Do not wet a suppressor?

[Impureclient]

Just picked up my Silencerco Sparrow and the guy at the store told me specifically not to put any lithium grease or water in the can.
I said "even the nosedrop spritzer with water" and he said "no". Mainly said it will just create a mess but I didn't really get anything more
as he was in a hurry about to close shop and I figured I would get a more correct response here.

 

[YZ]

Most modern suppressors are dry, so he is probably right. I'd look in the manual or call the manufacturer. This also may be covered in the QA section on the web site.

PS. Gemtech and I think AAC warn against putting any stuff in the cans, even for cleaning.

 

[Magnuumpwr]

I do not own a sparrow, but do own the 9mm. According to the FAQ part of silencerco's web site it is the same, recommending no more than 5CC's of water, grease, etc...

WHAT IS SHOOTING WET, AND CAN IT BE DONE WITH YOUR SUPPRESSOR?

Shooting “wet” is introducing an artificial medium (water, oil, grease, wire pulling gel) into the baffle stack of the suppressor to further reduce sound output levels. It works by further slowing and cooling hot gases before they exit the bore. Silencerco sound suppressors can be shot wet with a reasonable amount of coolant. Typically, 5CCs of coolant is the maximum that should be used.

This is an excerpt from their FAQ page for the SS sparrow.

 

[weblance]

SilencerCo states that the Stainless Steel Sparrow CAN be shot wet. I do it all the time. It doesnt create a mess. I would think grease, or Wire Pulling Gel would create a mess, but water is fine. In fact, when I started shooting with my Sparrow, I would hold it under the sink faucet, and "filler up". Then I tried the nasal spray bottle, and have stayed with that. Much less water, and the effect is the same.

 

[YZ]

SilencerCo states that the Stainless Steel Sparrow CAN be shot wet. I do it all the time. It doesnt create a mess. I would think grease, or Wire Pulling Gel would create a mess, but water is fine. In fact, when I started shooting with my Sparrow, I would hold it under the sink faucet, and "filler up". Then I tried the nasal spray bottle, and have stayed with that. Much less water, and the effect is the same.

Does wetting make it quieter?

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Follow the manufacturer's recommendation in regards to what ammo to run "wet" with

Silencerco .22 Sparrow can be disassembled by the user to clean. Big plus in my book.

Some .22 silencers require a technician to disassemble, clean, reassemble. Some folks take their silencer to the licensed dealer to have maintenance pulled. Military has armorers for work like that.

.22 lead bullet (most standard velocity just-below-the-sound-barrier .22 recommended for silencer use) leaves a condensation of vaporized lead in a .22 silencer. You do not have that problem with jacketed 9mm (or it takes longer).

Follow the silencer manufacturers recommendations on running wet, especially in regard to ammo.

As to why run wet goes, water will cool the exhaust gases and reduce the noise level. Silencers work mainly by slowing release of gas behind the bullet, but cooling the gas before it hits the atmosphere also helps lower the noise level somewhat.

 

[Ironman]

Get a new dealer!

I can't STAND people that spread bad info!:banghead:

Of course you can shoot your new sparrow wet, in fact you can shoot any can wet. Yes even a quality built rifle can can withstand the pressure increase of a cap full of water. It will be messy but quieter and the sparrow easily comes apart for cleaning. Enjoy!

 

[taliv]

i would not put water in rifle cans

however, i shoot my silencer co osprey on my fnp45 tactical wet all the time. i only use water and it is a little messier than without. but it's worth it

 

[weblance]

Does wetting make it quieter?

Only on the first shot. The Sparrow has FRP(First Round Pop). Its a quirk of the design. When shooting from a pistol length barrel, the first shot is noticeably louder than the second, and successive shots. Wetting the Sparrow results in taking away that annoying FRP. When on a rifle length barrel, the Sparrow doesnt have any FRP.

 

[YZ]

Thanks Lance. Looked up Sparrow, they claim it is the first to be safely disassembled. And they do allow up to 5 ml of water, no word on grease and such. They do not mention the phenomenon you've described, at least not up front. One could easily get excited and buy it, only to realize in 6 months that you almost have to wet it to shoot a garden pest without alerting Mrs Busy next door.

 

[allaroundhunter]

YZ, even with FRP, if you you are using subsonic ammo your first shot will not be that loud. It will still be muffled, and there aren't many people that would know what that sound is. If your neighbors are inside of their home then I can almost guarantee you that they won't hear it.

 

[YZ]

Get a new dealer!

I can't STAND people that spread bad info!:banghead:

Of course you can shoot your new sparrow wet, in fact you can shoot any can wet. Yes even a quality built rifle can can withstand the pressure increase of a cap full of water. It will be messy but quieter and the sparrow easily comes apart for cleaning. Enjoy!

Just noticed your post. This is strictly btw, changing the dealer may not be easy in rural areas, and for getting a good price break one can do his own homework. More lgs employees have given me wrong info than I care to remember. What matters is how they take being corrected.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

I like to think that really combat suitable suppressors would be designed to be shot wet, if only because they are used in wet environments and end up that way on occasion. A tactical operative does not have time to stop to dry out his equipment. I have several suppressors, but do not use water or gel in my .22 rimfire or centerfire rifle cans. The pistol cans seem to need it to be most effective, but the other suppressors are just fine without it.

