Hey Guys, just thought I'd jump in here quickly to comment on what you're seeing. First, thank you for being Vudoo customers and putting your confidence in what we do and how we do it, I'm always available here and the St George crew is available via phone, email, etc., if you ever have questions.
As far as running the Vudoo suppressed goes, yes, it's valid that standing your rifle vertical with a suppressor mounted dumps particles down the bore and it lands in the action making the bolt difficult to close. The issue is more prominent the dirtier the suppressor, so some may see it and like myself, some may never see it; just depends on how dirty the suppressor is and how you handle your rifle. I've never cleaned my suppressor, but I never have a reason to orient my rifle vertically. And to answer a question above, suppressor design can contribute to how much is dumped back into the bore, as does ammo, barrel length, etc.
So, why does it happen in the Vudoo and maybe not others? Basically, design intent dictates overall functionality. As I've stated in other threads, rimfire platforms are considerably more complex than centerfire and when it comes to manufacturing, complexity is expensive (hence the reason a lot of competing companies have similar designs). In the early days of rimfire design, suppressors weren't as widely used as they are now and frankly, some very old companies didn't start offering factory threaded muzzles until more recently. That feature was dictated by the market, not the manufacturer, so if the manufacturer says the design intent originally included suppressor use, it's likely not completely true and I consider the absence of this issue in those platforms to be more of an accident.
The design intent of the V-22 as a repeater focused on one thing first: ACCURACY. So, there are certain features that support this and the flat breech face is part of it. The tolerance between the end of the bolt nose and the flat breech face is incredibly tight, so it doesn't accommodate much garbage between the two surfaces. Are there other ways to do it and are there others that do it differently (such as a coned breech)? Of course, but the coned breech also has it's issues/draw backs (such as the inability to dry fire without damaging the barrel) and there are reasons I didn't use it in the V-22. Overall, I didn't shy away from the inherent complexity of the rimfire action for the sake of creating a cheaper platform.
Going forward: One of the beautiful things about Vudoo is, I get to play as much as I want. This means, while the guys in St George are working hard to meet unprecedented eight week delivery schedules, I'm in the lab working on the next things. One of these things is a new breech design, which has been in testing for nearly a year. I'm not saying here that we're introducing it, so please don't swamp the St George crew with calls, emails, etc., I'm just saying that we're not standing still. IF the new breech design falls within my original intent while enhancing overall performance, we'll incorporate it into future production. Until then, just be mindful of something I'm willing to speak openly/publicly about and know we're constantly supporting our customer base. Right now, it's as simple to deal with as dumping the garbage out of your suppressor at the end of each range session, or whatever menial effort you find mitigates/eliminates the condition.
Thanks again Guys and as usual, I'm always available if anyone has questions or needs anything at all.
MB
