I'm hoping I get a few good suggestions from you hardcore gun buffs with the most shocking option for my M1-A.
When I brought it a year or so back, I actually wanted a flash hider, but the dealer sold me the same model with a muzzlebreak, for $75 less as it was in the store. I never owned a gun with a muzzlebreak before, and was naive about just how much louder it was going to be to shoot. I didn't care about a flash hider as I wasn't planning to go to war anytime soon.
It's just so loud, I really irritate the people on either side of me at the range, and tried once to shoot it without hearing protection, outside in the open, to see how loud it would be if I had to ever shoot it without hearing protection, and I had bells in my ears for 5 minutes. Worse than shooting a short barreled .357 by a long shot.
Anyway, I looked into a flash hider (fine and legal in Mass) but the going rate is around $180 and I don't want to install it myself as I heard it can be tricky for a first timer, due to the precise alignment needed.
So I am sitting here looking at the muzzle break, and wonder why I can't just find the right tool and saw it off, leaving 1/4" of metal to protect the crown. I would probably file the edges round so there's less chance of small fragments breaking off during future firings. Also I imagine an even cut is most crucial so gas pressure from an uneven tip doesn't mar accuracy, but I see alot of guns with a simple compensator that only shields the bottom of the barrel crown, so maybe this concern is unfounded.
Do any of you gun guru's have any saftey concerns I should be made aware of, or would it be safe to operate with a stubby muzzle? I know my warranty would be void, but it looks like over $200 and a search for a gunsmith to do this otherwise, making a saw look mighty tempting for a weak minded individual like myself, at least for a few moments...