Can't Find Century Muzzle Break Pin!?!?

[Tread_Head]

I've ground down at the 6 o'clock position but can't find the pin! I'm afraid to go to far, as I don't want to grind into the barrel. I have ground from the bottom of the muzzle break up to 1/2 inch from the bottom at the 6 o'clock and can't find it, no "faint black circle", just ground metal. I have also been tapping the 12 o'clock in hopes the pin will work loose. Is it possible that the pin is elsewhere or should I grind on?

[Rampager]

Everyone I've seen or heard of was at 6 o'clock. I know on my cast CETME I couldn't find or see it either till it was about gone. I kept grinding *being very careful* and watching not to touch the barrel.

Like I said it was all but gone when it finally appeared. Sometimes when you tap it at 12 you will start to see the faint circle appear (pin). When you get close to the barrel, if you still can't see it, maybe try turning the MB with a screw driver or pipe wrench a little...then check to see if you can see the pin.

[Perro]

heat heat heat

heat it up and the pin will turn a different color than the muzzle brake

you have to grind quite a bit of the brake away though before you can do this - they welded over the pin, so you must first remove all the weld before you can start to see the pin

heat the thing up, and if you still dont see it, spray some oil on it, and then heat it up

the pin should turn a different color at this point and you will know where its at

[jfowl31]

along with tapping it at 12 oclock... you can get a really high strength magnet if youve got one and stick it in hopes that it may grab the pin and start to lodge it loose.

The heat trick that Perro said has worked well for me on other things... Ive never done a Century MB, but have done it on other stuff, and in my case the pin turned kind of a blueish green one time... weird stuff, but it definitely let me know where it was.

[texlurch]

Your other option is cutting it lengthwise with a cutoff wheel and splitting it.

Seems like I read somewhere that a few have been seen that are soldered on as well.. can't find that post now...

[Tread_Head]

ok, found the pin at the 6 o'clock, but there is a large circle, roughly the same size as the holes in the muzzle break, and a smaller circle w/in the big one but they share part of their borders. I have been tapping and tapping w/ no results and am really fearful of grinding any more off. Has anyone seen anything like this?

[rustypirate]

The large circle is most likely the break material getting real thin, or even ground through.

Try heating and twisting the muzle break off at this point.

if it still will not move, then use a dremel tool with a cutoff wheel to cut down either side from the front to the rear along the holes being very carefull not to cut into the barrel.

Once the cuts are made, drive a chisel of screwdriver into the cut to wedge it apart. This shold break the hold on the threads and the break should twist off.

[okie shooter]

At the state you are in, I would go with the spliting recomendations, maybe even quarter it and peel it like a bannana.

[Tread_Head]

Well, I tried the superglue trick..nothing. Tapping the pin...nothing. I tried the "bananna peel"...nothing. I heated the muzzle break up and tried w/a wrench..nothing. I inserted a screwdriver in the holes and tried twisting there...nothing. My muzzle break looks like a small explosion happened inside it and bananna peeled the thing. I'm out of ideas and REALLY don't want to take this to a gunsmith as I will become one of those "this one idot walked in today" stories he tells his friends. Any other ideas?

[Tread_Head]

Well, after looking further, I have two theories. 1) I very well may have ground through the pin and ever so slightly into the barrel. 2) It could be a press on break instead of a threaded. Would a gunsmith be able to do anything w/it or is this thing a total loss?

[jfowl31]

well... you could get a drill bit and drill out the pin and then twist it off... just make sure you dont go all the way through into the barrel... little by little.

[Tread_Head]

Here are some pictures of my faux pas. The dark coloration is from heating the barrel in an attempt to unscrew it. What do you think?
http://momentoffame.com/photopost/data/573/medium/P1010012.JPG http://momentoffame.com/photopost/data/573/medium/P1010011.JPG http://momentoffame.com/photopost/data/573/medium/P1010010.JPG

[Darkwatch]

And this is why the loudner will stay on...too much :bull: ...Just my humble opinion.

[hunter_la5]

I took my muzzle brake off recently. after removing the pin, i first tried torquing it off with a big wrench and then a long screwdriver. I torqued until I was afraid I was going to break my gun somehow and then I did it some more, and it still wouldnt come off.

then I used the dremel method to cut through the holes and used a chisel to split it. still nothin. Then I tried to torque it off again with a big monkey wrench, and after LOTS of straining, it finally popped off.

