Installing Silencers?

[Bucktote]

Gentlemen,
There seems to be a lot of interest in modern silencers for shooters. Many people that I talk to extoll the benefits of using them. What steps are entailed in installing a silencer in a non so equipped rifle?. Does the rifle have to be dis-assembled & the barrel put in a lathe? It seems to be quite an extensive process. Just asking! B/T

 

[paulsonconstruction]

The barrel doesn't have to be taken off to thread the barrel. It's a very simple process. The threads do need to be cut in a lathe & attention paid to minimize runout. Most suppressors come with either 1/2"x28 TPI or 5/8"x24 TPI & the threads need a relief cut at the shoulder. Your barrel diameter needs to be big enough to provide at least a .030" shoulder for the suppressor to butt up against. Usually you will want to shorten the barrel to gain that diameter & make the rifle's OAL more manageable. If your barrel's diameter is not big enough to accommodate the needed thread diameter thread adapters are available. There are specs available for cutting suppressor threads that any machinist or gunsmith with the proper tooling can follow to thread your barrel. I would recommend you contact someone that advertises this service & go over the details. It's not rocket surgery, but certain details need to be resolved before threading. Cost is usually $125 to $140 plus a thread protector cap for when the suppressor is not mounted. I have rifles with 16", 18" & 20" barrels that are threaded depending on caliber & intended use. I try to keep the OAL of the barrel/suppressor at 25" or less. Mine run from 21" to 25". Another plus to a suppressor is they reduce felt recoil by as much as 32%, which is almost as much as an ear piercing muzzle brake, which is about 40%.

 

[Bucktote]

The barrel doesn't have to be taken off to thread the barrel. It's a very simple process. The threads do need to be cut in a lathe & attention paid to minimize runout. Most suppressors come with either 1/2"x28 TPI or 5/8"x24 TPI & the threads need a relief cut at the shoulder. Your barrel diameter needs to be big enough to provide at least a .030" shoulder for the suppressor to butt up against. Usually you will want to shorten the barrel to gain that diameter & make the rifle's OAL more manageable. If your barrel's diameter is not big enough to accommodate the needed thread diameter thread adapters are available. There are specs available for cutting suppressor threads that any machinist or gunsmith with the proper tooling can follow to thread your barrel. I would recommend you contact someone that advertises this service & go over the details. It's not rocket surgery, but certain details need to be resolved before threading. Cost is usually $125 to $140 plus a thread protector cap for when the suppressor is not mounted. I have rifles with 16", 18" & 20" barrels that are threaded depending on caliber & intended use. I try to keep the OAL of the barrel/suppressor at 25" or less. Mine run from 21" to 25". Another plus to a suppressor is they reduce felt recoil by as much as 32%, which is almost as much as an ear piercing muzzle brake, which is about 40%.

Thank you Mr. Paulson,
I was envisioning a complete disassembly of the barrel from the action & stock removal. The approximate prices for the barrel threading seems reasonable enough. I had visions of making a device that would enable a person with good mechanical ability to do the job without removing the stock or barrel, but your information renders this effort as unnecessary. All the best as always. B/T

 

[paulsonconstruction]

Thank you Mr. Paulson,
I was envisioning a complete disassembly of the barrel from the action & stock removal. The approximate prices for the barrel threading seems reasonable enough. I had visions of making a device that would enable a person with good mechanical ability to do the job without removing the stock or barrel, but your information renders this effort as unnecessary. All the best as always. B/T

I remove the barreled action from the stock, take the bolt out, & remove the trigger before taking it to be threaded. This is a very easy task requiring no special tooling. This is required so it can be fit in the lathe chuck. If you don't want to do that yourself, any smith or barrel threading service can.