Cleaning the Silencerco Sparrow Non-Mechanically

Bartholomew Roberts · February 23, 2016, 01:24 PM

Currently, a lot of the methods for cleaning the Silencerco Sparrow require either a tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner. As the Sparrow is a cheap, relatively affordable silencer that is easy to maintain, it occurs to me that some people may (like me) have a Sparrow; but not a tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner. Here is what I have been using for cleaning the Sparrow - and it works for me.

Here is what you will need:
Bronze or stainless steel toothbrush (20ga bore brush will also work)
Nylon toothbrush
Slip 2000 Carbon Killer (you can also substitute 725 Degreaser, Windex, or Simple Green but soak times will be much longer)
Empty .223/.300 BLK case
Jar for parts soaking big enough to hold solvent and suppressor (the Carbon Killer jar is perfect size). The Classico tomato sauce jars from the grocery store are also good sized (narrow so not a lot of solvent required but tall enough for the suppressor)
Protective gear (gloves/glasses - the material you are cleaning is carbon and lead layered together and the solvents you are using can end up in the eyes very easily if you are scrubbing with a brush)

OK, first note: Silencerco says the Sparrow can go 1,000 to 2,000 rounds without cleaning (depending on which model you own) and they are technically correct. However, cleaning by hand, you are setting yourself up for a LOT of work if you wait until you hit the maximum round count. My advice would be to clean at shorter intervals.

1) Disassemble the suppressor into its component parts. Set aside the endcap and the outer tube.
2) Drop the clamshells and core in the jar and cover with solvent. For Carbon Killer, you need at least 30 minutes. For 725 Degreaser, about 4-5 hours. For Simple Green I let it soak overnight 12 hours plus and the one time I did that, the core came out a little rust-ish colored but there did not appear to be any actual corrosion.
3) Scrub clamshells and core with the bronze/stainless brush. Re-soak, re-apply solvent occasionally to basically create a slurry.
4) Use the empty case as a scraper for the tough parts - the .223/.300 case is perfectly sized for the baffles in the core. Use the nylon brush after scraping.
5) Rinse everything with water. Do not lubricate the core or inside of the clamshells as it will make cleanup more difficult next time.
6) Lubricate the outside of the clamshell - this helps with disassembly if you push the envelope on rounds between cleaning.
7) Reassemble Sparrow

If anybody would like to share their own tips or tricks on cleaning .22 suppressors without tumblers or ultrasonic cleaners, I welcome the opportunity to learn.

I should note there is also a silicone treatment you can use that will help prevent carbon and lead from building up inside the suppressor. The downside is you have to apply it and bake it in after every cleaning and because the stuff does NOT adhere, it can create problems with loose crap inside the can (which will also happen if you continue to shoot the can without cleaning it). For those reasons, I don't use that treatment; but a lot of people seem very happy with it.

Paul105 · February 23, 2016, 06:08 PM

I've only used it on the end caps/bbl mounting threads, but what about lubing all parts with "anti seize" compound when reassembling?

Might serve two purposes -- shooting wet, and limiting fouling?

Any thoughts?

Paul

Mobuck · February 23, 2016, 09:50 PM

Two products I've found to work very well for loosening carbon inside the tube are: SoyLube and BoltOff(both soy oil based). Also takes away most of the "first round pop" when spritzed into the can. Downside is it weeps out through any unsealed joint. I'm going to try using a single layer of teflon thread tape next time I have to dis-assemble and see if that stops the weeping at the joints.
I bought a bunch of this stuff for cheap at Menards a couple of years back and tried it just as an experiment. Non-flammable and non-corrosive and no offensive odor.
Not sure I'd recommend "never seize" since I've seen it harden when exposed to high heat.

Paul105 · February 23, 2016, 10:06 PM

The anti seize stuff I have indicates is good up to 1,800 def f IIRC. I'll get it out tomorrow and check brand and temp environm. The only downside I could see is that it's really messy.

Paul

Mobuck · February 24, 2016, 07:52 AM

"it's really messy."

Definitely want to wipe down the outside with alcohol on a rag when fully assembled. I usually end up with it in/on unintended places.

Paul105 · February 24, 2016, 08:17 AM

Permatex
Anti Seize Lubricant
Advanced
Resists Temperatures up to 1,600 Deg F (879 C)

Paul

Bartholomew Roberts · February 24, 2016, 09:32 AM

The thing with .22 suppressors is they are really dirty. Lots of carbon and often little tiny amount of lead that just kind of weld the carbon in place.

