 This energy can also be harnessed by a muzzle brake to reduce the recoil of the firearm, or by a muzzle booster to provide energy to cycle the action of self-loading firearms.Muzzle blasts can easily exceed sound pressure levels of 140 decibels, which can cause permanent hearing loss even with brief and infrequent exposure.With large guns such as artillery, that danger can extend outwards a significant distance from the muzzle.