Im working on layout for a minican. It will be similar to sakerk size and for 5.56.

This is a rough drawing and not to scale but you get the idea. Currently I think I can fit 5,  60 degree cones in at around .5" spacing for all but the last. The last will have to be more because the end cap has a cone machined into it and because of the length of threads the spacing between last baffle and end cap cone will probably be more like .75".

The can will be all ti except for the first baffle and it will be SS. SS baffle is from ronin pro and the rest of the cones are ti cones from zmachineworks. I think I can keep it around 10-12 ounces when complete.

Does this design seem reasonable? Should I go with 4 cones instead of 5 and give them a little more spacing or should I cram as many as I can in there? Also, clipped or unclipped?

Any help or suggestions is appreciated.

Thanks.

I'm building a 5".  I've got 4 ZMachine Ti cones, an SPC endcap and griffin adapter, and a DM 1.625" tube.  Last cone is cut down to no skirt.  Other 3 are stock length.  It's sized to only work with a minimalist.

I'd recommend against the Ronin Pro stainless steel cone because they use 303.  I'd get the ZMachine stainless cone instead, he uses 17-4.

What's wrong with 303 vs 17-4? Not being a smart ass I honestly didn't' know there was a significant difference, as far as can usage, in the two.

Will you be clipping yours?

I may just use the 4 zmachine ti cones I have. That would be 4 ti cones plus the integral cone of the endcap. What do you think?

It's softer and not as corrosion resistant.  It's also not heat treatable.  It's cheaper, easier to machine, and more readily available.

Yes to the clipping, all four cones are getting clipped.  Also doing a tapered bore, first cone will be 8mm bore, then 7mm, then 8mm again on the endcap.

I just remembered, I have a stamp approved already for another mini can.  I was fixated on 5.56 for some reason and this one is a .30.  Using a 1.5x1.375 5.5" long tube and DM SCE endcap.  I've got one 17-4 and three Ti cones.  I may add another Ti cone to it as well.  Same thing, I'll be clipping all cones and using a tapered bore.

Thanks. For 5.56 clips what sized ball end mill should I use? 1/8"? 3/16"? How deep?

3/16" is going to be enough of a bitch with bits breaking, I wouldn't go any smaller than that.  I'd start with .188-.200 depth.

I think 17-4 is a better choice overall. It has a higher abrasion resistance and much higher tensile strength. That being said, the OPS/Allen engineering series of cans are all 300 series stainless and are known for excellent durability.

Not arguing the durability of either, but How is the 300 series compared to ti? I have seen freeze plug cans that have lasted thousands of rounds. How does 300 series compare to mild steel freeze plugs?

I did a little quick Google search and 304 and Ti are fairly similar in tensile strength. I would expect those similarities to diverge as the tempature goes up. Ti is known to fall off like a rock strength wise around 800F. I have no idea what 304 does at an elevated tempature.

These share a striking resemblance to the cones in your photo

I am also building a small 5.56 can. I have a DM 5 or 5.5 in tube with a coned end cap, yankee hill mount, and venom cones, all stainless steel. As it sits now I can only get 3 cones inside, I could probably get one more in if I got rid of its skirt. I probably should have made a can this small direct thread to get more baffles and volume. I'm not expecting it to be real quiet, just make it suck less.

James

are you going to have a 1.372" radial?

Great service, and quick shipping!

Just a cursory explanation of SS grades (in the 300 series).
For most applications where Stainless is needed, one can not simply state 300 series. The difference between 303 and 316, for this particular application, can be night and day.
The 3 biggest elemental differences are Carbon, Phosphorus and Sulfur.
303 will have a higher content of all 3 and this is what should preclude it from being used inside of a suppressor.
Carbon is used to increase the hardness and strength of Iron. However, the addition of heat and/or welding can lead to carbide precipitation.
Sulfur is used to increase the machinability of 303. However, like Phosphorous it has a detrimental effect on corrosion resistance and weldability.
Phosphorus, while adding strength, shares some detrimental effects of Sulfur.

A lot can depend on how the can is built and how you use it.
If you have a completely threaded can (no welding) and you rarely get it hot, then 303 will most likely serve its purpose as well as the life of the suppressor.
If you have a welded design that will be put through the ringer, 303 should be avoided at all costs. The welding alone could cause enough elemental damage to create detrimental effects as well as the high temps (of sustained fire) adding more cause for concern.

While 316 will hold more of its strength at elevated temps (speaking in % of total), a SS like 17-4, while losing a greater %, will have a greater value at any reasonable point in the curve. What I mean is, even if 17-4 were to lose 50% of its strength, it will still have a greater yield than what 316 started out with.

The companies offering 303 baffles, are doing so because they can cut more metal w/o worrying about their tooling. They can also cut more pieces in a given time, than if they were using 316. Cost, while 316 is slightly higher, shouldn't be considered.