The flipside of that is they don't get any less dirty if that stuff doesn't stick to the baffles and clamshells. Instead, you get this carbon sludge that kind of drops/sags into the bottom of the suppressor via gravity as the filth builds up. My concern is accuracy degradation or a possible baffle strike if the build up gets to be too much or partially obstructs the bore of the suppressor.

With this method I can still go through a 555rd box of Winchester blasting ammo or a bucket of Thunderbolts and still clean it non-mechanically without worrying about that or having to bake the suppressor after cleaning it, etc.

On that note, I also use a lot of copper-plated .22 LR; because copper fouling is way easier to get rid of than lead/carbon fouling.

Paul105 · February 24, 2016, 10:46 AM

Ment to thank you for your detailed cleaning instructions in the original post. I've copied it and will give it a try. I hate cleaning stuff, so anything that makes that task easier I'm willing to try.

Thanks,

Paul

Mobuck · February 24, 2016, 07:07 PM

"My concern is accuracy degradation or a possible baffle strike if the build up gets to be too much or partially obstructs the bore of the suppressor."

Wow, I'm not sure how much you'd have to shoot to fill the suppressor to the level of the bore line. I'm guessing several thousand rounds---by which time you'll need to clean the rest of the host(probably several times). 100 rounds of bare lead bullets leaves some grit and a thin layer of carbon/bullet lube/powder residue and that's all. Even 1000 rounds(10X this amount) wouldn't leave gobs of gunk floating around inside the can.

Bartholomew Roberts · February 25, 2016, 03:32 AM

I'm not talking about filling it to the boreline - which would be ridiculous. I'm talking about buildup on the top baffles sliding down due to gravity (because it isn't adhering to the baffle) and ending up in the boreline as a bullet is going through. You don't need massive levels of sludge to cause a problem if it is sitting in the path of the bullet.

Mobuck · February 25, 2016, 08:24 AM

"I'm talking about buildup on the top baffles sliding down due to gravity (because it isn't adhering to the baffle) and ending up in the boreline as a bullet is going through"
Just my opinion: if the residue is that soft, it will be blown away by the air/gas being pushed by the bullet as it exits the bore.

Brian Pfleuger · February 25, 2016, 08:41 AM

If ultrasonic works, and for this purpose I can't say if it does or doesn't, I can't imagine going through all this when a 4.8/5 star ultrasonic cleaner big enough to fit this thing can be bought on Amazon for under $40.

Bartholomew Roberts · February 25, 2016, 10:07 AM

Ultrasonic is kind of meh IMO. You still end up scrubbing and scraping even after using an ultrasonic cleaner. In this link: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=96FuNdYpj7c (Warning for language), the owner used solvent, steel brushes, and fireclean and THEN put it in an ultrasonic cleaner and still had to do about the same amount of scraping I normally do.

I believe he said it had about 1,000 rounds on it. The Carbon Killer and metal brush is pretty effective at getting it to the stage after he takes it out of the ultrasonic cleaner the first time.

cryogenic419 · March 3, 2016, 06:44 AM

I've got a HTA Kestrel and have cleaned it in the ultrasonic. It did ok for the main tube but for not so amazing for the baffles unless you do a little bit of prep work. With a good soak in the right cleaner prior to the ultrasonic it will knock a good chunk of the buildup off of the baffles. If you are running aluminum baffles this is not a route you want to take, aluminum and ultrasonic is not a good combo.

I have also heard a good trick to cleaning rimfire baffles is to use a jar filled with water and a tablespoon of plain Dawn, place the parts inside the jars. Set the jar in a pan of water and get it boiling not letting the pan or jar run out of water. Supposedly 1/2 hour of this will knock most if not all of the crap loose from the baffles. I'm told the Dawn works quite well at breaking things down at hotter temps. I have not tried this one out yet but at some point plan to.

I've read some guys use a wet tumbler from Harbor Freight with SS pins and clean their baffles and it makes short work of it as well. This method seems to be the safest and least chemical intensive.

I know you said non mechanically but seems like cleaning by hand seems to take a lot of work and time. If you are running aluminum that limits your options as far as chemicals you can and can't use (the dip).

