Silencers for use with lead bullets

[mergus]

Gentlemen, I need advice as to what brand/model of silencer to buy to use on a custom rifle that will be chambered in .45LC and be used with lead bullets exclusively. I assume that it will need to one that can be disassembled for cleaning. Any advice you can give would be appreciated.

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Mergus

[Kylongrifle32]

Mergus

I would definitely go with a suppressor that can be disassembled for cleaning. I don't want to give any advice on which brand name to go with as I have only experience with one suppressor. I had no one to converse with on the subject of suppressor and I purchased a Yankee Hill Phantom. This is a solid built unit. I found out how much fun it is to shot subsonic 22 lr's in the back yard and wish I now had a suppressor that I could disassemble for cleaning. I also after shooting suppressed rounds would like to get a 30 cal unit. I'm sure banging steel plates with a 200 grain plus bullet is way more fun than plinking them with a 40 grain bullet.

So I would give it a long thought a figure out if you only want to use the 45 LC or if other calibers will be in the future. You may want to look into a suppressor that you can charge the end caps for different calibers. Silence co makes one called the Hybrid.

Good luck with your choice.

[JimB..]

So custom rifle, I’d skip the idea of a detachable can and go for an integral. For a low pressure round like 45lc you want something that you can take apart.

Google “integrally suppressed 45lc” to get started.

[Larry Gibson]

Definitely want to be able to take the suppressor apart. I use a Silencerco 45-HD on my Rhineland 45 ACP conversion M98 Mauser. Note; Silenserco does not recommend cast bullets and suggests, with jacketed bullets, to clean every 500 rounds or so. It is made for 45 ACP and my experience with it is most likely what you'd experience with any suppressor in 45 Colt with sub-sonic cast bullets. I've shot a lot of regular lubed (hard and soft lubes), TL'd and PC'd bullets through mine.

Cast bullets with a softer lube such as BAC will build up quite a bit of lube, carbon and lead on the baffles. I usually clean the suppressor after every 150 - 200 rounds. After disassembly I wipe the baffles with a paper towel which removes a lot of the softer fouling. Then I soak all the internal parts in milsurp bore cleaner over night. A degreaser such as WD-40s works good if I want to clean them right away w/o soaking overnight. A small wire brush (sold for gun cleaning) is handy to remove the harder deposits of carbon/lean.

The TL'd and PC'd bullets leave much harder deposit of carbon and lube residue. Also they leave a harder deposit of lead. …..even after just 50 rounds. Soaking overnight helps a lot with the lube/PC/carbon and it then wipes off easily. However the lead deposits require brushing and even scraping the get them off.

After testing I now just use standard lubed cast bullets and clean the suppressor ever 150 +/- rounds. It's just a matter of..... if you want to dance, you've got to pay the band...…

BTW; with my standard 45 ACP practice load using 190 - 230 gr cast bullets over 5 gr Bullseye the velocity runs 980 - 1050 fps out of the suppressed M98. They are quieter than my 22 cal air rifle (RWS M54).

Attachment 260093

[waksupi]

I remember seeing at one time, if you dip the suppressor in Ed's Red before firing, the clean up is much easier.

[SwissShooter]

I have 3 GEMTECH suppressors. None are to be taken apart. Periodically I spray them out with the "bad" kind of brake cleaner. Brings out lots of crud. Shooting hot Jword loads also burns out crud. If I had it to do over, I'd buy ones that can be taken apart. GEMTECH says when you hit 5000 rounds, send em' in to be cleaned.

[PhatForrest]

I use a Liberty Mystic for .22, cast 9mm, and 223. The monocore design is easy to take apart and clean.

You can get fixed barrel adapters, pistol boosters, 3 lug mounts, and others too. The new Mystic X suppressors are rated to 300WM.

[missionary5155]

I have enjoyed reading through this thread. Very helpful to an older feller who may need to look at this possibility.

[Nobade]

If you're going to shoot cast boolits through a suppressor it's a good idea to powder coat them. That way it's no different from using j-word ones.

