Pinned FSC556

[No Bananas]

I'm considering a BCM upper 14.5" w/ pinned FSC556 or a 16" and a FSC556. Obviously, I'm a a fan of the PWS brake. I've had one for about a year on my SCAR and it's already got noticeable wear. I want this BCM upper for hard use, and although I'd like the better handling of the 14.5 (and saving some ounces), I don't want the brake to wear out before everything else does.

Anybody have a pinned FSC556? How's it wearing?

[BufordTJustice]

I am a huge fan of the PWS FSC556. I can tell you that I bought one perm'd on my BCM 14.5" middy about 1.5 years ago and recently started to see some light pitting on the back of the blast baffle face (immediately rearward of the flash hiding tongs).

I emailed some pics to Stacey Nagy at PWS and he immediately (as in 12 minutes later) emailed me back with instructions for a return of my entire upper to PWS. They sent me a UPS label, removed the old brake, installed a new one (perfectly timed it, I might add), and perm'd/welded it in place...and then shipped it back to me. For free. With an apology. And a VM on my phone by Stacey making sure everything was done perfectly and to my liking.

So, needless to say, I'm a customer for life with CS like that. I did notice that the blast baffle's thickness on this new FSC556b is about 3 times as thick as the previous version that came on my BCM upper according to my mk1 eyeball.

I should note that I have owned two FSC556 comp/brakes and one FSC47 and on none of the other comps did I see any kind of wear or pitting. I shot a LOT of frangible ammo through my first FSC556, which was mounted on my old BCM 16" middy upper. I know that several rounds did disintegrate as they hit the comp and no pitting resulted.

I suspect that a batch of FSC556 comps went out without a proper heat-treat. If you are familiar with the blast that you get as the shooter (which is not that much IMHO...not nearly as bad as a 10.5" w/ an A2), I would buy with confidence.

[BIGUGLY]

Mine is not pinned but there does not seem to be any amount of really noticable wear. The gun has roughly 1500 rounds through it mainly silver bear and american eagle. I like it just remember the people next to you may not. It makes it very easy to hold the aimpoint dot right where you left it when firing.

I would think other parts would fail before the 556 wears out.

[Russell92]

I am a huge fan of the PWS FSC556. I can tell you that I bought one perm'd on my BCM 14.5" middy about 1.5 years ago and recently started to see some light pitting on the back of the blast baffle face (immediately rearward of the flash hiding tongs).

I emailed some pics to Stacey Nagy at PWS and he immediately (as in 12 minutes later) emailed me back with instructions for a return of my entire upper to PWS. They sent me a UPS label, removed the old brake, installed a new one (perfectly timed it, I might add), and perm'd/welded it in place...and then shipped it back to me. For free. With an apology. And a VM on my phone by Stacey making sure everything was done perfectly and to my liking.

So, needless to say, I'm a customer for life with CS like that. I did notice that the blast baffle's thickness on this new FSC556b is about 3 times as thick as the previous version that came on my BCM upper according to my mk1 eyeball.

I should note that I have owned two FSC556 comp/brakes and one FSC47 and on none of the other comps did I see any kind of wear or pitting. I shot a LOT of frangible ammo through my first FSC556, which was mounted on my old BCM 16" middy upper. I know that several rounds did disintegrate as they hit the comp and no pitting resulted.

I suspect that a batch of FSC556 comps went out without a proper heat-treat. If you are familiar with the blast that you get as the shooter (which is not that much IMHO...not nearly as bad as a 10.5" w/ an A2), I would buy with confidence.

Hi Buford, just how bad was the pitting on your brake that PWS felt it needed to be replaced? Below's a picture of mine with only 900 rounds through it. This is my only PWS brake so I have nothing to compare it to. Not sure if this is normal wear with less than 1,000 rounds through it or if I should bother contacting PWS. It's perm attached so I'd really prefer not to have to send my whole upper in. Thanks.