 

[kimbershot]

so what about my awc amphibian.

 

[CoRoMo]

Just picked up my Silencerco Sparrow and the guy at the store told me specifically not to...

Odd that a 'guy at the store' would command you to do or not to do something with a product he did not manufacture.

Watch Mike Pappas with SilencerCo add liquid to the product that they manufacture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=pQfq8ab-nn4#t=1112s

Watch Mike Pappas with SilencerCo shoot the Sparrow wet after adding gel to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ffzm8kDKLQM#t=94s

 

[boricua9mm]

I don't have a Sparrow, but I do have the sister company's Octane 9 HD. The manual states that if you shoot the suppressor wet that you should clean it afterwards. Seems to make sense, as the steel components won't respond well to being rode hard and put away wet, even if they are "stainless."

I've never shot my can wet, and I probably never will. It's quiet enough as it is and it's nice to not have to disassemble it and clean it until the recommended interval. There's nothing fun about cleaning a can, even with an Ultrasonic cleaner.

 

[YZ]

Boricua
Any problems from ultrasonic cleaning? What settings do you use? Blow drying?

 

[weblance]

One could easily get excited and buy it, only to realize in 6 months that you almost have to wet it to shoot a garden pest without alerting Mrs Busy next door.

A simple spritz from a nasal spray bottle, filled with water, is all it takes to eliminate the FRP from the Sparrow. Try using Standard Velocity ammo. It is much quieter than High Velocity ammo. The FRP from the Sparrow is only when you use it on a pistol. Keep in mind also that a suppressor changes the tone of the report, so that it doesnt simply sound like a quiet gunshot, it actually doesnt sound like a gunshot at all. If you are using your suppressor for urban pest control, get a threaded 22 rifle. A bolt or pump action is quietest, because there is no sound of the action cycling. From a rifle barrel, you need a bullet that is slow enough, so that it doesnt break the sound barrier, or you end up with "sonic crack", a phenomenon very different from FRP, but just as annoying. Use subsonic, or Standard Velocity ammo. A rifle barrel will have a tendency to get the velocity of the bullet up much higher than the short pistol barrel. With Standard Velocity ammo, my threaded Ruger 10/22 and Sparrow combination, is very quiet on every shot. Ive had the most fun trying different pistol, rifle, and ammo combinations. Good luck.

 

[boricua9mm]

Boricua
Any problems from ultrasonic cleaning? What settings do you use? Blow drying?

Using a 50/50 mixture of Purple Power and water, I stick the steel parts in the tank for 90 minutes at the highest heat setting (140F). After that, they need a little scrubbing to loosen up the hardened carbon, then back in the tank for another 90 minutes. After that, they get rinsed with water, dried off, then coated with something to protect against rust (I use CLP).

It's a lot easier than scrubbing it by hand for 2+ hours, but it's still a time-consuming process and I'd rather wait until I'm at the recommended cleaning interval (500 rds) than be forced to clean it b/c I shot the can "wet." As quiet as the can is when run dry, it just isn't worth the hassle to me.

 

[Liberty Suppressors]

We recommend using Hoppes #9 to shoot wet.

 

[taliv]

hoppes does smell good...


btw, i don't know about the sparrow, but for the osprey, adding water makes it considerably quieter not just on the first round but subsequent rounds

 

[Narwhal]

A question for those in the know -

Would leaving something such as wire pulling gel in a can like an osprey for extended periods of time cause corrosion on any part of the suppressor? What about putting some in, shooting 100 rounds or so, then storing it without cleaning it?

 

[Dave Rishar]

Osprey 45, Osprey 9, and Spectre - we keep a bucket of water near the firing line. Every so often, the entire can gets dunked, muzzle down, shaken out (weapon unloaded and pointed in a safe direction), and then we continue shooting. They're all hearing safe dry but they're simply superb with a little water in there.

Do note that this will make a real mess inside of them, and that shooting glasses are highly recommended; this amount of water is probably excessive and a bit will spray out the actions of pistols for the first few shots. The Spectre gets disassembled and the Dip. The Ospreys get a little time in the ultrasonic cleaner with a 50/50 mix of kerosene and ATF as the cleaning solution. I know, US may possibly be bad for aluminum, but this doesn't seem to hurt it much. It does do a pretty good job of removing the fouling though.

For what it's worth, I was doing this for two years before buying the ultrasonic cleaner. Wetting is fine if the manufacturer allows for it and it doesn't need to be complicated. Most (all?) of these manufacturers are looking for or are actively fulfilling military contracts. Military cans get submerged occasionally. The good ones are designed to allow for this.

 

[weblance]

btw, i don't know about the sparrow, but for the osprey, adding water makes it considerably quieter not just on the first round but subsequent rounds

Shot dry, my Sparrow is noticeably louder on the first shot. Shot wet, all shots are equal volume. I dont have 2 to shoot side by side, one wet, and one dry, to compare if the Sparrow is quieter, when wet. If there is any difference, I dont think its very much. I am in the ATF waiting period again for a second Sparrow, and will be interested to find out the answer.

 

[Impureclient]

We recommend using Hoppes #9 to shoot wet.

That was going to be my next question. If it's OK to run them wet, why not use a cleaner that doesn't get messy inside? I was thinking CLP but
Hoppes #9 is pretty much the same thing in that it cleans and should actually make cleaning the insides easier later..