I took off a factory muzzle brake, it was much tighter than I expected and bent a couple of nails in the process. But, I noticed some type of putty at in the treads. Is this a sealant or to keep the brake from loosening? I cleaned it off pretty well, do I need to replace it with something similar? I also put some lube grease on the outside of the inner sleeve so it would twist easier since it seemed to bindup after I cleaned it up.

What does everyone do/recommend for maintenance on these parts?