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/Russellgw07/FSC556.jpg

[logan09]

Hi Buford, just how bad was the pitting on your brake that PWS felt it needed to be replaced? Below's a picture of mine with only 900 rounds through it. This is my only PWS brake so I have nothing to compare it to. Not sure if this is normal wear with less than 1,000 rounds through it or if I should bother contacting PWS. It's perm attached so I'd really prefer not to have to send my whole upper in. Thanks.

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/Russellgw07/FSC556.jpg
You sure that's not carbon build-up? My PWS looked like that after several thousand rounds of 5.56/.22LR. I spent over an hour chipping off carbon/copper/lead build up on it. Looked brand new right after(Minus all the finish wear)

[BufordTJustice]

Hi Buford, just how bad was the pitting on your brake that PWS felt it needed to be replaced? Below's a picture of mine with only 900 rounds through it. This is my only PWS brake so I have nothing to compare it to. Not sure if this is normal wear with less than 1,000 rounds through it or if I should bother contacting PWS. It's perm attached so I'd really prefer not to have to send my whole upper in. Thanks.

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q226/Russellgw07/FSC556.jpg

Great picture.

If you can scrape it off with some elbow grease and a dental pick...it's obviously carbon.

Carbon will build up on any brake's blast baffle (also a big reason why suppressors are best used with brakes/comps). There will always be some erosion on the blast baffle due to the hot propellant gasses. But my first FSC556 and my FSC47 each endured several thousand (est of 3k on the FSC556 and 5k on the FSC47 on my SAR-1 AKM style in 7.62x39mm) and they both only had very minor surface roughness on the back of the blast baffle after all those rounds. It took a LOT of scraping and soaking in solvent to get the carbon off to see this. It was so slight, it MIGHT show up in a photo like yours.

For YOUR gun, I would say that if it does not scrape off to contact Stacy Nagey at PWS. I would give him all the info on your upper, the roundcount through the brake, and who perm'd it to your upper. Also include this picture in native (full) resolution.

That is about what the pitting looked like on mine after I removed the carbon fouling (which can be deceptively hard).

I'm assuming that it has been permanently attached to your barrel because it is under 16" in length. If it is, unfortunately you will HAVE to ship it to PWS. As soon as the FSC556 is removed, your upper becomes an SBR and is subject to all NFA and ATF regulations. PWS gets to skip all that crap if they remove the old and install the new before they give it back to you. ;)

[deni]

Wow, that's excellent CS.

[SomeOtherGuy]

I'm assuming that it has been permanently attached to your barrel because it is under 16" in length. If it is, unfortunately you will HAVE to ship it to PWS. As soon as the FSC556 is removed, your upper becomes an SBR and is subject to all NFA and ATF regulations. PWS gets to skip all that crap if they remove the old and install the new before they give it back to you. ;)

I don't think that's correct. An upper is not legally a "firearm" and can never be an SBR. Now, if you take off the device while the upper is attached to your lower, you then have an SBR. If you separate the halves, remove the device and put them back together, you have an SBR. If you separate the halves, remove the device, and leave it lying around the house for weeks as a 14.5" upper, you MAY have a constructive possession issue (=illegal SBR), but the law in that area is a bit confusing.

My point is simply this: while a manufacturer with the appropriate license/SOT can do things that an unlicensed person cannot, I am fairly sure an unlicensed person can remove and promptly replace a muzzle device on a less-than-16" upper without breaking the law. I would welcome comments from those with more expertise.

[CarbonCycles]

I don't think that's correct. An upper is not legally a "firearm" and can never be an SBR. Now, if you take off the device while the upper is attached to your lower, you then have an SBR. If you separate the halves, remove the device and put them back together, you have an SBR. If you separate the halves, remove the device, and leave it lying around the house for weeks as a 14.5" upper, you MAY have a constructive possession issue (=illegal SBR), but the law in that area is a bit confusing.


That is also my understanding...the upper cannot mate with the lower until the paperwork has been fully approved.

