The threading on my muzzle and the brake appears to not match perfectly, and when I went to go remove it I found that it was stuck (only installed a day ago, so it hasn't seized or anything like that). Any tips for removing it? My current gameplan was to just lock the chassis in a vice or take the barreled action out and place it into a barrel vice before trying to twist it off, since I couldn't get enough leverage to loosen it when I just had the pistol grip pinched between my knees like I've done in the past.
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My Muzzle Brake is Stuck
- Thread starter ThePretzel
- Start date
Kroil oil and prayer. Next time you install one use some never-sieze.
The fact that it's been stored in a 0% humidity safe for that one day, and the ambient humidity in my apartment is only 15% as is. It was also pretty tight when getting it on, so I was taking it off to re-cut the threads anyways.
Can't seize if there's no moisture and less than 24 hours have passed.
You are wrong. I just wondered if there something you knew I didn't. If you don't use anti seize, it can freeze in a second. I hope it didn't and it comes off easily.
Are both stainless? If so, you are mostly likely galled and you will break something before getting it apart.
What brake? Barrel material? Brake nitrided?
How did it go on? Did it tighten just before shouldering, etc. How many lbs of torque to install?
How did it go on? Did it tighten just before shouldering, etc. How many lbs of torque to install?
You can look at stainless steel funny and it will gall
If that is the case and both are stainless, your best bet is to soak the end of the barrel in penetrating fluid over night. Put the barrel in a vise and give her hell. Either you will get lucky and be able to clean up the threads, they will be trashed and need to shorten the barrel, or you will break the end off with the threads in the break.
Good luck. Have broken plenty of stainless galled bolts in the food processing plant I work at.
Good luck. Have broken plenty of stainless galled bolts in the food processing plant I work at.
Leave it till you burn that barrel out?
It's been pretty much said above, by multiple people.....
1. Stainless brake ?
2. Stainless barrel ?
3. completely dry threads ?
4. No anti-seize ?
Buy a new brake and find a good gunsmith.......
1. Stainless brake ?
2. Stainless barrel ?
3. completely dry threads ?
4. No anti-seize ?
Buy a new brake and find a good gunsmith.......
1. DO NOT LOCK THE CHASSIS IN A VISE!!
2. DO NOT LOCK THE CHASSIS IN A VISE!!
3. Put the barrel in a barrel vise after soaking in some penetrating oil overnight.
If it is galled, you're effed.
2. DO NOT LOCK THE CHASSIS IN A VISE!!
3. Put the barrel in a barrel vise after soaking in some penetrating oil overnight.
If it is galled, you're effed.
Probably galled. Mine was. Barrel vise, torch, and pipe wrench. Tore up the brake and muzzle threads. I used a pipe wrench because i wasnt trying to save the brake and i couldnt get enough leverage with anything else. When it didnt free with a little heat I knew it was done.
Take the barreled action to a competent gunsmith. He can turn the muzzlebrake in his lathe (thereby destroying the muzzlebrake), but saving the barrel/muzzle/crown/threads.
Once that is done, clean up the threads and add anti-seize before applying/installing the new muzzle brake.
Once that is done, clean up the threads and add anti-seize before applying/installing the new muzzle brake.
I have had good luck boiling the muzzle device and barrel tip for about 10-15 minutes. I use an old pot fill it enough to cover the device and a couple inches on the barrel. Once the water boils submerse the device and let it boil. After 10-15 minutes have vice with barrel holder ready and wrench ready to go.
I stopped using anti-siege because devices losen or it dries out. I started using rock set and boiling the device when needed to remove or replace it.
I stopped using anti-siege because devices losen or it dries out. I started using rock set and boiling the device when needed to remove or replace it.
Who threaded the muzzle? If you paid to have it done, take it back and insist to have it fixed for free and buy you a new muzzle brake.
Or send it to TBAC and have them do it right.
