Suppressor PSA!

[Ucsdryder]

Saturday morning I dropped down a rock slide into a canyon that looked promising for elk. As the first rays of light lit up the opposite hillside I got set up and loaded a round into my 7saum. Well, tried to load a round. The bolt would go forward all the way, but the bolt wouldn’t lock down. I had a moment of panic as I tried to load all 10 hand loads I had with me. Finally I found 2 that would allow the bolt to close, with significant effort. I was scared I was going to break off the handle type of effort! All of the loads were fine when I left home, so it was something environmental or something that happened to the gun on the way up the mountain.

When I got to camp I gave it a good look and I noticed black soot everywhere. The action was filthy. I didn’t bring any cleaning tools, dumb, but was able to twist a paper towel and get it into the action and clean out some soot. Now about half of my loads seated, but luckily I only needed one1

I got home and called TBAC and talked to Blake. The bumpy road and then carrying my rifle muzzle up in my pack dislodged a bunch of carbon that fell into the action.

I just cleaned my suppressor and the inside is shiny again.

Cleaning a suppressor is easy, so don’t do what I did and almost have your hunt ruined by a dirty suppressor! Oh and mine only had 300 rounds through it.

Heres a picture after banging it into my palm. And another picture of it being cleaned with CLR.

 

[ElkSnort]

Saturday morning I dropped down a rock slide into a canyon that looked promising for elk. As the first rays of light lit up the opposite hillside I got set up and loaded a round into my 7saum. Well, tried to load a round. The bolt would go forward all the way, but the bolt wouldn’t lock down. I had a moment of panic as I tried to load all 10 hand loads I had with me. Finally I found 2 that would allow the bolt to close, with significant effort. I was scared I was going to break off the handle type of effort! All of the loads were fine when I left home, so it was something environmental or something that happened to the gun on the way up the mountain.

When I got to camp I gave it a good look and I noticed black soot everywhere. The action was filthy. I didn’t bring any cleaning tools, dumb, but was able to twist a paper towel and get it into the action and clean out some soot. Now about half of my loads seated, but luckily I only needed one1

I got home and called TBAC and talked to Blake. The bumpy road and then carrying my rifle muzzle up in my pack dislodged a bunch of carbon that fell into the action.

I just cleaned my suppressor and the inside is shiny again.

Cleaning a suppressor is easy, so don’t do what I did and almost have your hunt ruined by a dirty suppressor! Oh and mine only had 300 rounds through it.

Heres a picture after banging it into my palm. And another picture of it being cleaned with CLR.

Good heads up there. Thanks!

 

[archp625]

Agreed, thanks for the heads up. I wont have one for at least another 6 months but I love seeing stories like this to help me out later on

 

[JDBAK]

I just cleaned my suppressor and the inside is shiny again.

Cleaning a suppressor is easy, so don’t do what I did and almost have your hunt ruined by a dirty suppressor! Oh and mine only had 300 rounds through it.

Pardon my ignorance, but how do you recommend cleaning it? I'm new to suppressors, have about 400 rounds through minee.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Pardon my ignorance, but how do you recommend cleaning it? I'm new to suppressors, have about 400 rounds through minee.

Depends. Mine is titanium so you fill it with CLR. That process is ONLY recommended for 100% titanium brakes. If it has any steel then this process isn’t recommended.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Damn good heads up man!
I'm sure someone will come along and tell you they haven't cleaned their barrel or suppressor for 8000 rounds
I have a user serviceable suppressor (Banish 30) so its super easy to take apart and clean, I'll be sure to keep up on it

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Pardon my ignorance, but how do you recommend cleaning it? I'm new to suppressors, have about 400 rounds through minee.

You should have cleaning instructions with the your suppressor. Mine says take the guts out use purple power in an ultrasonic cleaner. I am sure there are other ways..I just go with the easiest.

 

[marktole]

Good info, just bought a Gen 2 Ultra 7 so when the wait period is up and I get 300 rounds through it I’ll remember this thread and clean it.

 

[CHSD]

Thank you for the heads up! Looks like I am going to be doing some cleaning tonight!

 

[zion zig zag]

Good info, just bought a Gen 2 Ultra 7 so when the wait period is up and I get 300 rounds through it I’ll remember this thread and clean it.

TBAC recommends weighing the suppressor when new and then cleaning after it's accumulated a certain amount of carbon buildup. It's duscussed in the FAQ forum on their site somewhere.

 

[marktole]

TBAC recommends weighing the suppressor when new and then cleaning after it's accumulated a certain amount of carbon buildup. It's duscussed in the FAQ forum on their site somewhere.

More good info, I’ll do some reading on their site, thank you!

 

[Lawnboi]

I toss a piece or two of carbon flake formed brass every once in a while. I’ll give mine a few whacks before I take it out

 

[chutinlead]

I had that happen to me shooting prairie dogs with my B22 22LR. Set it barrel up against the truck and apparently hit the butt stock a little too hard. Sat down after reloading some mags and my action was super gritty and first round didn't want to chamber or extract. Took like half a can of gun scrubber back home to flush all the carbon grit out

 

[Lawnboi]

I just gave my 223 can a few whacks. Some carbon fell out.

Iv had this a few times and figured it was carbon in the chamber when firing.


OP how are you sizing?

 

[Formidilosus]

I'm sure someone will come along and tell you they haven't cleaned their barrel or suppressor for 8000 rounds

Nah. 8,000 rounds would be only be a decent month. Of course I’m not one to rely on others experience for my knowledge.

The left one has way more than 40,000 without being cleaned. The right one 20k.

 

[Formidilosus]

Cleaning a suppressor is easy, so don’t do what I did and almost have your hunt ruined by a dirty suppressor! Oh and mine only had 300 rounds through it.

Not being able to chamber due to some carbon flakes at 300 rounds means your chamber/throat/sizing is too tight. Minimum neck sizing, tight chambers, etc. are recipes for issues in field conditions.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Not being able to chamber due to some carbon flakes at 300 rounds means your chamber/throat/sizing is too tight. Minimum neck sizing, tight chambers, etc. are recipes for issues in field conditions.

You know much more about this than I do, but check out this picture. This is an example of what came out of my chamber/throat. I have been bumping my shoulder .002” which is about the thickness of 2 pieces of scotch tape This piece was thicker than that