February 23, 2016, 01:24 PM	#1
Bartholomew Roberts member Join Date: June 12, 2000 Location: Texas and Oklahoma area Posts: 8,462	Cleaning the Silencerco Sparrow Non-Mechanically Currently, a lot of the methods for cleaning the Silencerco Sparrow require either a tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner. As the Sparrow is a cheap, relatively affordable silencer that is easy to maintain, it occurs to me that some people may (like me) have a Sparrow; but not a tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner. Here is what I have been using for cleaning the Sparrow - and it works for me. Here is what you will need: Bronze or stainless steel toothbrush (20ga bore brush will also work) Nylon toothbrush Slip 2000 Carbon Killer (you can also substitute 725 Degreaser, Windex, or Simple Green but soak times will be much longer) Empty .223/.300 BLK case Jar for parts soaking big enough to hold solvent and suppressor (the Carbon Killer jar is perfect size). The Classico tomato sauce jars from the grocery store are also good sized (narrow so not a lot of solvent required but tall enough for the suppressor) Protective gear (gloves/glasses - the material you are cleaning is carbon and lead layered together and the solvents you are using can end up in the eyes very easily if you are scrubbing with a brush) OK, first note: Silencerco says the Sparrow can go 1,000 to 2,000 rounds without cleaning (depending on which model you own) and they are technically correct. However, cleaning by hand, you are setting yourself up for a LOT of work if you wait until you hit the maximum round count. My advice would be to clean at shorter intervals. 1) Disassemble the suppressor into its component parts. Set aside the endcap and the outer tube. 2) Drop the clamshells and core in the jar and cover with solvent. For Carbon Killer, you need at least 30 minutes. For 725 Degreaser, about 4-5 hours. For Simple Green I let it soak overnight 12 hours plus and the one time I did that, the core came out a little rust-ish colored but there did not appear to be any actual corrosion. 3) Scrub clamshells and core with the bronze/stainless brush. Re-soak, re-apply solvent occasionally to basically create a slurry. 4) Use the empty case as a scraper for the tough parts - the .223/.300 case is perfectly sized for the baffles in the core. Use the nylon brush after scraping. 5) Rinse everything with water. Do not lubricate the core or inside of the clamshells as it will make cleanup more difficult next time. 6) Lubricate the outside of the clamshell - this helps with disassembly if you push the envelope on rounds between cleaning. 7) Reassemble Sparrow If anybody would like to share their own tips or tricks on cleaning .22 suppressors without tumblers or ultrasonic cleaners, I welcome the opportunity to learn. I should note there is also a silicone treatment you can use that will help prevent carbon and lead from building up inside the suppressor. The downside is you have to apply it and bake it in after every cleaning and because the stuff does NOT adhere, it can create problems with loose crap inside the can (which will also happen if you continue to shoot the can without cleaning it). For those reasons, I don't use that treatment; but a lot of people seem very happy with it.

February 25, 2016, 08:41 AM	#12
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	If ultrasonic works, and for this purpose I can't say if it does or doesn't, I can't imagine going through all this when a 4.8/5 star ultrasonic cleaner big enough to fit this thing can be bought on Amazon for under $40. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

February 23, 2016, 06:08 PM	#2
Paul105 Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2007 Location: Montana Posts: 343	I've only used it on the end caps/bbl mounting threads, but what about lubing all parts with "anti seize" compound when reassembling? Might serve two purposes -- shooting wet, and limiting fouling? Any thoughts? Paul

February 23, 2016, 09:50 PM	#3
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	Two products I've found to work very well for loosening carbon inside the tube are: SoyLube and BoltOff(both soy oil based). Also takes away most of the "first round pop" when spritzed into the can. Downside is it weeps out through any unsealed joint. I'm going to try using a single layer of teflon thread tape next time I have to dis-assemble and see if that stops the weeping at the joints. I bought a bunch of this stuff for cheap at Menards a couple of years back and tried it just as an experiment. Non-flammable and non-corrosive and no offensive odor. Not sure I'd recommend "never seize" since I've seen it harden when exposed to high heat.

February 23, 2016, 10:06 PM	#4
Paul105 Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2007 Location: Montana Posts: 343	The anti seize stuff I have indicates is good up to 1,800 def f IIRC. I'll get it out tomorrow and check brand and temp environm. The only downside I could see is that it's really messy. Paul

February 24, 2016, 07:52 AM	#5
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	"it's really messy." Definitely want to wipe down the outside with alcohol on a rag when fully assembled. I usually end up with it in/on unintended places.