[Finster101]

My .30 cal can for .300 blackout comes apart for cleaning. I had a jar of Frog Lube paste I wasn't using and found it very good to coat the inside of the suppressor with. I shoot PCd subs in it and I can usually just wipe it out after several range trips.

[omphacite]

I've been very happy with my Obsidian 45 for cast bullets. Lots of mounting options and a great warranty.

I shoot mostly Hi-tek coated bullets and have not noticed any extra residue on internal surfaces.

[psychodad]

I've been very happy with my Obsidian 45 for cast bullets. Lots of mounting options and a great warranty.

I shoot mostly Hi-tek coated bullets and have not noticed any extra residue on internal surfaces.

Good to know. I have the same can in jail that should be getting released very soon. I just cast and Hi-Tek coated a bunch of boolits for subs.

[Elmer Fudd]

You can use a steel, as opposed to titanium or aluminum, suppressor and clean it with "the dip," which is a mixture of household vinegar (3% acidity) and store bought hydrogen peroxide, mixed half and half. It will dissolve lead you can't get to, but it eats aluminum.
A take-down suppressor is helpful, but limits you. Some new pistol suppressors are take-down, but most rifle cans are not. I use a Hybrid a lot with good results. It cleans in the ultrasonic or the dip readily. With low pressure 45 Colt loads you will be safe with a pistol can, but if you intend to shoot ruger level loads, you will need a can rated for that. Talk to the manufacturer of the can you want to use BEFORE you take someone else's word for it.

[popper]

vinegar (3% acidity) and store bought hydrogen peroxide - Supposedly hard on steel but stainless is OK. Add DC current and it speeds up reaction. And the resultant liquid is toxic. Just use wisely.

[NoZombies]

You can use a steel, as opposed to titanium or aluminum, suppressor and clean it with "the dip," which is a mixture of household vinegar (3% acidity) and store bought hydrogen peroxide, mixed half and half. It will dissolve lead you can't get to, but it eats aluminum.
A take-down suppressor is helpful, but limits you. Some new pistol suppressors are take-down, but most rifle cans are not. I use a Hybrid a lot with good results. It cleans in the ultrasonic or the dip readily. With low pressure 45 Colt loads you will be safe with a pistol can, but if you intend to shoot ruger level loads, you will need a can rated for that. Talk to the manufacturer of the can you want to use BEFORE you take someone else's word for it.

Stainless is okay in the dip, carbon steel pits and disolves, the same as aluminum. Ti depends on the alloy. I've got a Ti .22 can that's got many hundreds of thousands of rounds through it, and many many cycles in the dip with no alloy degradation.

[BABore]

Liberty Mystic X with the upgrade for a 300 BO bolt gun, 9mm, and 77/357. All with PB or GC design with no GC using 40:1 alloy and Hi-Tek coating. The monocore comes apart easy and goes into an ultrasonic cleaner. Liberty also has a couple 45 cans that are similar design.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I've been shooting a good amount of rifle cast loads at around 1550 fps. I use the 45/45/10 tumble lube. Bore just wipes clean after a couple dozen shots. You should not be getting lead deposits if your boolit fit, alloy and lube are up to snuff. Cast is a natural for suppressed fire of subsonic loads @ > 1050 fps. And a pistol round out of a 16" or 20" barrel should not have much pressure behind the boolit at the muzzle, particularly with subsonic loads.

[NoZombies]

What bullets do in a bore, and what they do going through the suppressor are different things. Even with fairly low uncorking pressure there's still enough gas rushing past the bullet through the baffles that an uncoated bullet is likely to leave lead deposits in the baffle stack, no matter how cleanly it shoots through the barrel.

[Larry Gibson]

PC'd bullets still leave a good amount of lead and PC deposits. So do TL'd bullets. 45 ACP Loaded over 5 gr Bullseye.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

What bullets do in a bore, and what they do going through the suppressor are different things. Even with fairly low uncorking pressure there's still enough gas rushing past the bullet through the baffles that an uncoated bullet is likely to leave lead deposits in the baffle stack, no matter how cleanly it shoots through the barrel.

I'll buy that.