Suppressor cleaning

[DrBaker]

What methods and products work best for can cleaning?

GemTech Outback II
AAC M4-2000 (possibly soon)

[RobC]

I found that no amount of immersing in Kroil would ever do very much to clean my .22 can. What it does do is cause it to stink when you shoot it. I have found that the best way to do it is to get it warm...the fun way, then to smack your palm with it several times. Little chunks of lead and carbon will come out. I doubt seriously that there are any really good means to clean .22 cans shy of being able to take them apart and bead blast them. My next .22 can will be capable of being disassembled. As far as my warlock is concerned, I plan to send it back to SWR for cleaning probably next year. I have put almost 5,000 rounds (one case) through it and it sounds as good now as when I got it.

For centerfire cans, you can get away with just periodic soakings. SWR recommends Kroil or WD40. I think that I will go with WD40 based on how bad Kroil smells when you shoot the can afterwards.

Obviously don't use anything with ammonia or chlorine in an aluminum can.

[DrBaker]

The Outback II manual mentioned using WD40. For whatever reason, I love the smell of WD40.

[RobC]

I like the smell of WD40 and Kroil too but that tends to wear thin when you start shooting it after you have soaked the suppressor in it for a few days. Even when you think that it has dried out, every time you shoot it, a cloud of kroil mixed with burning power will come out for several magazines. About enough to make you sick. I have slowed down shooting in the house and not for fear of lead poisoning. Because, it takes a day for the smell to go away.

I have pretty much stopped worrying about my warlock. I am going to send it back when it starts getting louder. While it is at SWR, I plan to have it upgraded to the Warlock QD model.