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Extreme stress test on Silencerco Sparrow
I decided I would do an extreme stress test on a sparrow from the round count perspective. Also, I get asked frequently why to avoid aluminum baffles.
Most cans must be cleaned after 500 rounds due to their design. The easiest way to describe the reason for this is to imagine a screw inside of a tube. As you fire lead rounds through a .22 can, it builds carbon/lead up on the outside of the tube. Eventually you can't pull the screw out because the carbon is holding it in there. Hence the reason cans that disassemble with a tube and mono core must be cleaned at specific intervals. The silencerco sparrow solves this problem by having a clam shell design in the tube, you can shoot it indefinitely. At least, that's what they say.
So, I decided I wouldn't clean my sparrow for a few weeks. I lost the round count during that period, but I believe based on what ammo I have left, I shot somewhere around 2,000rds through the can on full auto, maybe more.
Here is my can after 2k rounds on the scale:
Here is a sparrow with just a few hundred rounds through it:
So, it's got at least 1 ounce of lead in it, probably more.
Opening up the portal of hell:
Here is a can with a few hundreds rounds on the bottom, and mine with 2k on the top:
As you can see there is extremely high amounts of leading everywhere. Disassembling the can was nearly impossible. The sleeve did not want to slide off the clam shell. It was extremely difficult to get apart, taking nearly half an hour of beating on it with a socket to get it free. So, no you can't shoot a sparrow indefinitely without cleaning. It still seizes up. I chewed up the threads for the lock collar trying to separate it with a socket.
Now, if you've ever tried to clean a suppressor that is leaded up, you probably know it's a bitch. You end up having to carve the lead out with a knife using extreme pressure. Usually you're limited to cutting out the bigger pieces, and you leave much of the surface lead behind. It's a terible way to clean a suppressor.
Enter "The Dip." a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar. This creates Peracetic Acid - CH3CO3H. Peracetic Acid and Lead do not get along. Neither does any ferric metal or aluminum. So when hear people tell you to avoid cans with aluminum baffles, this is the reason. You can't dip them. Peracetic Acid breaks down the lead into Lead Acetate - Pb(CH3COO)2.
I decided I would do an extreme stress test on a sparrow from the round count perspective. Also, I get asked frequently why to avoid aluminum baffles.
Most cans must be cleaned after 500 rounds due to their design. The easiest way to describe the reason for this is to imagine a screw inside of a tube. As you fire lead rounds through a .22 can, it builds carbon/lead up on the outside of the tube. Eventually you can't pull the screw out because the carbon is holding it in there. Hence the reason cans that disassemble with a tube and mono core must be cleaned at specific intervals. The silencerco sparrow solves this problem by having a clam shell design in the tube, you can shoot it indefinitely. At least, that's what they say.
So, I decided I wouldn't clean my sparrow for a few weeks. I lost the round count during that period, but I believe based on what ammo I have left, I shot somewhere around 2,000rds through the can on full auto, maybe more.
Here is my can after 2k rounds on the scale:
Here is a sparrow with just a few hundred rounds through it:
So, it's got at least 1 ounce of lead in it, probably more.
Opening up the portal of hell:
Here is a can with a few hundreds rounds on the bottom, and mine with 2k on the top:
As you can see there is extremely high amounts of leading everywhere. Disassembling the can was nearly impossible. The sleeve did not want to slide off the clam shell. It was extremely difficult to get apart, taking nearly half an hour of beating on it with a socket to get it free. So, no you can't shoot a sparrow indefinitely without cleaning. It still seizes up. I chewed up the threads for the lock collar trying to separate it with a socket.
Now, if you've ever tried to clean a suppressor that is leaded up, you probably know it's a bitch. You end up having to carve the lead out with a knife using extreme pressure. Usually you're limited to cutting out the bigger pieces, and you leave much of the surface lead behind. It's a terible way to clean a suppressor.
Enter "The Dip." a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar. This creates Peracetic Acid - CH3CO3H. Peracetic Acid and Lead do not get along. Neither does any ferric metal or aluminum. So when hear people tell you to avoid cans with aluminum baffles, this is the reason. You can't dip them. Peracetic Acid breaks down the lead into Lead Acetate - Pb(CH3COO)2.
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