Suppressor Mounting?!

SwP

SwP

New member
Is there any suggested - recommended shim thickness when mounting a muzzle device - suppresor mount to barrel?
*Ruger American Predator .223
*5.56 Can *22" Barrel
I don't want any baffle strikes, alignment rods would help, but most seem to be short for ARs.
Any information would be greatly appreciated, by you knowledgeable folk on here.
 
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What makes you think you need to shim it? Thread it on and shoot it. I have shot several Ruger Americzns suppressed and never shimmed anything. Never shimmed any gun to shoot suppressed.
 
A square shoulder is all that is needed for the can to tighten against. The rod is to check for baffle strikes and 16" is plenty. It doesn't need to run the full length of the barrel and can.
 
crapshoot said:
A square shoulder is all that is needed for the can to tighten against. The rod is to check for baffle strikes and 16" is plenty. It doesn't need to run the full length of the barrel and can.
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So you're saying you wouldn't use shims?
 
Why would you use shims? I have the same rifle in .308 and just screw the suppressor on and hunt. Regular ammo and subsonics run fine through the rifle and suppressor.
Only thing I do is loosen and tighten the suppressor before and after each hunt. Mainly because I don’t want it seizing up on the barrel.
 
Spurchaser said:
Why would you use shims? I have the same rifle in .308 and just screw the suppressor on and hunt. Regular ammo and subsonics run fine through the rifle and suppressor.
Only thing I do is loosen and tighten the suppressor before and after each hunt. Mainly because I don’t want it seizing up on the barrel.
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I was told by a gunsmith that using shims could help seat/square-up the suppressor to bore (concentricity). Ultimately preventing baffle strikes.
Figured finding a group of folks - knowledgeable, like here, could help clear that up for me.
 
No shims. Screw on tight up against the shoulder. Check with the proper sized rod if you are worried about baffle strikes and concentricity of threading to bore. But I'd bet your safe with a factory threaded ruger.
 
crapshoot said:
No shims. Screw on tight up against the shoulder. Check with the proper sized rod if you are worried about baffle strikes and concentricity of threading to bore. But I'd bet your safe with a factory threaded ruger.
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Thank you sir! I like that advice! đź‘Ť *new to suppressors
 
SwP said:
I was told by a gunsmith that using shims could help seat/square-up the suppressor to bore (concentricity). Ultimately preventing baffle strikes.
Figured finding a group of folks - knowledgeable, like here, could help clear that up for me.
Click to expand...

Your "gunsmith" ain't really a gunsmith if he told you that, direct thread suppressors don't need anything nor should they. If they do than the "gunsmith" threaded it wrong!!

The only thing shims should be used for is to time a brake. Also, don't confuse precision shims with crush washers or O rings!!

Screw it on tight, look down it and ensure nothing obvious, if you have an alignment rod even better than go have fun!
 
I did have a baffle strike on a factory threaded Ruger 10/22 barrel. No damage done but the rifle would hit about 4 foot low at 30 yards. Ruger replaced the barrel

Never a problem with several other factory threaded and custom threaded barrels.

I now always visually check by looking through the barrel with the suppressor screwed on. The problem with the 10/22 barrel was obvious when looking through it with the suppressor on.
 
The purpose of shims is to get a flash suppressor or break to align a particular way on a barrel. Sometimes when you tighten these devices down on a threaded barrel they will not be aligned properly. Shims are used to decrease the threaded area enough so that the device tightens down in the proper position on the barrel. If you are direct threading a suppressor to a threaded barrel shims should not be required. If you are attaching a device to your barrel to attach your suppressor to (such as an ASR muzzle device or something like it), that device may need some shims.
 
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