I think a combination of the 2 methods helped finally loosen it up enough to come off. but the point of the story, for some this thing comes off easily, for some it does not. at all. Keep trying. I was about ready to give up too, but I got it eventually. It was totally worth it.

[mrbgt]

you almost got it ,just take a dremel or cut off wheel and slice the brake its entire length until you almost touch the barrel then smack the slit in the brake with a chisel ,hold the chisel at an angle to spread it .

[Tread_Head]

when unscrewing the muzzle break, do I need to go clockwise or counter-clockwise?

[texlurch]

Unscrews counterclockwise. Like was said before, use a cutoff wheel to go all the way down both sides, taking care to stay off the barrel. Then it should split right off, UNLESS it is soldered.

You may want to try hanging the gun muzzle down, and heating the brake up till it glows and see if solder drips out.

[Rampager]

Doesn't look to me like the pin could be holding much at this point.
I'd do like texlurch says and try spliting it with a deremel. Once you get down pretty close to the barrel I'd try a pipe wrench counterclockwise and I bet it breaks loose. Leverage is your friend.

[Woodman in MO]

It's kinda hard to be sure from the picture, but has perhaps your barrel been chopped at the end and then had the MB put on by monkeys? And guys are right, score it the whole length along those banana peels and it should pop off. That how I did mine.

[Perro]

you have cut past the pin - thats why the heat method didnt work for you

i have to agree - split it lengthwise CAREFULLY, and slowly with a dremmel with cutoff wheel - stop just before you are about to cut all the way through the brake, and then pry the cut open with a screw driver, it will split the last small remaining bit of metal on the brake without cutting into your barrel

[Tread_Head]

I took the rifle to a local gunsmith who I have worked with reguarly and who has helped me on previous projects. He looked at the rifle and said that the muzzle break was pressed on,not threaded on, and that the only way to get it off is to cut the barrel at the base and then thread it for a new muzzle break. He added that I will only lose about 1/4 in. of the barrel doing this. Based on how little luck I have had w/this, I think he might be right. :confused:

[hunter_la5]

never heard of these things being pressed on... but i suppose its possible. cutting and rethreading may be your best bet then

just curious, what did he say when you first walked in there with the obliterated muzzle brake? :1087:

[texlurch]

You shouldn't have to cut the barrel, just slice both sides of the brake and split it off there. Then you can have the barrel threaded or use another press on brake.

[Tread_Head]

Haha, I made sure to explain what I did and why BEFORE I brought the rifle into the store. He kinda looked at it, then me, but to his credit he just cracked a smile instead of :roflmao: like I probably would have done. Nonetheless, I know that I am now his "that guy" story for the week.

[jfowl31]

Ive never heard of a Century Cetme having a pressed on brake either...... Id still try to split it off with a dremel... even if you screw it all up, you were going to cut the barrel anyways, and if you do it right, you save the pain of cutting and recrowning and then threading, and save the 1/4" on the end.

Is he going to do it for you? You didnt give up did you???????

[Tread_Head]

I GOT IT!!! The damn thing is finally off! I had to "banana peel" the one section and pry it off the threads w/a screwdriver. Once the section was broken free, I could unscrew the rest of the muzzle break. On the bottom of the barrel I ground a little too far, but it isn't deep at all and will be covered by the new muzzle break. Thank you everyone for the advice and to JFowl for prodding me to give it one more try. :woohoo-1: http://momentoffame.com/photopost/data/573/medium/P1010013.JPG

[Perro]

you will find through experiance that most gunsmiths dont have 1/16 the knowledge this group has combined
congrats ;)

[texlurch]

Good job! Glad you didn't let the smith cut it; that is an original un-monkey cut barrel.

[hunter_la5]

congrats dude, glad you finally got it. so i guess it wasn't pressed on after all...

what are you replacing it with?

[Tread_Head]

I'm adding as US made original spec. flash hider. Already added the bayonet lug, so this will bring it back to looking like the military rifle.

[mrbgt]

good job! you saved that barrel from a bubba gunsmith.:jumping:

[CuttyLT]

Tread Head, What threads were on that barrel? the 15/1?