M10 Fake suppressor question

[A&S Conversions]

The two holes mimic the holes where the real suppressors spanner wrench was placed for taking it apart.

But being on either end it would seem to me that the holes would be to discourage cutting holes in the internal tube and using the fake can as a blast chamber. The definition of silencer is "reduces the report". The inside and outside tube design as pictured can be modified to reduce the report of the firearm. It doesn't have to reduce the report very much. An example would be the moderators for the early Colt M16 carbines. It is my understanding that the the moderators were used to lower the sound of the early Colt M16 carbines, which were used by US special forces, so that the Vetcong/North Vietnamese would not know that they were facing more highly trained troops. I have no documentation to back this up. The moderators do reduced the report of the carbines by two or three dBs. The ATF required that these moderators that were sold in the US be serialized and registered as silencers because of the reduction of the report.

It is my understanding that because of the possibility that a two tube design could easily be converted to reduce the report of the firearm, all of the modern "fake cans" that I have seen are made from solid stock, usually aluminum. The manufacturer that built the pictured fake can has long since gone out of business. ATF has not chosen to put resources into chasing down such products.

Scott

[wrhk33]

I wish someone would make a kit that you could Form 1 for us MAC people. Same size tubes that you could fill with newer style baffles.

[A&S Conversions]

I wish someone would make a kit that you could Form 1 for us MAC people. Same size tubes that you could fill with newer style baffles.

I don't think that it would be very hard to do. There are such Form 1 kits for both 9mm and .45. Once you have the kit, bring the mount part to a local machine shop. Ask them to copy the mount only make the Mac style thread in the new mount.


Scott

[Suzuki1750]

I had a custom adapter made for my quietbore 45can that would use factory m10 threads. The can doesnt look like the original 2stage cans tho.

[rrrgcy]

... It is my understanding that because of the possibility that a two tube design could easily be converted to reduce the report of the firearm, all of the modern "fake cans" that I have seen are made from solid stock, usually aluminum. The manufacturer that built the pictured fake can has long since gone out of business. ATF has not chosen to put resources into chasing down such products.

Scott

I'm certainly aligned with the notion against trouble. Scott I believe you're on the right track but I think the matter involves the, "including any combination of parts..." portion of the Gun Control Act regarding suppressors to define a suppressor beyond an accessory's decibel suppression. The completed in-production fake suppressor design which was agency-recalled was a version with an 'expansion chamber' using 'end caps' (that being the no-no, that two-part combination). It made it a suppressor in-(statute) fact. It reportedly didn't create a lesser sound signature. It didn't have a long barrel diameter sized tube inside it to eliminate the chamber to mollify the statute. Unless the old style versions lower the decibel they clear the hurdle because they don't have a combination (any two from six characteristics possible, the others being ported inner tube, dampening material, encapsulators, washers/baffles to create additional chambers). These old school versions with solid inner tubes in fact are still sold on the present market as new (likely NOS, though some sans markings) by some regular usual named vendors.

That manufacturers today make them from solid AL (vs. steel tube, spot welding, inner tube construction etc.) might tangentially be to steer damn clear of any perception of an issue.

The primary reasons I suspect are cost, weight and cosmetics (fit and finish). Quicker to chuck up a solid round of close spec AL in a lathe. With CNC straight or multi-axis and an auto bar feeder its got to be cheaper than the manual handiwork required for the tube-fixturing and weld-work (w less scrapped multiple component parts than if done the old way). Again, I see three edges on each end were beveled to accept the weld. Probably required some weld cleanup. Maybe the process was somewhat automated but still. Better to use a CNC button-pusher with one programmer (or the pusher at the screen, maybe a dozen or less ops max depending how fancy?), one time load, push button go. Only so many ops then down the chute in a pile. Deburr finish and sell. Advantage Automation.

For a plain-jane retail consumer, steel tube at 1.5"dia thin wall is about $7 per 6". Then add costs for some steel plate, another smaller steel tube, and the fabrication for the steel end caps and the welding of the small tube ends and the endcaps. That's minimum eight welds and cleanup. Sheesh. Threading steel = less tool life. Single point? Doubtful. Aluminum solid round is about $8 for 6" of 1.5" dia, you're all-in and done on the raw stock. Finishing must be nicer cleaner consistent with AL than steel what with the various heat affected parts and dis-similar metal w the weldments. So old school is a lot of labor. And HEAVY steel. Not to over simplify, but that much better profit selling AL solids w a hole poked in it and threads for $60+ at retail. I guess they could still try to make them out of AL in the old style, but you're still dealing with AL welds and finish issues. So they probably just load them and run them walking out the door once overnight and voila' - five year's worth of fake suppressor supply.