22 suppressor cleaning

[Elkins45]

I had a website bookmarked that no longer exists where a guy who shot suppressed 22 a lot (like 5000 rounds a month) describe the method he had stumbled upon to make cleaning easier. Basically, he scrubbed all the parts of his silencer totally clean and then heated them up in an oven and dropped them into pure silicone oil until they cooled off.

There’s one particular specification of brake fluid that’s pure silicone, DOT 5 I think. When I bought my commercial 22 can I did this treatment using it before firing it for the first time and I think it really made a difference. All the crud basically wiped off after 1000 rounds. It was so much easier than cleaning the can I have been using for 300 Blackout and cast bullets that I’m going to give it the same treatment the next time I have it apart.

Edit: found the original article on the Internet archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20161104063835/http://www.rrdvegas.com/silencer-cleaning.html

 

[Conelrad]

Just never bead blast internal suppressor parts: The new grainy surface will marry up with any carbon and become one.

 

[horsemen61]

Just never bead blast internal suppressor parts: The new grainy surface will marry up with any carbon and become one.

Good to know thank you as I am waiting on a new .22 can I hate the waiting though

 

[ExtremeSquared]

SWR (now silencerco) used to make a stainless rimfire suppressor where all the lead-collecting baffle areas had straight walls, as opposed to K baffle type walls. Maybe called omega baffles?

I made a clamping baffle jig for my drill press. With a carefully set press depth, a 1/2 inch drill bit will carve 90% of the lead deposits out of the baffles in seconds. Given drill press runout and bit stiffness, it is probably risky, but the baffle walls are thick at least.

 

[JimNZ]

A stiff-bristled brush or toothbrush to get rid of the worst of the fouling is all you really need, and then only every few thousand rounds.

Mine seldom need to be cleaned, but I do like to disassemble and reassemble just to make sure the threads aren't seized or corroding (mine is made from alloy).

 

[irishlad]

I coat my Rugged Mustang, which has aluminum baffles, with Sil Glyde.
https://www.acehardware.com/departm...V1ACtBh3YtAZXEAQYAiABEgLrPfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
90% of the carbon wipes off easily.
I then soak the baffles in simple green pro. It's aluminum safe.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Simple-...VOy6tBh1W0wRIEAQYASABEgJfZ_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Whatever is left I us this

https://www.big45metalcleaner.com/

The baffles when done are very clean.

 

[greyling22]

I'm certainly not the end all be all expert, but on my mask, I've given up doing anything but the dip. nothing else got the lead out. ultrasonic cleaner worked ok for getting a lot of the carbon off, but did nothing for lead. I have not tried running the baffles through the wet tumbler. I'll add another chemical to mach V's list: purple power will strip the anodization and pit aluminum within 2 minutes in an ultrasonic cleaner (RIP liberty mount.)

so basically these days I dip the baffle stack every year or so, while wearing gloves, and put a 12 gauge wire brush on a drill and run it up the tube. You can try dumping epsom salts in the residual dip, and supposedly the lead will precipitate out due to chemistry, but I've not tried it.

 

[Nuclear]

Yeah, there are a number of chemicals that will react with the lead acetate to form an insoluble compound. You still have the lead compound to dispose of, but it isn’t anywhere near as bioactive as lead acetate.

 

[Elkins45]

You can try dumping epsom salts in the residual dip, and supposedly the lead will precipitate out due to chemistry, but I've not tried it.

Ordinary table salt should precipitate it as lead chloride.

 

[nugi]

Gotta report after soaking my suppressor in CLP and scrubbing it for hours to about 98% clean, I tried the Silaramic treatment. After a little less than 100 rounds I took it apart wiped it all clean with a few napkins and reassembled, probably 30 minutes. Beautiful. I wonder how many rounds you can go before the Silaramic stops doing its job - 100 rounds isn't a ton.

After I run out I'll probably try the silicone and oven bake next. Although I'm curious where this thread's been going in terms of using "the dip" and then neutralizing "the dip".

 

[Nuclear]

I did the silicone oil treatment (heating, etc), and it did make it much easier to clean. Then I tried just cleaning with silicone oil, and it does a pretty good job, with less hassle.