Cast bullet Lube build-up in moderator

[Whizzbang]

I have concerns about shooting my cast bullets through a (Non-user-serviceable, non-stainless) Ase Utra moderator.

Apparently the lube can build up in the mod/suppressor and is nigh on impossible to remove in a non-strippable mod.

Some internet sources recommend powder-coating to avoid this issue. Not something I’m keen to try but will do it if there is no reliable alternative. No idea where in the UK to get the right powder etc.

Any advice welcome.

[WelshShooter]

You could ceracote the moderator. Tier One tactical have just released a new moderator and there is an option to have the moderator ceracoted in any colour you wish. I'm not sure on the price, but it sounds like it is possible to do this. You may want to speak with the OEM to double check that it doesn't invalidate your warranty or that it won't cause any issues when shooting.

[Rarms]

No experience I'm afraid, but to clean it would just require heating to a temp high enough to burn off the lube? Few rapid fire shots from a centrefire every so often gets them pretty hot? Or a cycle through the dish washer or ultrasonic cleaner.

[kennyc]

Do you need to use a mod with cast loads ? In my very limited experience with them , one noticeable thing has been the reduced report ?

[dromia]

Use less lube.

Heat gun.

Soak in Ed's Red, degreaser, turpentine or some such stuff.

Ultra sonic cleaner.

Shouldn't be too much of an issue as 22 shooters with moderators seem to manage, Ed's red or turpentine does it for me.

Unless your coating is very carefully applied it can flake also, from my experiments with the stuff the electro static method seems to give the best adherence for your application but not worth the feck on in my experience, I never found a UK supplier of a suitable powder so got mine sent from the states, but that just could have been me looking in the wrong place. Even if I had found a supplier I wouldn't have stuck with it.

The best I have found though is to get the right amount of lube on the bullet.

Last week I soaked the moderator on my 22 Hornet as there was some slight rusting on the threads, the copper slip must have failed, and there was surprisingly very little muck in it and it has had thousands of lead rounds through it but then with these wee bullets there is little danger of over lubing.

Coating with Xlox is a different matter as the nose can carry unused lube and this can be a problem, as with all the coatings good adherence is the key, not just for moderators.

[Whizzbang]

Thanks for your responses.

[Whizzbang]

I emailed Jackson rifles with my query earlier today. This is the response:

"Thank you for your enquiry.

That’s an interesting question but believe it or not, it’s not one that we’ve ever been asked, so I’m copying it to the factory for their opinion.

It seems unlikely that nobody, in the last 20 years or so, has used cast bullets through any of our sound moderators, so on the basis that we’ve heard no reported problems, we might well assume that there are none.

My opinion is that lead and lube build-up will be slow, and that it may stabilise at some point where the amount of material being dislodged with each shot is roughly equivalent to the amount deposited. At worst, it may be necessary to clean the silencer from time to time in an ultrasonic bath or parts-washer. However, these processes and/or some cleaning fluids can affect the external finish of some silencers so we usually recommend leaving well alone until the time comes to replace the whole silencer under our limited lifetime guarantee.

I can see no physical reason why gas checks, if properly crimped/swaged to the bullet base, should become dislodged inside the silencer.

However, there is one potential problem which you should consider carefully, and if necessary come back to us for specific technical advice. In general, cast bullets are likely to be quite long/heavy, and yet they are usually fired at much lower muzzle velocity than standard jacketed ammo. This raises the possibility of gyroscopic instability, in which case a bullet may yaw excessively or even tumble inside the silencer.

The gyroscopic stability is chiefly a function of bullet length and rotational speed, but to give you a definitive answer we would need to know bullet dimensions and shape, rifling twist rate, calibre, and muzzle velocity. If you prefer to calculate it yourself, we recommend that the gyroscopic stability factor should be not less than 1.5 for bullets fired through a silencer."