Suppressor cleaning & Useful Life

[EOD Rob]

I went crazy one day after my last combat tour and decided to invest in 4 suppressors (All SilencerCo). Sparrow for rimfire, Octane 45 for pistol, Harvester 30 for hunting and precision rifles, and Hybrid 46 for gas guns and 45-70. That was back in 2014, which means I got them in 2015. The sparrow comes apart and is easy to clean and is used the most. The Hybrid 46 would be the second most used. Mostly for fun and plinking. I will say, it sees the most value of ammo through it, so I soak it in cleaner after around 500 rds. Seems to work pretty good (maybe 2500-3000 rds later). She is a beast! The Harvester 30 would be third in line with maybe 500-700 rounds through it. I am very easy on this one because i use it for precision shooting. I never let it get to hot or run junk through it. I have cleaned it one time. Still works perfectly. The one thing I will say, a buddy had one with a quick connect that he had bad shift with. Direct thread is the way to good if you want good accuracy. Last would be the Octane 45. I thought I would use it more, but I only have a few hundred rounds through it. If I was to do it all over again, I would have dropped the Octane and used the Hybrid 46 for pistol as well as gas guns.
The only good side of buying them when I did, SilencerCo was offering to cover the $200 tax stamp for every suppressor bought. That gave me $800 for accessories to outfit all the suppressors. The only thing I'd still like to have are 3 lug adapters for all the non-precision gas guns with the Hybrid 46.

If you need to know what to soak your suppressor in, hit me up!!!

 

[Knotwild]

I have a Silencerco Hybrid 46. I don't have experience with a variety of brands, only the Hybrid. I use the quick attach brakes that makes it an easy swap from gun to gun. I don't shoot without it, so I don't have a clue about POI shift.

I have read a good many manufacturers advice on cleaning and most I read say cleaning when used on rifles is not necessary - I am sure that does not mean pistol caliber rifles. But, bottom line, I'm not cleaning mine. I tried once and nothing came out. Although the Hybrid will handle pistol rounds by purchasing optional boosters I haven't tried that because of the filth most pistol rounds deposit. Probably only has 1K through it, mostly 6.5 Creedmoor and 5.56.

I did have a bad experience with the quick attach when it loosened going into a deer stand - punched a .224 hole in my replaceable end cap but did not touch the baffles, so there is something to modularity; I just replaced the end cap. Silencerco indicated it was common when the mounts were screwed on and off a lot and sent me a video on how to tighten the mount. So, I check that often now. I am not a fan of Silencerco because they told me they would replace the end cap, but repeated emails reminding them were ignored. I also had the outer tube separate from the baffle stack and when I contacted Silencerco, they told me to coat it with red LocTite and put it back together.

Needless to say, I'm no longer a fan of Silencerco and I just ordered a Rugged Occulus rimfire and a Rugged Razor 30 caliber. Oh, and canceled my order for a Silencerco SwitchBack. There are so many people making suppressors I don't have to deal with less than stellar service.

 

[SeabeeKen]

Just wondering how people are cleaning all the buildup off the inside of their suppressors. Are you using chemical, mechanical or combination of both? How often should they be cleaned?

Happened across this while placing an order. A suppressor cleaning system from Bore Tech

Decimator Cleaning System

Bore Tech’s Decimator Suppressor Cleaning System, is the industry’s only cleaner specifically formulated to safely and effectively remove the extreme fouling buildup inside suppressors. Shop our suppressor cleaning system today!

www.boretech.com

 

[drop_point]

I have one centerfire suppressor with 30k rounds of 5.56 on it from three guns and I haven't cleaned. Another has worn out three or four barrels.

I just focus on keeping the threads clean and greased so it doesn't seize up.

 

[EOD Rob]

Here is a good video to check out. Ive used this a few times and it worked pretty well. Just make sure you heed the warnings. This is nasty stuff!

