methods for cleaning aluminum suppressor baffles/cores

[sovietak474u]

At the current time I clean my suppressors the old fashion way. Scrapers and elbow grease. What methods do you fine folks use for cleaning 22 and 9mm aluminum baffles? Im thinking of buying a tumbler or something like that. Just looking for input from people who have found a good, safe method.

 

[batoncolle]

I spread Bore Butter (used to clean blackpowder guns) on the baffles. When I go to clean, the large majority of buildup will just wipe off. For the rest I just soak in either paint thinner or the Birchwwood Casey synthetic cleaner. If I do any scrubbing, it is very light around the edges of the baffles - maybe takes 20 - 30 seconds.

Makes cleaning very easy which is why I will always choose aluminum over steel so I can enjoy the lighter weight can.

 

[sovietak474u]

I spread Bore Butter (used to clean blackpowder guns) on the baffles. When I go to clean, the large majority of buildup will just wipe off. For the rest I just soak in either paint thinner or the Birchwwood Casey synthetic cleaner. If I do any scrubbing, it is very light around the edges of the baffles - maybe takes 20 - 30 seconds.

Makes cleaning very easy which is why I will always choose aluminum over steel so I can enjoy the lighter weight can.

I too enjoy the lightness of aluminum baffles. I really liked the sparrow but it weighed way too much. Bore butter huh. Going to buy some now and give that a shot!

 

[batoncolle]

I too enjoy the lightness of aluminum baffles. I really liked the sparrow but it weighed way too much. Bore butter huh. Going to buy some now and give that a shot!

It is kind of like Vaseline so easy to smear, but it is non-petroleum based. It is used to reduce the fouling in blackpowder guns, and it just works well with cans. Some guy posted about it years ago on a forum, and I have been using it ever since.

 

[awjohnson2]

I just got my ISIS22 this week and I was wondering the same thing. A lot of solvents and "normal" methods to clean stainless will damage an aluminum can. This is my first supressor and I had NO IDEA just how dirty they got and how quickly it happens. I clean it every time I am finished using it but with the headache and cost of replacing it, I want to make sure that I don't do something to shorten its life. I keep coming to soda blasting the aluminum to remove the lead.

 

[sovietak474u]

It is kind of like Vaseline so easy to smear, but it is non-petroleum based. It is used to reduce the fouling in blackpowder guns, and it just works well with cans. Some guy posted about it years ago on a forum, and I have been using it ever since.

Nice. Thanks for that. Academy sports (as much as I hate going there) has it in stock. Ill be dropping by to pick a tube up on my way home from work.

 

[sovietak474u]

I just got my ISIS22 this week and I was wondering the same thing. A lot of solvents and "normal" methods to clean stainless will damage an aluminum can. This is my first supressor and I had NO IDEA just how dirty they got and how quickly it happens. I clean it every time I am finished using it but with the headache and cost of replacing it, I want to make sure that I don't do something to shorten its life. I keep coming to soda blasting the aluminum to remove the lead.

I read that method but im not trying to buy that much extra equipment to clean it.

 

[awjohnson2]

I was thinking the same thing. How much lead in the baffles is too much lead?

 

[sold7]

Soak in WD40 overnight. works well on my Sparrow and Osprey

 

[sovietak474u]

I was thinking the same thing. How much lead in the baffles is too much lead?

As long as there are no bore obstructions , your good. You just don't want to let it go because the longer you wait to clean it ... The heavier it will get due to the weight of the lead in it.