Even if you don’t own a suppressor—yet—you might be curious about the ins and outs of maintenance. If you do own one, you must understand how to take care of it. Like guns, suppressors do tend to require regular maintenance, although it does vary by model and type. To help you along the way, we’ve put together this basic guide to cleaning and checking out the piece of gear that helps keep your hearing safe.
Clean Your Suppressors
Speaking as someone who is happy running guns dirty—but lubed—I understand the desire to not take on yet another cleaning project. However, you need to routinely clean suppressors. It’s not worth obsessing over, but it’s a good idea. Keeping them clean keeps them at peak performance, extends the life of the can, and helps prevent buildup-related issues. The good news is, it isn’t difficult or incredibly time-consuming.
Types of Suppressors
The first thing to get into regarding cleaning or maintaining suppressors is the fact that there is more than one kind. If you’re thinking modular versus one-piece or dedicated caliber versus multi-caliber, you’re on the right general track. But in this context, we’re talking about sealed suppressors and user-serviceable models. Just because your suppressor is sealed doesn’t mean you can’t clean it; it simply means you can’t disassemble it like user-serviceable designs.
But First, a Few Guidelines
Before you jump in with the cleaning and maintenance process, stop and consider a few important details:
- This list applies to modern suppressors and not old wet designs or those that use cloth wipes
- Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines
- Check the manual for your suppressor, or download it online
- Familiarize yourself with the parameters of the suppressor’s warranty
- Take care to reassemble correctly to avoid catastrophic failure
- Wear gloves when handling chemicals
- Never run a suppressor wet unless it’s specifically designed for it
What You Need to Clean It
Because it isn’t a great idea to break out the brake cleaner to clean your suppressor, you’re going to have to acquire some specific items. You’ll need less for a sealed model and more for user-serviceable designs, but that’s because the latter allows for more in-depth care. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Disposable gloves
- Well-ventilated area and work surface
- Solvent such as HUXWRX Suppressor Sauce, Breakthrough Clean Technologies Suppressor Cleaner, or Ballistol Suppressor Cleaner
- Nylon brush (for user-serviceable cans)
- Ultrasonic cleaner (if you’d rather not use a brush) (Note: Don’t put the body of the device in the cleaner, only the baffles.)
- Tools—if required—to disassemble user-serviceable models.
- Rubber tub large enough to soak the suppressor
- Optional: Suppressor cleaning tubes
How to Clean a Sealed Suppressor
The good news is that the vast majority of sealed suppressors won’t need much cleaning. The real exception to this is those made for rimfires. As we know, rimfire is filthy, and it creates build-up and fouling on guns and suppressors alike. Generally, you’ll need to clean your sealed rimfire suppressor every 500 rounds, although that number varies depending on the ammunition being used and the model you’re running.
Clean your sealed model by soaking it in solvent, a process typically done overnight. If you want to be thorough, dump the dirty solvent and replace it with clean solvent until it stops pouring out carbon-stained fluid. Check your manual, because some manufacturers will say to simply use dish soap (Dawn is a great brand for this). Whatever you’re using, you can either submerge the suppressor overnight or otherwise fill it with solvent by closing off one end. A good soak—usually around 24 hours—will loosen and remove fouling. You can use a nylon brush to clean the bore, but don’t use patches or a bore brush. Your suppressor isn’t the same as your gun’s barrel and shouldn’t be treated like it.
Never Use a Wet Suppressor
Here’s the thing (and I’ll say it again): Do not run it until it’s 100 percent dry. Using it before it’s fully dry is a good way to have an incredibly bad time. The only time it’s okay to run it wet is when you know your model is made to be run wet. To be safe, you can blow the assembled device out with an air compressor. Use a soft rag to wipe it down.
Centerfire pistol and rifle suppressors are usually clean enough that you don’t need to mess with them. Between the two, pistols are more likely to need cleaning at some point. If you’re using cheap lead ammo, that’s another story, but assuming you’re not shooting dirty ammunition, your suppressor will make it a long time without being cleaned. Once you’ve burned through several thousand rounds, you might want to go ahead and clean it. You’ll do that the same way you clean a sealed rimfire suppressor. And, again, don’t use the suppressor until it’s totally dry.
How to Clean a User-Serviceable Suppressor
The specifics of disassembling a user-serviceable suppressor depend on the suppressor itself. That’s why I’m going to suggest you check the manual, because it’s impossible to cover every model and method here. The tool used to disassemble your user-serviceable suppressor should have shipped with it. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to take it apart for cleaning.
When the suppressor is successfully disassembled, you’ll have the housing and either stacked baffles or a monolithic core (monocore). This is when you want your gloves, both to keep the solvent off your skin and to minimize lead exposure. Use your solvent and nylon brush to clean the suppressor. Suppressors with pistons should have the piston thoroughly cleaned, and you should inspect parts for wear, specifically O-rings. You can replace worn-out O-rings yourself. Replacement rings can be acquired through your manufacturer or a company like Silencer Central. Wipe the inside of the body/tube with a soft rag.
Once it is clean, it needs to dry. It will dry faster if you don’t reassemble it wet. Remember—yes, I say this a lot—it must be fully dry before use. When you put it back together, take care to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Some suppressors have baffles that must be replaced in a specific order, and all parts need to fit smoothly and securely together. If you’re worried you’ll forget, take pictures as you disassemble to remind yourself of the order. However, the manual will include that information.
Don’t Forget the Mounts.
When you’re cleaning, don’t forget to wipe down whatever mount or attachment you’re using. Also, clean the threads of the suppressor. Don’t leave parts dirty; clean them all.
READ MORE HERE: Review: JK Armament 195 VERSAX 12GA Suppressor
Suppressor Care and Cleaning
No, you generally don’t need to spend time cleaning your suppressors. Rimfires are the exception. It’s not a bad idea to check O-rings for wear now and again, but if you’re running a centerfire gun, your suppressor will typically take quite a while to get dirty enough to clean. That’s great news considering most of us would rather not be constantly cleaning our guns and gear.
Check out Breakthrough’s website for cleaning products here.
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