Is this normal?  I put the detent and spring in, but the brake has some play and some threads are exposed.  The detent does not line up with the indention on the brake if I tighten it more.  Thanks!  Dave

The play is normal, but I will have to defer to someone with more knowledge about the exposed threads-I have never encountered that.

can you get it around one more time?

Did your threading die bottom out on the FSB?  The slight play is normal, and a small gap between the FSB and muzzle device are normal but you shouldn't see any threads.

It will not turn enough to get back to the detent or before it bottums out on the sight post.  I tightened it to the sight post the backed it off until it hit the detent.

It won't butt up against the FSB and have the correct timing. It will have a very small gap.  Don't see how threads would be exposed though unless you took the FSB off when threading.  Mine has a 1/16" gap between the FSB and the muzzle device and no threads showing.  The die bottomed out on the FSB when threading.  The brake on mine will turn 3/4 of a turn and may have made a complete turn if I had removed the FSB before threading.  Slight wobble to flash suppressor or muzzle brake is normal.  

In looking at a Bulgarian parts set with a threaded FSB, there is little difference in appearance compared to the SAR-1's that I have threaded the barrels on.  The AK-74 muzzle device wobbles also and will turn 3/4's of the way farther around the threads but will not make a complete turn.

It sounds like you have it right if you have no more than a 1/16" inch gap between your attachment and the FSB and the retaining pin holds it correctly.  If everything is straight...If you think it needs to be secured better and the muzzle device is one you plan on keeping on the gun you can degrease the threads and then silver solder the device.  I did this to one that apparently had no front pin to remove in order to put a detent pin and spring in.  I believe a short front site pin was put in and then welded over as no amount hammering on what look like the pin would bring it out, and then I ground on it a bit and then attempted to drill it out and finally gave up and got out the solder and mapp gas.  All of the other ones I did came right out with a few solid taps with a punch and a plastic hammer.      

There are a couple of possibilities.  Depending on what AK you have, there may be too much barrel sticking beyond the FSB, hence the muzzle may be bottoming out inside the brake.  Measure the lenght of the barrel sticking out beyond the FSB with a nail and mark the end of the barrel on the nail.  Stick the nail into the brake and measure the depth of the brake.  If the brake is shorter that is the problem.

Other possibility is that when you threaded the muzzle, your die bottomed out on the FSB and due to the lead in of the die the last few threads are not formed properly so the brake binds when it hits the incomplete threads.  To fix this, flip the die over, and finish the threading.  Typically there is a tapered lead in on one side of the die and a squared off side on the other.  Thread it on with the tapered lead in away from the FSB.  Hope this helps.

This detent and spring thing is confusing me... To put a brake on only requires that you thread the muzzle and then just put the brake on like a nut on a bolt....  Put a little lock-tight on to keep it from coming off... Right? Or is there much more to it than I thought?