I was thinking about putting a pin on brake to my SAR-1. My question is this. Are they effective? If so are they worth it?
I was thinking about putting a pin on brake to my SAR-1. My question is this. Are they effective? If so are they worth it?
Why on earth would you want a pin-on brake?
Anyway, a true muzzle brake helps recoil a little, but it's really not worth the bother. If you want a slant brake for correct looks, then you should thread it on.
If your muzzle OD is about 0.566 diameter, you can use a 14x1 LH die and thread the muzzle, then screw on a proper device.
Gentlemen may prefer Blondes, but Real Men prefer Redheads!
The only differences would be in how it's attached and the quality of the brake in general. I have not seen a pin on SAR brake only those for MAK90's, I have seen setscrew brakes though. IMO a AK74 brake really works well on a 762 rifle, even the cheap ones do well. In shooting a couple a SAR1's with and without a brake side by side I'd say the recoil difference was pretty substantial with me and most who also shot them saying they felt between 40 and 50% reduction in felt recoil.
I put a pin on AK-74 brake onto my SAR-1 because I just didn't feel like threading it. Want to keep at least one in as delivered condition.
The brake is made for the MAK-90 which has a slightly thicker barrel than the SAR-1, so I used some couple thousandth shim stock to get a snug fit. Then I put a bore sized dowel rod in the brake and found that it didn't line up with the bore of the rifle, so I had to open the end of the brake until I was sure that a bullet leaving the barrel would not strike the end of the brake.
Just a little heads up on what you would have to do if you used a MAK-90 intended AK-74 brake on an SAR-1
And yes, it does reduce felt recoil. The AK-74 brake is one of the more effective brakes for taming felt recoil.
I used an AK74 style pin on brake for an SKS, and it worked great. It reduced the jump and recoil dramatically. The only downside was the muzzle blast out the sides. If you was beside a building, you needed hearing protection. I put a cuts style brake on my SA-93 and it helped. If your barrel is not threaded, and you find the style you like in a pin on brake, then you can save your self the expense and trouble of threading. I have seen the set screw type, but have not tried them.
I launched a set screw brake down range never to be seen again
May not be apple to apple comparison but during the Ban, the Pa State police bought Colt HBARs with pin on brakes despite their exemption. After several became loose or went down range (Thank You Colt Quality Control) all rifles were taken out of service until the brakes and the stupid plastic buffer were removed and later the rifles were replaced with M4 style carbines with real birdcage style brakes.
Just to let you know, my SAR-1 has the pin on brake, that the pin goes through a slot in the brake and through the front hole of the front sight base, and has been on the rifle for over 13,000 rounds and hasn't moved a zillionth of an inch. The brakes that like to take flight are the set screw type. Unless you dimple the barrel for the set screw to lock into, and then loc-tite the screw, you risk having the set screws work loose followed by the flight of the AK muzzle brake.
Pin on brakes don't have a problem other than the ID is too large for the SAR-1 barrel.
I too have launched a few set screw types down range. Gave up and waited for the ban to expire so I could get a regular barreled rifle. Looking back on it, I scratch my head and think to myself "Self? What were you thinking" To which I answer "Hell I don't know, it seemed like a good idea at the time..."
Do what you need, dude. That's that whole learning thing. Trial and error and whatnot. Figure out what works for you and get to it. Trust me, we all started out as newbies once...well except 'Nut...I think he was born with an AK...
How do you compromise with someone when their idea of compromise is to give them what THEY want?
Thunder River Home
NRA Lifer since Apr 2009
Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
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