The kinetics of the CN + CH3Br reaction were studied using transient infrared laser absorption spectroscopy to detect CN reactants and HCN products. This reaction has a rate constant of k = (2.20 + 0.6) x 10(-12) exp (453 + 98/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) over the range 298-523 K. Hydrogen abstraction to produce HCN + CH2Br is only a minor reaction product, with a branching fraction of 0.12 +/- 0.02. Other product channels, including BrCN + CH3, CH2CN + HBr, CH3CN + Br are likely. An upper limit of 0.01 was established for the HBr yield. These results are in qualitative agreement with recent ab initio calculations. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.