adding muzzle break to AK

S

Sacco583

New member
I have a Romainian WASR 10 post-ban AK-47. The barrel is not threaded. I really need a muzzle break to tame the beast. I hate the hop-up. So, how do I put one on without a threaded barrel? I've heard of pin-on barrel thread adaptor something or other. Is that what I need? I really need help on this. I need rapid fire accuracy. This will be the best solution to reducing hop-up, right? I'm not worried about recoil as much as the barrel bouncing after each shot.
 
Go to http://ak-47.gunsnet.net/vb/index.php

And do a search on "muzzle brake" or "muzzle break" and you will get lots of info.

In summary, people tend to attach the "set screw" brakes with a welder, or with JB Weld epoxy.

Brakes attached with set-screws only tend to eventually wind up downrange.
 
Brownell's sells a 14x1mm LH thread die and a guide you can use to start it with. I think the price is about $60 or so for the set. US made AK74 style brakes are available for the 7.62 rifles from Global Trades for around $18 plus shipping.
The brake will have to be permanently attached afterwards.

I also do muzzle threading for AKs for $25 plus $10 to perm attach.

Brakes tend to make little difference in semi auto fire and are most noticeable on full auto rifles. You will probably still benefit some though.

Good Luck,
Jayson
 
With regards to pin on brakes -

There are AK-74 style brakes available for 7.62x39mm which just pin on to the rifle - you drive out the front pin on the front sight (it's easy, dont' worry) slide the brake on, tap it on with a hammer, then drive a new roll pin into place.

Pretty simple, it takes less than 5 minutes to do, is completely legal, does not require threading, does not require special tools.

The 74 style brake does reduce muzzle climb.
 
Please note that it is a "brake" and NOT a "break".


It is intended to act as a brake on rearward motion (recoil) of the weapon.


I can't believe even Springfield Armory got it wrong on their website!!! :eek:
 
Benjamin: where do I get these pin on breaks? I would like an AK-74 style BRAKE....that would be nice.

captainHoek: you have no advice or opinion? Just wanted to bust my balls on spelling? Thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to pass it on so the rest of us retards don't waste your time.
 
Whoa! Sacco! I'm not slamming you. Sorry I didn't make that clear. If even a major corporation like Springfield puts it wrong on their website, what chance does the average guy have? THOSE idiots are to blame for the confusion.


But once the function is pointed out, it's easy to see why the spelling.

But I will offer you some advice on your question - if you opt for the screw on, get a pro to do it, unless you are a machinist. It's too easy to screw up a barrel. If a gunsmith screws it up, HE eats it. If YOU screw it up...
 
I do believe that the pin on brakes will only work on Chinese guns. The barrels on the chinese guns are 14mm so it would be a sloppy fit on a romanian and the chinese guns don't have the tab that holds in the cleaning rod, this will keep the brake from sliding on the barrel. These are the problems that I encountered with my post-ban Maadi and I belive would be the same for the Romanian.
 
In shooting my AK rifles and SKS rifles, I have not noticed any need for a muzzle brake. Maybe a flash hider would be cool, but there is just no recoil with these little cartridges.
 
Ditto... my Bulgarian has tiny recoil. I have a brake (threaded) from KVAR that I have yet to install.

Personally, I would go with having a smith thread your barrel to fit the 74 style brake then permanently attach it with a weld. This opinion is based soley on heresay, as the majority of opinions I have read do not have good things about the pin-on brakes... IF they are available for your rifle.

I'd take your rifle and make it how you like it... get the brake you want and ask around for prices to mate the brake with your rifle.

And make SURE you use a USA manufactured brake for two reasons. The first is so your rifle will not have too many foreign parts. The second should be pretty clear...
 
They make a huge difference in muzzle flash

With muzzle break - A small, dim, star-shaped light.
Without muzzle break - A huge, bright 2 foot ball of fire, sort of like a flame thrower! :eek:
 
From a legal standpoint, you probably don't want to thread your post ban rifle's muzzle.

Make sure it is a brake, not a flash suppressor, and that it's made in the USA which will make it a-ok with the BATF. I believe the AK-74 style muzzle attachment is considered a brake by the BATF.

