My first post [:D]

I bought my first AR in June and have been loving it.  It's a Bushmaster Shorty Carbine with the AK Muzzle break (Post Ban).  Now, the muzzle break makes the thing really loud.  I'm thinking if I ever had to use my AR in a SHTF/Home defense situation (especially indoor) My hearing may suffer BIG TIME.

My questions are:

1)should I just get a new barrel and change it out or go for a whole new upper?

2)If I just change out the barrel can I go "Barrel Only" or should I get the whole kit?
("Barrel Only" icludes the barrel, nut handguard cap, and front site the whole thing adds the gas tube, handguards, shields and delta ring) Basically I ned to know if I change just the barrel will anything else need to be replaced.

3)Heavy barrel or M4 type? (pro's and con's of each)

Thank you in advanced.

(and I've heard that Barrels are in demand for full rifles and I may have to wait a while to do this.  I figure I'd get some feed back now before my Christmas Wishlist needs to be made up)

You might check with TAPCO. I think they sell a sleeve to fit over the Bushie brake to stop the blast...

Thanks NoName, you just saved me 200-500 bucks [:D]

Hopefully this works

If I were you, I would send it to someone like Kurt's Kustom and have them take off the AK brake and put on an A2 look-a-like muzzle brake.  That would only cost you about $40-$50 and you would have both a funtioning muzzle brake and it would look good, as well.

VA_Nut, I was planning to get a whole new barrel without one, not replace the muzzlebreak,
seeing how this silly ban keeps me from simply unscrewing an unwanted muzzlebreak. (BTT)

However, I'll try this sleeve first and see how it does.

Still I'd like to know the difference between a standard heavy barrel and an M4 type.

I have not heard of reports that Kurt's MB causes the same kind of viscious noise that the AK brake does.  Can anybody confirm/deny?

Tate

Flip,
Here's a quick-fix for you:
[url]http://www.tapco.com/store/prodinfo.asp?number=MB09001&variation=&aitem=23&mitem=38&back=yes[/url]

Thanks Who.  Been there, done that, should be here by next week [bounce]

Since your rifle has a muzzle break, I suggest you send it back to Bushmaster warranty repair.  What I want to know is why anyone would buy a gun with a muzzle break.  How did it get broken?  Who broke it?  And why haven't you gotten it fixed yet?

Sheesh...

I bought the rifle with a muzzle break:

1) on a friend's recommendation
2) it was an impulse buy.  I saw, had to have, bought.
3) the only other AR's there were either Olympic or 20 inchers.

I never said it was broken, I was worried about the noise it made, in the eventually that I would have to use it in defense without ear protection.  Originally I was going with intending to either get a new barrel without the compensator or get a new upper. depending on the difficulty of swapping barrels.  That was the original purpose of my post. (btt)

BRAKE!BRAKE!BRAKE!BRAKE!BRAKE!BRAKE!Look it up in the dictionary!

Sorry, My appologies, "Muzzle brake"

Try decaf [peep]

Try English.  [:P]

ha-ha......

yeah, what steel rat said........

cant believe he didnt pick up on the sarcasm of the other post either...

Guys,

Give the newbie a break (brake?)![;)]

I would be willing to bet that if you ever used your AR in a home defense situation that you probably wouldn't notice the sound when you shot it. After it was all over with I doubt you would even remember hearing the shots. When the adrenaline is pumping you don't notice stuff like that, just ask any hunter.

Michael