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Posted: 1/17/2018 8:27:16 PM EDT

Gents, I'm having a heck of a time putting my Octane back together. It's been mounted using a direct thread mount on a 9mm AR. I'm pulled the mount off, disassembled it, and am trying to put it back together with a piston. The piston lugs are binding when I'm trying to drop it in the tube. The pic should show where it's making contact.

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The piece it's binding on "looks" like one of the fixed barrel spacers, but I don't own one and the piece itself looks to be permanently affixed.

Attached File

I've tried every conceivable way to get the piston in, and it's not going. I can't find any decent pictures of it broken down.... the instruction seems pretty simple... the videos make it look even easier... so wtf am I missing??? I've had this apart numerous times and this is a first for me.

Posted: 1/17/2018 8:40:14 PM EDT

[#1]

Put the spring around it and wiggle it around. It should bind if it's off-center and not perpendicular to the tube, but it should drop freely when it's lined up. Do not apply any pressure at all.

Posted: 1/17/2018 8:42:29 PM EDT

[#2]

It does look like you've got lots of carbon built up there, though. The carbon can certainly keep it from going in. What's the round count on that can?

Posted: 1/17/2018 8:51:21 PM EDT

[#3]

The SiCo video shows everything just "dropping" in. The spring has a smaller circumference that the piston and it binds too. I can get it to compress and drop in, and the end cap threads on easily after it's seated. The edge of the piston just barely contacts the lip, but it's enough to keep it from going in.

It's a pretty high round count, and most of them were through the direct thread mount, so I can see how crud would build up there, vice having the piston in. I've been scrubbing at it for a bit, but I'll continue on.

Posted: 1/17/2018 8:53:53 PM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:
The SiCo video shows everything just "dropping" in. The spring has a smaller circumference that the piston and it binds too. I can get it to compress and drop in, and the end cap threads on easily after it's seated. The edge of the piston just barely contacts the lip, but it's enough to keep it from going in.

It's a pretty high round count, and most of them were through the direct thread mount, so I can see how crud would build up there, vice having the piston in. I've been scrubbing at it for a bit, but I'll continue on.

View Quote

The spring helps me center it, but my round count isn't nearly high enough for that level of buildup. The clearance is pretty tight. It's got to be the carbon.

Posted: 1/17/2018 9:01:42 PM EDT

[#5]

Try chucking an AR15 chamber brush in a drill and using that to help scrub some of the carbon out.

Some Kroil or other solvent might help too.

Posted: 1/17/2018 9:20:12 PM EDT

[#6]

If you are using cast or open base jacketed bullets that's likely lead and carbon. The booster cage is hardened 17-4 steel. An Oatey pipe fixture brush in the one Inch size is pretty good at cleaning carbon but if there is lead that smears. An apple coring 'knife' at kitchen gadget stores might make a good round scraper.

Posted: 1/17/2018 9:24:22 PM EDT

[#7]

So... lesson learned. Clean isn't nearly as clean as it should be when the tolerance is that tight.

Thanks for the power drill tip. That knocked enough off to get the piston in, and then was able to rotate the piston to get more out of there.

Thanks again all... sometimes common sense is an uncommon virtue!

Posted: 1/17/2018 11:27:54 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
If you are using cast or open base jacketed bullets that's likely lead and carbon. The booster cage is hardened 17-4 steel. An Oatey pipe fixture brush in the one Inch size is pretty good at cleaning carbon but if there is lead that smears. An apple coring 'knife' at kitchen gadget stores might make a good round scraper.

View Quote

~~Uh, are you sure about that? Mine is aluminum.~~
ETA: Looks like I have some 17-4 magnetic aluminum here. Whoops!

Posted: 1/18/2018 12:37:54 AM EDT

[#9]

After seeing the similar problems others have had after running a direct thread adapter, and then trying to go back to piston operation, I switched to a piston and spacer for every fixed barrel use.

Posted: 1/18/2018 1:10:30 AM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
If you are using cast or open base jacketed bullets that's likely lead and carbon. The booster cage is hardened 17-4 steel. An Oatey pipe fixture brush in the one Inch size is pretty good at cleaning carbon but if there is lead that smears. An apple coring 'knife' at kitchen gadget stores might make a good round scraper.

View Quote

This is good advice - it's what has worked for me when I needed to get my piston back in after using fixed or 3-lug mounts.

Posted: 1/18/2018 1:24:54 AM EDT

[#11]

Mine is magnetic and when it was new it looked like the same material as the baffles which are heat treated 17-4.

