OK I started grinding down through the weld on my mini y comp and could see both pins but they didnt fall out like another guy said his did.  So, I kept going I can barely see one of the pins now.  How do I know if I have ground down to far? I tried drilling them out but for some reason the bit wouldnt dig in???WTF I hate admitting defeat so I have todo this damnit, besides I want to save a few bucks and just have to pay for the install of my phantom.

BTT

Just hit (just tap) the brake with a hammer from each side and try unscrewing it. I think you just went passed the pins. I did that then tap it with something (i think it was a crescent wrench) and what was left of the pin fell.

Damn this is pissing me off, I tried taping it but those f'ers wont budge.  Man I just hope I didnt screw my barrel up.  How do gunsmiths get these brakes off? I wonder if I messed it up to where they cant remove it.

One more thing, do the pins extend down into the threads of the barrel?

Yes they do extend to the threads, just a little bit. Patience and take your time. I didn't noticed on mine and I ground off a little part of the threads but when trying the pantom, it didn't give me any problems. So far it sounds like you already got the pins. Get a wrench and try to unscrew it. It takes time but I know how you feel when trying to save a few $$.

I think you just went passed the pins.

My pin went into the threads of the barrel. If you went past the pins, then you are in the barrel, Doh!  Mine did just fall out, but it is a RRA pinned brake. I ground down the weld until I saw the defined space around the pin. I turned the rifle over and tapped the barrel and the pin fell right out. Then I took a probe and cleaned out the crud in the hole and un-threaded the brake. I had one pin, and like I said it was the RRA upper/brake.

O-K folks . . .

Here's what I do to remove the brake . . . .

Clamp barrel in a padded vise.  Take a Dremel with a cut-off wheel and make a deep, but not into the threads, cuts at 12:00 and 6:00, the full length of the brake.

Now . . . take a "nut cracker" tool and place over the brake.  Place the "chisel" end of the nut craker tool over one of the cuts.  Tighten tool.  With a "snap" the brake will snap in two and fall off the muzzle.   Sometimes you'll need to move the tool 180 degrees and try again.

Now I know there are other ways to remove a brake, but if done carefully you'll not damage the threads and you do not need a torch.

I've done several this way.  Takes about 20 minutes.

Hope this helps  ! ! !

bankerBilly has a good idea there.

What I've done is use a Dremel to remove metal from around the pins until enough pin was exposed to grab hold if it with vice grips and yank it out.

tagged

Try heating the brake. My Bushmaster had red Loctite on it and wouldn't budge when viced....I heat up the brake a little, and it came right off.

Well I finally got mine off.  I tried the method of grinding the weld and locating the pins.  iIfound the pins but they would not budge.  I then cut the brake nearly in half and with a cold chisel started splitting the brake until I had enough leverage to brake one of the tabs off.  I the quartered the brake with a Dremel cut off wheel beeing careful not to get into the threads a little at a time and hitting with a large hammer and chisel between grinding breaks  finally it all came off.  I had about 10 pieces of the brake when I was done.  It took about two hours total.  I do not reccomend this for those that are not that mechanically inclined or impatient like me.  Would I do it again?   Yes now that I know exactly how to do it.  BTW the reason the pins would not budge was due the fact that moisture had gotten into the break / pin area and started to rust.