Apex Muzzle Brake

amickey1979 · Sep 30, 2017

Looking for some advice on installing an Apex Muzzle Brake. I got the flash hider off of my rifle. Now I am having trouble lining the top hole of the Brake up. Simply put I can't seem to get the top hole of the brake to be on the top when I install the brake. Do I need to see a gunsmith or is this something I should be able to accomplish on my own?

j_h_smith · Sep 30, 2017

Are you using a crush washer or shims?

Shoobedoo · Sep 30, 2017

amickey1979 said:
Looking for some advice on installing an Apex Muzzle Brake. I got the flash hider off of my rifle. Now I am having trouble lining the top hole of the Brake up. Simply put I can't seem to get the top hole of the brake to be on the top when I install the brake. Do I need to see a gunsmith or is this something I should be able to accomplish on my own?

You may need to start with a new crush washer to get it to index correctly.

If you are using the one that was on there with your flash hider it may never index right unless you use some shims of precisely the right thickness.

amickey1979 · Sep 30, 2017

It came with a crush washer. There was a crush washer on the barrel, which was wearing a standard flash hider, I tried it with just the one and then both. A trip to Lowe's may be in order.

j_h_smith · Sep 30, 2017

amickey1979 said:
It came with a crush washer. There was a crush washer on the barrel, which was wearing a standard flash hider, I tried it with just the one and then both. A trip to Lowe's may be in order.

Do you have the barrel/receiver in a vise? If you do, the proper way to install this with a crush washer is to tighten the brake, then loosen it a bit, then tighten it a little more than the last time and continue until it's aligned. It may take you a few times up to maybe 20 times to get it aligned properly.

DO NOT try to get the brake to align in one shot. You need to ease the brake into position. Trying to align the brake in one pull will cause you a lot of trouble.

You may want to get a peel washer or shims and try to install it that way, if you're having too much trouble.

You can find a lot of videos online that will explain how to use both for this installation.

Good luck!

Sticky · Sep 30, 2017

A crush washer should not be reused. Use a new unused one and when you install the brake, the crush washer will 'crush' when you torque the brake and allow it to be timed correctly. It may take several tightening/loosening attempts to get it to rotate far enough, but it will. This also requires that the barrel be held firmly to allow the torque to be applied to crush the washer.

edit - ^^^^ he beat me to it.. lol

Shoobedoo · Sep 30, 2017

amickey1979 said:
It came with a crush washer. There was a crush washer on the barrel, which was wearing a standard flash hider, I tried it with just the one and then both. A trip to Lowe's may be in order.

If you're thinking it's "shim time", somebody over at M4carbine.net suggested stainless peel washers, I'm not sure if you can get those at a hardware though.

Sticky · Sep 30, 2017

One more thing... Lowes will have nothing that will help you. A brake must be properly aligned using a crush washer or a proper peel washer or shim set designed for a muzzle device (or the shoulder of the barrel or face of the brake turned on a lathe to time them). If you screw around with flat washers from a hardware store, you may well wind up with a misaligned brake, which is very much an issue with a brake that has a small exit hole.

amickey1979 · Sep 30, 2017

I think I will order a shim kit. I was hoping for an easy solution at Lowe's, but I should have known better. Thanks for all the replies.

j_h_smith · Sep 30, 2017

There is no reason your new crush washer won't work. If you do it correctly, it will align properly. Don't give up.

outrider58 · Sep 30, 2017

You can find peal washers on Amazon

amickey1979 · Oct 6, 2017

Got a shim kit on Amazon. Worked perfectly. Brake is now lined up properly. Now it is time for a trip to the range!!

Melnic · Oct 6, 2017

amickey1979 said:
Got a shim kit on Amazon. Worked perfectly. Brake is now lined up properly. Now it is time for a trip to the range!!

Which did you buy? got a link? I have to install one on my dad's gun soon and can't find the shims I had already (just moved several months ago)

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