Muzzle Brake to Flash Hider

[Tango374]

A few years back, I purchased a Post Ban configuration AR-15 from Bushmaster. After the ban on assault weapons sunset, I started adding accessories as much as my income would safely allow. To this day, my barrel has a Mini Y Comp muzzle brake at the end of it and it has finally gotten on my last nerve. I think I might be the only person left that still has this. I started putting this rifle together while I was in the Army. Now that I'm out, funding is pretty tight to say the least. My question is...Is there a way for me to remove this brake off of my barrel and replace it with a flash suppressor? A long time ago, I heard of taking the finish off of the brake and finding two pins, knocking them out and twisting off the brake. I don't know if this was a reliable source (I just read it on a thread somewhere) and I'm wondering if its true. I'm sure that after the brake is removed...barrel length legality will become an issue.
My best friend (who actually has the same type of rifle so I guess that means that he and I are the last with this brake) tells me that the only way to resolve this is to get a new barrel...$$$ out of the question right now. Is there a way for me to do this? Is there a way for even a smith to do it? Or should I start saving for a new barrel?

[Robb Jensen]

Randall at www.ar15barrels.com (a member here) can do it for $45-100 depending if you send just the barrel or a barreled upper to him and whether or not you need a long flash suppressor permanetly attached (14.5" barrels).

I used Randall for barrel work several times, his work is 2nd to none.

[redduck21502]

I have seen a demonstration of this, I think at AR15.com that showed out to do it.
I believe it involved finding the pin by grinding down the break a little. Then, I believe they cut the end of the break to line up with the pin, maybe using a dremel, but I'm not sure. Once the break was split to the pin, it seems to me like it came off rather easy. Check the stickies over there and you'll come up with it.

OK, I looked for it, but didn't read it again to fix my above stuff: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=226782

ETA: it's about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down.