Keeping Suppressors Cool

[Aftermath]

I prefer the ebcdic
Edit: I misread that as ascii so my joke doesn’t actually work but you already liked it so I’m gonna let it stand

I knew what you were getting at and I was even shooting for the association without actually going all the way.

 

[Schütze]

That's a good point if you're cooling suppressors directly, but heating the rear of the chamber on a bolt gun so it's still 200F by the time you can get the tube inserted takes enough firing that you're probably already causing damage your barrel. Might as well go w/ the silicon though, it's more flexible & probably fits into chamber more easily

My set up is about the same

How loud and what kind of noise does this thing make?

I just hate these typical little screaming barrel cooler’s. Our amplified hearing protection makes it even worse.

Thanks

 

[R_A_W]

you probably won’t like it… they sound like any air mattress pump or a handheld vacuum

 

[secondofangle2]

There are newer ones that are quieter. This is probably a better contraption to use all around, It doubles as a tire inflator and mattress inflator.

Ryobi inflator

 

[nikerret]

I usually just get a little careless and let it hit my leg. While I sit and cry, it cools naturally. By the time I can walk without cussing, it’s good to go.

 

[Bcamos]

I shoot suppressors a lot.
The best way I have found to cool off hot suppressors is to spray them with water.
I just grab a bottle of water, drill a small hole in the top with the tip of my pocket knife, and spray a thin stream onto the outside of the suppressor. Evenly apply over the entire external surface.
The energy lost to steam conversion is orders of magnitude above moving air over the surface.
A thin stream from about 6-12" in a waving motion is better than a thick stream or just pouring the water on.

I have used high-power fans, and they're ok, but removal from the rifle so air flow can go through the core is needed if you want to drop temperature quickly. Laying them on a metal plate helps a little as well, but not something I usually have on a "non-work" range trip.
Do not shove them into standing cold water, you can risk structural integrity of the suppressor if the cooling rate is too fast, and you will likely wind up with boiling water and steam coming back up through the bore if attached to a firearm.

I don't know if this has been addressed, but my knowledge in the knife world tells me that putting cool water (anything around room/ambient temp) onto hot metal is a recipe for disaster. It will likely weaken welds, cause stress fractures in the metal grain and warping. All things I assume would be detrimental to a suppressor. Now I don't actually know what the operating temps of a suppressor are, so it's possible that they're low enough for the dramatic heat loss to not really affect anything, but it's not a chance I'd want to take.

 

[Jack_L]

I don't know if this has been addressed, but my knowledge in the knife world tells me that putting cool water (anything around room/ambient temp) onto hot metal is a recipe for disaster. It will likely weaken welds, cause stress fractures in the metal grain and warping. All things I assume would be detrimental to a suppressor. Now I don't actually know what the operating temps of a suppressor are, so it's possible that they're low enough for the dramatic heat loss to not really affect anything, but it's not a chance I'd want to take.

The suppressors I am using are primarily Inconel 718, and the amount of water flow is about what you'd get in a heavy rain.
Temperatures can exceed 2000 degrees Fahrenheit in the core in extreme use (continuous belt-fed full auto for a couple hundred+ rounds), with external temperatures in the 18/1900 area. This is an extreme case. What I am referring to is "normal" use of semi-auto fire where the surface temperature is in the 750 degree area (depending on the suppressor design), or significantly lower if you aren't really trying to find failure points.

Folks that make suppressors for military applications have to take thermal shock into account, and build for that.
Here's a good example of why:
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ETA: Don't know what I'm doing when it comes to embedding video here, sorry for the jumble.
USMC In The Snow
At about 1:24 you can see a suppressor that is well into the cherry red area of that external stainless steel girdle (old NT4, not current monocore Inconel 718).

Will a titanium suppressor handle that? I wouldn't bet on it. Not taking a shot at titanium suppressors, they're great when used appropriately with the understanding of what they're going to do, but I'd expect them to be able to handle heavy rain when moderately hot.

I'm not a knife maker, and despite reading Goddard's book and a healthy dose of Forged in Fire I certainly don't consider myself to be more informed on knife making than someone that *actually does it*, but I do feel pretty safe in saying that blade design and material are significantly different than suppressors. BUT I absolutely do agree that "water quenching" (full submersion) a ripping hot suppressor is a bad idea.

 

[secondofangle2]

When I wrap a wet towel on mine, it's barely hot enough to sizzle for just a brief moment, then MAYBE it will steam a little.

I rarely shoot more than 5-10 shots before I let it cool

But with that ryobi blower, it's really no longer an issue, I have rarely used the wet towel trick now that I have like 1000 CFM going through my barrel

 

[cyranis]

When I wrap a wet towel on mine, it's barely hot enough to sizzle for just a brief moment, then MAYBE it will steam a little.

I rarely shoot more than 5-10 shots before I let it cool

But with that ryobi blower, it's really no longer an issue, I have rarely used the wet towel trick now that I have like 1000 CFM going through my barrel

You don't need to fully submerse it. You do this to a hot frying pan, you will have a warped pan. A suppressor is no different. You WILL create tensile strain on the material and if it exceeds the tensile strength, you WILL develop micro fractures and eventually stress cracks as well as warping. It's actually worse to not cool metals evenly.