Posted: 1/18/2018 3:33:46 AM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Mine is magnetic and when it was new it looked like the same material as the baffles which are heat treated 17-4.

View Quote

Okay, mine is as well. I just checked it. I was 100% sure it was aluminum and now I am 99% sure it's not.

Posted: 1/18/2018 10:17:06 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
So... lesson learned. Clean isn't nearly as clean as it should be when the tolerance is that tight.

Thanks for the power drill tip. That knocked enough off to get the piston in, and then was able to rotate the piston to get more out of there.

Thanks again all... sometimes common sense is an uncommon virtue!

View Quote

Yep, when the booster housing gets dirty as hell you'll have a hard time removing and installing it. I scrub mine every 500rds or so, then oil the piston and that helps. If you're in a quick hurry, just lightly oil the piston teeth and face and it should be good to go while you scrub it down when you get a chance.

Posted: 1/18/2018 10:24:26 AM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
After seeing the similar problems others have had after running a direct thread adapter, and then trying to go back to piston operation, I switched to a piston and spacer for every fixed barrel use.

View Quote

I like that idea!

Posted: 1/18/2018 12:17:28 PM EDT

[#15]

I use the piston as a scraper and it works very well.

Posted: 1/18/2018 12:31:52 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
After seeing the similar problems others have had after running a direct thread adapter, and then trying to go back to piston operation, I switched to a piston and spacer for every fixed barrel use.

View Quote

For fixed-barrel adapters, you can cut a piece of tubing to go inside the cage and deflect the blast. I really wish they had a better direct-thread solution that removed the entire piston housing. I was worried more before I found out that it was steel, instead of aluminum. Now I can scrape without worry.

Posted: 1/18/2018 3:46:17 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
After seeing the similar problems others have had after running a direct thread adapter, and then trying to go back to piston operation, I switched to a piston and spacer for every fixed barrel use.

View Quote

This is what I do. I am expecting a problem next time because I have put a couple thousand rounds through it since using the spring/booster. Also the plumbing brush is a great idea. I use this on a GMT halo when the carbon builds up around the a2 flash hider.

Posted: 1/18/2018 5:01:45 PM EDT

[#18]

Yes, if you make a solid spacer out of tubing to replace the booster spring this will also work if you later go with fixed threat mounts to protect the sides of integral booster cage from carbon and lead. Not much you can do to protect the end where the piston teeth mate up. I bet this is very handy if mounted on a dirty 22 rimfire host.

Posted: 1/18/2018 10:04:31 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:

Yep, when the booster housing gets dirty as hell you'll have a hard time removing and installing it. I scrub mine every 500rds or so, then oil the piston and that helps. If you're in a quick hurry, just lightly oil the piston teeth and face and it should be good to go while you scrub it down when you get a chance.

View Quote

This , scrub that carbon out

Posted: 1/19/2018 11:36:28 AM EDT

[#20]

common issue with Octane cans... I pretty much have dedicated my Octane 9 to carbine use on 22LR and 9mm. If I remember right the original SWR design had the cage removable.

Posted: 1/19/2018 12:28:58 PM EDT

[#21]

The Octane booster cage is threaded in and held with a high strength thread locker. You could break it loose with heat or just send it in to Silencerco. Pretty much all booster designs require some maintenance. The Obsidian blast chamber looks to be cylindrical inside with weight relieving cuts on the exterior. The Octane design gives the blast chamber more internal volume and unfortunately more features to collect crud. The Octane booster cage design is shared by the Omega 9k and is welded in and it doesn't seem like people are complaining about it. Of course that can is all stainless so one could plug the front cap and fill with the dip or CLR. The aluminum tube of the Octane precludes that method. Treating the booster cage with silicone oil like people do with 22 suppressor baffles wil help. Lubing the booster with a very stable grease like expensive Krytox gives pretty good functioning life. Shooting lots of rimfire or cast lead necessitates more frequent maintenance. When the HPA passes you'll be able to buy disposable delrin boosters in 6-packs for $8.99 at Walmart.

Posted: 2/14/2018 1:24:39 PM EDT

[#22]

Deleted by Mod.

Posted: 2/14/2018 3:39:48 PM EDT

[#23]

OP, my octane 45 is the same way. everything can be super clean and the piston still is a small pain to get back in. I just put it and the spring in there and wiggle it back and forth till it goes in.

Posted: 2/16/2018 2:41:31 PM EDT

[#24]

I use a dental scraper on mine. I shoot cast uncoated 9/45 most of the time. I have found shooting coated subsonic 300 using the direct thread adapter blasts some of the lead and carbon off the cage.

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