Silencer Cleaning Suggestions & Preventative Lubricants

I

ironguts

Member
What's some of your tried and true Silencer/Suppressor cleaning tips and preventative maintenance out side of using a sonic cleaner. Do you use any high temp grease on the threads or any other lubricants to help making cleaning and disassembly easier on your take apart brands?
 
I coat the baffles of my rimfire can with DOW 111 after each cleaning and it seems to really help keep the crud from sticking to them. I just make sure to disassemble and clean at the end of every weekend it gets used.
 
Centerfire cans I don't do anything except put a tiny dab of choke tube grease on the threads.

Rimfire I pre-treat with DOT-5 brake fluid. Really seems to help.
 
Another thing I reccommend is weigh your rimfire silencer WHEN NEW, on a precision scale ie a reloading scale. You can tell by re- weighing it if lead is building up.
 
Originally Posted By: cmateraAnother thing I reccommend is weigh your rimfire silencer WHEN NEW, on a precision scale ie a reloading scale. You can tell by re- weighing it if lead is building up.

Both of my rimfire cans are TBAC sealed units and this is exactly what I've done with them since getting them new. Surprisingly, after a few thousand rounds, they've gained a very minimal amount of weight. TBAC allows me to send them back once a year to be cleaned for free but I haven't had the need to yet.
 
My Spectre II is cooling in jars of 350 cst Silicone right now. Drip dry, pat dry, re-assemble, and GTG. If it makes the can easier to clean, it's well worth the effort.
 
Most centerfire suppressors aren't user serviceable and the pressure is so high that I wouldn't bother. Most manufacturers don't recommend it anyway. I'm still waiting on my SiCo Spectre for my .22lr and 17 HMR, but will probably order some of that 350 cst silicone off Amazon to help with cleaning.
 
Apparently you haven't pulled a center fire can apart after 500 or so rounds. They do build carbon that does effect the performance and if left alone they will go south on you.

Didn't see where it mentioned anything about subsonic ammo either.
 
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Originally Posted By: Rich1Apparently you haven't pulled a center fire can apart after 500 or so rounds. They do build carbon that does effect the performance and if left alone they will go south on you.

Didn't see where it mentioned anything about subsonic ammo either.



Actually Rich I've spent hundreds of hours in a suppressor manufacturing facility, along with being issued them in the military, own a 1/2 dozen or so and shot most everything out so yes I've seen the insides of many many suppressors, both being manufactured and repaired. I've helped test, worked on R&D and done training for many shooters as well. In my experience, centerfire rifle suppressors do not need cleaning but hey, if you want to clean your suppressors have at it.


As for the mention of "subsonic" in your referring article, there's no need. I have shot literally thousands of rounds through an MP5SD and they are simply a 9mm pistol and the integral suppressor combination combined with ports in the barrel to reduce pressure make it subsonic, hence why they are so quiet. It's also why they are weak on kinetic energy and training consist of short burst or minimum of controlled pairs on target. Had you actually been issued one, used one or owned one you would know.

Lots of subsonic pistol use, integrally suppressed and rimfires do build up lead, carbon and unburnt powder, so YES they do need serviced.
 
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