 

[HandgunHTR]

The problem with the Dip is that you end up with lead acetate, which is very easily absorbed through the skin and is highly toxic. I know most people just dump the stuff down the sink or toilet as well. Please don't. Again, most water treatment plants are not equipped to remove it and as stated, it is highly toxic. Just dumping it in a hole in the ground is also not a very good method as that water doesn't just sit there and the lead acetate doesn't come out of solution except through evaporation.

As stated, you don't need to clean a centerfire suppressor, unless you are shooting cast bullets through it. A rimfire suppressor should be cleaned regularly as should a pistol suppressor that is seeing a good bit of cast bullets.

 

[Fuj]

My personal secret.... "Piston Klean". Buy it by the gallon.

 

[fatelvis]

Soak them in CLR.

 

[moondog]

If it's a TBAC can, you can send it to them once a year for a free cleaning. I clean mine in an ultra sonic bath with CLR about every 500 rounds. It does take the finish off, I don't really care though. I end up blasting it off to bare metal. I like the way it looks like that. Besides, it wears a cover anyhow. Weighing it when it's new is a good way to monitor how much carbon is built up. It's amazing how much quieter it is clean. Letting it go too long will make it tough to get all the carbon out of the baffling.

 

[dunraven]

An army sniper recommends brake cleaning fluid(aerosol). Says there is no need to disassemble the unit.

 

[Knotwild]

I have a Silencerco Hybrid and it looks really nice inside. No need to clean. I have searched a few suppressor manufacturer sites and they indicate that high pressure gas leaving the muzzle will keep the carbon burned out. I haven't shot nearly as many rounds through one as you guys have though. I recently got a Rugged Oculus rimfire and Rugged says clean it in an an ultrasonic cleaner with 50% water and 50% Purple Power. Every 350 -500 rounds I do this and it comes out with a few small areas that didn't clean completely. I just take a pick and scrape those areas and it looks like new.

Silencerco has a video out in which they recommend soda blasting as the easiest and best way to clean a rimfire suppressor. But I don't have access to one.

 

[Knotwild]

Found this a while ago. http://www.rrdvegas.com/silencer-cleaning.html I coated my 22 take down with this recipe before any shots. Still waiting to clean it.
It's a good read

Wondered if you can check that link. I want to try it, but can't get the link to open.

Thanks

 

[GLO123]

I use copper never seize on all my internal parts. After I shoot about 200-300 rounds I take it apart and clean it. I use a rag and just wipe off the never seize. Then clean with soap and hot water. Easy to clean if you put the never seize on before hand.
edit, forgot to mention that my baffles are stain steel and my tube is titanium. I scrub the baffles with the blue scotch bright pad, tube with a nylon brush. I use this for my 9mm pistol and .22 rifle.

 

[AccelR8]

Ha, that Bore Tech cleaning system. Several years ago I had given much thought to making an attachment for my pressure washer for suppressor cleaning, envisioning first soaking in some type or carbon cleaner and then blasting it with the pressure washer. I never did because both weigh my suppressor and lokking with a bore scope does not indicate a need for cleaning yet.

I guess I'm not the only one who thought of that.

 

[Tempest]

Ultrasonic is awesome for suppressor baffle cleaning.

 

[DGP4]

Wondered if you can check that link. I want to try it, but can't get the link to open.

Thanks

The website was closed. It is no longer available. The author was a technician at Anschutz in Las Vegas that experimented with all sorts of rimfire issues. He found after much experimentation that the best solution to carbon build up in his suppressors was the coat the baffles with synthetic brake fluid and then bake the baffles in the oven for about 45 minutes at 250F if memory serves. This allowed him to just brush off the detritus on the baffles without using any cleaner. The process is not permanent and has to be repeated every so often.

 

[Dave M.]

Just wondering how people are cleaning all the buildup off the inside of their suppressors. Are you using chemical, mechanical or combination of both? How often should they be cleaned?

