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  1. #1
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    Suppressor Question

    The only weapons I've fired with a suppressor were friends, so maybe 90 to 120 rounds at most, semi-auto. I got turned off from the whole NFA thing with my own personal nightmare that isn't worth the time to go into here. I'd just get pissed of again if I did.

    But my question is: What's the life span of a can under average usage. I know "average" is ambiguous and means different things to different folks, but I guess I mean not full auto all the time, and not 20 rounds a year. Just curious about the "return" rate for the stamp, the can, etc.

    Just curious, and maybe some non-can owners here also might be too.

    FT
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  2. #2
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    I would easily say tens of thousands of rounds. Probably more like 50,000 or could be more than that. It just depends on how much of what and on what barrel length and so forth. Rifle and pistols are different. If you do a lot of mag dumps and all that... it all depends. Heat will most likely kill a can before anything. If you were say using it for hunting applications you could keep it for a lifetime.

    There are other failure points too, such as mounts. Those things can lead to baffle strikes and such. As can the excess heat so it just depends. A regular joe shooter I would say somewhere between 30-50 thousand rounds maybe? You will wear out a few barrels before you wear out the can with the caveat of not a lot of crazy full auto meltdowns.

  3. #3
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    Up to 50K...hell I know folks that don't shoot that much in a lifetime. That's definitely an eye opener for sure.
    FT
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  4. #4
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    Of course there is always the issue of maintenance and so many other factors... in good conditions you might get more than 50 thousand rounds. I just threw out a number out of the blue, but your caveat of 'not 20 rounds a year'...

    You should watch Military Arms Channel about suppressors (they have a special episode on them). He runs a mag and then checks the heat... cans will heat up SUPER fast. In one mag you won't be able to touch it and in 3 mags it can damage the longevity of the suppressor (on a rifle). I am talking about back to back fire mag dumping.

    It will also depend on the construction of the can you get. Not all of them are made of the same stuff. I would expect my Recce 5 to last me a really long time, especially on a 16" gun.

    As far as I am concerned what generally you should make sure of is that the can has a chance to cool enough before running it long and hard. 60-90 rounds on my Recce 5 is about the zone for me on my Recce 5. If I did 90 rounds I would let it cool almost all the way before I did it again. With 90 rounds that can will easily exceed 1500 degrees or more.

  5. #5
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    The little Griffin Optimus Micro... if you ran a can rated for 5.56 on a .22LR forever... that little thing is built like a tank. You could get a LOT of rounds through that thing. I am talking a WHOLE lot.

    Pistol cans will be a different story because of booster springs etc that eventually wear out...

    There is always the chance that you get a crappy load of ammo and you wind up with a baffle strike too. But barring all that other stuff a good solid mount is for me extremely important. Part of the reason why I went with the Griffin Taper Mount is because there are no moving parts to wear out.

  6. #6
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    20K seems to be a realistic number for a high round count gun and one of the more "mainstream" cans (KAC, SF, Gemtech, etc). You can probably get more easily with a lower firing schedule and/or longer barrel like alamo said, assuming nothing breaks free and clobbers the baffles. Then again, it will still work fine, it just won't be as efficient.

  7. #7
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    I have also heard about erosion as well. If you shoot certain ammo or just shoot out of an SBR you will have more erosion than you would out of an 18" gun. Again with modern suppressors the materials they use are lighter and more resistant than older ones so don't take 'conventional wisdom' at face value.

    For example the Q Erector is a .22 LR can and the Griffin Optimus Micro is also a .22 can... but the Q is made almost all out of aluminum and it has a lot of moving parts to it. Even with that you could get a lot of life out of the Q but the Griffin would be a lot longer life. By a lot.

    There are too many factors here to cover all of them.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by gatordev View Post
    20K seems to be a realistic number for a high round count gun and one of the more "mainstream" cans (KAC, SF, Gemtech, etc). You can probably get more easily with a lower firing schedule and/or longer barrel like alamo said, assuming nothing breaks free and clobbers the baffles. Then again, it will still work fine, it just won't be as efficient.
    Yep. 20,000 to 50,000 is what I have read everywhere.

    Then I see videos where they melt the can off the gun with a belt fed machine gun.

