I have a quick question for the experts here.  I own a Gemtech Sandstorm that I bought during last year’s Gemtax deal.
I went to remove it from the rifle today and instead of unthreading from the barrel the rear cap unscrewed from the tube.
Should I be concerned, can I fire it and just check that the threads are tight every few shots?  Thanks for the help.

You should be fine.. Find a gentle way hold the suppressor endcap and twist the suppressor off in one piece.

I don't know about rocksett or loctite.. Maybe putting some on could keep it on the suppressor

I would probably let Gem-tech know about it at least.

That’s what I was thinking, either use loctite or rocksett to keep it tight.  It looks like there was a weld that has broken loose.
I don’t really see it as a problem; as long as it doesn’t come loose when shooting.  Here are some images of the suppressor;
I may still contact Gemtech and get their opinion on it on Monday.

They most likely did do a very thin weld to "seal" the suppressor.

I have had a couple suppressors open up from the back endcap, all I did was tighten them up a lot..

See what gemtech says but I think if you can get it to stay tight you'll be ok

The weld is split/cut on purpose.  Mine does he same thing.  Tag to see what Gemtech says.

Wes

Contact Gemtech, they'll take care of you. Their cans are serviceable by them in the event an end cap or baffle strike happens.

Why would you thinkthey would weld it together and then cut the weld in half?  It appears obviuos there was a lack of penetration in the weld and it gave way before the base to barrel threaded connection.

Yup.

I didn't build it, I am just commenting on what I have seen from actually having one in my hands/owning one.  As part of the "mock up" process for alignment they could have light welded and later turned through it on a lathe.  Most Gemtech cans (G5, HVT, etc.) have that similar weld near the base.

Wes

I talked to Gemtech today and they said that if I wanted to send it back in they would reweld it,
or I can loctite/rocksett it.  I’m going to loctite it; at the rate I shoot I doubt it will get hot enough
to mess with the loctite.

this happened on my G5; no big deal, locktite should do the trick.

Seriously? That is their flagship 5.56 can. Also I have seen posters on other boards with their Sandstorms breaking welds. Say what you want about Surefire's price, they know how to weld a rifle can.





 

We get it bro.. Every suppressor thread you post in you talk about AAC.. They make good shit, we get it. This is,
However, about a Gem-Tech Sandstorm

I was actually wondering when someone was going to post this.

Do you realize how easy it would be to go around the tube with a tig welder?  That would cost about $3 and would eliminate the need for threads (probably $8-10 in cost reduction)

Obviously though Gemtech's philosophy is that in our regulated market, they want their product to be as repairable as possible in the event the user was ever able to damage something for whatever reason.  

Is it the right philosophy?  Maybe not.  Does it make sense to everyone? Probably not, but if someone has a baffle strike with a $1800 welded titanium 300-sd AAC can this philosophy probably makes perfect sense at that point to the person involved when they realize the product is not repairable or that the repair will cost half the full retail price.  So obviously both situations have their pro's and con's.

I also have a Sandstorm, that the weld on the endcap broke. Closer inspection and the front weld also had a crack all the way around it. I had shot about 30-40 rounds of 300 win. thru it and it also had a baffle rattle, when i shook the can. I called Gemtech. They said send it back to them. Real nice guys I worked with. I was scheduled to go to Rifles Only in 3 weeks. They put a rush job on it. I did get some run around from Gemtech at one point on getting it back. BUT they did overnight it back to me the day before I was to leave. THEN UPS lost/was stolen by someone at UPS. The driver came by and said he had a  overnight package for me, but he couldn't find it. I raised a lot of hell with UPS and at 230pm on a Friday, they had every truck in greater Houston, stopped checking thier trucks. They didn't find it. After I got ahold of Gemtech filed a claim and had Gemtech contact BATFE about a lost/stolen suppressor. Come the next Tuesday, the driver all of sudden found the package on his truck. He said it wasn't on the truck the night before but all of sudden showed up the next morning. Needless to say, anything important from now on will be sent Fedex. Can was rebuiilt, with new baffles, rewelded and refinished. Gemtech admitted to me they have/had a problem with the welding process and have had alot of issues.

It's turning into a thread about customers who are cool with their welded cans falling apart! WTF, man!



 

I own a Sandstorm with the same problem and I'm cool with it.  Why does it bother you so much?

I had a similar problem with my HVT QD. I sent it to Gemtech. They said the weld had broke and the Rocksett had failed. They re-welded it, and put a pin/ welded that in place. My can has never shot better. Very consistent POI shift. ...And they had it back to me in a week. Top notch customer service in my book.

My G5 will do the same thing, but in the case of the G5, it wasn't welded to begin with.  The QD parts (spacer and spring) are user removable/serviceable.

My G5 had a very small weld in that location, so not all G5s are unwelded.

Mine was unwelded. No issues.

Gemtech doesn't weld most of their cans, the Sandstorm included. The small laser welded seam functions the same as thread locking compound.

I'm sorry you're not having much success finding upset customers in this thread, maybe you could try your luck here.

Oh, so they don't even weld them to begin with? Well, you sure showed me!





 

Gemtech sucks, AAC rules.  We get it.

I shouldn't have even mentioned the name **C in the thread - my mistake.



But seriously, you guys don't care that your centerfire rifle cans are disassembling themselves under light use?

Not as much as you are wanting me to.  Kel has told me he'd take care of me if I wanted to send it in and one day I may take him up on it.  Right now I'm not too concerned with this issue.  I've shot a ton of .308, 5.56 and .300wm through this can and it's still the most accurate can I've seen or read about.  Now I have been reading of accuracy issues with **C cans over the past year if that's where you're wanting to take this..

You guys just aren't going to let this go, are you? I edited the first post in this thread. Incidentally, the implication is exactly the fucking same.