Suppressor Thread Wear

[Outlaw Man]

I'm considering switching to a suppressed handgun for home defense. I'd prefer a rifle, but with a little one on the way, I need something that I can move with, and possibly operate, one-handed.

I realize the potential implications of using an NFA item defensively.

My biggest question is, how quickly am I reducing the life of the threads (on the can and the pistol) by attaching and removing it on a nearly daily basis? If I go this route I will likely use my primary carry handgun.

Is this even something to worry about?

 

[rcmodel]

Keep the thread clean & lubed and I don't think you have anything much to worry about.

Grit & grim causes wear by acting as lapping compound.

rc

 

[Telekinesis]

As long as the threads are clean you should be fine with putting it on and taking it off every day.

However I would recommend choosing one gun to be a dedicated suppressed HD gun which would allow you to have a larger gun for HD (usually easier to shoot and holds more ammo) and you wouldn't have to worry about having an extended/threaded barrel on your carry gun. Longer barreled pistols are usually slightly quieter than shorter barreled pistols (ex a G17 is a few dB quieter than a G19 with the same can and ammo).

Also, make sure that whichever gun you choose is reliable with the can attached. My Sig 226 is very reliable with one of my cans, but has a FTE every few rounds with another.

Creepy:
Your TiRant should have a booster which means that they'd probably just replace the threaded piston and check the rest of the can for QC issues. Or you could buy the threaded piston yourself and save the time of shipping it back to the manufacturer.

 

[Outlaw Man]

Thanks for the input, y'all.

For what it's worth, I am planning on using a full-size pistol.

 

[TIMC]

Sounds like the Osprey is the answer to you question. The threads are on the piston and not the suppressor itself so if the threads wear out you just buy another piston. this set up also give you the option of buying other thread sizes to fir the suppressor to other barrels with a different thread size. I use mine on 5 different handguns and one rifle in 9mm and .45 acp.

 

[wally]

Sounds like the Osprey is the answer to you question. The threads are on the piston and not the suppressor itself so if the threads wear out you just buy another piston.

Love my Osprey but in no way would it be immune to the problem, especially if you swap pistons a lot. There are threads in the body that hold in the piston which could be damaged when you change pistons or take it apart to clean the recoil booster.

 

[Aaron Baker]

All other design elements aside, I think that Thompson Machine's ISIS-2 design is the best for reducing the possibility of problems with the suppressor tube.

(For the benefit of anyone browsing this thread that doesn't know, the actual serial-numbered tube is the only part on a suppressor that cannot be replaced. A Class 2 FFL (including the original manufacturer) can install new baffles or any other part, but the tube is the tube, and if it's damaged beyond repair, I think you're just out of luck.)

What I like about the ISIS-2 design is that the tube itself is not threaded at all. It's just a hollow tube with the serial number engraved on it. The monolithic baffle stack slips inside that, with an o-ring for sealing at each end. One end cap is part of the baffle stack, and the other one screws onto the other end of the baffle stack. The tube is just slide over the stack and sandwiched between the end caps. The baffle stack also contains the threads for your muzzle attachment devices. So if you had a problem where your attachment devices messed up the threads on the suppressor, the damage would be to the baffle stack, not the tube. Much more easily remedied by sending it back to the manufacturer for repair. (Edited to add a picture to demonstrate what I'm trying to explain.)

I love my ISIS-2 9mm, but I don't know how it compares in DB reduction to other cans. Still, for my money, its easily-repaired design and the fact that it's user-serviceable so I can shoot sub-caliber .22 through it, make it a great suppressor.

Aaron

 

[hentown]

I'm going to be using a suppressed G17 for my h.d. weapon. I don't believe there's any civil or criminal liability attached to my choice of h.d. weapons.

 

[wally]

I love my ISIS-2 9mm, but I don't know how it compares in DB reduction to other cans. Still, for my money, its easily-repaired design and the fact that it's user-serviceable so I can shoot sub-caliber .22 through it, make it a great suppressor.

I've been waiting for one to transfer to me since April but you've nailed the reasons I ordered it over a year ago.

I can say GemTech honors their "plain language" warranty and is eating the $200 tax to replace my Multimount that suffered catastrophic tube failure. I've always wondered why aluminum alloys were so common as the tube material since there is no "ultimate fatigue life" for aluminum under periodic loading cycles as there are for steels.

 

[Outlaw Man]

Thanks for the follow ups. That ISIS sounds like it's worth investigating.

 

[Chopdoktor]

I'm a little late, here, but chalk up another vote for the ISIS. It's definitely a great can, especially for the money. I have a few of them, and they have stood up well to plenty of full-auto abuse from an MP5, a converted automatic Glock 17, and a short-barreled 9mm M16 host gun. They're good to go.

 

[MasterSergeantA]

(For the benefit of anyone browsing this thread that doesn't know, the actual serial-numbered tube is the only part on a suppressor that cannot be replaced. A Class 2 FFL (including the original manufacturer) can install new baffles or any other part, but the tube is the tube, and if it's damaged beyond repair, I think you're just out of luck.)
Aaron

Aaron,

I won't argue with you since you ARE a lawyer and I am not, but it is my understanding that even the tube can be replaced if the original manufacturer will destroy the original and mark a new one with the same serial number. Granted, many (if not most) would probably not do that, but it would almost always be worth an inquiry.

 

[wally]

I won't argue with you since you ARE a lawyer and I am not, but it is my understanding that even the tube can be replaced if the original manufacturer will destroy the original and mark a new one with the same serial number. Granted, many (if not most) would probably not do that, but it would almost always be worth an inquiry.

If the tube breaks, you are done. The tube is not replaced, its destroyed and you start over with a new serial number.

GemTech is doing that for my Multimount and eating the $200 tax on the replacement. They really honor their "plain language" warranty. My bad luck that I got a defective tube

They E-filed, I sure hope processing holds at ~95-100 days.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

A bit of an aside but dropping or throwing them can be hard on them too (and some gun clubs object to profanity).

I picked up a nice set of silicone oven mitts rated to 400F at Costco and this digital IR pyrometer for $18.