Herters muzzle brake dilemma

[timn]

A good customer recently purchased a very nice old Winchester 100 .308 semi-auto rifle.
It came with a Herters "Jetsons" looking muzzle brake installed.

The brake screwed off easlily enough but we're having a really hard time finding a replacement brake or a cap to cover the threads.

If you mic it you would swear that it's a 1/2x28 tpi piece.

However, so far, none of the caps or brakes will fit. I know I can cut the barrell and re-crown it but he would prefer not to do that.

I'm enclosing a couple of photos of the brake.

Have any of you seen and dealt with this in the past or have any info on what this thing is threaded at?

TIA,

Tim

 

[rcmodel]

No idea.
But a mic & a thread gage should make quick work of figuring out what thread it is.

If you have a lathe, why not just turn the brake down and make a thread cover cap out of it?

I doubt it is too valuable.

rc

 

[Mac's Precision]

You will come to discover that many a gunsmith will thread to fit when putting muzzle accessories on. The 1/2x28 threads are likely that...but over size. Most breaks and flash hiders are threaded with a tap, and may be a bit oversize. So when the gunsmith installed it he cut the threads on a lathe..checking for fit with that part. Once he got THAT to fit proper he was done cutting threads.

When you go buy a barrel thread protector the threads could be small and so your oversize thread won't go well when fitting a tight threaded cap. You could try threading a 1/2x28 die on the muzzle to clean up the threads.

 

[timn]

Thanks Mac.

That makes the most sense.

I'll gice it a try.