Suppressor cleaning

[JSH]

Well I ran my can through the ringer this last week, now time to clean. It is a mess inside, was tough to get the stack of cones out, ran about 1500 through it, the most I ever have between cleaning.
I have access to a sonic cleaner. Will it take the ceracote off the tube, all SS cones and tube, Griffon Paladin 300.

I looked at videos and did a search here as well. Seems to be fairly dated around 2015-17.

I have CLR, simple green and some other cleaners.

TIA
Jeff

 

[Dave in WI]

Sonic cleaner WILL remove/damage Cerakote.

 

[jpx2rk]

Look at the manufacturers website for your model, usually have good instructions/directions for their stuff. Everybody can be different.

 

[ballisticdaddy]

I disassemble it all and throw the baffles in CLR over night and in morning into the sonic cleaner for a few cycles using simple green but not the body or end cap as it will remove the cerakote.

 

[ricco1949]

I have cleaned the tube and cones in a Harbor Freight Sonic cleaner after 300+ rounds.

Used creme of tartar and Lemishine as cleaning agent.

Cones came out spotless, clean and shiny.

Main tube spotless clean also but the Cerakote just started to lift in the tubes inscription writing only.....rest of the tube was fine.

Rick M.

 

[Knotwild]

I have cleaned the tube and cones in a Harbor Freight Sonic cleaner after 300+ rounds.

Used creme of tartar and Lemishine as cleaning agent.

Cones came out spotless, clean and shiny.

Main tube spotless clean also but the Cerakote just started to lift in the tubes inscription writing only.....rest of the tube was fine.

Rick M.

What was your mixing recipe?

 

[GotRDid]

No more scrubbing! (carbon remover)

Has anyone seen or used the new Ballistol Suppressor cleaner yet? Looks outstanding on stubborn carbon fouling. I'm over here wondering if plugging the bore and filling up the barrel with this would eliminate the need for bore paste and elbow grease ;) Here's a vid a lad did across the pond and...

forum.accurateshooter.com

 

[284winner]

Sonic cleaner (some) can do damage to cerakote that's chipped or cracking but it will not hurt a coating that's not damaged. If your concerned about it, use a cleaner that's not going to do any damage to the coating. Maybe the etching/engraving that was coated with cerakote didn't quite cover deep enough into the engraving and cause the sonic cleaner to get into the coating and slowly fade it away. This could happen as well I'm guessing. Cerakote is tough stuff but will wear in slide areas on pistols and shotguns or even holstering pistols over time.

 

[Gundog]

I put the baffles in rotary drum with stainless steel pins. I use the same solution to clean the baffles as I use for cleaning the brass. (2 Tbls of dish soap 1/4 teaspoon of Lemi Shine.) I let it spin for 3 hrs. If they are still caked with stuff. I drain the solution, refill, and let it spin for another couple hours. Any remaining carbon clumps I pick it off with a dental pick.

The inside of the tube I use stainless steel pipe cleaning brush A little bigger than the (ID) of the tube.
I cut the plastic handle off the brush, chuck it up in drill and let clean the tube of carbon. (You can get long handles brushes off the web. (SupplyHouse.com)

I would suggest that you clean the tube outside as the carbon dust goes everywhere! Don't breathe it in either. (It sucks really bad.)

Once everything is as clean as you want, I use a Q-tip to lightly coat the baffles and tube with Lucas Oil Extreme Duty gun oil or High temp Anti Seize. (Helps with Carbon build up.)

My YHM one piece Titanium Suppressor goes into the vibratory cleaner with either Purple Power or Simple Green. (I Checked with YHM before doing it.)

Gundog

 

[ricco1949]

What was your mixing recipe?

Tablespoon of creme of tartar, squirt of Lemishine, and squirt of Dawn detergent in Harbor Freight Sonic bowl filled with hot water. Cones and main tube suspended on a wire. Run till clean....about 20-30 minutes.

Black carbon begins billowing from cones and tube immediately.

Rick M.

 

[Knotwild]

Thanks. I'm going to try it out.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Could you just Ziploc bag the coated parts in plain hot water and run in the ultrasonic tank with rest of the parts?

 

[ricco1949]

I found that the parts must be suspended to achieve the most efficient cleaning...hence the wires.

Rick M.

