Suppressors My method for cleaning the Silencerco Sparrow.

[Kisssofdeath]

The other day I was cleaning my Sparrow and thought, "this would make a good topic for those not familiar with or just got their sparrow. I will have a dialog above each photo.

Here is what your Sparrow will look like if you go several thousand rounds without cleaning. Do not do this, it will be extremely difficult to take apart. Some of the chambers were almost closed together.

I suffered a long time before learning about the DIP solution on a YouTube video by accident. This consist of a 50/50 mix of Hydrogen Peroxide and White Vinegar. This solution will melt your skin to the bone, nah I don't know that for sure but I hear it's pretty dangerous. Do what you want but I wear rubber or latex gloves.

I save my pickle and olive jars for a one time use for the solution. I put the monolith core and two shields in the solution and let sit overnight. I also remove the o-rings. Do not put anything aluminum in the solution. This is one of the reasons to never buy a suppressor with aluminum baffles or other internal parts that will need cleaning. Here is my last solution after cleaning. You can actually watch the carbon being removed. I let mine sit overnight.

I have found the best way to remove the core is with a small phillips screwdriver and big hammer. The screw driver keeps everything aligned while the big hammer knocks it through. You would have to be a real Fredo to screw it up. Use what you want, I'm just saying what works best for me.

Here is mine all cleaned up and ready for assembly. Well, as clean as I care to get it. Steel dental picks work great for removing buildup and removing and installing the 0-rings.

Because of photo limitations I will continue below.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

After everything is cleaned to your satisfaction you will need to install the o-rings. I put new ones in every time. They are easy to install with the dental picks. I use a small amount of oil to help them slide. This may be the most beneficial part of this thread. Here are the o-rings I found that will work. I have used them several times without any problem. Could reuse them I'm sure but why, I have almost a lifetime of them for just a few dollars.

These two outer ones are easy.

The inner one is hard to get in unless you use something flat to keep the 0-ring from being pushed through. I use the razor blade this time because it was just there.

Here is a good view of all three o-rings.

Well that's it, it was really an afterthought to do this or I would have had a few more photos to show the process. Hope someone gets use out of this or educated in making a suppressor decision. I would suspect the o-ring information would be a big tip.

Sparrow in use.

 

[littlepod]

Thanks for the write up! I never knew where that smaller o-ring was... I removed the larger too and couldn't find the smaller one. It didn't occur to me to look inside and not outside the threading areas...

I should check my suppressor because I let it soak in that DIP solution with the o-ring inside, and wondering if the o-ring dissolved or if it's still there...

Looks like I need 1 013 size oring and 1 018 size oring.

https://www.brownells.com/rifle-par...-adapters/sparrow-o-ring-pack-prod101181.aspx

Need to find a good place to buy in more bulk / with the right material - it looks like something made of Viton or something...

 

[556ARs]

Two products I've found to work very well for loosening carbon inside the tube are: SoyLube and BoltOff(both soy oil based). Also takes away most of the "first round pop" when spritzed into the can. Downside is it weeps out through any unsealed joint. I'm going to try using a single layer of teflon thread tape next time I have to dis-assemble and see if that stops the weeping at the joints.
I bought a bunch of this stuff for cheap at Menards a couple of years back and tried it just as an experiment. Non-flammable and non-corrosive and no offensive odor.
Not sure I'd recommend "never seize" since I've seen it harden when exposed to high heat.

 

[Near miss]

I sunk my Ase Utra Eco in white vinegar for long periods (over night and even the next day) it comes clean in pretty much couple of hours but the aluminum did not suffer at all even then.

I stopped using white vinegar as I learned through a thread in here that using it will create lead acetose, which is toxic and needs to be neuralized, if I remember correctly, with salt acid before discarding.

In the end there are really not many things you cannot pour down the drain but this is one of those. I am not going to be the dick that they curse at at the water cleaning station when they check lead levels. And anyways, as they cannot clean all of it some of that lead (0.0000001%) will come out of my tap some day.

I know this sounds bad but this is the conclusion we rounded in to.
If any of you have real data to turn this upside down, please do point it out.

 

[littlepod]

I sunk my Ase Utra Eco in white vinegar for long periods (over night and even the next day) it comes clean in pretty much couple of hours but the aluminum did not suffer at all even then.