[BufordTJustice]

I don't think that's correct. An upper is not legally a "firearm" and can never be an SBR. Now, if you take off the device while the upper is attached to your lower, you then have an SBR. If you separate the halves, remove the device and put them back together, you have an SBR. If you separate the halves, remove the device, and leave it lying around the house for weeks as a 14.5" upper, you MAY have a constructive possession issue (=illegal SBR), but the law in that area is a bit confusing.

My point is simply this: while a manufacturer with the appropriate license/SOT can do things that an unlicensed person cannot, I am fairly sure an unlicensed person can remove and promptly replace a muzzle device on a less-than-16" upper without breaking the law. I would welcome comments from those with more expertise.

You are very wrong and please do not post that again. If you think the ATF are not watching this and every other major gun board, think again.

You do NOT need an entire gun to possess an NFA classified SBR, just like the lower receiver in the AR15 is considered a "gun" by the ATF. If you take your perm'd muzzle device off your less-than-16" barrel and you are NOT a certified gunsmith who is running a legit gun shop that is open for business, please don't post about it here.

My advice stands.

EDIT: I'm a local LEO and I've talked with our local ATF liaison agent several times about this. Feel free to call a local field office yourself.

[BufordTJustice]

That is also my understanding...the upper cannot mate with the lower until the paperwork has been fully approved.

That is also true. BUT, you do not have the authority to create an SBR upper without PRIOR atf approval. You could be charged with manufacturing an NFA item if you did that....or any other charge from the menagerie list that the Feds have to pick from. They might even make one just for you if get them angry enough.

I'm only half kidding.

[CarbonCycles]

That is also true. BUT, you do not have the authority to create an SBR upper without PRIOR atf approval. You could be charged with manufacturing an NFA item if you did that....or any other charge from the menagerie list that the Feds have to pick from. They might even make one just for you if get them angry enough.

I'm only half kidding.

I appreciate the additional information. I now better understand your point on unauthorized manufacturing of the SBR - thanks!

[Steve S.]

You are very wrong and please do not post that again. If you think the ATF are not watching this and every other major gun board, think again.

You do NOT need an entire gun to possess an NFA classified SBR, just like the lower receiver in the AR15 is considered a "gun" by the ATF. If you take your perm'd muzzle device off your less-than-16" barrel and you are NOT a certified gunsmith who is running a legit gun shop that is open for business, please don't post about it here.

My advice stands.

EDIT: I'm a local LEO and I've talked with our local ATF liaison agent several times about this. Feel free to call a local field office yourself.

No way, dude. I can order a MK18 upper right now, and we don't allow SBRs in Michigan.

If you are going to unpin or even have a 14.5" barrel with muzzle device currently unpinned, just don't mate it to the lower. If you're really concerned about it - put your lower in a box and put it in another room.

An upper is NOT a firearm and is NOT controlled. Once you push those two pins and mate it to a lower, whole different ball game.

[BufordTJustice]

No way, dude. I can order a MK18 upper right now, and we don't allow SBRs in Michigan.

If you are going to unpin or even have a 14.5" barrel with muzzle device currently unpinned, just don't mate it to the lower. If you're really concerned about it - put your lower in a box and put it in another room.

An upper is NOT a firearm and is NOT controlled. Once you push those two pins and mate it to a lower, whole different ball game.

In all sincerity, if the ATF comes knocking on your door....I hope they believe you.

If you look at what went down to 'charge' Randy Weaver with a crime prior to the Ruby Ridge incident, maybe you'll detect my level of paranoia. And I AM a (local) government worker.

[BufordTJustice]

No way, dude. I can order a MK18 upper right now, and we don't allow SBRs in Michigan.

If you are going to unpin or even have a 14.5" barrel with muzzle device currently unpinned, just don't mate it to the lower. If you're really concerned about it - put your lower in a box and put it in another room.

An upper is NOT a firearm and is NOT controlled. Once you push those two pins and mate it to a lower, whole different ball game.

