So I took the can, an AR, a .223 bolt rifle, a 9mm PCC, and a few flavors of ammo to the range today with specific intent of figuring out what might be causing the ammonia odor.
I now believe the smell results from lubricant in the hub's locking collar and front cap threads burning off, as well as whatever might have been deposited in its innards during manufacturing. This has taken a few range sessions because my mindset is still that of younger me, for whom ammo was something that had to be paid for and blasting it out in television mag dumps is not something I'm going to do. So suppressor has never been smoking hot.
- When I started today, there was no ammonia smell in the suppressor - just normal "gunpowdery" smell.
- I fired four rounds through it on the bolt rifle in quick succession, pulled it off, and sniffed. A bit of acrid odor, with a strong overtone of hot lubricant.
- I moved the can to the 16" AR and fired 12 rounds in a minute or so. Can was too hot to unscrew, but sniffing the muzzle revealed only a slightly more pronounced hot-not-quite-buring oil smell. After can cooled enough to remove, sniffing the open end at the hub mount had about the same result.
- Firing 15 rounds of 9mm through PCC didn't get the can warm, let alone hot.
- Stored it in its plastic shipping box.
That all ended about two hours ago. I just took it out of the box and sniffed. A bit of acrid odor but NOTHING like it was early on. UPS just this minute dropped off a new optic for the AR, so I'll get it hot again tomorrow morning. Unless something unexpected happens, I think the "mystery" is solved.
Thanks to all who commented.
