AI AX Barrel swap

[WarriorPoet19]

Recently bought an AI Ax and had my local smith put a brake on for me. Do most users remove barrels or install their muzzle devices with the barrel still on? Main reason is even though the brake is on straight my barrel seems like the two grooves on the AI barrel at the front seem to be at more of a slight angle then I remember which has me worried that the brake was over torqued during install, which in turn over torqued the barrel inside the receiver. Maybe just over thinking things but don't want anything to be wrong with the rifle or thread damage of where the barrel torques into receiver. Really just want to make sure there is no damage to the rifle. Thank you.

 

[poison123]

I install mine while the barrel is on. The barrel should always thread back on to the exact same position......

 

[GIXXER2000]

What kind of brake is it?? If its an AI just loosen the clamp screw make a slight adjustment then retighten. I am not a fan of brakes that need a crush washer. I remove my brakes to clean them so I use APA and Area 419 brakes on all but two of my AI barrels.

 

[Supersubes]

Im confused by your question. So the gunsmith removed and replaced your barrel during a brake install, and now the flats near the muzzle are at a different orientation? The flats are not indexed, theyre randomly machined into the barrel, by AI. They end up where they und up. Your gunsmith could have reinstalled to a different torque value. The barrel spec is 100ft/lbs, realistically though, you could be over or under that quite a bit with no ill affects. You could also ask the smith what torque he installed it to. I highly doubt the smith overtorqued the breech thread buy really really over torquing the brake. Depending on the brake, they usually go on at 15-20 ft lbs. Hope im understanding you correctly.

 

[WarriorPoet19]

It is a dead air brake for mounting my can and I had thought to myself afterward whether it would have been a better decision to have removed the barrel for install or if it was okay to leave in. I was worried as to whether it was possible in anyway that the smith could over torque and damage inside the receiver where the barrel threads in. I apologize for any confusion. As a completely new owner to an AI if i pull the barrel its just hand tight and from what I have heard 50 inch pounds on the 4mm allen head to reinstall correct?

 

[Supersubes]

You didnt mention you have a quicklock gun. Still a little confused as to what you did. So gunsmith got the whole gun,threaded the muzzle, and installed the brake? Its a quicklock gun, so it shouldn't require any torque beyond hand tight or sligtly more. He would have needed the gun at some point to make an index mark on the barrel which he would use to index the brake. Have you removed the barrel since you got it back, as that would confirm if he torqued the barrel traditionally, or just hand tight and then tightened the quicklock screw. The flats at the end of the barrel are for a wrench. If you havent removed the barrel since you got it back, you should. If it takes a small amount of torque via a wrench across the flats, its fine. Does the brake shoulder directly to the barrel, or a washer of some sort(crush or peel)? Im having to make a bunch of assumptions here, because i dont have the detail. Was this gunsmih familiar with the AI quicklock system? A call to the smith to ask his procedure will clear all of his up.

 

[WarriorPoet19]

I apologize for the confusion. It is the new quick lock AX. I bought it with a threaded barrel on and I walked into my local smith, he took off the thread protector and checked for alignment then added a washer and the brake and torqued it onto the barrel. It may just be me but it had seemed like after he clamped the rifle in a vice to tighten the brake on that the wrench flats were at a slightly different angle then they were before he put the brake on. That made me think that the barrel could have been over torqued with the brake and that if putting the brake on caused the whole barrel to turn more possibly damaging it on the internal threads. Might just be me though thinking that and then got worried that it may have gotten torqued onto the barrel so hard that the barrel turned more inside receiver. Im sure I'm just being paranoid but haven't had a chance yet to take barrel off as I wasn't fully sure as to proper amount the quick lock needed to be torqued to as i have heard different numbers. Im sure this still doesn't make much sense. Im sure it is fine.

 

[Supersubes]

Highly unlikely. Most gunsmiths know not to apply a shit ton of torque to muzzle threads. It can negatively affect the end of the bore(change it dimensionally). Imagine how much torque would be required at the muzzle to actually get some rotation out of the breech thread which is shouldered on the face of the action and clamped by the quicklock? Im guessing a whole lot!

I believe the quicklock screw is supposed to go to 49in/lbs by the way. Some people use more.

 

[ballison]

AS, don't over think it. If you believe your new AX is ruined, I'll give you $100 for it!!!