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Posted: 4/2/2008 11:31:24 AM EDT
| I'm thinking of doing a form 1 and making a clone of the XM177 moderator. What various legal concerns are there when manufacturing a suppressor. I know not to have extra baffels(not a concern with the moderator design), but what other things do I need to watch out for, so I can stay legal when I make it. |
Get your F1 all done and back approved before you do ANYTHING. No extra parts. Make sure you get it engraved. Save yourself the hassle and buy one from WA Tom on Subguns. |
Ok, Already know the first 3, thanks. Anything else like that? I thought WA Tom was out of business, also, that would take out the fun of making it my self. |
Hmm ... ok, good point. Do you have plans? I can take some pics for you. I have a WA Tom one. I'll see if I can "dig up" a guide. I know I saw one somewhere. |
Total Silence Inc is out of business. I thought his moderators were clones like 45Bravo's. Zero sound supression. I wouldn't waste the time to make a real one since they didn't reduce the sound much. With moderator attached, the XM177 sounded like a standard un-suppressed M16. Got to the retro forum here WATom is in there all the time. You can send him an IM. |
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I would be a lot more excited about a look alike device attached to a modified M4 barrel. Telescoping back over a pencil profile section of barrel, with the muzzle just aft of the birdcage FH on the XM177E2 style FH. The results Silvers got metering the moderator suggested that on a 11.5", it was like 1.7DB quieter than a M4 length barrel, and when you bring into contrast, the notion that the moderators clog with carbon and are rendered less effective over time; suddenly it becomes apparent that the M4 barrel is at a point, going to function exactly the same as the moderated 11.5, while the 14.5 will give you superior velocity to the tune of about 150FPS, and the gun will be a single stamp SBR as opposed to a two stamp moderated SBR. I think if they realized these things back in the day, they would simply have run 14.5's with flash hiders, unless the moderator was vastly more effective at eliminating flash. |
I want to make a copy of the real deal, not a look a like. I have plenty of time. I know they didn't work well. I just want to make sure I don't break any laws. OK? I cant exactly afford to buy a real XM177, and don't particularly have interest in the rest of the rifle.
I'm not making them for sale, I just want to make ONE for my own personal use and entertainment. It doesn't matter to whats more practical. You are right, a 14.5 inch barrel is better for a fighting weapon. But thats not what I am after, I want to learn more on how the moderator worked. Plenty people are making fake moderators. I don't want a fake moderator. I'm not a retro nut, I just want to make a clone of a XM177 moderator and stay legal in the process. I already have serious guns, I want to do this for fun. Why should I care about practicality, I just don't want to end up in jail. So once again, what LEGAL concerns do I need to watch out for as I make a suppressor. Heres my plan: Submit Form 1, wait for it to be approved. Machine the body and engrave it with the NFA info. Machine internals(once piece, no seperate baffles, so there wont be any concern with extra parts.) Then I am finished, and I'm good as long as I got a copy of my trust and my form 1 along with it. Am I forgetting/missing anything? |
That's it. No other federal regs I am aware of. If it's an E2, don't forget the washer, unless youre going to build that too. |
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While the original XM-177 flash hider has truly minimal effect on the SPL of a .223, it can be screwed on a .22LR where the reduction will be considerably better (though not as quiet as a dedicated .22 can). This was, I believe, the issue in classifying it as a suppressor. The original hider's purpose was to increase the time under pressure in order to have the gas mechanism function properly. Short barrels can be a real problem. |
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