I stopped using white vinegar as I learned through a thread in here that using it will create lead acetose, which is toxic and needs to be neuralized, if I remember correctly, with salt acid before discarding.

In the end there are really not many things you cannot pour down the drain but this is one of those. I am not going to be the dick that they curse at at the water cleaning station when they check lead levels. And anyways, as they cannot clean all of it some of that lead (0.0000001%) will come out of my tap some day.

I know this sounds bad but this is the conclusion we rounded in to.
If any of you have real data to turn this upside down, please do point it out.

I carefully did the dip solution the first time and read up about how toxic it was. I covered the glass and packaged it with a lot of paper and into the dumpster. Definitely not going down the drain.

I ended up buying Boretech C4 carbon killer for my next cleaning.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

I understand everyone's concern. That's an issue people have to deal with themselves. As for me, I have a lot of property so I just dispose of it out and away somewhere. The empty jar gets trashed.

 

[spife7980]

Dont throw the lead acetate down the drain or out in the pasture sinkhole, it can still poison something. Just take it to your local hazardous materials recycle center and be honest and tell them what it is and they will dispose of it properly.


If I were to make it I would make a big jar of it and keep it for awhile for numerous cleanings and I would wear some long as rubber gloves and do it outside.

Id rather get myself an ultra sonic cleaner personally.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Dont throw the lead acetate down the drain or out in the pasture sinkhole, it can still poison something. Just take it to your local hazardous materials recycle center and be honest and tell them what it is and they will dispose of it properly.


If I were to make it I would make a big jar of it and keep it for awhile for numerous cleanings and I would wear some long as rubber gloves and do it outside.

Id rather get myself an ultra sonic cleaner personally.

I have an Ultrasonic cleaner and it will not clean the Sparrow with all the cleaners I have tried. Works great for brass, gun parts, jewelry and other stuff but not suppressors.

I did do due diligence and check the area for recycle centers for hazardous material and it cost more than I'm willing to pay.

 

[spife7980]

That sucks. Usually the local municipal ran ones are free.

 

[Hellbender]

What kind of ammo are you shooting in your Sparrow?
I've had 2 of them for 4+ years and have shot over 3000 rounds through them several times w/o cleaning, and they never look even 10% that bad.
I shoot a mix of Fed. bulk and old Remington white box target ammo through my AR22's and Ruger MKIII's on one.
My other Sparrow I shoot mainly Fed 922A (made by RWS) on my Vudoo V22. It had about 2500 rounds through it and I took it apart a few days ago and just knocked out a few chunks of buildup with a nylon scraper and put it back together. I won't even look at it again for 5000 rounds.

It's also odd that your first chamber is so clean, that is always about the only one that needs cleaned on mine.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

I shoot a variety of ammo that includes several Eley types, several SK, a few RWS, Lapua, CCI SV, Fed GM Match and UM, both Wolf types.

 

[littlepod]

Mine was equally filthy after about 2500 rounds. I only shoot subsonic ammo. CCI SV and SK+. I wonder if supersonic ammo makes a big difference.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Mine was equally filthy after about 2500 rounds. I only shoot subsonic ammo. CCI SV and SK+. I wonder if supersonic ammo makes a big difference.

Not sure about the supersonic ammo. If it's accurate I'd say go for it but if not I'd just deal with the cleaning. Personally, I don't think it would be any cleaner than standard velocity ammo.

 

[Sieg]

I carefully did the dip solution the first time and read up about how toxic it was. I covered the glass and packaged it with a lot of paper and into the dumpster. Definitely not going down the drain.

I ended up buying Boretech C4 carbon killer for my next cleaning.

Very interested in how the BoreTech C4 works.
I've yet to find anything that will clean them in my ultrasonic which only goes to 140*.

Shooting SV rimfire is filthy, shooting .17 HM2 or HMR is very clean comparably.

 

[rockmyglock]

It's all that soy that's making your can weep and lose its first round pop.

It won't take long before it grows titties and begins a gender studies course.

