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Posted: 9/1/2011 9:14:06 AM EDT
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I just bought a Romanian SAR-1. One of the previous owners had installed a slant brake on the front, and they spot welded it in two places, see the crappy pictures below.
I'm sure that I can cut the weld and get the brake off, and even touch it up with cold blue. What I would like to do is install a new front sight base that has the detent pin hole for the slant brake. My question is: What does it take to remove the sight base? I've never done this on an AK before. Thanks in advance for any and all help. |
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Not that it matters, because you're going to remove it, but the guy put the slant brake on incorrectly. He put the slant at the bottom. It's supposed to be angled to the left of the barrel if looking at it from the rear top.
See picture for better explanation of what I'm trying to say. 
Here's a link for removing the FSB. http://www.novarata.net/Linx310/fsbcantfix.shtml |
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First, the picture is too blurry to see clearly, but it appears your front sight base already has a hole for a detent.
If so, all you have to do is buy a detent and spring, push out the front retaining pin on the sight, install the spring and plunger and re-install the pin. If you must remove the front sight, this is best done with a large shop press. The pins have to be pushed out, then the shop press is used to press the sight off. These are pressed on at the factory, and they're pressed on TIGHT with the intention that they won't move under combat conditions. You usually won't get one off, or undamaged with a hammer and a block of wood, so a shop press is needed. As above, whoever installed the muzzle attachment got it on incorrectly. The idea of this type of brake is that it's installed with the long side on the bottom and rotated to the right. Under recoil, the muzzle tends to rise upward and to the right. The slant brake directs the muzzle blast upward and to the right, so the gas pushes the muzzle down and to the left to counter act muzzle rise upward and to the right. If the hole is present in the sight, just install the spring and detent plunger after you get the brake off. Clean up any welding damage of the sight and threads if needed, install the detent and screw on an original type of slant brake. An original type slant break will have a cut for the detent that will align the brake properly off set to the right. |
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Thanks for the help. It appears that my sight base is drilled for the detent pin and spring. Now if I can only find them somewhere.
Everyone lists the slant brake, Sarco, Brownells, ebay, etc. But I am unable to find the detent pin and spring anywhere online, any suggestions? |
| There are different plungers for different countries of origin, but the Bulgarian plunger and spring are pretty much universal and available. In case it is too long, trim it on the back side. The slot on the bottom goes over the front pin. Hard to believe the dunce put that brake on wrong when it clearly has the indexing slot on the ring, as most brakes do. Anyway, use your dremel cut-off disc or a little file to remove the weld and free the brake. If you don't care about the slant brake it's easier. Sometimes it is near impossible to get the front pin out. Definately use a good penetrant a day before you try to knock the pin out. Look at both ends of the pin and always drive it out on the small side. Drive it in on the big side. You'll find the plunger and spring at K-VAR. |
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Quoted:
Thanks for the help. It appears that my sight base is drilled for the detent pin and spring. Now if I can only find them somewhere. Everyone lists the slant brake, Sarco, Brownells, ebay, etc. But I am unable to find the detent pin and spring anywhere online, any suggestions? Retainer Pin and Spring |
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Quoted:
... If you must remove the front sight, this is best done with a large shop press. The pins have to be pushed out, then the shop press is used to press the sight off. These are pressed on at the factory, and they're pressed on TIGHT with the intention that they won't move under combat conditions. You usually won't get one off, or undamaged with a hammer and a block of wood, so a shop press is needed. ... I have removed probably close to 40 FSB's using nothing but a hammer and large brass punch (and I mean large). Granted, using a shop press is much easier on the body as opposed to swinging a large hammer. Even when going to build parties there was always that one that said it wasn't going to move for anything or anyone. A bit of heat and some sharp blows with the hammer and punch and off it went. |
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Quoted:
Not that it matters, because you're going to remove it, but the guy put the slant brake on incorrectly. He put the slant at the bottom. It's supposed to be angled to the left of the barrel if looking at it from the rear top. See picture for better explanation of what I'm trying to say. http://i54.tinypic.com/91f0oi.jpg True, however, the slant brake's angle is designed to fight the AK's propensity to climb and pull left in full-auto. From a standpoint of pure practicality on a semi-only AK, straight down to fight muzzle rise only is probably better. But if you're going for the "correct look", then yeah, it needs that angle to it. |
Are there any FSB with a welded muzzle brake?
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Mayber the SVD, although it is integral, not welded.
If a 7.62, the barrel is threaded so if the muzzle device is threaded on the barrel and welded to the FSB, then the FSB can't be removed. On the '74, the threaded portion is part of the FSB, and the FSB sleeves an unthreaded barrel. so if a muzzle device was welded to the FSB, it can be installed and removed. |
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Thanks for all of the help. I managed to cut the welds and get the slant brake removed without damaging the sight base.
The reason that one of the previous owners welded it is because the barrel is NOT threaded. I have ordered a new slant brake, pin and spring and the correct LH die for the barrel. I expect everything to be fine once I receive the parts. Thanks again for all of the valuable information. |
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Quoted:
If you must remove the front sight, this is best done with a large shop press. This. I have removed probably close to 40 FSB's using nothing but a hammer and large brass punch (and I mean large). not something to brag about IMO. Believe me Mark, not bragging at all. It was simply a response to the "can't be done without one" thinking. A press is definitely the way to go if you have the space, which isn't an option for everyone. |
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