 

[Edsel]

Badass DIY barrel cooler(s)

If you’ve tried one of the commercial offerings, you were probably disappointed with airflow, battery life, or the whole shebang. That inspired me first to buy a rechargeable mattress inflator on Amazon for about $25 and rig a plastic pipe elbow so that it will generally fit in the bolt raceway...

www.snipershide.com

I use the Ryobi blower with a piece of tubing. It can be placed in the action of the rifle and cool both the barrel and suppressor or just place it in the suppressor once removed the new whisper series blower is much quite than my older version. I will probably upgrade it later this year.

What the heck.

No DeWalt version!

 

[carbonbased]

What the heck.

No DeWalt version!

You can buy excellent battery adapters to run your dewalt battery in a Ryobi. I did so with my Metabo battery to Ryobi. But beware, there appears to be a lot of junk out there.

After a bunch of research I found a good place that isn’t some Amazon Chinese reseller of dubious quality items.

The seller is Eastern Trade Tools and he is based out of Austrialia. His shop used to be called yourtoolbox, btw, if you’re googling his reputation.

https://www.ebay.com/str/easterntradetools

His website. Perhaps this is the adapter you need?

Dewalt XR 18v Battery Adaptor to Ryobi One+ Tools

Mystery busters: is ryobi that low quality thus will not suffice for real traides' needs? Yes and no, for some 'power focuesd' tools like saws and grinders, every bit of the motor components counts, and all these add up to ensure the overall power and endurance, hence better stick to the...

www.yourtoolbox.com.au

He makes other Dewalt adapters, battery post conversions, etc. Reach out to him, he is accessible.

 

[Edsel]

You can buy excellent battery adapters to run your dewalt battery in a Ryobi. I did so with my Metabo battery to Ryobi. But beware, there appears to be a lot of junk out there.

After a bunch of research I found a good place that isn’t some Amazon Chinese reseller of dubious quality items.

The seller is Eastern Trade Tools and he is based out of Austrialia. His shop used to be called yourtoolbox, btw, if you’re googling his reputation.

Security measure

www.ebay.com.au

His website. Perhaps this is the adapter you need?

Dewalt XR 18v Battery Adaptor to Ryobi One+ Tools

Mystery busters: is ryobi that low quality thus will not suffice for real traides' needs? Yes and no, for some 'power focuesd' tools like saws and grinders, every bit of the motor components counts, and all these add up to ensure the overall power and endurance, hence better stick to the...

www.yourtoolbox.com.au

He makes other Dewalt adapters, battery post conversions, etc. Reach out to him, he is accessible.

A bit pricey for adapters, those…

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

Found one that’s “good enough,” won’t be needing an adapter after all.

 

[carbonbased]

A bit pricey for adapters, those…

I’m not rich enough to buy cheap stuff. I want things to work the first time, and for a long time.

Take a gander at the reviews of most cordless battery adapters on Amazon…

But I’m glad you find a Dewalt-compatible blower. That’s probably the best option anyhow.

Btw if anyone is also looking for a Metabo HPT battery adapter and is frustrated, well, Metabo HPT in the USA isn’t really Metabo (a German tool maker). Metabo HPT = Hitachi rebrand.

And apparently Hitachi is known as Hikoki in much of the world. So search for Hikoki or Hitachi adapter. The yourtoolbox/EasternTradeTools guy made them and it appears he’s out of stock. Ask him.

Here’s mine:

Hitachi / Hikoki 18v Battery adaptor to Ryobi One+ tools | eBay

1x Hitachi / Hikoki 18v Battery Adapter to Ryobi Tools, adaptors only. I will not say their product won't work, it's damn simple and it should work, I'm just thinking those false and gimmick wording is funny and not necessary, just like a tradesman win his jobs by doing good job not by talking...

www.ebay.com

 

[Edsel]

I’m not rich enough to buy cheap stuff. I want things to work the first time, and for a long time.

There’s no guarantee DeWalt will maintain its present battery interface forever.

Heck, I kept my heavily - used Sony Handycams and Cybershots in like - new condition, but batteries are no longer produced for my models - not even by Lionbattery (a Chinese mainstay from a decade ago).

My cost / benefit curve was adjusted to suit this paradigm of not accumulating expensive obsoletes long ago.

 

[Edsel]

But I’m glad you find a Dewalt-compatible blower. That’s probably the best option anyhow.

Not a DeWalt.

Made to look like one, by “Mellif Tools,” which appears to be based in Seoul.

Looks like a Harbor Freight - type of brand, stuff’s probably made in China.

 

[carbonbased]

There’s no guarantee DeWalt will maintain its present battery interface forever.

Heck, I kept my heavily - used Sony Handycams and Cybershots are in like - new condition, but batteries are no longer produced for my models - not even by the Lionbattery (a Chinese mainstay from a decade ago).

My cost / benefit curve was adjusted to suit this paradigm of not accumulating expensive obsoletes long ago.

You are taking my statement to some logical extreme endpoint lol.

I realize the truth about anything with a proprietary battery having a shorter lifespan. That same issue has happened to those I know with Sony camcorders. That’s not what I am talking about.

I’m talking about buying a cheaper adapter at Amazon for $13-25 bucks vs a $50 one (incl. shipping) from the Australia guy. There’s lots of fake reviews on these types of products on Amazon.

So, for me, it’s a false economy to attempt to save $25-37 bucks and have a high chance that the battery will slip out and fall, not work, having to ship back, etc etc.

 

[CA48]

I have always used fans at the rear of the rifle. Pulled the bolt and let it blow through the barrel and suppressor.

Though I’ve wanted to try a 10-20lb bottle of co2 with a regulator and run a hose through the chamber.