Does anyone have any experience with whether pre-treating a dedicated rim fire suppressor with something like fireclean or DOT 5 brake fluid makes it easier to clean? Is there a positive return on the time to pre-treat and re-treat to get a fast clean vs. not pre-treating?

I've done the pre-treat with silicone oil on my rimfire cans and it seems to work okay. Not 100% magical, nor is it the super-easy cleanup as seen online, but it's better than not treating at all.

I've done the silicone oil/DOT 5 treatment with pretty decent success. It's not a wonder treatment, but it does cut down on the amount of time you have to spend cleaning them, which can be significant. The key is to start with a squeaky clean can/baffles.

As stated above, the silicone treatment does help. Gemtech suggests soaking baffles overnight in a 50/50 mixture of mineral spirits and automatic transmission fluid as a cleaning method. Don't bother is doesn't work.

I pretreat my cans when new with the silicone oil.

After about 1000 rounds I will wipe the baffles down and hit them with some brake cleaner.
I use slip's carbon cleaner to soak the baffles then finish cleaning before I treat again with silicone oil.

It works for me. I might get a media blaster next to try cleaning.

Some good info from Rimfire R&D here --> http://www.rrdvegas.com/silencer-cleaning.html

What nhracecraft posted with a little anti seize on threads and tube.
I shot enough rimfire that the lead residue made a weld to the tube --so I always loosen the threads at the range. Fire gloves or log gloves are part of my kit.
Monocores need to be loosened- YHM Mite or Liberty Regulator. Baffles within a tube in a tube do well with silicon oil-Axiom, YHM Stinger, Mask, Rugar.

Also treated the bolt assembly for an AR with silicone. Cleaned up easily the first use, have not shot it since.

I pretreated my rimfire suppressors with silicone. Didn't see as much of an impact on cleaning as throwing it (disassembled) into the tumbler.

Link above doesn't seem to work. Can someone outline the process for the silicone treatment? Thx.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnV:
Link above doesn't seem to work. Can someone outline the process for the silicone treatment? Thx.

Check out this conversation over on Rim Fire Central: http://www.rimfirecentral.com/...?t=592390&highlight=

quote:

Originally posted by JohnV:
Link above doesn't seem to work. Can someone outline the process for the silicone treatment? Thx.

Most of the info at the (now) defunk'd link outlined the author's trial and error process to come up with a cleaning solution.

It boils down to this:

• Start with either a new suppressor or a squeaky clean one; although I don't advocate the dip method of cleaning, in this case it might benefit to do that (carefully and responsibly) to achieve best results.
  
• Either way you take your baffles/sleeves/tubes or anything else that might accumulate build up and clean them in mineral spirits first.
  
• After these are thoroughly dry you heat the parts in a warm oven (believe it was 200*).
  
• After sitting in the oven for approximately 20-30 minutes, you pull them and immediately put them into a glass jar of either DOT 5 brake fluid or pure silicone oil.
  
• Once cooled you remove and drain off the excess and reassemble.

The result is that the inside has a very thin film of the oil left inside that captures the lead and powder build up and makes removing it much easier at cleaning time. The silicone oil tested to be the least susceptible to burn-off or blow out when shooting.

Suggested brand/source for the silicone oil?

Thanks.

tp

Link is gone.
Essentially pre treat "new" baffles and tubes with
1) wash with mineral spirits
2) heat 225 for 10-15 min
3) soak in pure silicon oil until cool
4) dry for 24-48 hrs
5) reassemble

To clean dirty baffles - tumble in rock tumbler with stainless steel media- overnight to remove all carbon and debris. ONLY TUMBLE STAINLESS STEEL BAFFLES. DO NOT TUMBLE TUBES.

This is easiest way to clean/treat Rim fire suppressors.

Tumbler from Harbor Freight. Media from Amazon. Pure Silicon Oil from Amazon.
Frank

Thank you fellas. Do we have any consensus on Anti Seize? Copper/Nickel/Graphite....?

Standard automobile anti seize . Its a fairly large container - 10 oz or more with built in brush. I put antiseize on all barrel threads, any threaded parts of the tube. Aluminum mono cores get a thin coat on surfaces that contact the tube.

instead of mineral spirits, can I just clean using acetone? This is a brand new Mask.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnV:
instead of mineral spirits, can I just clean using acetone? This is a brand new Mask.

Not sure. Don't know that it'd make a difference but I don't have first hand experience so I can't say.

quote:

Originally posted by SigM4:

quote:

Originally posted by JohnV:
instead of mineral spirits, can I just clean using acetone? This is a brand new Mask.

Not sure. Don't know that it'd make a difference but I don't have first hand experience so I can't say.

Thread drift while my Mask Baffles are soaking in Dot 5 (purple dot 5 apparently, lol, hope thats not a mistake). Anyways, I know you are a big rimfire can fan....have you had a chance to shoot a Ruger Silent_SR?

My first experience with rimfire cans was the Sparrow. Then I got the Ruger Silent SR....holy cow. Sounds awesome. Deep tone to it, hardly any noticeable FRP. I also just now got this Mask. I can't wait to compare them side by side. To my knowledge, I haven't seen anyone not he inter webs compare these two together.