I finally got some time today after work to get out and do some shooting.  So I figured what better time to do a quick evaluation with my new AAC brake.  I actually got to put my SBR through its paces for the first time and get the oil burned off.  I don’t have any target pictures because I was just shooting 8” shoot and see targets, by the time I was done the centers were tore out of them.

The can is an AAC M4-2000.  The rifle is the first SBR I made, a Sun Devil upper and lower with a Colt 14.5” SOCOM barrel cut down to 10.5” with a TA31F ACOG.  I liked it so much I built another 10.5” upper with another Sun Devil upper and a Bushmaster ORC 1/9 barrel cut down to 10.5” but I put an EOtech 512 on this one.  Initially I had blackout mounts on the uppers but due to the wear I was seeing on my blast baffle I decided to try the AAC brake and see how that preformed.

I was shooting XM193BK, aka the 1000 round bulk packs of Lake City M193.  The accuracy out of the 10.5” with the 1/9 twist barrel was about 2” at 50 yards.  The accuracy with the 10.5” Colt 1/7 was about 1” at 50 yards.  This is probably because I had a TA31F on the 1/7 upper so who knows until I swap optics and try again.  

Overall the brake really reduced the recoil when the can was off, it almost seemed to pull the weapon forward.
But the trade off was a deafening boom and concussion.
With the suppressor on it sounded the same as the blackout, I didn't notice any additional blowback behind the mount.  
I think it is worth it not only for the recoil reduction but also to preserve the suppressor.

10 magazines later over the next two hours and here are the results:

The can got a little warm after that many rounds in one sitting.




Here is the inside of the brake. As you can see its getting a little tore up.






The suppressor got a little warm, but I think it adds character.

The can is getting a little more character I see!
I am a little surprised that the break has as much wear as it does with such a low round count but I wouldn't worry about it.
the SBR looks good like always. See you at the range!

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Short barrels like that do foul the mounts a lot more than longer barrels.  That build up should brush off.

Nice range report.  Thanks for sharing.

Mark

About how many rounds do you have through that suppressor? I'm curious since you're seeing wear in the blast baffle.

You sure that isnt just baked on carbon buildup?

That's what it is.

Yep.

Thanks for the write up.  How do you like the ACOG on a 10.5" gun?  I am thinking about putting a TA31 on mine.  I am still waiting on my stamp, so I have some time to decide.  I'm also waiting on an M4-2000 to be transfered.  That is going to get a Breakout.

Jeremy

It has about 800 rounds so far.
All of it on a 10.5" barrel.
I took a picture at 500 and I'll try to take another now.

I dont think its carbon.
I scrubbed it with a bore brush with solvent and all it did was expose the craters a litle more.
I'll post some better pictures tonight with better lighting.

The ACOG works really well.
But honestly the little barrel doesn't have the accuracy past 200 yards to really use the ACOG to its full potential.
I still prefer the TA31F over the EOtech for most target practice.

I also have a similar setup and have came to the SAME conclusion...

After 800 rds I'm surprised you see any wear at all. I've heard of the same brand suppressor with over 20,000 rds through it with little wear. It was used on MGs and SBRs. Inconel is suppose to be very hard stuff to wear out.

How is it for close up stuff?  Like 50 yrds and less.

Jeremy

I posted a picture in this thread about the blast baffle at 500 rounds.
This suppressor has mainly been used on my 10.5".

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=6&f=20&t=308305

For under 50 yards it is ok.
Really close targets around 25 yards and closer its almost too much scope.

Best pic I could get of the blast baffle while at the range.
Total rounds through the suppressor is 800 rnds of M193.
Looks like nothing has changed in the last 300 rounds, maybe just wearing in.


Previously taken a while ago when I had 500 rounds total through the suppressor.

Its definitely blasting or eroding the brake.
Being that it is on a 10.5" I guess I should have expected that.
I cleaned it up with a bore brush and this was the best I could get it.
If anybody else has an AAC brake could you post a pic and the specs? (Bbl length, round count, ect.)

what was your rate of fire for your shooting sessions? because obvioulsy high temps will increase wear rate.
Jeremy

That's interesting.  It sure does look like erosion since it doesn't appear to be built up around the hole but I hope for your sake that it's just carbon.  All of the carbon on my G5 mounts and brakes come off with a wire brush.  I use the cheap .223 brushes to get at that crap from the side since fitting a brush in there is impossible.  The shorter bristles are stiffer too.

I was taking it easy, shooting 5 rounds and then checking the target.
Probably averaging 20-30 rounds a minute.
I'm just betting the accelerated wear was because it is a 10" barrel.

