Everyone has their method for cleaning cans. I have been researching the difference between "old" cans vs 3D printed cans and how to clean the new sealed, printed cans.
A good overview is from Silencer Shop--this shows which metals can go in an ultrasonic, solvents, etc. It is meant as a reference.

https://www.silencershop.com/b...leaning-a-suppressor

I don't have an answer on how to a clean a sealed 3D suppressor--special cleaning solutions seem to be the answer: Huxwrx suppressor cleaning sauce, CAT 206 titanium cleaning solution, Purple Power, Simple Green, CLR.

The only can I have ever cleaned is my Dead Air Mask , shooting .22lr

I can’t imagine a sealed can needing to be cleaned.

well suprise. just about every mfg. says clean it. And with some of the new 3d printed low backpressure cans not after very many rounds.
example... Huxwrx for example on my 9Kti is 1000 rounds. and even the rifle ventum is 2500.
now I get some traditional suppressors can go a long time but even my surefire RC2 has cleaning instructions. just FWIW>

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
just about every mfg. says clean it.

Yes, and Thunder Beast even offers an annual “free” cleaning service.

I say “free” because with shipping both ways the cost to me for mine was almost $100. That was after I had almost 5000 rounds through it and was when I found the advice that they should be cleaned periodically.

The cleaning removed a couple of ounces of residues, and did that matter? Probably not for the way I use the device, but my plan now is to clean it myself after each 1K or so. The only complication is that some recommended methods should be used with caution to avoid damaging the finish or threads.

Thunderbeast is in the weight group of 'when' like at 3oz its time to clean it. I've always wondered a bit about that absolute number because it clearly is a huge difference depending on which suppressor. on my 9 it would be 30% but on the 5 it would be 50%.
In any case the recommended cleaning method for TB is pretty easy to do.
But I would wonder if some of these wonder cleaners we are using on other models would be better than CLR.

I tried cleaning my suppressor with CLR. The instructions strongly stressed to not let the cleaner touch the threads because it could etch the metal. When I poured in the amount of the CLR that wouldn’t have reached the threads, it immediately bubbled and flowed up and out. Fortunately it was in a large container, but of course it completely covered the threads at that point. I immediately cleaned everything up and decided that the first cleaning should be by TBAC, and it came back with the first baffle visible from the rear nice and shiny.

I am curious about some of the other solvent methods that are being advertised these days. I do recall though, that one cautioned against letting the cleaner contact the exterior Cerakote-type finish, so I will have to research further. The exterior finish really doesn’t matter, though, so I should probably not worry about that.