Andy C and TAM - Update Please on Form 1 Suppressor Build

[troglodyte]

Gentlemen,

It has been almost 5 years since you built your suppressor. Would you give us an update on how the suppressors you built are holding up?

I'm getting back around to wanting to build my own. The price is a large contributing factor but I would like to know how they are holding up for you long term.

viewtopic.php?f=87&t=80252&hilit=suppressor+andy+c

[The Annoyed Man]

Mine worked great until a while back, when a baffle strike cause the bullet to impact the edge of the exit hole, chipping a chunk out of the inner aspect of the end cap. I bought a replacement endcap, but it requires some additional milling to remove excess material. Otherwise the exit hole would be about 1” long from front to back. I can still shoot the thing with the original endcap, and it still suppresses, but with it being damaged, it’s not very accurate right now.

[The Annoyed Man]

Mine worked great until a while back, when a baffle strike cause the bullet to impact the edge of the exit hole, chipping a chunk out of the inner aspect of the end cap. I bought a replacement endcap, but it requires some additional milling to remove excess material. Otherwise the exit hole would be about 1” long from front to back. I can still shoot the thing with the original endcap, and it still suppresses, but with it being damaged, it’s not very accurate right now.

I need to add the following so nobody misconstrues what I posted above.....

When filing a form 1 for a suppressor, you are a "maker". That entitles you to "make" exactly one suppressor. You cannot "repair" a suppressor you’ve built without having a Type 7 FFL with a Type 3 SOT. I do not.

That is why I have NOT proceeded with milling and drilling the end cap I bought. Right now, it’s just an end cap for a solvent trap....or something. It’s just an interesting piece of machined titanium. But it’s NOT a suppressor part. That would be illegal. At the time that I bought it, I wasn’t aware that it would be illegal for me to finish it out and install it. Fortunately, I found out BEFORE I turned it into a suppressor part, and it remains today as I purchased it.

In other words, the can that I built on the form 1 has been basically ruined. It will shoot, and it will still suppress, but it won’t shoot accurately. So, it sits in my safe, awaiting the day when either the NFA is repealed, or the fedgov’t is no longer relevant and no longer has the power to enforce its unjust laws.

In the meantime, I am planning to file another form 1 when I have some money set aside, and I will use that solvent trap end cap in that future build. As it happens, I also own a commercial form 4 .30 cal rifle suppressor (AAC 762-SDN-6), and I’m using it for all of my rifle suppression needs instead.

FYI, I have a theory as to why I experienced the strike that ruined the can. I made mine pretty long. End caps included, it’s 10”, and it has 15 of the freeze plug baffles in it. In retrospect, I think that both the length and the number of baffles are probably excessive. My son's form 1 can, using the same design with the same materials, but only 7” long with fewer baffles, continues to work just fine, and it doesn’t seem to suppress noise any less than my loner can, with it’s bigger baffle count. The two rifles I was using mine on were an 18” heavy barreled DMR/SPR type of AR, and my 16” barreled SCAR 17S. On the AR, it worked just fine. But on the SCAR 17, it would occasionally shoot loose .... both from the rifle, and within itself. The SCAR has a MIGHTY muzzle blast. Also, while the SCAR is extremely accurate for a "battle rifle", it has what amounts to a pencil barrel. It’s possible I suppose that the weight of my overly long and "over-baffled" can hanging out there on the end of that pencil barrel increased the amount of barrel whip enough to destabilize the bullet as it exited the muzzle. I don’t know, but it’s just a thought. I have since found out that, in addition to the SCAR's propensity for beating up scopes, it’s bolt carrier can be catastrophically damaged by too much firing when suppressed....even with the gas block set to the suppressor setting. The video I saw was pretty ugly, and that has to be an expensive part. So for now, I’m going to put an AAC combination muzzle brake / flash hider on it, and just occasionally shoot it with my AAC can.

As far as using freeze plugs for baffles goes, they work, but I don’t think they’re the best alternative. Their main advantage is that they are cheap and easily available. I think that their primary flaw is that, even once formed, they are still too short from front to back; and so if you stack them without alternating spacers, they’re too close together to be as effective as they could be. On my next build, I’ll probably buy kit parts.

[flechero]

When filing a form 1 for a suppressor, you are a "maker". That entitles you to "make" exactly one suppressor. You cannot "repair" a suppressor you’ve built without having a Type 7 FFL with a Type 3 SOT. I do not.

That is why I have NOT proceeded with milling and drilling the end cap I bought.

Tam,

I'm not sure what a type 7/3 paper does but how would repairing or replacing a part on a serialized item be an issue? You aren't making a 2nd suppressor, just repairing a single component or part. I don't see how that's any different than replacing a (insert non-serialized part here) on any other gun. Do you need those to repair or replace a part on a SBR?

Rethinking the hassle of trust and stamps.....

thanks!

[strogg]

Mine worked great until a while back, when a baffle strike cause the bullet to impact the edge of the exit hole, chipping a chunk out of the inner aspect of the end cap. I bought a replacement endcap, but it requires some additional milling to remove excess material. Otherwise the exit hole would be about 1” long from front to back. I can still shoot the thing with the original endcap, and it still suppresses, but with it being damaged, it’s not very accurate right now.

For my Form 1 suppressor, I used a 1/2x28 threaded end cap as the exit when I first built it. It's a bit big for an exit hole, but this way, I know the hole is centered, because a CNC mill in a factory is far more accurate than my cheap drill press. Just a thought. Also, it helps my can is a .45 can, so the exit hole isn't really all that much bigger than it should be.

[Paladin]

Is there a limit to how many Form 1 Suppressors can be built? If I have 2 different calibers, would I need to give it some time after the first build is approved to apply for a second build?

[Paladin]

No; as many as you can afford to apply for.

Thanks!

[Syntyr]

Thanks Gents for all of the info. I too have been following these discussions. I have been looking into a modular solvent trap.

https://www.silencershop.com/jk-155p-mst-kit.html

Also - https://medliningmachineworks.com/ and Quiet Bore as posted up page.

[johncanfield]

I have three Form 1s, built two and I haven't machined my 5.56mm can yet (but in the planning phase.) My aluminum .22 suppressor works fantastically well but it took quite a bit of machining, K baffles with a port (I have a Griz gunsmith lathe and a small mill). Second can is .30 caliber in stainless steel, plain cones - about eight of them with spacers. I mainly use it on my 300 Blackout, in fact I haven't used it on my .308 AR . With 200 grain 300 Blackout I can shoot with no hearing protection - it's just a loud click. It's heavy even though I reduced the thickness of the tube away from the blast chamber.

Buying a commercial can would be the way to go unless you like a project and a challenge of which I was fully committed.

[strogg]

Thanks for the kit links, gents. My next Form 1s will definitely be in a kit form. Freeze plugs, while convenient, aren't the best for silencers. Stainless steel is pretty decent, but not when it's cheaply made and stamp formed. You're better off with milled steel.

As someone who loves DIY projects and already has all the tools necessary, I am a fan of going Form 1. But for those who don't have the tools or those who want something that works right out of the box, then off-the-shelf suppressors will be the way to go. Form 4 jail isn't all that bad, especially if you purchase from an FFL who will let you use the suppressor at the range during jail time. For example, if you buy it at a shooting range, they will let you borrow the suppressor for shooting inside the facility. You just can't take it home until the tax stamp is in your hand.