[What I previously wrote doesn't even matter.]

[This sums my entire point->] If somebody is trying to see how close they can toe the line for ATF/NFA rules, a public forum is a horribly dangerous way to go about that.

EDIT: If you already have an SBR lower, this may be acceptable. I'm not the one to ask about seeing-how-close-you-can-get regarding ATF rules. They almost always assume that YOU are a criminal and YOU are guilty.

I'm also unsure if the concept of 'constructive possession' applies to ATF rules or Federal Code. I use that to charge kids in a car who don't wanna fess-up to who's bag of weed it REALLY is. If you have the 'parts' in your possession, I suppose it is possible that the ATF could charge you using that. I'm not a Federal LEO, so don't take my word on that.

But I have a very close friend who has a C&R license. And the ATF has stopped by his place several times over the years, unannounced, and demanded to inspect his C&R items.

Color me paranoid. I would just send the upper off to PWS and let them do it FOR FREE. They even paid for shipping both ways.

[Steve S.]

In all sincerity, if the ATF comes knocking on your door....I hope they believe you.

If you look at what went down to 'charge' Randy Weaver with a crime prior to the Ruby Ridge incident, maybe you'll detect my level of paranoia. And I AM a (local) government worker.

If the ATF arrests me for a circumstance like that, then my attorney can take the time to teach them how to do their job.

Pretty sure BCM will sell me an upper under 16". After all, what if I want to build an AR pistol? I don't, and I wouldn't order anything under 14.5" - but I have multiple 14.5" barrels right now. Unassembled. I will assemble the UPPER completely, then take it to be pinned. Then build the lower receiver. I'm not a fan of having free lowers floating around with unpinned 14.5" uppers at the same place. This takes the "human error" out of the equation (read : the ability for LE or other persons to mate them without my knowledge). I also cover myself by having my 14.5" uppers pinned AS SOON as they are finished being assembled. But really, neither of the above is necessary. Just know the law and do NOT mate the upper and lower while unpinned.

There really is no grey in the law here. If you have an upper that would meet SBR requirements, then don't mate it to a lower unless it's a registered pistol lower with no stock.

I mean absolutely no disrespect by this, but talking to someone at the ATF doesn't mean they know the law. They may even specialize in the A or the T, and not the F.

I do think it's a VERY good idea to box and separate any lowers - especially assembled - from any uppers that when mated would create an NFA item.

I don't disagree about sending the whole unit in though and letting them fix it. Getting a pinned muzzle device off isn't an easy task I hear.

[Steve S.]

And just to note, the ATF agents I've spoke to (though few) are very professional, know the laws to a T, and know which individuals / shops are to be watched.

The above isn't for people to toe the line of NFA items or imply taking as many steps legally before doing something illegal. It's just the case of "how do I get this muzzle device off legally?" or "how do I build a pinned 14.5" upper legally?".

If you find yourself asking these questions, research it (read : the laws may have changed since I've typed this in 2012).

Also, just because you CAN have an assembled lower next to an assembled 14.5" unpinned upper, doesn't mean you SHOULD have them next to each other. Don't thumb your nose to the law. Do yourself a favor and separate them. If you're not breaking the law and having an unpinned upper is just a means to a legal end, make yourself look like a law abiding citizen at all times.

[BufordTJustice]

Steve, I can't disagree with anything you've said now that you've clarified.

BUT, I guess I'm just a paranoid mother****er. I don't trust the ATF at all. I am generally distrustful of government even at the local level.

I have seen the ATF at work...even at our own range. I've seen them demand that a local LEO produce his SBR paperwork ON THE SPOT (read: while training at our agency range) after the local LEO commented that the rifle (an SBR) was a private purchase.

I'm glad if you haven't had these experiences (no sarcasm)....but I've seen it happen. I only trust the ATF as far as I can throw them.

EDIT: It only takes one overzealous agent for somebody to have a truly bad year.

[SomeOtherGuy]

You are very wrong and please do not post that again. If you think the ATF are not watching this and every other major gun board, think again.