 

[JSH]

I have got to ask, cream of tarter, what is the idea or reason for it? I am no chemist but know a couple.
Well I did a 50/50 CLR and distilled water in the ultra sonic, it softened the ceracote up some, sticky. I was warned but decided to try it any way.
I think if I had presoaked over night in 100% CLR I may have gotten a better result.
The can had probably 1000 rounds through it prior to last week, carb cleaner and some other cleaned that up good. Last week I abused it a bit, swapping between three rifles, 1500 rounds there abouts before I was done. It was a mess to say the least. Played hell getting the end cap off, several applications of Kroil over night did the trick, came off real nice the next morning.

I have watched numerous videos on the subject, soda blasting sounds like best and quickest for super clean.
After this, I raise an eyebrow to the “self cleaning” cans. I saw a comment to the effect, “do you clean your cars muffler”? Well no but it isn’t exactly the same, especially in new vehicles gas or diesel.
Maybe a dose of deft or a catalytic converter is needed. I

I am going to look into Balistol, I have used it with quick and great success with BP guns.

I see little use of spray coatings as I just feel the heat and pressure is over the top of what any commercial product would have any benefit for extended usage.

 

[ricco1949]

I have got to ask, cream of tarter, what is the idea or reason for it? I am no chemist but know a couple.
Well I did a 50/50 CLR and distilled water in the ultra sonic, it softened the ceracote up some, sticky. I was warned but decided to try it any way.
I think if I had presoaked over night in 100% CLR I may have gotten a better result.
The can had probably 1000 rounds through it prior to last week, carb cleaner and some other cleaned that up good. Last week I abused it a bit, swapping between three rifles, 1500 rounds there abouts before I was done. It was a mess to say the least. Played hell getting the end cap off, several applications of Kroil over night did the trick, came off real nice the next morning.

I have watched numerous videos on the subject, soda blasting sounds like best and quickest for super clean.
After this, I raise an eyebrow to the “self cleaning” cans. I saw a comment to the effect, “do you clean your cars muffler”? Well no but it isn’t exactly the same, especially in new vehicles gas or diesel.
Maybe a dose of deft or a catalytic converter is needed. I

I am going to look into Balistol, I have used it with quick and great success with BP guns.

I see little use of spray coatings as I just feel the heat and pressure is over the top of what any commercial product would have any benefit for extended usage.

Creme of tartar is acidic IIRC....it's the formula that the originator of wet brass sonic cleaning or tumbling recommended years ago.

I tried it on a can and it worked great.


Rick M.

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

if you have stainless baffles and are feeling froggy. nothing can replace the efficiency of the dip eats everything (including lead), but extreme precaution must be used.

 

[Knotwild]

I have watched numerous videos on the subject, soda blasting sounds like best and quickest for super clean.
After this, I raise an eyebrow to the “self cleaning” cans. I

I only clean my rimfire suppressors. I sent and email to Thunderbeast asking about soda blasting and they replied that they did not recommend it - stick with 50/50 Purple Power and water. I apply about 3 coats of either silicone spray or Ballistol and let each dry before I reassemble. Then before I shoot it I give it a squirt of Ballistol in each end. It keeps the deposits soft enough to wipe away 70% of it with a rag.

I have never cleaned my centerfire suppressors. Granted I don't shoot them as much as many people do. I have run my bore scope inside and it looks pretty clean. It is my theory that different powders and different loads my foul more or less. I would never clean my centerfire suppressor unless my bore scope indicated I should. What I see with my own eye will dictate what route I take. If mine looked really bad, I would probably send it back to the manufacturer for cleaning.

 

[JSH]

I lost track of the video, one fellow with a welded can mentioned his gained 4 ounces and it seems like he said 4000 rounds, but it was under 6k for sure.
I am sure it depends on powder and cartridge.
My can is a 30, but 99.999% of what was in it was smaller, 17’s 20’ and 22. Maybe the culprit of too big on the expansion chamber? None the less, I had access to a 223 can and a decibal meter, my can was better than the 223.
Don’t let this thread keep you from buying one, I wish I had one 30+ years ago. They say the cicadas are coming, I hear them all the time……….. race cars and guns as a dumb/tough young man

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

I use this, and it works incredibly well:

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

 

[Old Navy]

A rep from Thunderbeast , on another forum, said to plug the exit hole and fill it with CLR. You should see it bubble the carbon out. Mine had a lot of carbon in the first 1 1/2" where it screws over the brake.