Swiss K31 Muzzle Brake Problem

[Sousuke]

I was shooting my K31 a bit and when I got home noticed a round had grazed the muzzle brake (see photo). I assume similar to a damaged muzzle crown this brake is toast in terms of accuracy?



I noticed that two of the screws had loosened slightly giving it a slight rattle.

Make sure to check their tightness every trip and use loctite. I had this one for two years and did not check this last trip...

[1bulletBarney]

You say you did not notice damaged brake until you got home? I would think the normal tight groups for the K31 would be "off the paper" if your target was set at 100 yards...

How many rounds did you shoot at this last range trip???

Latigo or Pierre should be chiming in soon...

[Sousuke]

You say you did not notice damaged brake until you got home? I would think the normal tight groups for the K31 would be "off the paper" if your target was set at 100 yards...

How many rounds did you shoot at this last range trip???

Latigo or Pierre should be chiming in soon...

Yep. I shot 6 rounds total. First 3 were on paper and were fine, then the 4th shot impacted berm low, 5th same, 6th sailed over target about 2' high and left. At that point, I figured something had happened to the scope I was using and I packed the rifle away. When I got home thats when I found the culprit.

[Sousuke]

I'll take it off tonight and have a better look at it. I was using new ammo too PPU soft nose 174g which is the first time I've ever used it with the brake on.

[1bulletBarney]

That brake is toast for sure. I have a K31 and a K11 and I never felt the need or the want to install one of those brakes. The only thing I can figure is like you said the clamp screws loosed up and maybe the brake went slightly caddywaumpus. That's a decent amount of steel missing from the ID of the brake...

[Sousuke]

To be fair the steel is all there, it's just migrated upwards.

[Latigo]

My chimes are a bit old. They're more of a *clunk*
SP has a policy of replacing a defective part without question. This Brake would be the first in some 5,000 that has experienced what you've described.
Send it to:
Swiss Products c/o St.Marie Graphics
PO Box 2637
Kalispell MT
59903

If the brake itself failed, your shipping will be covered both ways. If it was not a Brake problem, but an improper installation, then your shipping to us won't be covered. Shipping back to you will be covered in any case.

Either way, you're getting a new brake. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for sticking with us.

P

[Latigo]

D'Oh! I just noticed the photo. OGS again.
THAT is extreme! We'll use the Bore Pilot to check it on 4 or 5 rifles, but there's only one answer. I'll give that to you once it's here.

P

[Sousuke]

Thanks Latigo. I'll send it to you this week. I don't think it was defective (I've had it for 2 years with zero problems). Its either that the front two screws had loosened causing it to go off center (which I noticed once home) or the round yawed for some reason (and the impact loosened it slightly).

[Latigo]

Send it anyway. We'll send a new one, and.......... you're right about what happened......The screws were loose..... and wrong about who this is. I'm Lat's Dad.

[Sousuke]

Send it anyway. We'll send a new one, and.......... you're right about what happened......The screws were loose..... and wrong about who this is. I'm Lat's Dad.

Sorry! Just noticed the P.

[Latigo]

Well.............. I'm taking you off my Christmas card list.

P

[Latigo]

Gents, just so you know......... Replacing any SP item that fails due to the user is not something we typically do at all.
Latigo asked me to do this one for him. Our policy is very solid, and anything we produce that goes wrong IS something we take care of immediately.

This is a first for our Brakes, and maybe that's why Lat wanted it handled anyway.

Thanks.
P

[Latigo]

Received your Brake last week and........ yes, your screws weren't tightened when you fired it. The replacement Brake went out the same day.
Merry Christmas.

P

[Latigo]

It crossed my mind that you might be thinking about really reefing those screws down. Please don't, or you'll be emailing us asking for a new collar.

I've had the prototype Brake on my own K31 for some 14 years now with no problem at all. Dead tight is all that should be necessary, or, if you're not sure, use Loctite. Easy to simply check screws before a shooting session.

P