February 24, 2016, 08:17 AM	#6
Paul105 Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2007 Location: Montana Posts: 343	Permatex Anti Seize Lubricant Advanced Resists Temperatures up to 1,600 Deg F (879 C) Paul

February 24, 2016, 09:32 AM	#7
Bartholomew Roberts member Join Date: June 12, 2000 Location: Texas and Oklahoma area Posts: 8,462	The thing with .22 suppressors is they are really dirty. Lots of carbon and often little tiny amount of lead that just kind of weld the carbon in place. The flipside of that is they don't get any less dirty if that stuff doesn't stick to the baffles and clamshells. Instead, you get this carbon sludge that kind of drops/sags into the bottom of the suppressor via gravity as the filth builds up. My concern is accuracy degradation or a possible baffle strike if the build up gets to be too much or partially obstructs the bore of the suppressor. With this method I can still go through a 555rd box of Winchester blasting ammo or a bucket of Thunderbolts and still clean it non-mechanically without worrying about that or having to bake the suppressor after cleaning it, etc. On that note, I also use a lot of copper-plated .22 LR; because copper fouling is way easier to get rid of than lead/carbon fouling.

February 24, 2016, 10:46 AM	#8
Paul105 Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2007 Location: Montana Posts: 343	Ment to thank you for your detailed cleaning instructions in the original post. I've copied it and will give it a try. I hate cleaning stuff, so anything that makes that task easier I'm willing to try. Thanks, Paul

February 24, 2016, 07:07 PM	#9
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	"My concern is accuracy degradation or a possible baffle strike if the build up gets to be too much or partially obstructs the bore of the suppressor." Wow, I'm not sure how much you'd have to shoot to fill the suppressor to the level of the bore line. I'm guessing several thousand rounds---by which time you'll need to clean the rest of the host(probably several times). 100 rounds of bare lead bullets leaves some grit and a thin layer of carbon/bullet lube/powder residue and that's all. Even 1000 rounds(10X this amount) wouldn't leave gobs of gunk floating around inside the can.

February 25, 2016, 03:32 AM	#10
Bartholomew Roberts member Join Date: June 12, 2000 Location: Texas and Oklahoma area Posts: 8,462	I'm not talking about filling it to the boreline - which would be ridiculous. I'm talking about buildup on the top baffles sliding down due to gravity (because it isn't adhering to the baffle) and ending up in the boreline as a bullet is going through. You don't need massive levels of sludge to cause a problem if it is sitting in the path of the bullet.

February 25, 2016, 08:24 AM	#11
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	"I'm talking about buildup on the top baffles sliding down due to gravity (because it isn't adhering to the baffle) and ending up in the boreline as a bullet is going through" Just my opinion: if the residue is that soft, it will be blown away by the air/gas being pushed by the bullet as it exits the bore.

February 25, 2016, 10:07 AM	#13
Bartholomew Roberts member Join Date: June 12, 2000 Location: Texas and Oklahoma area Posts: 8,462	Ultrasonic is kind of meh IMO. You still end up scrubbing and scraping even after using an ultrasonic cleaner. In this link: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=96FuNdYpj7c (Warning for language), the owner used solvent, steel brushes, and fireclean and THEN put it in an ultrasonic cleaner and still had to do about the same amount of scraping I normally do. I believe he said it had about 1,000 rounds on it. The Carbon Killer and metal brush is pretty effective at getting it to the stage after he takes it out of the ultrasonic cleaner the first time.

March 3, 2016, 06:44 AM	#14
cryogenic419 Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 569	I've got a HTA Kestrel and have cleaned it in the ultrasonic. It did ok for the main tube but for not so amazing for the baffles unless you do a little bit of prep work. With a good soak in the right cleaner prior to the ultrasonic it will knock a good chunk of the buildup off of the baffles. If you are running aluminum baffles this is not a route you want to take, aluminum and ultrasonic is not a good combo. I have also heard a good trick to cleaning rimfire baffles is to use a jar filled with water and a tablespoon of plain Dawn, place the parts inside the jars. Set the jar in a pan of water and get it boiling not letting the pan or jar run out of water. Supposedly 1/2 hour of this will knock most if not all of the crap loose from the baffles. I'm told the Dawn works quite well at breaking things down at hotter temps. I have not tried this one out yet but at some point plan to. I've read some guys use a wet tumbler from Harbor Freight with SS pins and clean their baffles and it makes short work of it as well. This method seems to be the safest and least chemical intensive. I know you said non mechanically but seems like cleaning by hand seems to take a lot of work and time. If you are running aluminum that limits your options as far as chemicals you can and can't use (the dip).