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 Suppressor Cleaning Solvents & Pre-Treatments 
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Location: Round Rock, TX
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Was doing a bit of research today on suppressor cleaning. Decided to try out some different products for chemical cleaning suppressor pistons and baffles.
- Lucas Deep Clean Gasoline Direct Injection Cleaner
- Seafoam Spray Top Engine Cleaner & Lube
- Lucas Multi-Purpose Parts Cleaner & Degreaser

Will do a comparison this morning on some rimfire suppressor baffles to see how they stack up removing burnt on carbon residue.

For disclosure, I'm cleaning a Q El Camino (17-4 stainless baffles) and Tactical Solutions Axiom (titanium baffles).

Also ordered some products to try out for pre-treating baffles after cleaning to see if they make long term clean-up any easier:
- Thompson Center Bore Butter
- CRC Welding Anti-Splatter Spray

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Sun Aug 23, 2020 6:27 am
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Oh yeah, maybe I should do that occasionally...

Good thread, following with interest.

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Leave it cleaner than you found it.


Sun Aug 23, 2020 6:29 am
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Could ultrasonic cleaner be used?
It works great for my guns.

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Sun Aug 23, 2020 6:57 am
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For pre-treating rimfire baffles there's been quite a bit of success using DOT 5 brake fluid or silicone oil. Wet tumbling with pins for cleaning baffles not made of aluminum.

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Sun Aug 23, 2020 9:51 am
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I'll try ultrasonic next as currently working with three suppressors: all with either stainless or titanium baffles. US is a no-go for aluminum baffles as I understand.

For this morning's test I found that brake cleaner is best left to removing the scrubbed off carbon residue. The two automotive cleaners (Seafoam and Lucas) did a mediocre job after being left for 30 min to soak in. Results were OK once I scrubbed the baffles with synthetic steel wool and hosed them down with brake cleaner to remove the residue.

Boretech C4 Carbon Remover continues to impress. It's at its best where parts can be soaked then afterwards scrubbed down with synthetic steel wool. This stuff really melts away hard baked carbon residue from the face of stainless steel revolver cylinders and steel/titanium suppressor baffles.

KG Carbon Remover was another mediocre performer. Tried it on my Rugged Obsidian 9 baffle stack and results were mediocre at best.

Going to put together some short sections of PVC tubing with end caps to use for soaking suppressor baffle stacks overnight. Should be more efficient use of solvents.

For chemical cleaning I'll use a combination of Boretech C4, brake cleaner, and aerosol Rem Oil prior to reassembly. Once the bore butter arrives will try that as a preventative to see if it can work to prevent hard baked carbon residue.

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Sun Aug 23, 2020 9:59 am
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Here's a recent Silencerco video on the topic of cleaning suppressors.

It's 55 minutes long. Let me give you my summary after watching it: When your can is about one year away from requiring cleaning, buy a new one and get the tax stamp process started. :ROFLMAO:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3nUP9E1a8k

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Leave it cleaner than you found it.


Fri Aug 28, 2020 5:30 pm
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Or just spend $100 on a Hobo Freight bead blaster and actual glass bead, not the stuff HF sells (which is ground glass and may damage your baffles). Nothing else cleans as well, and fine glass bead at ~40 psi doesn't damage aluminum or titanium baffles, and even 60-80 psi is safe for steel baffles. I've tried a lot of different cleaning methods over the past ~15 years, and the only other really effective method is "the dip", but it's very hazardous and also not safe for aluminum.

My recommendation is to not bother with ultrasonic cleaners unless you just want one for other uses. They don't seem to do much for serious fouling in my experience.


Fri Aug 28, 2020 9:51 pm
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How about if your Can is sealed? Then what for cleaning?

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Fri Aug 28, 2020 9:54 pm
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usrifle wrote:
How about if your Can is sealed? Then what for cleaning?

Shoot it out. :AR15firing:


Fri Aug 28, 2020 10:25 pm
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MadPick wrote:
Here's a recent Silencerco video on the topic of cleaning suppressors.