I had a US-made AK-74 style (but 7.62x39 dimensioned) brake welded to my front sight assembly on my MAK-90. It's rock solid, no threads involved, and still can be removed, albiet along with the front sight assembly.
 
The screw on brakes hold just fine if you drill a dimple for the screws to lock into the barrel. The best bet is to remove the pins and drill the screw holes out and into the barrel and then drive pins into the holes.
 
Yeah, many folks at AK-47.net "dimple" their barrels for the set-screw brakes. But note that this is a "dimple". If you do this, do NOT drill through the barrel. Just drill in a 16th or so, so there is something for the set screw to rest in.

But the consensus at AK-47.net seems to be JB Weld epoxy for the most permanent attachment.
 
so many choices...Thanks a lot guys. I need to go to a smithy? Do I find them in the phone book? Can just anyone do it or do they have to be approved or something? How much does it usually cost? Is it easy to convert an AK-74 .223 into a brake that will fit onto a WASR-10 AK-47 7.62x39?

And another thing. Who says the AK doesn't kick? Hell yeah it does! Maybe not compared to a larg hunting rifle or a shotty but for me the AK jumps like....2"-3" in the air after each shot. That's a lot to me. I saw a guy firing a FAL and it hopped less than my AK. I think it may have to do with his muzzle brake. There are other factors too - but you know what I mean.
 
I got my pin on brake at a gunshow, from http://www.aa-ok.com 's table. I think that's the correct address...this is from memory, so please bear with me.

Yes, it is a chinese AK. Others have shimmed their brakes to obtain a better fit.

From a legal standpoint, it's fine to thread your barrel, just make sure you weld the damn brake on after.

question on converting a real 74 brake to 7.62 - I don't know. AK 74 style brakes for 7.62 are readily available from commercial channels, so I've never had to bugger with one. Just buy the right part the first time.

Recoil v. muzzle rise - they're different. The short version - recoil is force to the rear of the rifle along the axis of the bore. Muzzle rise, which is what Sacco is describing.
My AK has negligible recoil, but the muzzle rise was irritating.
So I put a brake on it.

Then I got a FAL, but that's a different story...

Yes, most smiths can thread your muzzle for you. I don't think you will have too much luck looking in the phone book, but then again, I'm in Mass. Your area may be different. Best bet to find a smith would probably be to find a gun/sportsman's club and inquire there. Failing that, go to a machine shop (don't bring the rifle in with you right away - just a hint).

If all that fails, there are AK smiths to which you can ship your rifle to have a brake permanently attached (thread, screw on, then weld). Downside fo that is the shipping time and cost involved.

I hope that this has been of some help.
 
Recoil is very subjective, and a lot depends on technique. I can shoot the biggest handguns there are with no problem. .308 in a bolt gun pistol? Piece of cake. Burned 100 rounds one morning, mostly from Creedmore. .45-70 on a TC/Contender? Nooo problem. .454 Casull? Love it. .44 Mag? Wimp gun.

But a .308 bolt action LONG gun is all I can handle, and I'm not real comfortable with that. Why? Learned to shoot long guns with a .22 and then the M-16. Got into the habit of holding TOO tight, rather than riding with the recoil. I'm working on it...


So don't sweat it, Sacco. The brake will help the muzzle climb, and practice takes care of the rest. And don't worry if somebody can shoot a .458 and laughs at you for thinking the AK kicks.

(Just outshoot him with your AK!)
 
What I don't like is the muzzle climb. I went out to the dessert yesterday. I pulled the trigger as fast as I could, just for kicks. Haven't done that yet and always wanted to. The target was a computer case about 75 yards out. The first shot hit but all the others seemed to get farther and farther away. Such a waste of ammo. But it was a lesson that had to be learned. If I could get the grouping a little tighter than 8 ft. at 75 yards that would be cool. Not that I need that. I'm not going to go rapid fire any time soon. But what I would like is faster target aquisition. So, as long as I can find brakes at a gun show, I'll go there to be sure I'm getting the right size. Maybe call bushmaster. I really like thier AK-74 brake. I trust anything they make or sell. I'm sure it will take me a while to find somebody to put it on for me.

So, one more question...Is it fully legal to thread the barrel then put the brake on and weld it? That's ok? Or do I need to pin it and do something else to hold it on? I will only do legal stuff.
 
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