CLR

 

[Gary C]

50% hydrogen peroxide 50% vinegar is used for cleaning compensators.
Soak for two hours or until the solution turns green and mix a fresh batch and soak again.
This solution I have used, and it did not cause oxidation in a carbon steel comp.
Rinse with warm water and oil completely when done.

 

[NWnewguy]

I think it's interesting that people that say that centerfire cans don't need cleaning. Which I guess, if you're a low round count guy, could be true. The idea that the gas from the rifle will clean it out has been shown to be problematic as well.

There is a pic running around of a TB Ultra 7 that had about 10k rounds through it. It was literally a solid tube of carbon, surrounded by titanium with a .300" hole down the middle. I doubt that it got that way in the last 1k rounds if you understand what I'm saying. Almost all of those rounds were Hornady factory 6.5 CM ammo. It took months of soaking and spraying before that can got back to anywhere near it's starting weight. There are numerous other examples of cans totally full of carbon. It doesn't help attenuate sound when it's that thick either!

So the reality is that it's all about your round count. If you don't shoot much, you could go to your grave having never cleaned your centerfire can and it will be just fine. If you go through a couple of barrels a season, you better do it at least once a year or you're going to have a difficult problem to solve. Pistol and slow burning powder could make the issue more of a problem too. I'm thinking 300BO powders and similar.

I would and do weigh any new silencer so that you know what it weighed when new and clean. Then periodically put it on the same scale and see how much weight it's gained. When it's ready for a diet, throw it in an ultra sonic or even a mason jar with something similar to Boretechs C4 or their new stuff specifically for cans. I still have a lot of C4, so I will be staying with that for a while. After soaking for a day or so, I run very hot water through it and shake it and chunks of carbon come out with it. I would think that some of the other carbon cleaners would work about as well. I like the Piston Clean idea from above and might try that in the future.

Rimfire cans obviously need cleaning more frequently, but they tend to be designed to allow for that. I don't use the DIP, and have had great luck with Purple and Simple Green with hot water in an ultra sonic. I also use orange wood sticks, like they use for doing nails, to scrape the little bit that's left after soaking and running the ultra sonic. The wood works well but doesn't scratch up the baffles like a metal pick or similar.

 

[NWnewguy]

I have a Silencerco Hybrid 46. I don't have experience with a variety of brands, only the Hybrid. I use the quick attach brakes that makes it an easy swap from gun to gun. I don't shoot without it, so I don't have a clue about POI shift.

I have read a good many manufacturers advice on cleaning and most I read say cleaning when used on rifles is not necessary - I am sure that does not mean pistol caliber rifles. But, bottom line, I'm not cleaning mine. I tried once and nothing came out. Although the Hybrid will handle pistol rounds by purchasing optional boosters I haven't tried that because of the filth most pistol rounds deposit. Probably only has 1K through it, mostly 6.5 Creedmoor and 5.56.

I did have a bad experience with the quick attach when it loosened going into a deer stand - punched a .224 hole in my replaceable end cap but did not touch the baffles, so there is something to modularity; I just replaced the end cap. Silencerco indicated it was common when the mounts were screwed on and off a lot and sent me a video on how to tighten the mount. So, I check that often now. I am not a fan of Silencerco because they told me they would replace the end cap, but repeated emails reminding them were ignored. I also had the outer tube separate from the baffle stack and when I contacted Silencerco, they told me to coat it with red LocTite and put it back together.

Needless to say, I'm no longer a fan of Silencerco and I just ordered a Rugged Occulus rimfire and a Rugged Razor 30 caliber. Oh, and canceled my order for a Silencerco SwitchBack. There are so many people making suppressors I don't have to deal with less than stellar service.

You'll really like the Oculus. I have a passel of rimfire cans and have taken nearly everything on the market apart and shot most and I like the Oculus more than the rest. It really doesn't have any weak points. I guess the only thing I would say is that maybe they could make one cheaper that doesn't convert into a K can size. That would be interesting to me personally because I don't really shorten my cans very often.