Or send it to TBAC and have them do it right.
position the rifle in vertical position, resting it on the stock with muzzle up, or if you have barrel wise secure the rifle in them
-with one hand (weak) place a small screwdriver to push the little pin that prevents the brake from rotating,
-with other get a brass punch , and if you dont have one, use steel punch if you dont have that use any steel object that can fit through the breaks' large exit holes (like a thick screwdriver) and use it as a torque to rotate the brake. I sometimes give it a whack with a wooden hammer.
or if you have a thick wooden stick you can use that as a torque object
if you feel that this will still hurt your gun somehow, wrap the torque object with cloth that way you feel good about not denting your brake. but it wont either way
dont worry IT WILL NOT HURT THE BREAK or your gun. do it all the time.
no need to spend any money
-with one hand (weak) place a small screwdriver to push the little pin that prevents the brake from rotating,
-with other get a brass punch , and if you dont have one, use steel punch if you dont have that use any steel object that can fit through the breaks' large exit holes (like a thick screwdriver) and use it as a torque to rotate the brake. I sometimes give it a whack with a wooden hammer.
or if you have a thick wooden stick you can use that as a torque object
if you feel that this will still hurt your gun somehow, wrap the torque object with cloth that way you feel good about not denting your brake. but it wont either way
dont worry IT WILL NOT HURT THE BREAK or your gun. do it all the time.
no need to spend any money
I'll give good old PB penetrant a shot after soaking overnight, and if that doesn't work I'll go ahead and bust out the blowtorch. If all else fails I can fall back to a gunsmith cutting the brake off on a late for me.
Just to be clear since it hasnt been exactly addressed. Is it seated all the way down the threads to the shoulder of the barrel? Or is it only rotated on a few degrees way up on the end of the threads? A pic of the evidence would be nice.
And you didnt rocksett (water loosens it) or locktight? Since youre talking about seizing like its only a chemical action then Im guessing not. (If its not coming off its "seized")
And you didnt rocksett (water loosens it) or locktight? Since youre talking about seizing like its only a chemical action then Im guessing not. (If its not coming off its "seized")
It wasn't threaded all the way onto the barrel, only about halfway. I stopped when it started resisting me, and then when I started to twist backwards it felt quite stuck. Wanted to get advice before just trying to force it back off.
thats not how seizing works....it may not have rusted in place.....but it can seize by other means.
sounds to me like you didnt cut the threads properly, you forced it on, and it either galled, cross threaded or cold welded its self in place.
you can try penetrating oil......probably wont do shit.
you can also try heat.....that might be your best bet.
personally i would just cut it off and rethread the muzzle before you fuck up the barrel even more.
cut your threads properly and apply antiseize next time.
Had this happen to me before. You're only option is going to be to cut the threads off, rethread the muzzle and bore out the slug in the muzzle brake to save it. That is if the threads in the brake arent already fucked. Mine werent
I wouldn't cut anything... Put the barrel in vise find something stout like a big screwdriver to put between the ports in the brake and twist that bitch off. Then cut it off if that don't work.
That's another way to do it but you risk damaging threads on the brake that may not be damaged yet. I was able to save my brake and lost 0.5" of barrel.
My mentor taught me a little trick that works really well. Fair to say the brake is much harder than the muzzle, so you probably have some debris or a burr on either the brake or barrel threads. Anyway, get small non-marring hammer, or a piece of wood. Vice the barrel however you like. Tap the brake radially and with fairly light force. Every once in a while, try to unscrew the brake very lightly, while you’re tapping. Resist the urge to just say screw it, and forcfully unscrew it off, or you’ll end up at square 1. The tapping creates tiny spaces, which will give you small opportunities to get some rotation. I’ve seen this work on stainless/stainless galled threads, and stainless/nitrided steel should improve your odds. Be patient, we’re talking hundreds or thousands of taps.
@ThePretzel is spot on. Never seen anything that wouldnt come off with some penetrating oil overnight and then blowtorch/heat gun the muzzle brake after putting it in a barrel vice and go to town with a wrench. That bitch will come off galled or not. As said above putting a wrench on and tapping the wrench with a mallet will help a lot too to break it free.
I had this new LWRC upper brought to me with an AAC adapter stuck on it. Owner has a Geissle AR barrel lug fixture, so he removed the pinned OEM flash hider by twisting it off (not drilling the pin) then used the AAC to chase the threads and stuck it like a boss.
I tried a large wrench first and it wasn't going anywhere. Used some Kroil overnight, nothing. Heated it with MAP Gas and a cold wet towel on the barrel, nothing.
Finally ended up with this...……
TIG welded a Harbor Freight 1/2" impact socket with silicone bronze rod to the stuck adapter and took a 1/2" impact to it.
Re-chased the threads with a die.