You do NOT need an entire gun to possess an NFA classified SBR, just like the lower receiver in the AR15 is considered a "gun" by the ATF. If you take your perm'd muzzle device off your less-than-16" barrel and you are NOT a certified gunsmith who is running a legit gun shop that is open for business, please don't post about it here.

My advice stands.

EDIT: I'm a local LEO and I've talked with our local ATF liaison agent several times about this. Feel free to call a local field office yourself.

I know there's more discussion below, but I need to respond to this. I am a practicing lawyer. I have discussed this topic with other practicing lawyers, who, last I checked, have the same view I expressed above. If you can point me to a written opinion of the ATF's technical branch, or a published court decision on this exact question, please do so. There is a good discussion of similar issues here:

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=36518

Where you'll note that there is still confusion. A Supreme Court case expressly approves having unassembled components in one situation and overrules a lower court, but another lower court (11th Cir.) in a later case treats that precedent as distinguishable and limited to its facts. The SCT hasn't taken up that latter case nor is it likely to.

You should take note that being a gunsmith does not, by itself, give you any special rights to deal with or create SBRs. You still need either prior approval and a $200 tax stamp, OR an 07 FFL and SOT status.

A key difference here is that the proposed conduct would be taking a legal item (an upper that is treated as a 16" barrel because of a perm'd muzzle device), repairing a defective condition (wear) and returning the item to a state (permanently attached device for 16"+ total barrel length) in which it can legally be used with a non-NFA rifle lower.

An analogy would be having your disconnector break and the gun go uncontrolled full auto on you. If you keep using it, don't fix it and show it off to people as "hey this is cool!" you will almost certainly be prosecuted for having an illegal machinegun. But, if you immediately stop using it, get it fixed, and keep it in properly operating semiauto-only condition, it's unlikely that anyone will take note.

For the record, I do not own any uppers or rifle barrels shorter than 16", because I consider perm'd devices a big hassle for 1.5" less overall length. I also do not own any AR pistols because of the fuzzy area of constructive possession. However, the fact that people who own both AR pistols and AR rifles are not being prosecuted left and right would tend to suggest that the ATF does not take the view that owning an upper less than 16" and also owning a rifle lower, without putting the two together, is a violation of the NFA.

OF COURSE, with PWS making the generous offer, I would simply take them up on it. I just feel the need to comment when someone states that something is illegal that I am fairly sure is not illegal.

[Steve S.]

Steve, I can't disagree with anything you've said now that you've clarified.

BUT, I guess I'm just a paranoid mother****er. I don't trust the ATF at all. I am generally distrustful of government even at the local level.

I have seen the ATF at work...even at our own range. I've seen them ask LEO's to produce SBR paperwork ON THE SPOT (read while training) after the LEO commented that the rifle was a private purchase.

I'm glad if you haven't had these experiences (no sarcasm)....but I've seen it happen. I only trust the ATF as far as I can throw them.

EDIT: It only takes one overzealous agent for somebody to have a truly bad year.

That's a good attitude to have. No sarcasm at all. If an ATF agent doesn't know the law, then it becomes a HUGE pain in the ass. Lawyer costs, court costs, getting arrested, etc.

I've found most types of Law Enforcement - or any profession for that matter - has a range of personality types.

I've been introduced to a LEO as a holster maker, who asked if I was carrying, and proceeded to tell me "you can't carry a gun". It took a bit of explaining MI's CPL laws before I think it clicked. I've had gun shops say "you can't own an M16 / auto bolt carrier group" when asking if such and such AR has one. And very recently, an auto shop ordered me an air filter for the wrong car.

Just know your laws and respect them. If you get an overzealous law enforcement officer - Federal or Local - remain calm and have an attorney on hand. It's our job as responsible firearm owners to know, respect, and inform others of the laws.

