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Gunsmithing **I need to time my Muzzle brake--Crush Washers???

JC Steel

JC Steel

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Oct 12, 2008
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I have a 338 muzzle brake I need to get on my rifle.

My barrel is thread 3/4"x24. And its .930 at the muzzle.

The muzzle brake is not timed, does not line up when I screw it on.

How can I get it to line up correctly without having to go to (real) way.

Can I use a crush washer for this? Are they copper and will that work?

OR, what is another way that would work?

Thanks for all the advice guys!

Jake
 
24 pitch thread = .04166 thousandths per turn / or .0001157 per degree rotation.

Figure out the angle of rotation needed to position it and face that amount off the brake mating surface or machine a parallel spacer to go between.
 
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Use a protractor and determine the angle it needs to rotate into position. Now multiply degrees by the above number. If you have a friend with a lathe have them face that amount off.
If not use the above result and subtract the inverse angle amount and make a spacer or washer stack up that thickness.
 
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McMaster Carr has shims that will enable you to do what you are talking about.
 
What is the diameter of the hole in the brake? If it's not fitted to your rifle makes me think you have a blank. They usually come undersized so they can be opened up after the barrel is dialed in. .020" over bullet diameter is the usual clearance. Why not just drop it off at your smith and get it fitted properly?
 
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SS_ That's exactly what I was thinking. It gets pretty exciting when guys forget about the .22 cal hole on most unfinished brakes. Forget the peel washers. Take it to someone with a lathe and time it right.
 
jcvibby said:
Can I use a crush washer for this? Are they copper and will that work?
Click to expand...
Well, does the brake thread up against a jam nut installed on the barrel? If so, the peel washers would work. If not, such as a threaded bolt gun you would have to first add a jam nut of some type for the washers to butt against. Another method would to install a jam nut loose and tighten it against the positioned brake. A final way to time it would be to use Rocksett or red Loctite or silver solder if you want it semi-permanent. You could also drill and pin it and then tig weld the pin in place. All of these "red neck" engineering methods would/could work on a smaller caliber rifle but I would have reservations on a .338 on all but the pin and weld. Really, your best option is to send it off to Chad or another smith and pay the $70 round trip shipping and have it timed right (probably less than $100) and then when you can remove the brake and swap it back and forth with a suppressor at will. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.
 
I'm doing this very same thing this week. New brake on the way threads 3/4x 24 and needs timed. Called TBAS and ordered a peel washer. So I'll post as soon as it gets here and I put it together...
 
Yeah, you need the very thin shims to do it yourself. They come in an assortment of sizes and are numbered and you just try 'em, trying to use as few as possible (1 .030 vs. 3 .010 or whatever combo) and they work just fine provided you don't plan on taking it on and off (like for a suppressor).

I sent my HTI barrel into Elite Iron and had them time a brake and a suppressor to the barrel itself so there is no need for shims (like on the factory brake). That's the best way actually, particularly if you plan on taking it on and off like this.

No crush washers.
 
As several others have mentioned, the peel washers TBAC uses are awesome. I wouldn't fool with any other way after using one.
 
Straight Shooter said:
What is the diameter of the hole in the brake? If it's not fitted to your rifle makes me think you have a blank. They usually come undersized so they can be opened up after the barrel is dialed in. .020" over bullet diameter is the usual clearance. Why not just drop it off at your smith and get it fitted properly?
Click to expand...

Hole measures .358
 
That is pretty tight for an unfitted brake. That's the right size but that is only done that tight to a brake that is put on a dialed in barrel in the lathe. The bore is the last thing to be cut.

The only reason this concerns me at all is I used to get brakes from a guy here in the classifieds. The threads in those brakes was never concentric with the hole he opened up in them. It was like he was using a 3 jaw. The only way we could use those brakes was to request him leave the hole undersized so we could open it up in line with the bore. Then we still had to cut every surface to get the outside running true to the bore and threads.
 
Well ordered my brake, came as ordered. 3/4"x24 but won't go on.. As best as I can figure with my calipers. The shoulder on the threads in the brake needs the shoulder knocked off?!? Lucky got one of the best machinest gun nuts right up the road. Mr. Ken Markel of k&m reloading. He'll forget more about guns than I'll ever know. He said see me in the morning... I'll find out what's wrong.
 
OK, here is what I did, hopefully it helps some of you dudes

I had my 338 Edge threaded 3/4x24. Threaded for my thunderbeast 338P, Just don't have it yet. Well, I still want to shoot my 338. So I ordered a Brake From Ross shuler in Mountain Home ID. He Makes a really nice brake, and for $45 shipped, good luck finding a value like that.

I got a 1.25 OD brake, three side ports, and 3 hole top ports. He made the hole .358 for me, and tapers the rear of the brake to match my contour. All for $45!! LOL, its funny, other brakes cost 2 or 3 times as much, and come with not so much love.

Anyway, when I put the brake on, it was canted off to the side and actually a little down. It went about .4 turns over what was center.

I ordered a Peel washer from Thunderbeast arms for $7 or so.

These little peel washers are NEAT! Great idea

The peel washer was 25 washers in one. and it measured .050. Each washer was .002.

I needed roughly .018 or something like that, So I started just splitting the washer right in have.

I then put it on my barrel for a test fit, still a few thousandths away. So then, one layer at a time, I took the brake off, sliced away another asher, which is .002, then put it back on,

BAM, it was perfect after a couple peels. Now I have my brake on, its timed, contoured to my barrel profile, and is awesome. And it cost my a little over $50. That is a screaming deal!!!

From my measurements I need .017 to become timed. I went with the .018 and put a little extra elbow into it until it was straight.
 
Anybody who needs a peel washer 3/4" I got one and don't need it? I screwed up miss counted the threads on muzzle. So brake is getting fitted and timed by smith. So got a new unopened unused washer. For sale 8$ shipped
 
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