Considering the impact struggled to get if off, the gun was test fired to confirm accuracy before the new adapter was pinned in place.
He got lucky.
I tried a large wrench first and it wasn't going anywhere. Used some Kroil overnight, nothing. Heated it with MAP Gas and a cold wet towel on the barrel, nothing.
Finally ended up with this...……
TIG welded a Harbor Freight 1/2" impact socket with silicone bronze rod to the stuck adapter and took a 1/2" impact to it.
Re-chased the threads with a die.
Considering the impact struggled to get if off, the gun was test fired to confirm accuracy before the new adapter was pinned in place.
He got lucky.
He's a friend that works at a LGS...… I'll get plenty of mileage out of his "worlds strongest man stunt" going forward.You should have just tightened it all the way down once you welded the socket on.
So you're saying you could still thread something on it after using an impact wrench to remove it, and that the accuracy wasn't toast?
I've got an impact wrench that I KNOW will remove the brake, but I also know it'll junk the threads. I wasn't sure if the threads could be repaired sufficiently to install a new brake afterwards, since I also have a die for the muzzle threading. I stopped when I felt resistance because I was going to go grab the die and come back to re-cut the threads after taking it off, but when I came back to re-cut the threads I couldn't get it off.
If the threads can be re-cut and it's not going to hurt the barrel, I'll just use penetrating oil, a blowtorch, and then impact wrench it off. I know it'll come off for sure that way, just didn't know if the barrel itself would be trashed by doing that. The brake is already designed so that a socket can fit over it no problem.
I've got an impact wrench that I KNOW will remove the brake, but I also know it'll junk the threads. I wasn't sure if the threads could be repaired sufficiently to install a new brake afterwards, since I also have a die for the muzzle threading. I stopped when I felt resistance because I was going to go grab the die and come back to re-cut the threads after taking it off, but when I came back to re-cut the threads I couldn't get it off.
If the threads can be re-cut and it's not going to hurt the barrel, I'll just use penetrating oil, a blowtorch, and then impact wrench it off. I know it'll come off for sure that way, just didn't know if the barrel itself would be trashed by doing that. The brake is already designed so that a socket can fit over it no problem.
I wasn't sure what I'd end up with and told the owner to be prepared to buy a new barrel.
I feared the amount of leverage the wrench was applying to the barrel had a the potential to bow the barrel. I had also tried impacting the 1' wrench with a hammer multiple times and that adapter wasn't budging from the witness marks I made. So I decide the straight line radial torque of the impact was the best option but the threads could be damaged beyond repair.
As it worked out I got lucky and the threads were salvageable without being too loose IMO. The gun is shooting close to MOA at 200yds with Magtech ammo.
Put some heat to it and chill the barrel. The trick with be securing the barrel so it will resist the torque of the impact wrench.
Good to know, and I appreciate the write up you gave. I'll try with the conventional blowtorch method first to see if that works (if it does, hooray!), but leave the impact wrench as a backup plan. It's currently a 28" barrel, so worst case is that I could have a gunsmith shorten it down to 27" or 26" if the threads cannot be repaired afterwards with just a die.I wasn't sure what I'd end up with and told the owner to be prepared to buy a new barrel.
I feared the amount of leverage the wrench was applying to the barrel had a the potential to bow the barrel. I had also tried impacting the 1' wrench with a hammer multiple times and that adapter wasn't budging from the witness marks I made. So I decide the straight line radial torque of the impact was the best option but the threads could be damaged beyond repair.
As it worked out I got lucky and the threads were salvageable without being too loose IMO. The gun is shooting close to MOA at 200yds with Magtech ammo.
Put some heat to it and chill the barrel. The trick with be securing the barrel so it will resist the torque of the impact wrench.
Look up thread galling. Essentially some debris gets stuck between threads and cause a gauge in the thread, since it has no where to go, it balls up until it gets stuck.
Small threads are cute when they gall, drill strings are a pain in the ass.
Small threads are cute when they gall, drill strings are a pain in the ass.
Or the "gunsmith" didn't bother to read and understand the thread specs on the Thunderbeast website and follow them. So now the out of spec threads are causing problems. Instead of trying to fix it, take it or send it to someone who knows what they're doing and have it repaired. It'll be a better solution in the long run.
Never specified that debris was dirty threads, friction can create debris too. could have worded it better, just kept it dumbed down.
