First date...and I broke her.....

[82Trooper]

So I took my new project to the range today for the first time. Wanted to get acquainted and perhaps zero the girl in. After 60 or so rounds.....this happened.....I cam back to the bench from marking my target and saw the barrel tip looked funny...and found the cracked flash hider about 15 yards downrange. Curiously, it did not make a noticeable noise when it happened.
My questions today are:
1- So what may have caused it? There is a set screw, but is it supposed to be soldered on as well?
2- What is the proper fix? Are they replaceable at home or will it require a professional?

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Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[browningautorifle]

I haven't seen that one, ours had a long tube at the back too. They usually cracked at the front and looked like prongs after. That one looks like something was at the muzzle and blocking it... It just happens though, metal fatigue. There should on the UK/Aus/CDN models be a long tube at the back and a washer that enters a small cutout to hold it from unscrewing. The washer is riveted in place, is on the bottom behind the bayonet lug. Your muzzle isn't even threaded, and those screw on. No set screw involved...don't know what you have there exactly...

[82Trooper]

I know...its a "C" word.....a "Century" item with a mix of mostly Enfield and BSA parts, and a few Australian thrown in for political correctness. The barrel is marked "M E" on the shoulder.
Here are some close ups.....
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[mrclark303]

Sorry your FE got launched Trooper... Like Jim, I am struggling to get to grips with what you have there...

Is it possibly a heavily modified Indian 1A1 FE .. Am I seeing this right, was it just a grub screw holding it on?!!

As Jim said, there should be a threaded portion to the rear of the FE, this is screwed on to the barrel and aligned with a relief cut underneath. Then a 'key' locks into the slot and is pinned in place.

I think we need Brian's thoughts on this as to the best way of rectifying this rather slap dash effort.

[browningautorifle]

You could you know...send the rifle to Brian Dick at BDL and he could thread up the front end and screw on the flash eliminator of the slotted tube type... No more ka-boom flash eliminator...it would look great too.

[nzl1a1collector]

Its a British Flash Eliminator that has been modified. The rear portion of the flash eliminator has been removed, probably to allow it to fit on the barrel which is tapered. The threads have been removed and the altered F/E has been fitted using the grub screw. The removal of material means any hairline cracks that had formed in the end of the slots had no resistance and away they went. Get someone that knows L1A1/FAL rifles to re-thread the barrel, put in the key way and install a full length F/E.

[Gil Boyd]

It looks to me like someone at some stage rebarreled the rifle and added the flash eliminator later, and thats the consequence sadly. American or Indian?

[Peter Laidler]

Definately a British Fazakerley flash eliminator as KtK says, shortened at the rear, pushed on to an unthreaded barrel and fixed with a grub screw. The forward thrust forces on the flash eliminator are tremendous. And the notion that a grub screw was going to retain it is something that a 5th year schoolboy would realise! When something wants to go, it goes - just like that!

To be really honest, if you thread the muzzle (anyone know the thread off hand?) on the basis that you aren't going to do a lot of bayonet fighting, you could just thread the f/e on tight and lock it with locktite as per the SA80

[Gil Boyd]

Peter,
My query would be, the join has been cut right behind the bayonet lug and not further to include the loop, was that a British Fazakerley? More like American or Indian additive IMHO!

[browningautorifle]

if you thread the muzzle (anyone know the thread off hand?)

That was where the idea of sending it to Brian came in. He's done his share of these. I knew it had been altered...just a cheap way to make a rifle LOOK correct...