Suppressor Mirage

[308kiwi]

I'm sure everyone here that shoots a suppressed rifle knows all about that huge PITA called suppressor mirage, especially when using the higher end of magnification in a scope.

I've tried a 'wrap' type of insulator and it definitely made a difference but the whole idea of insulating a suppressor really doesn't sit with me, trapping all that heat surely cannot be conducive to a long life for the internals, especially if you've set up on a hill top and there's 200 rabbits out in front of you just begging to be smeared across a hill face.

A mate of mine is into long range shooting and most of the guys he shoots with use a barrel mirage shield that is basically a piece of Venetian blind velcroed  above the barrel, so I thought I'd steal their idea.

Machined the mount out of a bit of 50 x 10mm aluminium flat bar and just happened to have a strip of old blind lying around to act as the shield, off to the range tomorrow to see how it works

[sketch]

interesting. can it diflect the heat mirage? testing will tell.. mine is a poly so if hot i can still grabe it. it gets plenty hot still.

[308kiwi]

22 minutes ago, sketch said:

can it diflect the heat mirage

The theory is proven with using the same principle for deflecting mirage generated by a hot barrel, I'll sure let you know if it works with a suppressor as well, here's hoping.

 

[jtallen83]

Very interesting, might need to get a patent for that before putting much about it on the web. I know I am still looking for something better in this category.

[unforgiven]

I can see where the curve up would work best.

[392heminut]

As we say here in the desert, that's pretty chingon! Do you think it might help if the slat was painted white?

[Robocop1051]

That whole apparatus should be made out to be carbon fiber/fiberglass material. It’s only a matter time before the aluminum transfers enough heat to the plastic slat. 

[392heminut]

Rob, I don't think his slat is plastic. There's a lot of aluminum blinds out there.

[308kiwi]

Should have stated, the 'shield' is a piece of aluminium blind that I painted flat black, going to try it in black and then spray it flat white to see if the colour makes a difference, it is after all apparently why car radiators are black and saucepans are shiny, radiation vs retention of heat or did I see it on Mythbusters that that was a load of crap

Edited January 26, 2018 by 308kiwi

[308kiwi]

Had a chance to try my 'venetian blind mirage shield' this week, works OK, but is a little 'fragile' to be lugging around the hills or in the bush, fine at the range.

But this turned up in the mail earlier in the week from Silencerco, and it works a treat, after 40 rounds over 10 minutes, no noticeable mirage, nice bit of kit that I can highly recommend.

 

[Sisco]

But does it trap the heat?

[308kiwi]

1 hour ago, Sisco said:

But does it trap the heat?

Yes it does, I tried a wrap style cover a while ago and it was terrible, took forever for the suppressor to cool down, which is why I made what I made, and it works, I just need to make it a little more robust, possibly make another mount so it is supported at front and back.

In the mean time the Silencerco cover is going to be OK as long as I don't go dumping mags, which I don't do anyway.

[jtallen83]

I learned a lesson about wraps trapping heat, the wrap will burn the crap out of you if the inside happens to lay against your skin when you take it off! 

They do trap the heat but like Kiwi says, as long as you are not dumping mags it doesn't really matter. It takes a good bit for the suppressor to cool after taking the wrap off but it is well worth it. I found the mirage from an uncovered suppressor made accurate shooting very difficult if not impossible after a couple groups on higher magnification scopes. I use a Barrel Cool fan which helps quicken cooling.

http://barrelcool.com/product-category/barrelcool/

[308kiwi]

13 minutes ago, jtallen83 said:

 I use a Barrel Cool fan which helps quicken cooling.

I saw them for sale on a website a while ago and was thinking of getting one. jtallen83,do they work as well as they say they do?

I'm going to keep mucking around with my shield project and see where it goes.

My concern, which motivated the idea in the first place,  is trapping heat inside the suppressor really cannot be good, long term, for the internals, I say this rather loosely as I know my situation re replacing a 'worn out' suppressor is a damn site easier than you guys, I just bin the old one and rock on down to my local with $2-300 and I'm back shooting again, I assume the process is a lot more involved in the US.

 

 

[jtallen83]

6 minutes ago, 308kiwi said:

I saw them for sale on a website a while ago and was thinking of getting one. jtallen83,do they work as well as they say they do?

I'm going to keep mucking around with my shield project and see where it goes.

My concern, which motivated the idea in the first place,  is trapping heat inside the suppressor really cannot be good, long term, for the internals, I say this rather loosely as I know my situation re replacing a 'worn out' suppressor is a damn site easier than you guys, I just bin the old one and rock on down to my local with $2-300 and I'm back shooting again, I assume the process is a lot more involved in the US.

 

 

The barrel Cool, as usual it doesn't work as quickly as the advertising leads you to believe but it does make a substantial difference. The battery life was my biggest concern but I am still running on the original set so it isn't as expensive to run as I had thought.

AAC didn't see any problem with a wrap hurting the longevity of their suppressors and if I would burn out a baffle they back their stuff. I've already had to send one in for an end cap repair that was 100% my fault, rather my Dad's fault, and they fixed it for free even when I told them how it happened.

[308kiwi]

Interesting, thanks fro the feedback.

Good to hear that from a  manufacturer, nothing worse than bad service AFTER you have bought the product.

We had a manufacturer here a few years ago and there were a lot of problems with his suppressors 'blowing up', literally exploding, he refused to warranty them, and was a right cock about the whole mess, surprisingly he's still in business.

[sketch]

job security . but that will run its course out of town.. 

[392heminut]

On 8/24/2018 at 4:08 PM, jtallen83 said:

AAC didn't see any problem with a wrap hurting the longevity of their suppressors and if I would burn out a baffle they back their stuff.

The suppressors here in the States have some exotic materials for the internals such as inconel (the stuff they use to make exhaust valves for top fuel engines). They are way overbuilt to last as long as possible because of all the hassle to replace one here, which is why prices are so much higher here. Those exotic metals aren't cheap but it's damn near impossible to burn out a baffle made out of schit like that.

[jtallen83]

4 hours ago, 392heminut said:

The suppressors here in the States have some exotic materials for the internals such as inconel (the stuff they use to make exhaust valves for top fuel engines). They are way overbuilt to last as long as possible because of all the hassle to replace one here, which is why prices are so much higher here. Those exotic metals aren't cheap but it's damn near impossible to burn out a baffle made out of schit like that.

Exactly, my SDN-6 is full auto rated with a 12 inch barrel on a 308, should handle the wrap with no issue. I believe it is Iconel the baffles are made of. 

[308kiwi]

14 hours ago, 392heminut said:

The suppressors here in the States have some exotic materials for the internals such as inconel (the stuff they use to make exhaust valves for top fuel engines). They are way overbuilt to last as long as possible because of all the hassle to replace one here, which is why prices are so much higher here. Those exotic metals aren't cheap but it's damn near impossible to burn out a baffle made out of schit like that.

Well that would explain why they are so expensive in the US, most of the local manufacturers here use either aluminium or stainless for the baffles. But again replacement is not an issue here.

Both of my B&T suppressors are Inconel and yeah they were bloody expensive but will probably outlast me.

[NF1E]

The wrap works " OK " , but things do get hot. My OSS suppressors are titanium so they can handle the heat. Mirage sucks without a cover.  Whatta Hobby!