SIG Sauer
SIG Sauer is another industry titan with an incredible parts aftermarket. Radian offers several components, including the AFTERBURNER and RAMJET, for the following SIG Sauer pistols:
- P365/P365X
- P365 XL
- P365 XMACRO
Although they don’t currently offer any options for SIG’s full-size pistols, there’s still a lot of versatility in the P365 platform. As you might already know, the P365 is unique in that its frame isn’t serialized, but rather its Fire Control Unit (FCU) is. This allows users to freely swap between different grip modules and slides without having to buy and register a new pistol frame.
This modularity gives you some extra leeway with how you run the AFTERBURNER + RAMJET for Sig P365 handguns. For instance, a standard P365 slide still fits and functions on either a P365 XL or P365 X MACRO sized grip. While it would be silly to run your pistol in such a way, adding an AFTERBURNER and RAMJET will make your slide assembly sit flush with the end of the grip module.
Ruger
Ruger’s RXM pistol has quickly risen to prominence in the industry. With it being compatible with most Gen 3 GLOCK components, there are a lot of aftermarket accessories and parts available for it. And relatively new to the bunch is the Radian AFTERBURNER and RAMJET.
Radian offers barrel and compensator combos for both the 4- and 4.5-inch variants of the RXM. Essentially, their versatility matches that of Radian’s G19 and G17 Gen 3 options. Because of how modular the RXM is, you can tailor it to mimic the size and performance of either a G19, G17, or G45/G19x. Plus, it’s compatible with most Gen 3 GLOCK compatible holsters too.
It’s worth noting that if you’re running an RXM, opt for Radian’s RXM-specific AFTERBURNER and RAMJET combo. Even though the RXM is compatible with most Gen 3 GLOCK-compatible components, the RXM-specific combo offers the best fitment since it’s purpose-built for the platform.
Shadow Systems
Another pistol inspired by GLOCK, Radian also offers AFTERBURNER and RAMJET combos for the following Shadow Systems Pistols:
- XR920
- MR920
- DR920
- CR920
Like the Ruger RXM, Shadow Systems’ pistols are like 9mm GLOCK pistols. The XR920 is sized like the G19x; the MR920 like the G19; the DR920 like G17; and the CR920 like the G43x.
Canik
Although Radian doesn’t currently offer any standalone barrel and compensator combos for Canik pistols, as of writing this, we’d be remiss to not talk about the two brands’ recent collaboration.
New to the Canik lineup is the Prime Radian. Building on the foundation of the ever-popular Mete MC9 Prime, the Prime Radian, as its name suggests, also comes standard with a AFTERBURNER and RAMJET already installed. It has nearly the same dimensions as the standard Mete MC9 Prime, albeit with a marginally longer overall length (just a 0.17-inch difference).
Is the AFTERBURNER and RAMJET worth it?
It absolutely is if you’re looking to add a compensator to your pistol. Radian is well-known for their high standards, and the AFTERBURNER and RAMJET combo cut no corners. By design, this combo is easily one of the most advanced compensator solutions for handguns. Engineered to run with OEM slide internals, this setup is an excellent choice for those wanting to reduce the recoil of their pistols.
The RAMJET barrel offers OEM-level performance and reliability. Meanwhile, the AFTERBURNER compensator is compact but still manages to reduce felt recoil by up to 44% in some instances, according to their tests. And, with its INTRA-LOK mounting system, it secures tight to the barrel but can still be easily removed for maintenance.
Although they aren’t a strict necessity for everyone, they certainly have their place in the modern handgun landscape. Whether you’re in it to compete, defend your home, or just for fun at the range, we can’t recommend the AFTERBURNER and RAMJET enough.
