Suppressor wipes?

[ctbreitwieser]

I keep seeing a lot of M11/M10's that come with the old suppressors that say they use wipes. Some say "has new wipes" or "needs new wipes". What exactly are these wipes, and how do they work? Is there no baffles in them?

 

[DownByTheTracks]

Scroll down halfway for a brief history of the Mac cans.

A MAC 10 History Lesson - FirearmsID.com

 

[ctbreitwieser]

Thanks, but I still dont understand exactly what the wipes were and how they worked. I understand that they could wear out and be replaced, but when I think suppressor wipes I just picture a tube packed full of kleenex's. And Im assuming that its actually nothing like that.

 

[Dog1]

A wipe is a replaceable baffle usually made from a polypropylene or polyurethane material. These disks can be placed at any point along the length of the suppressor but are generally found closer to the exit point where gases are at a lower pressure and temperature.

When the weapon is fired, the bullet punches through the wipe exiting the suppressor on its way down range. The perforation made in the wipe exactly matches the bullet’s diameter creating a reasonably tight seal adding considerable resistance to the propellant gases. The wipe is usually good for 10 or 20 rounds, no more than a magazine or two, then it had to be replaced.

 

[ctbreitwieser]

Just found this:

The wipe design is another piece of silencer tech from the Vietnam era. Instead of baffles, the original Ingram Mac-11 silencer used wipes, which were solid disks made of rubber or felt and separated by washers. The hole in the middle of each wipe was sealed off temporarily by the bullet as it flew through the envelope and physically touched each wipe. In theory this meant that the propellant gas was temporarily trapped behind the bullet and wipe, so the wipe would act as an efficient baffle. In reality it meant a loss of accuracy, melted chunks of wipe flying downrange, and a silencer that performed pretty well during the first magazine and hardly at all by the third one. The gooey mess of destroyed wipes had to be replaced to make the silencer work again.

So it seems if you were to buy one of these suppressors it would pretty much suck. But it I guess you can get them upgraded with baffles it seems? Are they considered classics, and worth anything if original, or are they pretty considered useless?

 

[Goober135]

A wipe is a replaceable baffle usually made from a polypropylene or polyurethane material. These disks can be placed at any point along the length of the suppressor but are generally found closer to the exit point where gases are at a lower pressure and temperature.

When the weapon is fired, the bullet punches through the wipe exiting the suppressor on its way down range. The perforation made in the wipe exactly matches the bullet’s diameter creating a reasonably tight seal adding considerable resistance to the propellant gases. The wipe is usually good for 10 or 20 rounds, no more than a magazine or two, then it had to be replaced.

Just found this:

The wipe design is another piece of silencer tech from the Vietnam era. Instead of baffles, the original Ingram Mac-11 silencer used wipes, which were solid disks made of rubber or felt and separated by washers. The hole in the middle of each wipe was sealed off temporarily by the bullet as it flew through the envelope and physically touched each wipe. In theory this meant that the propellant gas was temporarily trapped behind the bullet and wipe, so the wipe would act as an efficient baffle. In reality it meant a loss of accuracy, melted chunks of wipe flying downrange, and a silencer that performed pretty well during the first magazine and hardly at all by the third one. The gooey mess of destroyed wipes had to be replaced to make the silencer work again.

So it seems if you were to buy one of these suppressors it would pretty much suck. But it I guess you can get them upgraded with baffles it seems? Are they considered classics, and worth anything if original, or are they pretty considered useless?

Choo lose!

(by roughly 14 min)

 

[JTinIN]

With new wipes the cans work pretty well for a few mags or more and the accuracy effects were minimal for a stock MAC 10 ;-). An making wipes is not a big issue, just get a sheet of material.

Even with a well used disk the suppressor helps a some and keeps you from trimming your left hand finger nails below the knuckle ;-).

 

[ctbreitwieser]

Choo lose!

(by roughly 14 min)

Ya, I was searching while he typed that.

With new wipes the cans work pretty well for a few mags or more and the accuracy effects were minimal for a stock MAC 10 ;-). An making wipes is not a big issue, just get a sheet of material.

Even with a well used disk the suppressor helps a some and keeps you from trimming your left hand finger nails below the knuckle ;-).

I would think that even without wipes the can would still cause a slower release of the gasses and cut down on noise. But Ive honestly never shot a suppressed firearm, so I dont know.

 

[Steve B]

This pertains to my 10. I can't tell that much difference with my wipes in or out honestly. You can have the end cap redone to eliminate the wipes if you want to keep the cool look of the two stage can. If you're not worried about the style of can then buying a newer more efficient can is the better route to go IMHO. I buy my wipe material in a tube shape. Then slice off pieces in the bandsaw.

 

[JTinIN]

This pertains to my 10. I can't tell that much difference with my wipes in or out honestly. You can have the end cap redone to eliminate the wipes if you want to keep the cool look of the two stage can. If you're not worried about the style of can then buying a newer more efficient can is the better route to go IMHO. I buy my wipe material in a tube shape. Then slice off pieces in the bandsaw.

Don't disagree, just saying that a wipe can is not that bad on a factory stock MAC 10.

When I sold my last MAC 10, part of the package was the two stage MAC suppressor for the cost of the second stamp (I had gotten the suppressor from a close friends years ago and was the first one I had ever fired on his MAC 11 (380) in the 80's (was actually a 9mm suppressor with an adapter for his 380 or so the story goes).

Now days use the three lug 9mm suppressor on the HKs and the Uzi (it has a three lug barrel).

 

[Steve B]

I agree. I use my two stage all the time. If I would have bought the M10 & suppressor separately I would have bought a modern one though. In OEM configuration the two stage look on a M10 just looks so much cooler though.