Gunsmithing How's this brake look to ya'll?

Kelly The Lionfish Hunter

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 19, 2010
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Utila, Honduras
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I have a brake this guy made who thinks its a decent brake. I think it's junk. So, now, I'm going to ask folks who actually make and use these things.

This piece hasn't been shot, and wont, not by me anyway. Don't want the guy saying I messed something up by mounting it and shooting it. I have a pic but don't know how to upload it but here's the jist of the thing. The holes look all out of whack, not concentric at all. I have a pic but don't know how to post it up on here. Any help there would be great.

Anyway, all the holes were clearly drilled out on a drill press with either dull bits that were hung out too long or the press was too fast or something because the gas holes are all oblong towards the center boreline. The actual borehole is oblong and kind of 3 pointed, like a cheap drill bit would do. I took measurements of the holes and some points that I think should be alot more conistent. Here's the pic.


MuzzleBrake.jpg


This is a Levang linear style brake with 6 gas holes. The outside diameter of the brake is 25.20mm, the borehole is about 9.50mm, and the gas holes are supposed to be 3.50mm.

I measured the thickness of the metal from the closest edge of the gas holes to the edge of the borehole which came out:

At #1 hole: .52mm
#2 .27mm
#3 .33mm
#4 .87mm
#5 .59mm
#6 .44mm



Then I measured from the edge of the gas holes to the OD and got:

#1 3.54mm
#2 3.90mm
#3 3.82mm
#4 3.50mm
#5 3.71mm
#6 3.80mm

Then I measured from the borehole's edge to the OD across the gas holes:

#1 7.70mm
#2 7.81mm
#3 7.79mm
#4 7.95mm
#5 7.88mm
#6 7.79mm

To me all this variation spells garbage to me and would expect accuracy to suffer.

What do ya'll think?
 
Re: How's this brake look to ya'll?

It looks to me like after a couple rounds through that thing and you won't be in Kansas anymore, like those ports wouldn't blow up a cloud of dust 3 foot high? Really though theres no telling until you shoot it I guess.
 
Re: How's this brake look to ya'll?

I was hoping someone would know the tolerances these things should have.

I'll see if the guy is ok with me shooting it to compare it's accuracy to an unbraked rifle. I just can't see how this thing is going to be accurate for shit with the borehole being off center to the OD of the crown and the gas ports being so inconsistently placed. It seems like it would be nearly the same thing as if you were to crown a rifle out of square.
 
Re: How's this brake look to ya'll?

Your bitching about cosmetics on a $-29.99 ' suggested retail priced' Brake ?

Also the reason the Holes are oblong to the center . Is that the Gas Holes are drilled plumb to level plain but they are being drilled on an 11-deg. inward-sloping Radius surface .
<span style="font-weight: bold">( When Looking Strait @ the Bore ) . They will be Visually oblong to shape to the Eye & that is LIFE .</span>
.
 
Re: How's this brake look to ya'll?

It will work If .
IF your Brakes Bore Hole is larger than you projectile going out it .
If your Brakes Bore-hole in concentric to Barrel Bore .
If the shoulder on the Brake is cut concentric to Bore.
If your Mating surface on the Barrels mating Shoulder is cut concentric to Bore .

All else is just cosmetic .
.
 
Re: How's this brake look to ya'll?

That Break will most likely work . probably nothing wrong with it .
Like was said above in a Post . ( Just screw it on and see how it shoots).
.
 
Re: How's this brake look to ya'll?

heres my reccomendation:
1. go get about 50 feet of jute twine
2. tie a loop in one end
3. put the loop through your trigger guard
4. run the tail end of the twine through the loop
5. go stand behind a tree
yank on the tail end, sincgin down the twine discharging the firearm.

If the brake blows off the end it sucks, if it holds together reload and repeat 3 or 4 times and then call it good.
 
Re: How's this brake look to ya'll?

i'm not to concerned with it coming apart catastrophically as long as the bullet can freely pass through the exit hole. having an out of round exit hole and ports that are not symmetrical is not a good recipe for accuracy. if you do choose to try it out, it is important to check that the bullet will not strike the exit hole or any other baffles that there may be. you should do this with any muzzle device but with the obvious lack of quality machine work on this one, i'd make extra sure.
 
Re: How's this brake look to ya'll?

I don`t see how it would help recoil because all gases are still going out the front forcing the rifle back to shooter.The brakes on mine are .020-.030 larger than bullet.The tighter the better as long as it don`t hit.That tightness with side holes forces gases out the side hole making it louder but more pleasant to shoot.Screw it on and try it.You may have come up with something.Unless it is a direct hit on the brake it will still come out the end fine.
 
Re: How's this brake look to ya'll?

This thing is going straight back to the maker and I've already gotten my money back from the guy.

At least he didn't give me any shit about it. He just pouted a little about the scathing email I sent him and refunded my money. Oh well, all's well that ends well.

Like I said, I'm going to find a good maker of a liner Levang type. Anyone have any favorite makers of these types?

I like the cool factor of it more than anything but I do like the fact that alot of folks agree that they do reduce recoil a little, just not nearly like the side ported brakes, and they direct the gasses away from other shooters. Recoil is nothing on my rifle anyway. I really need one that won't ruin the accuracy of this rifle. I've got it shooting sub half MOA on a regular basis and want to keep it as accurate and consistent as possible, even if it means not having a brake at all.

Thanks again ya'll
 
Re: How's this brake look to ya'll?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: aggiesig</div><div class="ubbcode-body">heres my reccomendation:
1. go get about 50 feet of jute twine
2. tie a loop in one end
3. put the loop through your trigger guard
4. run the tail end of the twine through the loop
5. go stand behind a tree
yank on the tail end, sincgin down the twine discharging the firearm.

If the brake blows off the end it sucks, if it holds together reload and repeat 3 or 4 times and then call it good. </div></div>

best advice EVER!!!
 
Re: How's this brake look to ya'll?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CrazyTrain</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The dude finally conceded that it was a shit piece. He gave me my money back right away so I gotta give the guy credit for doing the right thing. He did try to lie to me and tell me it was made on a CNC machine but whatever. I got my money back and he can have his tacticool paperweight back. </div></div>

It may very well have been made on a cnc machine. Just because a computer runs the act of making something it doesn't mean it magically comes out perfect.

Poor tooling selection, programming, setup procedure, and lack of attention to detail when running parts are all surefire ways to make junk.

Just sayin.

Glad you got it worked out.