Night Train 2 - Muzzle Brake

[Shawnie]

I want to remove the muzzle brake on my rifle, to reduce the weight on the fore end and increase maneuverability in the bush.

I can, and have, easily removed the muzzle brake but I need to know the dangers of shooting the rifle without the muzzle brake, if any? I know I should buy a thread protector for it, but I am having problems finding one. Well, one that will ship to Canada.

Can I fire my rifle without the muzzle brake, safely? Will the accuracy be affected? Will it change the zeroing of my scopes?

The information I can find on Google is spotty. Ultimately, my searching led me to this forum. I am hoping someone can shed some light on this topic for me.

 

[MikeD]

I will not hurt anything but I would put something on it to protect the threads.

Removing it will alter the harmonics of the barrel and may or may not influence the POI. The only way to tell if and by how much is to shoot it.


Have you tried just looking at a hardware or Fastenall to find a nut that will fit the same threads?

 

[dieselmudder]

May sound cheesy, but tape will protect the threads

 

[Shawnie]

Applying tape doesn't sound cheesy to me. I have actually used self-vulcanizing rubber tape (from an electrical supplier) to protect the threads. My question goes a little deeper than that, and here's why;

A guy at my local gun shop (not a professional, just a guy behind the counter) told me to never, ever shoot my rifle without the muzzle brake. Although he didn't get into it much with me, I figure it's because the pressures at the muzzle could, possibly, split the barrel.

However, here's my thoughts...With a factory installed muzzle brake, especially on my rifle, with the fluted barrel, I see the muzzle has a "bell" shape to it and the threads cut into that. The thickness of the barrel walls at the muzzle are considerably thick. I think it will handle the pressure generated when fired.
As opposed to a gun that has been modified to install a brake, when the threads are cut, the thickness of the walls are thinner, leaving it susceptible to possible damage when fired...especially without the added strength of a thread protector. (won't allow the muzzle to swell when fired and possibly split the barrel).

Anyway, that's my thought on it. Does anybody else agree with me, or have anything else to add to my theory?

 

[MikeD]

I could be wrong but I cannot imagine that the amount of pressure built up in the last 1/2" of the barrel will cause it to split if the break is not installed.

Barrels swell, flex and gyrate all of the place when a shot is fired, it is just to fast and microscopic to be seen by the eye. Look at high speed videos of shots fired it's frightening how much the guns flex.

I think the only damage you need to worry about is that of the threads themselves.

 

[Shawnie]

Thanks, I am starting to feel more confident about removing the brake for the reasons I wanted to. I will continue to be open to ideas or opinions about this.