Savage off/on muzzle brake--need help!

[devildogandboy]

i have a 300wm barrel with the Savage off/on muzzle brake, been using it for close to a year and never had it lock up on me as long as i would rotate it once in awhile and clean it with brake cleaner when i got home. well i didn't do the last few outings(don't know why, i guess lazy) and now she's locked up on me and i can't get it to work. i sprayed it with PB blaster, soaked in brake fluid, tried WD-40 and now it's soaking in Coleman lantern fuel(cleans almost anything).
is there anybody that has gone through this and got it to brake loose? i would appreciate any help guys! thanks in advance.

Bruce

i'm not in the market for another brake, i have one but would rather get this one working again.

[devildogandboy]

ditched the Coleman fuel idea. had a revelation and thought about the bore cleaner i use to remove carbon(DUH). soaking it in that for the moment, will leave in for a few hours and see what happens.

Bruce

[geargrinder]

I used something in one of the holes to break it loose. I think I used an awl. It gave just enough leverage to move it a tiny bit. Then worked it back and forth a bit until it was finally free.

Another idea would be a good strap wrench.

[LongRange]

Spray it with mercury power tune.

[devildogandboy]

i still have it soaking in Shooter's Choice bore cleaner. checked on it about 3 hours later and looked like there was a bunch of black crud in the bottom of the bottle. i tried turning it as hard as i could, still nothing. i'll check in the morning and try some other suggestions if i still need to.
i appreciate the suggestion s guys, i may still need them.

Bruce

[devildogandboy]

i let it soak in bore cleaner all night and tried to break it loose this mornig. had it in the barrel vise and wrapped it with some leather and got out the channel locks, still will not break free. i put it back in the bore cleaner again and will check it again later tonite or in the morning again. if it doesn't break free after that i am going to just let it be, it's in the on position right now and that works for me.

Bruce

[big honkin jeep]

I've dealt with a couple of locked up ones. I just used penetrating oil, time and a leather belt along with a pair of vise grips.
The Coleman gasoline lantern fuel and other products you seem to be using now act as more of a solvent and probably removed all the lubricant/penetrant that you had on it.
Let it dry and get the PB blaster or other penetrating lubricant out again. Spray some in the holes and around the ends and let it soak overnight.
Wrap the knurled part at the bottom of the brake up with a piece of leather and grab it with the vice grips. Rock it back and forth and it will give a very little at a time until it's free.
The back and forth motion is probably the key that you're missing.
After shooting it closing the brake and hitting a couple of the holes with a drop of CLP and opening and closing it a few times will prevent it from ever happening again.
Good luck

[devildogandboy]

bhj, it's been airing out all day after i gave it another try to break loose after soaking all night again. i'll go out now and hit it with the PB blaster again and let it sit over nite and try the leather and vice grips gig tomorrow. i really don't need the on-off functionality but it would be nice. thanks for the info.

Bruce

[devildogandboy]

still stuck in same position, even after having it soak in PB blaster all nght and this morning. i put it back in for one more night soaking and if that don't work it's staying that way for now. it's too hot here to keep picking at this thing without ac in my work area.

Bruce

[GeorgeS]

Leave the muzzle brake in the sun for an hour (cover the rest of the gun. Hopefully, the infrared rays will cause the brake to expand a bit.

Insert a drill bit through both the ports of the brake and try to twist the brake.

George
P.S. You are turning in the correct direction, correct?

[devildogandboy]

Leave the muzzle brake in the sun for an hour (cover the rest of the gun. Hopefully, the infrared rays will cause the brake to expand a bit.

Insert a drill bit through both the ports of the brake and try to twist the brake.

George
P.S. You are turning in the correct direction, correct?

i've tried heating it up a bit with the torch and put a philips screwdriver through it and turning it either direction. don't remember which way to close it, forgot. still no movement. luckily i do most of my shooting in the desert by myself. thanks for the tip.

Bruce

[Hotolds442]

Looking at it from the muzzle end, counterclockwise closes the brake.

[devildogandboy]

Looking at it from the muzzle end, counterclockwise closes the brake.

thank you.

Bruce

[GeorgeS]

Try standing the rifle on its recoil and striking the end of muzzle brake hard with a brass or wooden mallet. Neither will damage the brake or muzzle.

If that doesn't work, call Savage for a suggestion.

mbogo

[devildogandboy]

Try standing the rifle on its recoil and striking the end of muzzle brake hard with a brass or wooden mallet. Neither will damage the brake or muzzle.

If that doesn't work, call Savage for a suggestion.

mbogo

done this with piece of maple(i think it was) between brass mallet and end of muzzle brake. no go. thank you for the suggestion.

Bruce

[twindad]

If it were mine, I'd stand it muzzle down with the brake submerged in a small container of Kano Kroil for about a week, then tighten the barrel in a couple wood blocks in my vice, put a screwdriver through some of the holes in the brake (if I could), and apply steady turning pressure to the screwdriver while rapping the brake sharply with a plastic hammer I have. If that didn't work, I'd dry the Kroil off of the brake and heat the brake where its threaded onto the barrel with my acetylene torch to expand the threads while trying to turn the brake off. If that didn't work, I'd chuck the barrel into my lathe, cut the brake off, rethread the barrel, and install another brake. If it didn't shoot like I wanted it to after that, I'd be looking for a different barrel... but that's just me... :)

Bill

[Hotolds442]

That would probably work if he was wanting to remove the brake.

Its an on-off style brake and it won't change from on to off.

Try setting it muzzle down in a glass of coca-cola. You'd be surprised what that stuff can do.

[Edzzed]

Try setting it muzzle down in a glass of coca-cola. You'd be surprised what that stuff can do. And if that doesn't work, Add some Rye. You'd be surprised what that combination can do not just to a rifle but the human body. I could be wrong but coke is acidic and not sure I'd want to soak a rifle in it.

[devildogandboy]

If it were mine, I'd stand it muzzle down with the brake submerged in a small container of Kano Kroil for about a week, then tighten the barrel in a couple wood blocks in my vice, put a screwdriver through some of the holes in the brake (if I could), and apply steady turning pressure to the screwdriver while rapping the brake sharply with a plastic hammer I have. If that didn't work, I'd dry the Kroil off of the brake and heat the brake where its threaded onto the barrel with my acetylene torch to expand the threads while trying to turn the brake off. If that didn't work, I'd chuck the barrel into my lathe, cut the brake off, rethread the barrel, and install another brake. If it didn't shoot like I wanted it to after that, I'd be looking for a different barrel... but that's just me... :)

Bill


LOL, i'm not wanting to turn this into a full time project! i had it standing up in a small pill bottle soaking in coleman fuel, bore cleaner, PB blaster and i don't recall what other stuff. i even took my propane torch to it while in my barrel vise and tried turning the brake with no success. at this point i am just going to leave it unless i decide to install another at a later date. it's in the open position right now and i'm good with that, i don't shoot around other people so i have no worries there!

thanks for the help and comments guys, much appreciated.

Bruce

gotta add, you guys are creative!

[GeorgeS]

Bruce,

Contact Savage technical assistance at http://savagearms.zendesk.com/anonymous_requests/new; they may have a quick solution for you (that does not involve shipping them the gun).

mbogo