Suppressors Time to Clean?

[earthquake]

This is my first suppressor and I'm not sure about cleaning one. From this photo it looks to me like the holes are getting rather filled with carbon and thus their diameter is shrinking.



I've heard that you should weigh them and once it reaches a certain weight with carbon fouling, then clean it. However I didn't weigh it clean and don't have a sensitive enough scale. It's got about 600 rounds of factory ammo with H4350 & Varget through it at this point. Any thoughts from the suppressor pros here? It still shoots, sounds and groups well so I'm not concerned about performance yet, but maybe want to do a preemptive cleaning rather than wait?

Thanks.

 

[427Cobra]

Both of my cans(Shark and Aries) come apart, but I have yet to clean either, and I probably won't as long as there working.

 

[jasonfaz]

I clean mine once I get 2oz in additional weight. I plug the end cap with with an orange ear bud, fill with acetone, let soak overnight. After 24 hours I dump the acetone, scrub carbon build up as much as possible with water and dishwasher detergent, then - finally - blow it out with compressor at about 50-60 psi. With that process I'm able to get back within .2 ounces of original weight...

 

[Ring]

u have access to a ultrasonic tank?

if not, plug and fill with 50/50 mix of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.. its about the only thing the will eat the carbon, and if u have a 22lr can, it will eat the lead out of the can...

when clean, flush with clean water

 

[XTRTITAN]

I would definitely clean it before it gets to heavy. Once the carbon reaches around 8 ounces, the carbon will be so thick and hard that the solvents wont penetrate it any more and make it nearly impossible to remove. zak smith recommends CLR soaking and GAP recommends BoreTech carbon eliminator soaking. I have had no luck with peroxside and vinegar as it seems it only works on rimfires. I would recommend having a take apart design like the Lane Silencer LLc Scorpion if your in the market for another can. i disassembled mine yesterday and put it in the hornady hot tub for an hour and it looked like brand new when it came out and was back to the original 13.7oz. just my .02

 

[earthquake]

Thanks for the replies. The mfg's website says to use white vinegar. Seems like there's a lot of different options. I'm no metalurgist, but I don't want to use anything that may corrode the metal or welds or void the warranty.

I'm just not familiar with titanium, but if regular carbon solvent is ok in a SS barrel, it should be ok in a suppressor too? I'll try vinegar first and go from there.

 

[Twitch2120]

straight vinegar will eat lead and carbon, adding hy perox will speed it up. both make a nasty substance with lead. WEAR GLOVES!!! when you are done with it take it to a hazmat facility and say its battery acid. i use vinegar in a pickle jar to clean my 22lr baffles. 24 hour soak and everything wipes off.

 

[Graham]

I've never cleaned a suppressor.

 

[XTRTITAN]

This is what 8oz of carbon looks like from a self cleaning suppressor. Dont ever let it get to this point.

 

[jcalaustx]

Be careful with the vinegar/peroxide mix. It can degrade some metal components. I know this "dip" mixture can be used on some metals but not others. I have three cans that are sealed, including an older AAC Ti-Rant, and will need to clean them eventually. I've heard KR Oil or PV Blaster are safe but do not know how effective either are. I have seen what vinegar/peroxide can do to metals that react to it and I certainly don't want that to happen inside any of my cans.

 

[3DHUSKER]

I've never cleaned a suppressor.

I also have never cleaned a high power rifle suppressor. 22LR cans yes.

 

[jcalaustx]

Found this on-line while researching carbon remover:

https://www.boretech.com/products/carbonremover.shtml

Claims to be safe for suppressors. Anyone have experience with this product?

 

[jasonfaz]

XTRTITAN, are you able to share what can those baffles are from? That shit is crazy. I've never seen anything like it. I figured a user-serviceable can would have enough give between the baffles to allow the carbon build up to break off with the pressure of the muzzle blast. But I guess not. Nuts...

 

[XTRTITAN]

That can started life as a sealed unserviceable can from one of the top manufactures. (retail $1275) after being unable to remove the carbon and finding out what it was gonna cost to have it professionally cleaned annually,(6000 centerfire and less than 1500 rimfire plugged it up that bad) I decided to just have it repaired by putting a user serviceable core in it from Lane Silencer Llc. Now cleaning is as easy as giving it a bath.

this is the new core with 350 rds after testing and competing in the RMSQ and the other pic is after spending 1hr in the hornady sonic cleaner and returning it to factory weight preparing for the next match.

 

[dw80]

Hi XTRTITAN, What solution are you using in the hot tub.
I have a 5.56 Lane Scorpion and still stamp waiting on a 338 Scorpion Magnum. What is your POI shift with the different first baffle design? Can you hear a difference between it and a standard Scorpion King?

 

[3DHUSKER]

That can started life as a sealed unserviceable can from one of the top manufactures. (retail $1275) after being unable to remove the carbon and finding out what it was gonna cost to have it professionally cleaned annually,(6000 centerfire and less than 1500 rimfire plugged it up that bad)

Well there you go. Not uncommon when you fire rim fire through a center fire can.

 

[XTRTITAN]

Hi XTRTITAN, What solution are you using in the hot tub.
I have a 5.56 Lane Scorpion and still stamp waiting on a 338 Scorpion Magnum. What is your POI shift with the different first baffle design? Can you hear a difference between it and a standard Scorpion King?[/QUOTE

I am just using the hornady one shot solution. it seems to work good on the core. Put it in for 30 min, pick a couple chunks of with a screw driver, put it in for another 30 min and it is clean.

I don't shoot my guns anymore without the can on so i don't know what the unsuppressed shift is because it does not matter to me.
there does not seem to be any recognizable sound difference between the two designs but i feel that the new baffle reduces recoil mildly better.

 

[XTRTITAN]

Well there you go. Not uncommon when you fire rim fire through a center fire can.

no worries anymore. i can shoot as much rimfire as i want and return it to the original weight the same day and it is just as quiet and shoots just as good without the cleaning worries.

ps. my buddys can that was identical to my original can is 7 oz. over original weight and has never seen a rimfire round.