So this will be a continuing evolution of multiple Form 1 suppressors, once you get past the first eform1 they tend to be very addicting  This will not be a definite how-to, but should be close.  And its my first write up, so its not going to be pretty.


I do not have a mill or lather or the know how to run one but I can adapt and get it done without.  Please follow safe practices if you use any of this info.  And make sure you follow all laws and regs.


We will be using SDtactical tubes and adapters as well as Stainless tubes from apogee and a Muzzle brake from Harrison gear(the not so 100$)  All suppressors are being made for .308 but some will be used solely on 556, I hate uni-taskers.   The first 5-6 suppressors will be for 300AAC and 556, .22 and some pistol cans will follow in a month or two.

This is the layout  I will be following, Infinitegrim drew this up based on my input.



First you will need to pick a tube.  SDtac is the top black steel($31 for 8.375"), Apogee Stainless tube($42 8.375") in the center and the Harrisongear muzzle brake($220 steel 30cal) at the bottom



The Harrison gear muzzle brake only needs a tube and some way to hold the tube in place, it is a muzzle brake that lends itself well to secondary uses.  It is solid steel and pretty heavy, and similar to a monocore, and you can get it in 1/2x28or 5/8x24 threading or blank for your own threading.  My brake is 30cal with 5/8x24 threading.  More on this brake in a later post.

SDtactical offers end caps(adapters) in threaded(your choice in threads) or for a Griffin muzzle brake(his own house version also).  I choose to go with Griffin muzzle brakes and Flash comps.  I am building 2 dedicated 300AAC cans for 2 of my guns but going with the Griffin brake will add some extra baffling and a sacrificial offering, the rest of my guns will be getting Griffin Flash comps as the suppressors will not be living on them permanently.  I was a Vortex Fan boy before, but I am digging these Griffin comps

Griffin Muzzle Brake in 308



Griffin Flash Comp in 556


Brakes threaded into the SDtac adapters, 556 flash comp on the left, 308 comp on the right.  Flash comps have one chamber/baffle, comps 2


Brakes Threaded into SDtac adapters




All endcap/adapters will get O-rings.  I purchased my O-rings from theoringstore.com and they were Model s70124.  They are a bit thicker then the O-ring that comes on a Maglite but fit perfectly for me.

O-rings, the black o-ring is a maglite


All Freeze plugs are Sealed Power 381-3179, the Doorman type may work but they are slightly bigger and lower quality.  You can find these freeze plugs at your local autoparts store but they may have to add them.  Should be .40-.80 cents each


I also used onlinemetals.com for spacer material for the blast chamber and spacers for baffles.



The typical process I have seen to form baffles is using a vice/press and a bearing to form the cone.  I knew there had to be something better and I found a 45deg cone on some automotive 3 jaw pullers I have for my Jeep, it is the center piece on the threaded shaft and obtained from 3 jaw puller

The 45deg cone, the ring on the cone was from working on my jeep, I used a new cone from one of the other pullers in the set


Back side of the 45deg cone, its threaded for the puller


I Found that while the 45deg cone did a good job it was not to my liking and not close enough for me to the 60deg that I believe is preferred for baffles.  So I scoured the internet for something better and found this  it has a 60deg cone and was pretty cheap so I took a gamble

60deg with 45deg



So I think that is it for parts and hardware that I needed to complete a suppressor, I did leave out the centering tool for the freeze plugs(20$) and I had also bought several drill bits (cheap off ebay)to include a .370 bit for final sizing of my holes, it is roughly .06" bigger then .308 that I believe is a good plus sizing on your hole.


Now that everything is on hand my first order of business is forming some baffles.  I will not be showing the actual drilling and pressing, if needed I can snag pics of that in process.


Step one, drilling the 1/8" center, drilled all the way through.  This not only locates your center but gives the Cones a place to rest when forming to remain center.


