Help with cleaning Suppressed Ruger 77/22 Ciener

[Ramguy]

Well Folks I am at the end of my 'smithing knowledge. I have a nice 77/22 with an integral suppressor built by Ciener. It has over 15K 22 LR's through it, other than an occasional brush through it, it's never been disassembled. I made a spanner wrench and removed the muzzle end cap. Once inside the muzzle end of the "can" i could see the dirty fouled baffles.

I plugged up the chamber end with an empty case, and standing the bbl on end filled it with Hoppes. Got a few baffles out. More soaking over the next 9 days and they are now all out. What a chore! Nothing damaged so far...(knock on wood).

I believe the barrel is ported somewhere before the muzzle for gas bleed off. The barrel itself seems to be a bull bbl configuration. The barrel is encased by a steel sleeve approx .050" thick. There is a set screw (which I removed) in front of the mounting "wedge?".

I would like to remove this sleeve, any ideas for further cleaning. I have gotten the bbl cold (it was -10 here last night) by leaving it outside all night. I brought it inside and warmed up the chamber area of the sleeve with a heat gun, nothing too severe. I thought maybe the sleeve was threaded on and the set screw was for timing. nothing doing. I used a piece of brass stock as a punch and tried to drive the bbl off of the sleeve by tapping, hard, on the mounting wedge, Nope. I will try to post a couple pics of the mounting wedge, baffles, and interior of the can after removing all 12 baffles and a small expansion chamber.
I can't get pics uploaded, so I will just post the script for now. I will keep trying on the photos, meanwhile, talk amongst yourselves...

[Plate plinker]

Got these from Ramguy

[Plate plinker]

[Plate plinker]

[Plate plinker]

[JimB..]

It’s going a long way back, but didn’t all the cieners have porting in the barrel that bleed into the space between the barrel and the sleeve, and wasn’t that space packed with brass bootlace eyelets?

I would guess that it is now solid, and probably wet with hoppes.

At this point it can’t hurt to start spraying it with kroil and after letting it sit, cycling the temp a bunch, tapping, whatever maybe put a strap wrench on the tube and see if it’ll turn. I assume that it’s a slip fit, but do now know!

[imashooter2]

50/50 acetone and ATF soak is what I’d try. Submerge it and walk away for a week.

[Ramguy]

JimB- I think you are correct. probably solidified brass eyelets by now.
Imashooter2- I happen to have both ingredients in stock, i mean shop. I will try soaking it for a while. Thanks for the input.folks!

[waksupi]

I'd soak it in Ed's Red.

[imashooter2]

I'd soak it in Ed's Red.

Not a bad choice, but I think the 50/50 penetrates better.

[Ramguy]

photo posted for BarraBruce.

[Finster101]

For that hard carbon build up in one of my suppressors I soak it in a good quality "Throttle Body Cleaner" or "Top Engine Cleaner" it breaks down the carbon much faster and does not harm the parts. I then spray it off with brake cleaner to remove any residue. Once cleaned of carbon it gets Ed's Red like the rest of the gun.

[JimB..]

Curious about progress.

[Plate plinker]

No change. It’s in the long soak stage last I knew.

[Jaaymar]

If all else fails you could try ‘the dip’.
One word of caution: it will produce a solute of lead that is very bioavailable (can be absorbed readily).
Here is a video from YouTube with some more information & a possible way to make the resulting solution more inert.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYWD-uSlqWE
Search Johnny’s Reloading Bench ‘cleaning suppressor, Zinc makes it safe?’

[JimB..]

If all else fails you could try ‘the dip’.
One word of caution: it will produce a solute of lead that is very bioavailable (can be absorbed readily).
Here is a video from YouTube with some more information & a possible way to make the resulting solution more inert.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYWD-uSlqWE
Search Johnny’s Reloading Bench ‘cleaning suppressor, Zinc makes it safe?’

Probably don’t want to do that in this case. Any aluminum parts will be damaged, and since there is no way to rinse out the area between the sleeve and the barrel the dip will sit there dissolving all sorts pf stuff, including the barrel and shroud until he can get it apart.

I think the worst case solution would be to drill a small hole in the shroud, close to the frame. Inject solvent through that hole and it should run out the muzzle. I’d get a large syringe to do this. Then tap the hole and put a short screw in it that will ge hidden by the stock. Not ideal, but we’re talking worst case.

[barrabruce]

I think the dip would rot away the rifling.

How about some mercury?
It would dissolve the lead but I don’t know if it would hurt the barrel.

I don’t even know if you can get it anymore.

It’s sounds like it is welded solid mass of crap.

Keep us informed by the progress.

Just throwing out ideas.

Could you drill out the encapsulator from the end with a couple of holes and make a pin tool to unscrew it. If it is in fact put together that way?
Or break it loose and get it out.
Then you only have a long skinny tube to try and pry little bits out every now and again.
Or Blast it with the pressure washer
I can’t see it giving up easy.

Could you heat the outside tube hot enough to melt the lead and let it drip out.
Or would you de temper things.
I have soldered a few things on barrels befor with no apparent harm done.but .
Hold my beer while I fire up the barbie.
This ought to move things.
Ha
Fatal last words

It should be accurate having a ten pound barrel anyway.

We over here have to be content with cci quiets or zimmer cartridges.
Ha

5 minutes with a cut off wheel and a 4" grinder and I’d have that sucker off to have a look how they make those things quick smart.