Ed's Red DIY solvent in suppressors

[Suck My Glock]

Finally getting around to cleaning some suppressors. Ung! Fun toys, but NO FUN to clean.

Anyway, been reading up on alternative methods of getting the chore done better/more easily, and learned about Ed's Red. It seems like the thing to use to make my life easier. Just curious about what y'all have done to soak your suppressors to clean and pre-treat the baffles for easier cleaning later. Mine are all aluminum, with the exception of the STDA booster.

A lot of folks apparently leave out the acetone component in the original recipe because its function back in the day was to dissolve shotgun wad plastic residue. But today, poly-coated cast bullets are popular and getting more so, and I wonder if I should include the acetone for that reason. Is the polymer used for coating bullets of the type dissoluble by acetone? Does it even deposit inside suppressors to any degree worth worrying about? I'm hoping when the ammo panic subsides at some point in the future to get my hands on the CCI poly-coated .22 stuff, cause these .22 suppressors are fuggin clogged, Maynard!

Also, if you don't depend on leaving Ed's Red inside the can as a pre-treat to help prevent fouling adhering to the innards, what DO you use? (These are .22 and 9mm cans I'm referring to.) I've heard silicone-based lube works best, others say lithium.

 

[Jack Dupp]

Ed's Red didn't do diddly squat for me. It MIGHT do something for your centerfire cans, but I can guarantee you it won't touch anything on your .22 cans.

 

[Suck My Glock]

My understanding is it will deal with the CARBON fouling well, but the lead deposits will require scrubbing as always.

BUT,...supposedly if the innards are coated (pre-treated) after cleaning with either E'ds Red or silicone lube or lithium grease,...future deposits of lead and carbon are SUPPOSED to be easier to dislodge upon the next cleaning. Any experience with that?

 

[cool arrow]

I tried this a few years back, and it didn't do much on my .22 cans...initially.

What I found was that after soaking/immersing the cans for a day or so, then chipping away at the lead deposits, they seemed easier to remove. As far as build up after that, I can't really say, as I was alot more proactive in cleaning after I saw the lead that had accumulated previously.

 

[TacMedic]

How often, or how many rounds through your can, do you do between cleanings?

I’ve had my 22 can for a long time, but haven’t put that many rounds through it. Just wondering how soon I should take it apart and clean it.

 

[cool arrow]

the 2 cans that I used this particular solvent blend on were sealed, non-serviceable cans that I bought used.

they were WAY crudded up and it took alot to get them back to what I consider clean.

that said, .22 ammo is notoriously dirty, but unless your baffle ports are getting closed up, cleaning them is up to you.

some say that they run better dirty, but I like to keep mine relatively clean. YMMV, but mine perform well when they are cleaner and I like them better in that condition.

 

[QuietM4]

Ed's Red is basically useless for 22 cans....it's not carbon fouling, it's lead buildup.

For my 22 can I used "The Dip"...hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar. It eats through lead...but in the process creates lead acetate, which is incredibly toxic. So, after I am done with the solution, I leave it open and it evaporates, leaving you with easily disposable lead salts (I just bring them to an AutoZone where they take in old batteries to recycle).

You cannot use The Dip on anything that is aluminum...it will be compromised by the solution. So, years back, I had my Gemtec Outback II re-cored with titanium baffles. So now, I can just throw them in my wet tumbler with stainless steel media pins and the baffles are clean in 60 minutes.

Now, I avoid any suppressor that isn't made from titanium or stainless steel, and nothing that I can't disassemble.

Otis was showing a new automated suppressor cleaning machine at SHOT this year...it looked pretty cool, but it's not something you would own in your home....maybe it could be...

https://soldiersystems.net/2020/01/23/shot-show-20-otis-technology-introduces-automated-suppressor-cleaner/

 

[Suck My Glock]

All of this is useful commentary, thanks.

But what about poly bullets, both .22 and larger? Has anyone here fired a lot of that through their cans and seen any micromelted plastic deposited?

 

[QuietM4]

All of this is useful commentary, thanks.

But what about poly bullets, both .22 and larger? Has anyone here fired a lot of that through their cans and seen any micromelted plastic deposited?

I've shot about 500 rounds of the CCI Clean-22 through my Gemtech...I can't notice any difference at all...it's just as dirty as a standard lead nosed round.

 

[azmp5]

Thankfully my 22 and pistol caliber cans come apart, so i just throw the baffles in the s/s media tumbler and come back in a few hours. As far as my rifle cans, I havent gotten around to it, but ive heard CLR works. Again, never tried it so idk.