So, anyone using a supressor with cast bullets and not at subsonic velocities either.
My lube is reasonably hard and most of it is gone from any recovered bullets but there is still a faint lube star at the muzzle on my 7x57, 404 and various 44's, and while I dont have these set up for a supressor I am building a new 6.5 and it will be. Just waiting on a few essentials (reamer and mould) but the supressor is a very light duralium and stainless ( http://www.trademe.co.nz/sport...uction-520698858.htm ) unit and like many it is not easily dismantled for cleaning.
My lube has been the 2/3 BW - 1/3 Vaseline and have used it for 20+years so wont be changing that any time soon as it has been sucessful in everything from plinking at 800fps through to 2400fps +.
So what say you on the subject??

Von,

I haven't used cast with a can but I have shot a lot of them through AR's. With that said my AR's really weren't as dirty as one would think with the lube and powder carbon. Some thing lead, lube, and powder carbon. I say you should be getting any lead in the system if you done your homework on casting and loading the bullets. They don't shave off lead going past the gas port hole either. Now as to the can I would imagine that because they need cleaned of powder carbon from time to time that maybe the lube and carbon would foul them faster. If they are able to be clean by taking them apart then I wouldn't let it stop if from using one.

No concern whatsoever with shaving lead as there is enough "overbore" in the supressor to allow free passage of the bullet and the 6.5 wil be shot through a 30 cal unit. Even powder fouling is not the issue as some of the manufacturers mention a return for service at 20K rounds and as I intend to push these bullets a bit there should be a good clean burn with little to no un-burnt to exit the barrel ( a 135gn 6.5 at 22-2300) with possibly varget which is the powder that seems to be just on the slow side to get top velocity with jacketed, it should get there with the cast.
It is just the lube that gives me pause to ask the question of spin-off after exiting the barrel against complete (or as complete as possible) evacuation of lube from the bullet in the barrel where it is needed.

First let me say that I had something like 600 rounds of cast through my AR 10 before I cleaned it. I cleaned it for other reasons do to a bullet change.

The only thing I would be concerned with is the can filling with lube and perhaps catching fire. I would try just shooting some and keeping count and checking the can from time to time to see what degree lube and carbon is building up.

I shoot cast pistol bullets and subsonic 300 blk through a 9mm Octane 9HD user serviceable can.

Have also shot a crap load of 38 Super cast at velocity through compensators.

What one does see is a mist of vaporized lead that condenses out of the gas stream as well as lube that has been misted too.

I would not shoot case bullets in a sealed can that cannot be cleaned. I shoot only jacketed projectiles in my 5.56 and 7.62 caliber sealed cans.

I built a pistol AR two years ago, and got my YHM Cobra II 9mm Suppressor for it, finally.

I shoot the 247gr NOE 311247 cast bullet in it at 1080fps or so. It has the same bullet weight and velocity as the factory 44 magnum lead loads, and I do have 30 of them in a standard AR magazine.

The YHM can be taken apart for cleaning, I shot about 125 or so of my loads thru it in about thirty minutes one afternoon, it was 104 degrees. Took it home, took it apart, and put it in my gunsmith's sonic cleaner. 20 minutes later it was spotless. I did not see much particulate matter in it, but it is good to be able to disassemble it for cleaning.

Rich

I have a simple suppressor with only one baffle which is sealed. Being 4140 steel it will rust if not protected so I lube my jacketed bullets to get a lube coating inside. Peering in with a bright light, I can see the lube coating but no sign of build up. That's a 303 Brit so plenty of muzzle blast to keep it clean. One day I'll start building suppressors (on a small scale) and I will build one specifically for cast if anyone asks me to. I'm developing one for paper patched bullets and those shed paper fragments at the muzzle so need to be self cleaning. Again there is plenty of muzzle blast as they equal jacketed bullets in performance.

My supressor os duralium and stainless steel so rust is not a concern. The cast loads will be on the higher end of the velocity spectrum for hunting. Low velocity cast loads for plinking in non hunting "play" will not need the supressor on. Are you saying that that the high velocity equates to a self cleaning capacity?

