Anyone machine their own muzzle brakes?

[FEENIX]

Nice and clean. That brake isn't a complex job, and cheap! How well does it work?

It works exceptionally well on my .30 Gibbs propelling 190 Bergers. I also had his original 3-port on a .300 WM that works similarly.
Ross sold his practice to Kelly. Price has gone up but is still very competitive. Kelly also now provides a self-timing option.

https://rossbrakes.com/

 

[Teri Anne]

Do any of you guys make and install your own muzzle brakes? Many of us aren't rich enough to just pay someone else to do things, or just want to do it ourselves. Most designs aren't that complex if you have a lathe and mill. The Browning BOSS type system is the exception.

Well, I for one am in about the same situation as you are, don't have the equipment or expertise to do my own muzzle brakes. In the past year or maybe a little longer I wanted to put a muzzle brake on my new 300 WM since I am like everyone else, only able to take so much recoil before it starts affecting my shooting. I'm good up to a 30-06, but having owned a 300 WM before I knew I didn't want to put up with the recoil. (Don't knock it, I'm old and still have full use of my arms and shoulders) Anyway I talked to America's Gunsmith Shop in Kenosha, WI (They were previously affiliated with Gander Mountain/Outdoors but bought out by an employee) 866-862-4570 will get them and they can fill you in on where they are currently located. For the muzzle brake, cutting the barrel and installing the muzzle brake and matching the bluing on the barrel perfectly the cost of the installation was $209 which included the cost of shipping back and forth. It was a two week turn around which included shipping time.
Based on my experiences it doesn't get much better than that.

 

[cjl2010]

Aren't rich enough to buy a break? But you have a mill and a lathe to make your own? What am I reading?

 

[nickjandrews]

Aren't rich enough to buy a break? But you have a mill and a lathe to make your own? What am I reading?

Oh I never meant to imply I couldn't afford to buy one. I was asking if anyone had made their own. Yes, I do like to fix and build stuff.

Hell I actually have two mills right now. I've had the old South Bend for almost ten years now, paid $1250 at a university auction and it came with an 8" Yuasa rotary table. Bought a 1982 BP 2J2 model in February and have since installed new feed nuts and completely rebuilt the entire head, have about $1600 into that one, not counting R8 tooling. Have a modest supply of 4140 seamless tubing and round bar on hand for receivers, bolts, nuts, etc. And a heat treating oven with programmable controller good to about 2350 degrees. Working on bluing and park tanks and cerakote too.

 

[bamban]

Harrells Precision brakes are cheap enough and effective so it's hard to make one yourself for what they charge for theirs.

Agree on the Harrels. Get a 1 inch OD 5/8x24 and thread the receiver side 7/8x32 right almost to the first holes. Bore and internal thread round barstock 7/8x32. To lock it down use plastic tipped set screw.

Now you have brake/tuner, very inexpensive.

 

[FromAfar1969]

Muzzlebrakesandmore.com Nathan Wright. TOP NOTCH QUALITY and affordable.

 

[SSgt G Cody]

Not making brakes or silencers, but have made several suppressors for myself. Thread-on, inner cap & spring slides, outer foam tube to absorb excess noise, etc. Aluminum outer and inner tubes. 7 in. overall, and helps a little with recoil too! I've built 3 for $20 in materials.

 

[cjl2010]

 

[gemihur]

Chose a Harrell's for my Encore 7-08

 

[SSgt G Cody]

My experience indicates that most suppressors reduce felt recoil maybe 20-30%, which is enough for most shooters, plus you avoid the extremely harsh blast volume of a muzzle brake. and the European-style "Mufflers" work well and are much less expensive than the machined US suppressors. They look similar to lawnmower mufflers, and reduce recoil volume 40-60%. Many ranges no longer allow muzzle brakes.

 

[nickjandrews]

Dad ended up buying a Fat Bastard 3 brake, which I am now charged with installing for him. So, threading practice for stainless on the lathe will commence! Interesting that it is supposed to be readily move from rifle to rifle, but several guys report having to use Loctite on theirs to keep it from loosening. He's not interested in doing that and will keep it on the one rifle, so I will try to machine the shoulder just about right to time the brake when it's tight and not need to use the backlash nut to lock position.

Agree on silencers/suppressors but until we get rid of the clown show nonsense, it's too much hassle, especially when going to other states to hunt, etc where you theoretically are supposed to get permission, blah, blah, blah. I'd rather put even a short can on most rifles, but...

 

[snookntarpon]

I have a machine shop. just over a dozen CNC mills and lathes, a swiss turn and several manual mills and lathes. There is no way I could make a brake for cheaper. 10 years ago I had a great idea for a knife sharpener. I had one lathe and one mill down for a week and made 50 sharpeners. Total cost for 50 sharpeners approximated 25k not factoring in that I was using up machine time from parts I make for sale. I factored in the programmer, cnc operator, anodizing cost and assembly cost. 25k for prototyping a great idea was ok. But when doing math on what production run cost would be to manufacture these to sell to the public, i calculated the MSRP for each pocket sharpener would need to be at $250.00 ea. Great idea. Instead I had 50 really cool, really expensive xmas gifts for friends and family.

I could build my own custom rifles, suppressors, brakes in house, but I send them out to competent smiths. always ends up cheaper.

If I had a couple of manual machines, ample retirement time and wanted a fun project without factoring time as a cost. yes I would make my own. Instead I just use spare time to reload, go to the range, hunt and fish.

my .02

PS. I called my sharpener "Spire: the world's most expensive sharpener."

 

[arch408]

Following up on a previous post, I like to make muzzle brakes out of old rifle barrels. I also make some brakes with a 9/16" X 32 thread for thin barrels that would have little or shoulder for the brake to butt up against with a 5/8 inch bore and 1/2 inch bore might leave a thin walled muzzle.