It's 55 minutes long. Let me give you my summary after watching it: When your can is about one year away from requiring cleaning, buy a new one and get the tax stamp process started. :ROFLMAO:


:ROFLMAO: I hear you on that. I suck at gun cleaning, mostly because I hate the process so much and for half the year here in Central Texas our garage is like the surface of Mercury (facing the sun). I tend to like stainless revolvers because I can just stash them away after a match and clean them at leisure.

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Sat Aug 29, 2020 12:34 pm
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Yondering wrote:
Or just spend $100 on a Hobo Freight bead blaster and actual glass bead, not the stuff HF sells (which is ground glass and may damage your baffles). Nothing else cleans as well, and fine glass bead at ~40 psi doesn't damage aluminum or titanium baffles, and even 60-80 psi is safe for steel baffles. I've tried a lot of different cleaning methods over the past ~15 years, and the only other really effective method is "the dip", but it's very hazardous and also not safe for aluminum.

My recommendation is to not bother with ultrasonic cleaners unless you just want one for other uses. They don't seem to do much for serious fouling in my experience.


Thanks Yondering. I actually have the Harbor Freight cabinet now (bought it used from a neighbor) but waiting on funds to upgrade my air compressor as I currently have a very low capacity Rolair Bull. That likely has to wait till next Spring when we normally get an annual bonus for a little extra kicker in our income.

In the meantime experimenting with different methods.

All my cans now are stainless baffles. Next up I will try the ultrasonic cleaner. Thinking to try distilled water in the cleaner tub with a glass jar filled with Boretech C4 Carbon Remover and the baffles for the actual cleaning. I'll post an update in the next couple weeks after my next range visit once I get a chance to dirty up the Obsidian 9 again.

I do have two CGS cans currently in jail with stainless blast baffle and rest aluminum. So I think just plain old soaking in C4 Carbon Remover and brushing will have to suffice there.

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Sat Aug 29, 2020 12:39 pm
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Saw an interesting article this morning on The Truth About Guns:
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/silencer-shop-how-to-clean-your-silencer-video/

Have not yet had time to view the video with work though thought I'd post this up.

My next experiment will be with ultrasonic cleaning for my Rugged Obsidian 9. Thinking to fill the main tank with water then place the baffles in a glass jar with Boretech C4 Carbon Remover and place inside the US tank/water bath. Curious to see how this will work out though I need to find time to get to the range soon so I can dirty up my suppressor first.

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Mon Sep 14, 2020 7:17 am
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GeekWithGuns wrote:
Saw an interesting article this morning on The Truth About Guns:
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/silencer-shop-how-to-clean-your-silencer-video/

Have not yet had time to view the video with work though thought I'd post this up.

My next experiment will be with ultrasonic cleaning for my Rugged Obsidian 9. Thinking to fill the main tank with water then place the baffles in a glass jar with Boretech C4 Carbon Remover and place inside the US tank/water bath. Curious to see how this will work out though I need to find time to get to the range soon so I can dirty up my suppressor first.
I’ve put parts in a freezer bag filled with a cleaning solution and put that in the US and it worked well. Does the glass jar do anything to inhibit the US waves? No idea, that’s why I’m asking.


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Mon Sep 14, 2020 8:03 am
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Thanks Chich that's a pretty good idea. I can run a side by side test with both freezer bag and bottle. I was thinking I'd hate to have a bottle shatter inside the US tank.

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Mon Sep 14, 2020 8:27 am
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There's some good ideas in this thread.

After messing around with different methods (solvents, polishing wheels, ultrasonic cleaners), the 1000% best surefire way I've found to clean baffles is wet tumbling. Seriously. Absolute game changer.

Wet tumbling with stainless steel pins have them coming out like brand new. I did 3 hours with just a bit of deposit left over but you could go longer


Wed Nov 11, 2020 5:31 pm
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