I think it boils down to this... Back when Obama was elected and running even, the big stink was people open carrying AR15s to his speeches. Can you carry an AR15 in public around our President / Secret Service? Apparently so. Is it a respectable thing to carry an AR15 to see a speech by the most powerful (read : most protected) man in the world? Probably not.

Whether carrying an AR around the POTUS or showing all your friends your upper and lower and saying "clicking these two pins makes me a super bad ass felon!" - just remember you are representing the firearm community as a whole. Outsiders see behavior like this, and decide they should actively try and make the laws more strict.

I'm way off topic and off on a rant. Haha. I'll climb off my soapbox.

[JW1069]

I'm considering a BCM upper 14.5" w/ pinned FSC556 or a 16" and a FSC556. Obviously, I'm a a fan of the PWS brake. I've had one for about a year on my SCAR and it's already got noticeable wear. I want this BCM upper for hard use, and although I'd like the better handling of the 14.5 (and saving some ounces), I don't want the brake to wear out before everything else does.

Anybody have a pinned FSC556? How's it wearing?

I have two BCM 14.5" middy's with perm attached FSC556's that have both been through carbine classes and lots of range trips. Until reading this thread, it never occurred to me to look that closely at the brake itself. So after grabbing a Surefire and a magnifying glass, here's the verdict: they're pretty darn dirty with carbon buildup, but nothing I can distinguish as a wear issue. I'll hit them with some Slip Carbon Killer and report back if something looks out of the ordinary.

[Russell92]

Wow, this thread certainly changed course, although an interesting discussion that was kept surprisingly civil :smile:. And after all that my upper isn't even a 14.5" :lol:. It's a 16" so no SBR concerns...however, if I took the brake off I'd then have an evil "assault weapon" here in NJ (not that I'm going to do this). What I meant was I hope there's no problem with my brake so I don't have to send the upper in, not that I was going to fix it myself.

Thanks Buford and everyone for the responses. Before taking the picture I scrubbed it pretty good with a toothbrush and lots of CLP; I guess that wasn't enough. I'll attack it this weekend with a dental pick and some hoppes and see how that goes. Not sure if you can see it in the picture, but it does look like the edge around the hole in the blast baffle is starting to erode slightly, but I'll see how it looks after I try to get all the carbon off.


I have two BCM 14.5" middy's with perm attached FSC556's that have both been through carbine classes and lots of range trips. Until reading this thread, it never occurred to me to look that closely at the brake itself. So after grabbing a Surefire and a magnifying glass, here's the verdict: they're pretty darn dirty with carbon buildup, but nothing I can distinguish as a wear issue. I'll hit them with some Slip Carbon Killer and report back if something looks out of the ordinary.

JW, how do your PWS brakes compare to the picture of mine?

[JW1069]

JW, how do your PWS brakes compare to the picture of mine?
Hard to say exactly, but mine have a lot of carbon buildup and some copper oxidation too. They're pretty filthy. I'll try to take some "before" pics in the next couple of days and maybe that will help the OP.

[Russell92]

Thanks. I'll take some "after" pictures this weekend if I'm able to get most of the carbon off.

[BufordTJustice]

I know there's more discussion below, but I need to respond to this. I am a practicing lawyer. I have discussed this topic with other practicing lawyers, who, last I checked, have the same view I expressed above. If you can point me to a written opinion of the ATF's technical branch, or a published court decision on this exact question, please do so. There is a good discussion of similar issues here:

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=36518

Where you'll note that there is still confusion. A Supreme Court case expressly approves having unassembled components in one situation and overrules a lower court, but another lower court (11th Cir.) in a later case treats that precedent as distinguishable and limited to its facts. The SCT hasn't taken up that latter case nor is it likely to.

You should take note that being a gunsmith does not, by itself, give you any special rights to deal with or create SBRs. You still need either prior approval and a $200 tax stamp, OR an 07 FFL and SOT status.

A key difference here is that the proposed conduct would be taking a legal item (an upper that is treated as a 16" barrel because of a perm'd muzzle device), repairing a defective condition (wear) and returning the item to a state (permanently attached device for 16"+ total barrel length) in which it can legally be used with a non-NFA rifle lower.

