Question on barrel length with muzzle brake?

[Spots]

So here is my question. I want to add a muzzle brake to my Mini 30. I was looking at having barrel cut at 16" and threaded, then screwing the brake on, but I seem to remeber that you can count the muzzle brake as barrel length, as long as its permanently attached. Am I remebering right? As in I could cut my barrel to 14", install a permanent 2" long brake and still meet the legal limit? Also what defines permanent? Does welding it count? Are any other methods considered permanent for this purpose? I would have a gunsmith do all the work, just want to check the legalitys before bothering a smith.

[Guest Joshua__423]

I believe you are right about the 14 in. then the permanently attached but i dont know what defines permanently attached. Please keep us updated lol

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Permanently attached means you can't take it off with a wrench. It needs to be brazed on. Total of 16 inches minimum

is good for barrel and brake like that.

[Romad7]

I've noticed that most people go to about 1/4" to 1/2" over the legal length to avoid any question of legality, something to think about...

[RED333]

Pin and weld the pin is a way to do it as well, must not be less than 16" from face of the bolt to end of the barrel.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Pin and weld the pin is a way to do it as well, must not be less than 16" from face of the bolt to end of the barrel.

 

This makes it a lot easier to remove as well.

 

Basically have the barrel shortened to whatever length will give you 16" with the mizzle brake. Screw the muzzle brake on and make sure it is tight. Drill from the undersize through the muzzle brake and into the barrel. Drop a pin of some sort into the hole then weld the hole closed. Grind off the weld and make it pretty. This way makes it easy to remove the brake without damaging the barrel.

 

What I normally do is the same thing except I don't drop a pin in there. I just fill the hold up with the weld. That way it is permenently fuzed.

 

A down and dirty way is to screw the muzzle brake down the way you want it then weld where the muzzle brake and barrel meet. I've seen this done to a lot of AK's.

 

There is no type of thread loc that meets the ATF's requirement. I do beleive it says it must be "permanently fuzed" to meet their requirement.

 

Dolomite

[McAllyn]

Whether you blind pin or weld it, make sure the person doing it knows how to weld and is a careful and detail oriented person.  Go ahead and ask me what can go wrong... I dare you.

 

Mac

 

ADDED:  When I was researching mine, most people recommended looking at going to an OAL of 16.1".  Just adding that tiny extra bit to cover all the bases.  Not really necessary, an inch is an inch, but I felt better doing it that way.

Edited February 19, 2013 by McAllyn

[peejman]

From here:  http://www.atf.gov/publications/download/p/atf-p-5320-8/atf-p-5320-8-chapter-2.pdf
 

The ATF procedure for measuring barrel length is to measure from the closed bolt (or breech-face) to the furthermost end of the barrel or permanently attached muzzle device. Permanent methods of attachment include full-fusion gas or electric steel-seam welding, high-temperature (1100°F) silver soldering, or blind pinning with the pin head welded over. Barrels are measured by inserting a dowel rod into the barrel until the rod stops against the bolt or breech-face. The rod is then marked at the furthermost end of the barrel or permanently attached muzzle device, withdrawn from the barrel, and measured. 

 

 

That said, you might look into an "optimum" barrel length.  Sometimes a small difference in barrel length can make a considerable difference in accuracy and/or reliability. 

[Keyless]

I built an AK that originally had a 14" barrel but went with a 16" so I could be able to still change the brake . How does the barrel come out of the mini 30 ? I think if it was cut and you had the mishap of it being in the wrong place at the wrong time it would be a SBR while the work was being done without the NFA stamp. I could picture them just hunting someone to make an example out of .

 

I am sure you probably thought of that already . Also cutting the barrel means recrowning .