I dont use a brake but I have an M4-1000 with the older M4-2000 A2 mount, and Im using it on a 10.3" bbl and I am having no corrosion like you at all.


Are you sure you arent using corrosive ammo?


Have you took a pic or a file and tried to scratch that stuff out, it kinda looks like carbon build-up.............but it also does look like its eating away at it also......cant figure it out.




Anyways, this isnt the first time that AAC used bad materials, so send in the brake and they will get you a new one shortly.................hopefully.

I scratched at it with a dental pic and it doesn't chip off, it looks like its eating away around the exit holes.
No corrosive ammo period through my SBRs or suppressors.
I have been exclusively shooting either Q3131 or XM193 through them.
Possibly the unburnt powder is acting like a sandblaster when it hits the brake?
But I'll keep an eye on it and see what happens over the next 1k rounds or so.
I'm not worried about getting a replacement if needed, AAC has been very helpful in the past.

Thats nuts!!!!  I have the break for my 10.5" but haven't installed it yet.  This makes me want to go throw it on and do a few mag dumps and see what it looks like.  For $150, it shouldn't look like that after only 800 rounds

I ahve the brake on my 10.5 but only have about 200 rounds through it so far.. I really like it but will have to look and see how it is holding up..
That is the reason I bought the brake is so it would act as a disposable blast baffle for my can.
I would rather have to replace the Brake than the can..

That's my thoughts exactly.
Sort of what Ops-Inc does with their mounts.
If I eat the brake up so bad it doesn't work anymore I'll just replace it.
If my suppressor gets fried inside I'm out at least another $200.
If you can, take a pic of what your brake chambers look like.

Like Skeeters65 said, it is better to blast away at the brake chambers than to erode your blast baffle.
I'll keep taking pictures after every couple hundred rounds to track the progression of the erosion.

I agree 100%  I did the same as you guys got the break as a protectant of the can (mine is still sitting on some examiners desk :(  But, I didnt think that it would look that bad after only 800 rounds.  You might shoot Mike Mers an email showing him and ask if thats normal.  I mean, that few of rounds, the breaks will eventually add up to the price of a new can!!!

I looked at my brake this morning.
It doesnt have the amount of whatever it is as the poics you posted.
But again it only has 200 rounds through it.. But I can tell it is starting to do the same thing.

Wow, thats interesting.  I will take pics after install and keep track of round count, I am shooting Brown Bear 62gr.  I will post some pics once I have some rounds down the tube.  I will try and get it on before 3 gun this weekend.

Second time out to the range today.
Just for the heck of it I brought my other suppressor to see if the wear got worse with 200 additional rounds.
The first M4-2000 is on my 10.5" with the AAC brake.
The second is on a 14.5" with the standard blackout mount.
I only got to shoot 210 rounds through each suppressor, I am almost out of my 1k of M193.

Picture of all the toys at the range today:
(OD green, FDE SPR, and the Benelli with the full tube are not mine)


The two guns and suppressors:


M4-2000 that has been exclusively shot on 14.5" and longer barrels, about 600 rounds total through it so far:


M4-2000 that has spent its entire life on a 10.5" gun, about 1000 rounds total through it as of today:


After today's rounds it looks like nothing has changed on the brake chambers:


So my consensus is that 10.5" barrels are tough on everything.
After talking with my dealer he said the wear is normal with sbr's.
The suppressor used on the longer barreled guns looks almost brand new inside.
But I will continue to try to document anything that changes after the next 1000 rounds.

Excellent range report/pics!

Your pics show how just how brutal the 10.5" guns are and how well the brake protects your blast baffle!

I'm a big fan of running the brake on SBR guns, so that it can act as a "pre-blast baffle" and help protect your expensive can from premature  blast baffle wear by taking the majority of the abuse (and when it's in REALLY bad shape, you can swap the brake out quickly and relatively inexpensively).

Would you mind if I shared your pics on another forum?



For comparison - here's one of our brakes that sees heavy use one a 12.5" Noveske (notice how much less wear there is?).  Two extra inches makes a world of difference (and since I know some one would post it otherwise, I'll beat ya to it...  "that's what she said" ).

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l69/armorgod/brake.jpg

This is why I am waiting until there is a brake or Brakeout in 18T to build my 10.5 AR15 SBR.

I am building a 300 Whisper now so not like the SBR tax stamp was a waste.  

I was planning on just using a 308 Blackout on the 300 Whisper as it's not like there is hardly any recoil.

Any thoughts on if a brake on it would be worth it to shield the baffle or is it a non issue on the lower pressures?

awesome pics and write up!