Step two, the freeze plug to be formed is placed cup side down onto a socket(7/8" was almost a perfect fit, tape finished it)



Now the next step I had originally done just a 45 but knowing a 60deg is preferred I wanted to do the 60.  However I quickly learned doing the 60deg would open up the 1/8" hole to fast and not get enough cone and end up with to big of a hole.  So I stepped it with the 45 then 60.  Just using the 45 deg cone requires more drilling as it does not open the hole up much(.22" or so)

45deg only(final .370 drilled hole),  45 then 60deg(.35 hole not final drilled),   60deg only(.4 hole)


60deg only(.4 hole),  45 then 60deg(.35 hole not final drilled),    45deg only(final .370 drilled hole)



Step three, Form the 45deg.  Using the press(or a vice) you force the cone into the freeze plug, if using a press be careful if you use to much force you can start drawing the plug into the socket.  I go just till the sides of the cone touch the freeze plug


Step four, Form the 60deg.  Same as with the 45deg but this time the 60deg cone is going to open up the hole quickly so you need to check it a few times with calipers(the hole) to make sure you do not go past your final size, you can get it to the final size but I prefer to final ream it in my drill press so I will stop a bit short.


Step Five, for me its the final ream(no pic) or if you formed it till you achieved your proper hole size just admire your work.
Center plug


Step six, spacers and the blast chamber.  I need to snag more pics so for now just one.  I used a 1.375" x .065 thickness steel tube for the blast chamber, the inside of the suppressor tube is 1.35ish so obviously it will not fit so I used my belt sander and reduced the outside of the blast chamber piece down to 1.35" test fitting as I went until it fit how I liked, ended with .05 thickness.  On this specific suppressor Aluminum spacer for the baffler were used and I just clipped out a section and tweaked them to shape.  I used a tubing cutter to cut everything, From Lowes  And also to final fit everything I used my belt sander.

Next step, is assembly, and I will post more on this later to include my baffle layout and spacer sizing and such.  I need to snag more pics.


I will also be posting video reviews of all 3 types(6"tube, 8.375" tube, Harrison brake) on both 300aac supers/subs and 556 fired side by side.  I will be showing complete breakdowns up all 3 sizes to include post and pre firing of the internals.  So much more to come over the next few days/week or two.





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9mm pistol can

6" SDtac titanium tube
Aluminum SDtac endcap(I shortened it .3" and hogged it out a bit)
Aluminum SDtac Liberty/gemtech booster adapter endcap
8x Freeze plugs (Sealed Power 381-3179)
8x Aluminum spacers (7x .25" 1 .4"ish)
Liberty Booster, gemtech LID works also  

click me for pic
click me for pic
click me for pic
click me for pic
click me for pic

Videos

Mystic and Form1 6inch on Glock 17, 137g cast subs
Glock 19, shitty phone camera

Glock 19 V 300aac subs angle 1
Glock 19 V 300aac subs angle 2

glock 17 unsuppressed V suppressed glock 19

glock 19 v 300aac subs

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Freeze plug forming and tools pics.

This is not a how to but rather a how I did it.  Take this info and run with it, i used crap I had laying around.  If you are not mechanically inclined then get a friend who is and buy him a beer.  Seriously, these FP are .40-.80$ ea so don't fret over it and just do it, if you screw up I am not going to tell daddy on you.

This is the 90deg and 60deg tool used.  The 90deg is off of a harbor freight pulling tool(it unscrews and the set I bought had 3 tools for 20$) the 60deg is a "dead center" for a lathe and bought from grizzly.com(harbor freight has them also)
90deg and 60deg tool

This is how I am now forming the FPs.  Instead of sitting the FP around a socket I am sitting the FP ontop of a piece of tubing, in my case its scrap spacer material.  the FP and spacer then are put inside a piece of tubing that has the same ID as your suppressor tube, in the pic I have 2 sockets and they are only used to get the right length as my tube is quite long, you only need about 1.5" worth of tubing.  By forming the FP ontop of a spacer instead of resting around a socket it lets the FP "form" the cone deeper and in doing so it draws a bit of the side wall down into the cone.

