AI Tactical Brake Carbon Deposits?

Strangely Brown · September 5, 2016

Got back home on Sunday afternoon after the RBL match and decided to take the skins off my AE MkIII to check for water, and found lots!

No surprises there as I was in the C detail, hence my appropriately named score in match 11...... wash, wash, wash!

But what did surprise me; and the reason for this post was the amount of carbon on the AI tactical brake (338) fitted with my Onelesscharlie moderator.

The rifle was clean on Friday morning and the empty case count on Sunday was 149, yet the brake was very thick with burnt carbon which I am now attempting to clean off.

Ammunition used was RG L42A3.

I'm beginning to wish with I had taken a picture of the carbon before starting to clean the brake. Naturally I clean off any oil before shooting, the only weak link that I can see at the moment is how I clean the mod, usually with a squirt of WD 40 or Holts Damp Start which was recommended by a stalker I know.

Should 150 rounds cause so much carbon deposit?

Swarovski1 · September 5, 2016

Hi mick.

My muzzle brakes get a good blast of carbon and copper.my 6.5 06 brake always had a blueish colour on it.the roedale and t3 terminator brake don't seem to get as dirty as ports are angled backwards not at 90 degrees.the crown get a good blast of carbon too.

Strangely Brown · September 5, 2016

I should add I put 80 rounds through it the other day and the carbon just wiped off, I put 150 rounds through it and get a really thick deposit that requires scraping??

VarmLR · September 5, 2016

I wouldn't use WD as it leaves a deposit which forms a gummy mess when carbon deposits get onto it. All I ever do with my SS (SL5) mod is to tap it out then give it a good brush. I can't understand why people recommend WD. It's the last thing I'd put into a moderator. Stalkers often recommend it as their mates recommend it to them plus they don't shoot that many rounds compared with your use, hence maybe don't get the build up of muck. It may disperse water, but it also doesn't completely evaporate in a mod and it gets absorbed into the muck. I made that mistake once and it was weeks before the WD puddles completely dispersed within the mod!

All I do is to drain any moisture out best I can (sometimes leaving it atop a radiator or even a on baking try into the oven at 50 to 80 degrees for 20 minutes) before cleaning through with a brush after tapping out.