    It is a soup of what you're after. The construction, the materials, the firing schedule, the heat build up, the barrel length it gets shot on...

    If Fort Tom wants to shop for a can this is the place to be at. We can provide our sometimes a lot (or in my case more limited) experience with cans to help make a decent choice.

  9. #9
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    As already said... it depends on barrel length, rate of rife and duration.


    "Just curious about the "return" rate for the stamp, the can, etc."

    Depends on who you buy the can from. Some offer lifetime service/repair for 'normal' use.

    Example --- AAC - SILENCER LIFETIME LIMITED WARRANTY AAC will repair or replace free of charge any silencer manufactured by AAC for the duration of this lifetime warranty. This warranty is of unlimited duration, and covers, at Advanced Armament Corp. and its affiliates’ discretion, service, repair, and/or replacement of damaged products caused by normal use.

    -----

    Friend of mine had a baffle strike with 30cal AAC can. They repaired it no questions asked.

    I put about 30k rounds through a Yankee Hill Machine rimfire can. The baffle was toast. Sent it back to YHM. They cleaned it up, put in a new baffle and returned it free of charge.
    Last edited by ChattanoogaPhil; 5 December 2017 at 13:19.

  10. #10
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    Tom, this is what sold me on the Griffin. Skip to 5:40 if you like.



    It runs nicely on anything from .22 up to 300 Win Mag. I don't shoot a lot of sustained fire simply to avoid burning the living bejeezus out of my legs when it's slung out of the way. With that kind of regimen and a decent cleaning now and then, it should outlive you. Get it and enjoy!
    Last edited by Joelski; 5 December 2017 at 13:47.
    There's no "Team" in F**K YOU!

  11. #11
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    It depends on how you use it, more than anything else. Heat is the issue, so full-auto and short barrels reduce suppressor life. There are pictures of KAC cans cut in half that had 75K+ through them. My Saker 762 has over 12k rounds through it and the blast baffle, while eroded heavily, still has a lot of life left.
    Will - Owner of Arisaka LLC - http://www.arisakadefense.com

  12. #12
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    Ask the manufacturer of the can you are interested in. They may even repair or replace the core, giving your can as much life as the existence of the company they made it. I talked to Dead Air about this and they said they would take care of it. Hence why I primarily use flash hiders and not brakes.

  13. #13
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    Wow, thanks to all for the info. Certainly was an eye opener!!

    FT
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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Failure2Stop
    I have seen NT4s by the bushel with over 50,000 rounds through them that still tick merrily along, though the build-up of carbon and copper 3-D lattice does drop some of the performance.
    I have seen NT4s that weigh ounces heavier than new, with the users having no idea how many rounds have gone through them in their decade(+) of service.
    I have seen NT4s that have been put on MK46s, and shot so much that when they were cut in half the first two baffles were eroded to the point of near non-existence, and they would still mount.
    The SOCOM SOUM for NT4s basically states that if you have an end-cap strike, the armorer is to do an inspection and then file the protruding flap flat, simply to avoid a cut hazard.
    I have seen NT4s with baffle strikes that nobody even noticed for thousands of rounds.
    I have seen NT4s used to smash out windows, break through fences, and driven into the ocular socket of non-compliant enclosure occupants to elicit the desired level of passivity, with little more wear than some work KG Kote and chunks of skin and hair.
    I've seen them shot half full of sea water, until they glowed like a 2-bit rave dancer, and then cooled off in a mud puddle.

    It ain't cool anymore. It ain't sexy anymore. But if you're going to give a suppressor to a Marine, nothing less than an NT4 is worthy of their abuse. There are a bunch of good cans out there today, and the NT4 is a bit of a dinosaur, but it's a f***ing T-Rex hombre.
    Yeah, I work at KAC. But I was a Jarhead first, and I came here for a reason, and it wasn't for the beach or the pay.

    Oh, and make sure you wipe off those chunks before going to Boogytown, the smell is not pleasant.
    Source: http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread....44#post2417344

  15. #15
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    Dig the occular socket fornication! That's hardcore rock and fucking roll, boss!

    I would post a troop advisory cautioning against the use of lubrication, or smoothie end caps for skull fucking jihadis.
    There's no "Team" in F**K YOU!

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