An analogy would be having your disconnector break and the gun go uncontrolled full auto on you. If you keep using it, don't fix it and show it off to people as "hey this is cool!" you will almost certainly be prosecuted for having an illegal machinegun. But, if you immediately stop using it, get it fixed, and keep it in properly operating semiauto-only condition, it's unlikely that anyone will take note.

For the record, I do not own any uppers or rifle barrels shorter than 16", because I consider perm'd devices a big hassle for 1.5" less overall length. I also do not own any AR pistols because of the fuzzy area of constructive possession. However, the fact that people who own both AR pistols and AR rifles are not being prosecuted left and right would tend to suggest that the ATF does not take the view that owning an upper less than 16" and also owning a rifle lower, without putting the two together, is a violation of the NFA.

OF COURSE, with PWS making the generous offer, I would simply take them up on it. I just feel the need to comment when someone states that something is illegal that I am fairly sure is not illegal.

While I'm not a lawyer, I do have a BS in pre-law and also worked as a paralegal at a law firm for 2 years before becoming a Deputy Sheriff. I'm not saying this so we can enter into a game of dick-measurement, but I'm not at all ignorant about case law and the 'side of the business' that you are on. I appreciate that you probably have some experience here, so I'll sum with this.

It can be very, dearly expensive to be "right" when dealing with the ATF. Especially when the agency, as a whole, is "all ate up with fraud" as the Southerners like to say. Internal documents are altered, fabricated, disappeared, or forged depending on what the ATF desires to accomplish. The agency operates with virtually zero oversight. These are all things that were regularly occurring prior to Obama's election....and you can't tell me that he's made it any better.

If you contact the NRA's ILA (I have), they can provide copious amounts of information regarding the abuses of power that have happened in the agency, and also in general Federal circuit court proceedings involving the agency.

I have neither the desire, the time, the extra effort, nor the financial resources to tempt fate when dealing with an agency that has put innocent people in federal prison without batting an eye.

We both know that procedural law and substantive law are two incredibly different things.

Cops talk shop all the time. I realize that attorneys do the same. I would highly recommend speaking with an attorney who has worked with or against the agency. I think it would be very interesting for you and very scary at the same time.

I think we're going to have to respectfully disagree on this one.

[JW1069]

Hard to say exactly, but mine have a lot of carbon buildup and some copper oxidation too. They're pretty filthy. I'll try to take some "before" pics in the next couple of days and maybe that will help the OP.

Had a chance to snap some pics today. This is one of the FSC556's; the others look pretty much the same. Plenty of carbon buildup right where you'd expect to see it.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/JW1069/Misc%20firearm%20related/007-1.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/JW1069/Misc%20firearm%20related/006.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/JW1069/Misc%20firearm%20related/005-1.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/JW1069/Misc%20firearm%20related/008.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/JW1069/Misc%20firearm%20related/002.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/JW1069/Misc%20firearm%20related/004.jpg

[BufordTJustice]

Had a chance to snap some pics today. This is one of the FSC556's; the others look pretty much the same. Plenty of carbon buildup right where you'd expect to see it.



That looked exactly like first FSC556 and my FSC47. The one I sent back had some serious divots that looked like they were only another 1K rds away from starting to enlarge the hole in the blast baffle.

Yours looks just fine to me.

[Russell92]

Well I tried scrubbing it with Hoppes and scrapping with a dental pick, but couldn't get any of the carbon buildup off the blast baffle. Not really concerned since mine looks just like JW1069's and if it's just carbon buildup I really don't care about keeping it clean. If the brake is wearing down I'll wait until it gets much worse before contacting PWS.

Also to the OP, I wouldn't be concerned about any of this. My father just got a 14.5" BCM with pinned FSC556 and it looks a lot thicker and stronger than my brake which is a few years old as Buford mentioned in his first post.