Safe to run any suppressor wet?

W

waterhouse

New member
I've got a .45 suppressor that is meant to be run wet.

Is it safe to run other cans (.22, .223) wet, or would there be some problems with doing this?
 
Generally speaking, by adding an artificial environment into a suppressor, you will increase the effectiveness of the suppressor. The artificial medium, be it water, oil, lithium grease etc, will help cool the hot expanding gasses faster and make your suppressor more efficient. The only issues you should be concerned about when shooting "wet" are the effect of the meduim on your suppressor, host firearm and yourself. You shouldn't shoot aluminum cans "wet" with water. It'll corrode the aluminum and eventually destroy your can. You should also clean your firearm as if you were shooting corrosive ammo when you use water as an artificial environment IMMEDIATELY after shooting. Lastly, if you don't want it all over yourself, don't use it in your can! Some manufacturers will state that a certain suppressor should be used "wet", but most don't prohibit the practice otherwise. Just be smart about it and you won't have too many issues. I shoot some of my cans wet from time to time, and I gotta tell ya, it ain't worth the hassle IMHO. I use wire pulling gel from Home Depot (Ideal is the brand) and it works as well as anything. In my 9mm can on my AR, it splatters and spits the stuff all over hell's half acre. It's your can, try it. You won't hurt anything, but you probably won't do it much after that first time...;)
 
Thanks VUPD. My other cans are pretty quiet without being wet, so I'll just take your word for it and keep myself dry :D

Have you found the wire pulling gel to be as messy as water? I refill my .45 can every few mags from a small water bottle but was wondering if something else might stay in the can a little longer.
 
I also use the Ideal Clear Glide gel in my two cans.
I like it better than water and find that when used sparingly, it is not as messy as water but very efficient in the noise reduction department. :)
 
Do NOT run a rifle caliber can wet! It will result in excess pressure that will likely ruin your day.
 
As others have said, it is manufacturer specific. My TAC-16 can be run wet without any problems. The only way to be sure is to ask the manufacturer.
 
the typical answer is YES. It is safe to shoot wet. BE CAREFUL. You DO NOT want to overfill the can. If it's a .22 then about a bottle cap full AT THE MOST. If its a centerfire about 5cc's MAX. AWC says use 3tbl spoons in their cans (some models).. This is too much - it will cause baffle strikes... For most .22 cans, just spit in the back of it and it will do the trick.

BUT YOU WANT TO CHECK WITH THE MANUFACTURER FIRST JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE. Shooting a can wet once or twice will NOT hurt the can. If its a constant thing, and its not made to handle being shot wet, you're going to hurt your can (the old washer and spacer type of baffle stack).. If you overfill the can, you can BLOW IT UP (again the old washer and spacer stack). If you're using the typical 'K' or modified K baffle configuration (98% of all modern suppressors use this type of baffle or a derivative thereof) a little artificial environment in the ass end will NOT hurt the unit AT ALL. CCF makes an artificial environment that is easy to clean up and is VERY effective. More so than water alone. Just keep in mind that unless you're shooting one of Advanced Armament's Evolution series, you're going to get dirty, but there are more effective suppressors on the market than AAC's units... I know I own several of their cans.

THIS IS ALSO SPEAKING ABOUT PISTOL CALIBER'S. DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT, WET A RIFLE CALIBER. IT WILL DO NOTHING TO SUPPRESS THE REPORT AND YOU INCREASE THE PRESSURE IN YOUR CAN FURTHER WEAKENING YOUR UNIT'S STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY. IF YOU WANT TO WEAR YOUR CAN OUT FASTER, THEN BY ALL MEANS WET THE SUCKER... BUT THATS AN EXPENSIVE THINK NO TO TAKE CARE OF..
 
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