Thread: Best way to clean .22 silencer

Originally Posted by subs

How and how often should you clean your "sealed unit" silencer.
Mine is stainless and was told it wouldn't need cleaned.
Doesn't sound right to me, especially after the one I seen today.

Some know I'm a cleaning nazi so this post won't surprise you. You should really clean it out after every use. At least take it off as there is a whole lot of damage that can be caused by the residue being left on the barrel, especially as most people store their rifles muzzle up. Aluminium particularly corrodes easily. Use a powder solvent and leave to soak then brush parts clean. Once dried, apply Vaseline and reassemble.
Specifically you ask about cleaning a sealed unit so I assume it's stainless steel and maybe painted. I use meths in a glass jar on my sealed HMR can as it does help break up the residue and of course dries well. I've made some funny looking wire brushes in an attempt to clean some of the internal baffles but it's pretty hard. After soaking it and having a poke around it, I just leave it on the bench to dry completely and then a few days later I give it a bash in the bench to see if I can knock some more crap out it. Lastly a grease threads and store it (never on the rifle).
Make sure you always clean the crown of your barrel as that is usually black as. If you have a over barrel or semi over barrel suppressor, make sure you Vaseline the barrel too as it makes cleaning a dream next time.
I'm happy to be corrected & always open to better ideas. Keep safe in the hills.