first loosen and remove the set screw (a little heat is sometimes needed on the screw to soften the thread compound). Then fasten the front end of the brake securely in a padded vice. I like to put some penetrating oil into the set screw hole and around the rear of the brake and let it soak into the joint. Sometimes this is all it takes to do the trick. Use a twisting and pulling motion on the action. If the barrel won't turn free then you will need to heat the rear of the brake with a heat gun or a propane torch to brake the adhesive bond. If you use a torch keep the flame moving and use just enough heat to let the barrel twist in the brake so that you do not discolor the blueing.
I like to make two modifications to the OE latch set up. The first one is shown in the picture below:
If you look closely you can see the radius shape given to the receiving end of the opening. This makes the latch interract much smoother with the spring loaded button on the end of the cocking arm.
The other modification is moving the entire brake/latch assembly forward on the barrel enough so that it just won't release the arm without first lightly touching the front release button. This greatly reduces the effort needed to release and park the arm. You can even set it up so that you can pull the arm down without needing to touch the release button at all if you want to. It is just a matter of adjusting the position of the brake on the barrel when you test assemble it with the set screw to get the set up the way you like it. Then mark the position with masking tape. Use some Loctite on clean metal for final assembly.
BTW, the harmonics will change to C flat, LOL. HTH, JK