Two products I've found to work very well for loosening carbon inside the tube are: SoyLube and BoltOff(both soy oil based). Also takes away most of the "first round pop" when spritzed into the can. Downside is it weeps out through any unsealed joint. I'm going to try using a single layer of teflon thread tape next time I have to dis-assemble and see if that stops the weeping at the joints.
I bought a bunch of this stuff for cheap at Menards a couple of years back and tried it just as an experiment. Non-flammable and non-corrosive and no offensive odor.
Not sure I'd recommend "never seize" since I've seen it harden when exposed to high heat.

 

[cab0154]

Great thread. My sparrow has been in ATF jail for about 200 days now.

 

[srt-4_uk]

I throw my suppressors in my wet tumbler.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

I throw my suppressors in my wet tumbler.

How does that work? Any photos of the process?

 

[Kisssofdeath]

Great thread. My sparrow has been in ATF jail for about 200 days now.

Thanks

 

[srt-4_uk]

How does that work? Any photos of the process?

I just throw them in my wet tumbler when I do brass. Dont have photos but the baffles come out almost as clean as the dip but without the hazmat.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

I just throw them in my wet tumbler when I do brass. Dont have photos but the baffles come out almost as clean as the dip but without the hazmat.

Do you have a bowl tumbler or a barrel type?

 

[srt-4_uk]

A rotary tumbler.

Amazon.com : Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Rotary Tumbler for Cleaning and Polishing Brass for Reloading : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Rotary Tumbler for Cleaning and Polishing Brass for Reloading : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

 

[Boltman82]

I have a Spectre and I soak the baffles in CLR. The crap pretty much dissolves right off. I need to replace my o rings though, thanks for the reminder.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

That's the barrel type and the one I don't have. What media do you use? Do you use any compound?

 

[srt-4_uk]

Stainless steel pins. It cleans brass significantly better than a vibrating tumbler too. I put a drop of dish soap, warm water, and let it run for 2 hours.

 

[littlepod]

I tried out the C4 Carbon Remover... 1 large bottle was $26, so it was pretty pricey. Used about half the bottle and a small plastic container to soak my sparrow for about 22 hours. It did remove a lot of the carbon, but some of the stuff that was really stuck on, didn't come off. If I wanted it to really penetrate and remove everything, it'd probably be a bit of soaking, scrubbing, and soaking. Maybe over 48-72 hours to get it clean. I wasn't patient, so I chipped away any of the hard chunks, on the cover pieces, and on the baffles the little bit that remained, I just left it on there. The DIP solution definitely cleaned it better after 24 hours, but man that stuff is toxic...

So now I'm curious about this tumbler thing. So water, dish soap, and that stainless steel pins cleans your spectre? I don't clean brass as I don't reload, so that thing is huge. I need to find a mini version that just fits my sparrow

 

[srt-4_uk]

So now I'm curious about this tumbler thing. So water, dish soap, and that stainless steel pins cleans your spectre? I don't clean brass as I don't reload, so that thing is huge. I need to find a mini version that just fits my sparrow

Yeah. If you google "wet tumbler suppressor cleaning" theres lots of videos and pictures of before and after. The only reason for the soap is to help reduce the surface tension for cleaning brass. Probably not needed for a suppressor but it doesnt hurt. The pins are doing all the cleaning.

 

[shingi]

Any parts degradation on those metals with the solution?

 

[littlepod]

In a recent video I saw, they said to just use CLR if the suppressor is stainless which my sparrow is. I haven't tried it yet though.

 

[psychogecko]

Yeah. If you google "wet tumbler suppressor cleaning" theres lots of videos and pictures of before and after. The only reason for the soap is to help reduce the surface tension for cleaning brass. Probably not needed for a suppressor but it doesnt hurt. The pins are doing all the cleaning.

I have one, but I just never thought to put the suppressor in there. It makes sense, life will be so much easier now.

 

[Booner1334]

................
So now I'm curious about this tumbler thing. So water, dish soap, and that stainless steel pins cleans your spectre? I don't clean brass as I don't reload, so that thing is huge. I need to find a mini version that just fits my sparrow

Harbor Freight sells a small rotary tumbler that might work for you.

 

[BuckeyeCZ77]

I’ve had great luck with Shooters Lube on my firearms. I’m curious if anyone in here has treated their cans with it and cleaned with it? Might be snake oil, but works on my guns.

 

[Jigstick]

I just tumble my 22 suppressor components in stainless steel media. No big deal. Hot water. Dish soap. Lemishine.