ghetto jig

I start with a center drilled (1/8") FP and the 90deg cone.  This step is not meant to open the hole fo the FP to final size but to get the bulk of the cone/forming started
cutaway view of the 90deg

Next you use the 60deg to form a deeper cone and open up the hole to final size, or just short of final size and then ream your final size with a drill bit.
cutaway view of the 60deg

Now some other random FP forming pics I have posted in this thread.  Use these pics to get you going or give you ideas.

the old way with FP sitting on a socket, does not allow for as deep of a cone
old way getting squished in the press
FP cutaway with a .370" hole
FP cutaway with a .370" hole 2
FP center drilled, with SDtac center drill guide

Old formed FP dones over a socket V the new way sitting ontop of a spacer.  LOOK AT THEM CONES MAN!!
Old formed FP next to the new way
Old formed FP next to the new way


====================================================================================================================

Lots of videos of shooting stuff with pics

These two videos are of the 6" Steel SDtac can with aluminum endcaps and FPs, each video is 210rnds fired through a 11.5" 556 upper and a bumpfire stock.  This is way more pounding then what most people are going to do and was done purposly to beat the shit out of it.  I had expected the FPs to fold over on themselves and just disintegrate, they did not and just erroded a bit.  Not to shabby for a can that got as hot as it did
Torture test of the 6" SDtac/FP can, making that bitch RED!
Round 2 with the SDtac 6"

nah, it didn't get hot
6" blast baffle before taking close to 700 rounds of bumpfired 556

Take a minute and look at the next set of pictures, and remember it has had over 1k of mixed 556(16") and 300AAC through it before dumping 700rnds of 556 through a 11.5" barrel witha bump stock.  Now remember them videos and the picture of the can itself red hot, what do you think the baffles looked like when that can was red?  and this is all the damage that a .40$ FP took?  That FP next to the damaged one has took ALLOT of rounds itself of both 300aac and 556, it however was not subjected to multiple(210rnd) mags dumps with a bumpfire stock and it shows no signs of giving up.
Blast baffle after its 700 round torture
Blast baffles from 6" and 8" cans
blast baffles from 8" and 6" cans backsdie


11.5" SBR with bump stock
6" sdtac guts new
SDtac guts after close to 1k of 556 through a 16" and many 300aac subs and supers(before the 700rnd bump torture)



6" and 8" SDtac cans shooting 300AAC subs
8"SDtac can shooting a mag of subs then a mag of supers in 300aac
8" SDtac can shooting subs and supers in 300aac, plus FIRE BITCHES!




8" SDtac can with old style FPs V Mystik
1
2
3
4






And full pics of the guts of my 8".  This can is pushing 2k at this point but mainly 300AAC subs/supers.  ALLOT of powder coated cast bullet, notice any leading?    Do have a wee bit of rust, what happens when you run a steal can wet and don't get it dry by shooting the shit out of it and putting it away.
blast FP

whole shabang

Finally

When are the Esstac made Suppressor pouches being made?

6" SDtac tube on a freshly minted SBR

Tag

Ii don't see a steel SD tactical tube on their website, is it special orde?  The ones there say aluminum.

The SD "D-cell" tubes are carbon steel, only the C-cell is aluminum.  Tubes

Read past the C cell portion of the description.

45deg cone V 45deg then 60deg

This is relevant to my interests.

Mine as well...

Nice job.  I'm going to have to do one of these even though I have no need for one it looks like a fun project.

So what is your total cost for a single suppressor (materials and tools you had to purchase)?

Is the SDTA griffin style brake steel or Al?
I notice they don't mount flush with the steel end cap, can you tell me the distance it extends outside the back of the thread protector?

The simplistic shooting solutions QD brake looks like it could be used as a means to attach a homemade can to a 51t muzzle device.  

First of all, awesome, thanks for posting.  I just filled my 4th form 1 although I don't a complete one yet, too many changes I am making along the way.  I switched gears and had a SS Tube fabricated that is 9.xOZ and a TI version that will get started soon at 5.x on, with steel ends fabricated for them.  Great job.

The forming is nice, I guess the downside is you have to have a Press in order to do that.

