Help on muzzle brake installation

[gemini1]

I'm not very good at following written instruction, so a little help from you guys?
I bought an FSC556 comp to replace my FH. It came with 2 washers, one is flat and the other one has a canal around the edge, I think its a peel washer? So which one goes first to the barrel/muzzle? and what about the one with canal (peel washer?), does the canal side face to muzzle or the brake?
I'm assuming I can do this using a small vise and monkey wrench?

Thanks guys.

[ar15barrels]

On a peel washer, you heat it up to separate the layers and peel off layers as required.
On a crush washer, you install the crush washer with the small end towards the barrel and tighten the muzzle device until it aligns.

[dfletcher]

Just to elaborate - because everyone was talking about "peel washers" and I couldn't figure out why the hell they were called peel washers - they have about 10 layers of very thin metal pressed and glued together. Hold them over a stover burner and "peel" off a layer and by doing so you bit by bit get the correct thickness that allows proper indexing of the device to the barrel.

Crush wshers have a bit more flexibility, if you put the upper in a padded vise and turn so long as you get "kind of tight" on the up turn you can give it a bit more torque and be indexed (up & down) properly.

Whichever method, just make certain you don't twist the receiver. I usually clamp on the standard front sight tower, it's pinned and generally won't move at all.

[gemini1]

Its a peel washer

Ok, so the flat one is the peel washer? what about the other one? what is it for? and which one goes in the barrel/muzzle first, the flat one or the other one? and the other washer that seems to have a canal, where will the canal side face?

[gemini1]

Well now I got another dilemma, I tried to remove the factory FH using a small vise and wrench to see if the FH had a peel washer as well so I can just follow it. I wrapped the barrel with a small towel and tighetend it but it keeps rolling whenever I try to loosen it. Can I tighten it along with the front sight so the FS can act as brace? or is that risking the FS canting?

[ar15barrels]

Can I tighten it along with the front sight so the FS can act as brace?

I use a thick piece of leather wrapped around the front sight to hold barrels for muzzle device installation.
I have done hundreds of them this way and never had a FSB move.

[dfletcher]

Ok, so the flat one is the peel washer? what about the other one? what is it for? and which one goes in the barrel/muzzle first, the flat one or the other one? and the other washer that seems to have a canal, where will the canal side face?

The other one is a crush washer and the way the top one's sitting is how it would be put on the barrel - cupped end out. Does the same thing as the peel washer, but has a bit more give when the base of the device is bottoming out against its front end.

On the peel washer you pretty much have to get the exact thickness peeled off. On the crush, so long as the device screws on tight and then requires a more vigorous turn (hence the "crush" in crush washer) the washer will give a bit and you can properly index the device.

You should have no problem with anything turning or breaking if you clamp on the FSB. Those two pins won't move.

[gemini1]

Thanks Randal and DFletcher, I got the FH out using the FS as brace. Now, time to put in the new FSC556, Dflecther what do you mean cupped end out?

Which of the two goes in the muzzle first, the flat washer (on top photo) or the one with the canal/cupped(?) (bottom pics)

And the one with the canal/cupped(?) side should it be facing the other washer or facing the brake?

Oh and I dont have a torque wrench, is there any problem over tightening it?

Thanks again.

[ar15barrels]

You will only need the crush washer.
Put the small diameter side against the barrel.
Tighten the FSC on until it aligns properly.

[gemini1]

Randall, The comp I got came with the peel washers, one flat and one that has a canal (cupped?) as shown on your first pics. So which one goes first? and the one with canal/cupped(?) should that side face the other washer?

[ar15barrels]

Randall, The comp I got came with the peel washers, one flat and one that has a canal (cupped?) as shown on your first pics. So which one goes first? and the one with canal/cupped(?) should that side face the other washer?

I don't comprehend what a canal is in relation to a washer.

[gemini1]

Hehehe, sorry Randall, I just dont know the right word to describe it. On the pics you've shown. The first one showing the peel washers, the one on top is a flat washer but the one besides it is not a solid washer, I think this is the one where you need to peel of layers. Its not solid, one side has a wall at the outer and inner edge. Sort of hollow in the middle hence I termed it canal.

Anywho, will the one where I need to peel off layers goes in first? if so, how should I position this? the hollow side (where you need to peel) facing the barrel?

[ar15barrels]

Hehehe, sorry Randall, I just dont know the right word to describe it. On the pics you've shown. The first one showing the peel washers, the one on top is a flat washer but the one besides it is not a solid washer, I think this is the one where you need to peel of layers. Its not solid, one side has a wall at the outer and inner edge. Sort of hollow in the middle hence I termed it canal.

Anywho, will the one where I need to peel off layers goes in first? if so, how should I position this? the hollow side (where you need to peel) facing the barrel?

oh, your peel washer spit in half.
A proper peel washer has a solid part with a bunch of laminations.
You peel the laminations to make it thinner.
The first time you tighten it on a barrel, it's quite common for the solid part to split off the laminations.

It does not matter which way you install the 2 parts.
Just put them the way they natually nest into each other.

[CHS]

Hehehe, sorry Randall, I just dont know the right word to describe it. On the pics you've shown. The first one showing the peel washers, the one on top is a flat washer but the one besides it is not a solid washer, I think this is the one where you need to peel of layers. Its not solid, one side has a wall at the outer and inner edge. Sort of hollow in the middle hence I termed it canal.

It sounds like your peel washer has fallen apart into two pieces.

Spend the $1.50 to just get a crush washer. They're so much nicer.

[dfletcher]

Just to be clear, use either the peel washer or the crush washer - not both. On the crush washer, the inner edge that is sloped in like a bowl faces the muzzle.