That's what it looks like to me, yes. It may depend on the suppressor design and the nature of the deposits. Loose stuff gets blown out and the baffles get blown clean.

Read an article on Gemtech brand cans. This article was on their 22 rimfire line. They were cans that you could take apart and they did that and showed the guts. They stayed pretty dang clean wit 22 rimfire ammo. Don't see why you couldn't use centerfire cast with a can if the loads are proper. Would be nice if the can came apart for cleaning.

I've shot cast with compensators and flash hiders and if the loads and alloy are done correctly I didn't get any grey mist or wash.

So here's my question - how can one get accuracy with grey lead mist being formed?

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:
So here's my question - how can one get accuracy with grey lead mist being formed?

You can't because something isn't right in your load...from alloy to lube. That's why I tell folks if you have anything but a just carboned bore your load, alloy, or lube isn't right.

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
You can't because something isn't right in your load...from alloy to lube. That's why I tell folks if you have anything but a just carboned bore your load, alloy, or lube isn't right.

So a good indicater would be a 100 or so shots being fired and a single patch with E R coming out with black on it and a subsequent patch being (for all intents and purposes) essentiaally clean as that was the result of my fireforming loads anyway. I have a cleanable supressor for my 22LR and have never seen any evidence of a cleaning need but then the 22LR does not have filled lube grooves to leave deposits from.

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
You can't because something isn't right in your load...from alloy to lube. That's why I tell folks if you have anything but a just carboned bore your load, alloy, or lube isn't right.

So a good indicater would be a 100 or so shots being fired and a single patch with E R coming out with black on it and a subsequent patch being (for all intents and purposes) essentiaally clean as that was the result of my fireforming loads anyway. I have a cleanable supressor for my 22LR and have never seen any evidence of a cleaning need but then the 22LR does not have filled lube grooves to leave deposits from.

]]

I'd say so Von. Remember in another post I said I had over 600 rounds of cast through my AR 10? Barrel was just powder carbon covered and even the gas system was clean.

Would you say a grey mist or grey covering which is lead is showing some form of lead vaporization be it melting or gas cutting?

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
Would you say a grey mist or grey covering which is lead is showing some form of lead vaporization be it melting or gas cutting?

I cant see any other cause for a grey mist other than some form of vaporisation. I would have to think that melting or gas cutting would leave deposits within the barrel in the form of leading closer to the breach but a mist has to be small particles that are still soilds but am not sure what might case them other than HV and surface disruption that might ordinarily be leading toward the muzzle but presure blowing out after the bullet.

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
Would you say a grey mist or grey covering which is lead is showing some form of lead vaporization be it melting or gas cutting?

I cant see any other cause for a grey mist other than some form of vaporisation. I would have to think that melting or gas cutting would leave deposits within the barrel in the form of leading closer to the breach but a mist has to be small particles that are still soilds but am not sure what might case them other than HV and surface disruption that might ordinarily be leading toward the muzzle but presure blowing out after the bullet.

Wrong alloy.

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:

Wrong alloy.

Yes, wrong alloy and or lube failure at velocity are the two most likely culprits that might cause this problem. I would think that minor HV (over alloy and -or- lube capability) might give rise to muzzle end barrel leading but it would be major HV that may be the grey mist cause.

VG
one of your country men from the north island designed one of the most ROBUST suppressors i have seen and used, it is indestructable, one draw back is that it is terribly labour intensive , he tried /compared it to some of the best US made suppressors , that US troops were using in Afganistan at that time , and it was every bit as good
If your intrested i can foward you some drawings Photos

i think there would be about $1000 worth of machining time on this design

I was told the only reason a lot of suppressor manufacturers don't like cast bullets is human error. Improperly cast bullets can have hollow spots in them causing them to yaw on firing. This in turn could destroy the suppressor and or cause bodily harm. I suppose it could happen but in all likelihood has a very slim chance