Are you using the Alumium adaptors and end peices?  The diagram appears to show a custom one?

Do you have weights for each tube?

On the harrison brake you are just welding the tube to the brake right?  Did you find a off the shelf tube for that or did you have to turn down the ID of another tube?

Other thing, can you explain more about how you turned down the Steel tube OD with a belt sander?  This seems like a really difficult process.  I ordered 1.375 thin wall Ti tube as a spacer for mine also, but I was planning on cutting small section out down the length and using like a compression fitting to reduce OD.

ost

For later

I'm In on this one.

In! Great right up op.

Hell yeah, in on one. Good job OP!

OST.

MAHA

So  the data from PDM confirms that my weight estimates are right on the money (1.36% error bitches)

Meaning that the drawing in Esttac's post would put that profile of the tube to 9.24oz, (reduced from the original 16oz tube weight). We decided that we wanted to go a little thicker to be safe. The OD at the blast area would be 1.49" and after that would be 1.45" Which would put the tube at 10.16oz.

So assuming 10 baffles @ .69oz each + 1.5oz (griffin adaptor) + 1 oz aluminum spacers + 1.5oz aluminum endcap**  = 21.06oz Total





**(I'm hoping for a version that is cut down and bored out which would easily reduce the current 2.6oz to 1.5oz)

In the pic you can see how I held the tubing, I held it tight enough(using the rubber glove for friction) and let it slowly spin in my fingers as the belt was running, I would do a full revolution or three then dunk it in water, after each dunking I would rotate the tube end for end to help it grind more even in-case I was putting to much pressure with one hand.  I just went slowly and kept checking with my calipers and when it got close I would test fit.   Tube was 1.375 x .065 at the start and I ended with 1.35 x .05 at the end, and it ended up damn near spot on for roundness.







The freeze plugs are fairly soft, you do not need a press and a decent vice would work.  It would have to open quite a bit however with the 60deg cone I used.  You can use a short socket and cut the 60deg cone down to help fit if needed, the 60deg is 4" long, you can cut alittle over 3" off of it and it will still work.


ATM it is aluminum adapters and ends, the diagram shows some ideas for future.  End cap I am not worried about being aluminum, I do want a steel adapter for the griffin however.

SD and Apogee 8.375" tubes are roughly 1pound each (+/- an ounce), 6" SD tube is 10-12 ounces

Harrison, I will show allot more on this one later but atm a stainless This Tube

It is aluminum unfortunately, hoping for a steel version soon.


On the 30cal comp its about .22 sticking out with the whole taper mount section being .3.   For the 556 flash comp .16 is sticking out for a whole taper mount section of 2.5


The comps also have a .08 lip on the back side that overhangs the barrel, I believe its to protect the shims.  So deduct that lip from the .22 and .16(and any shim thickness) and that is the length added using a Griffin comp V a direct thread.

This pic shows the lip on the backside

I had everything on hand except for the 20$ centering tool, 7$ 60deg cone and a .370 (think it was about 5$ shipped? on ebay)drill bit


end cap  $30
adapter $30
SD tube  $31
freeze plugs, $.40 ea, about 10 total so $4
Tubing for spacers, about 10$ a foot so maybe 3$ used per

Right around 98$ not counting my tools or shipping costs of materials.

I am also not counting the Griffin mounts, they are not required as you can use a direct thread and the Direct thread adapter is the same cost as a griffin adapter.  Basically it is the end users choice to use a comp and the cost for the suppressor is the same.


I am currently doing 5 Rifle cans so the cost of the center tool and such can be spread out but I will also be doing a rimfire or two and some pistol cans soon(with boosters)



And most important, your 200$ fee to the .gov for "Permission" to do so, for EACH one you make

Leaving CA in near future. following.

Ty...I  planning a few as well.  Just wanted to see if I could get in at $300 total.

Very cool.  I currently have an approved form 1 for a .22 can and one pending for a .223 can.  I'd never seen the Harrison Gear Break before, looks very interesting for when my .223 form 1 comes back.  How heavy is it?

So far my only complaint is the SDtac aluminum griffin adapter, it might not be so much the adapter itself but it is a royal pain to get off the comp if you get it tight to the mount.  If I snug it up and then go to pull the whole suppressor off the adapter will unscrew from the tube.  I have put antiseize on the comp/adapter and the tapered section and it seems to help some, I have already had to take the whole tube off to get the adapter off once and I am by no means reafing on this sucker.  

It probably would not be an issue if the adapter was locked to the tube itself.  Would love to have some wrench flats on the adapter to, and I might have some put on it when I go and have the tubes turned.

Looks like more money for stamps will be leaving my wallet soon. Thanks for the write up!

Wow great write up, I'll have to give this a shot soon.

I am wondering about performance comparisons and durability.  Other threads poo-poo these"flashlight" cans. I can't afford a manufactured can.

The Harrison Gear brake is very interesting.

Ares Armor has a similar one coming out soon as well.

My name is Rick Grimes and I approve of this message.

But are there any ready made solvent trap tubes available for them?  Or is it DIY?

I drilled and tapped a 3/16x3/8"long stainless set screw Into my tube and adapter. Indexed and fully threaded to allow me to unthread the suppressor when recessed under the handgaurd. Pm me for pictures if you want but its not complicated to figure out. Just dont drill too deep.    

While these may be not as sexy as a top of the line can the fact I made it and it was $100 gives me a smile.  My Mystik that ran me about 900$ total  and I still do not have..... cost the same as 3 of these.    No reason not to have both, and I would rather have a maglite can than wanting a $700 can.  

I was just thinking about doing this  but good call nonetheless!



Took a few more pics of the baffle process since I was lacking some.

Centering tool + 1/8" drill bit, drilling the pilot


Squishing the 45deg cone into the freeze plug


Squishing the 60deg cone into the already 45degred freeze plug, this step needs to be checked so you do not go past the size you want the hole


Drilling a Dater/vent/drain hole.  I am using a 1/8" centering bit, its stubby and has almost no deflection so drilling on a angle is easy.  This one I am unsure what the best setup is, drill or no? one hole in blast?  3 holes in the blast?  one hole in every baffle?  so you will have to decide.  I did one in every baffle and a couple in the blast chamber, figured more turbulence inside couldn't hurt to much right?

Oh I am SO following this.....

A note on the Apogee tubes.  Both of my tubes have a slight ridge on the inside in the center.  I am assuming it was bored to size half at a time and not perfectly aligned, I did not see this on the SD tubes.   It is obvious when you push a freeze plug through it.

It is not enough for me to exchange them or whine about it, other then that I am happy with them.  I do prefer the stainless apogee over the steel SD for corrosion differences but ultimately they will all be painted, I am using both fyi.

Cone baffles do not need the dater hole for sound performance, only K baffles. If you want to improve their efficiency you could half-cut the tip of the cone, but that can negatively affect your POI shift if not done well. Straight cones are highly effective even without the steps.

I would recommend more baffles and fewer spacers in each can. A lot of people overdo the space between the cones. Find a cutaway pic of the Saker or M4-2000, you will see that after the blast baffle, the cones get progressively closer together and are quite tightly packed.

The M4-2000 is one of the best performing cans, 60deg cones, from the cut away it appears to have 3 2-3mm vent holes per cone.  That is why I did mine that way.  The Surefire can has similar number and size also with a tight stack.

Wonder if it would be better to drill the vent holes prior to the forming of the cone?

Tag

From what I have read those vent/dater holes are for drainage and was spec'd by the .mil for aquatic use. Of course, this is all speculation AFAIK.



 

Please stop, no further details should be shared.


Otherwise, I will feel compelled to submit a F1 to create my own!!

Tag

If it was me I would drop the Dater Hole, 1.5in, x8in, 7 cones plus I would only use a spacer in the expansion chamber.  

Good work by the way.

I was thinking the same thing, why bother having a spacer inbetween baffles, just stack in as many as possible...