45Osprey Disappointment, Am I expecting too much?

[Bendersquint]

I have a 45Osprey and I recommend that you shoot it with a cap full (like a 20 oz bottle) of water or a squirt of wire pulling gel (get the clear kind). I haven't had any reliability issues with my 1911.

What do you mean a "cap full"? Like filled to the brim?

The cap that goes on the 20oz bottle filled to the brim.

[Veritas]

I have a 45Osprey and I recommend that you shoot it with a cap full (like a 20 oz bottle) of water or a squirt of wire pulling gel (get the clear kind). I haven't had any reliability issues with my 1911.

What do you mean a "cap full"? Like filled to the brim?

The cap that goes on the 20oz bottle filled to the brim.

Oh now I am tracking lol. Thank you

I was thinking holy crap thats a lot of water!!!

[dtom29]

I'd also look at different ammo. I know that I get sandblasted when I use Winchester white box 147 gr 9mm but I don't have that problem with my VV N340 reloads. Some ammo is just dirtier than others. It might help your FTE problem also.

[swapmeet]

Thanks again everyone for the replies.

I got my WC spring yesterday and installed it. Holy crap its stiffer than the Kimber spring I took out. Racking the slide takes some "oomph" now.

Both springs are supposed to be 22lbs, so that leads me to believe that the stock spring was indeed worn smooth out. I haven't shot it yet, but I will this evening and report back. Given the amount of effort to rack the slide, I think it will help my situation some, if not solve it all together.

My plan is to run a mag unsuppressed to confirm functionality, If it cycles correctly i'll throw the can on, run a mag, see how it sounds. After that i'll throw some wire pulling gel in for the final test.

[Bull City Heel]

I think your problem is two fold. First your host is probably a little loud by a few dbs and second....most importantly.... you've been used to shooting a 22 can which is as loud as a mosquito fart by comparison. Really, any top tier 22 can with the right ammo/host will sound like a pellet gun.

Being that your 22 can cost almost half of your 45 Osprey, there may be a subconscious and unrealistic expectation too.

I will echo others in that if you had tried out top tier 45 cans side by side before purchasing they are all within a few dbs and you would have had more realistic performance expectations. I like to shoot my 45 Osprey outside and it is quite pleasant to the ear.

The quietness of your 22 can is really skewing your perspective. It reminds me of my first range trip with my 22 can - I was so excited to shoot it. Went thru mag after mag before putting hearing protection back on and going back to my other pistols. The rest of the time I had to get used to the pop of my other pistols with hearing protection, that otherwise would have gone unnoticed.

[swapmeet]

I'm sure that is having an effect. No doubt.

I ran some rounds through the gun and can as I mentioned. Gun cycled nicely w/o can, I think I had a failure with the can on but I can't recall what it was. FTF maybe. The blowback has lessened w/o shooting wet, but once I put pulling gel inside, I was back to getting hit in the face with... stuff. So it was a toss up, less noise or blowback from the gel. It did get a lot quieter with the pulling gel, I was pleasantly surprised.

Unfortunately I found myself holding the gun out to the side so I could 'enjoy/ experience' the suppression, but keep from getting hit in the face. :/

I hope to hook up with a buddy who is also getting a Osprey soon, see what he thinks, and how hit operates on his host (a Sig 220 I believe)
Maybe try it on another host. Try some different ammo.

As of right now though, I bought the Osprey mostly for enjoyment, as i'm not a LEO or anything. I saw a reasonable amount of utility for possible home defense or SHTF with the Osprey. But mostly, just shooting enjoyment. And at the moment I do not enjoy shooting through this can. I'd rather just strap on ear pro so I can shoot normally, (i.e. aim down the sights without worrying about blowback.)

[Bendersquint]

I'm sure that is having an effect. No doubt.

I ran some rounds through the gun and can as I mentioned. Gun cycled nicely w/o can, I think I had a failure with the can on but I can't recall what it was. FTF maybe. The blowback has lessened w/o shooting wet, but once I put pulling gel inside, I was back to getting hit in the face with... stuff. So it was a toss up, less noise or blowback from the gel. It did get a lot quieter with the pulling gel, I was pleasantly surprised.

Unfortunately I found myself holding the gun out to the side so I could 'enjoy/ experience' the suppression, but keep from getting hit in the face. :/

I hope to hook up with a buddy who is also getting a Osprey soon, see what he thinks, and how hit operates on his host (a Sig 220 I believe)
Maybe try it on another host. Try some different ammo.

As of right now though, I bought the Osprey mostly for enjoyment, as i'm not a LEO or anything. I saw a reasonable amount of utility for possible home defense or SHTF with the Osprey. But mostly, just shooting enjoyment. And at the moment I do not enjoy shooting through this can. I'd rather just strap on ear pro so I can shoot normally, (i.e. aim down the sights without worrying about blowback.)

Unfortunately blowback is a side effect of silencer use.

I think you will be disappointed in any cycling type firearm with a suppressor if the blowback of the Osprey is bothering you this much.

[Brett B]

I have a 45 Osprey on my Sig P220. While the gun does get dirty with the can on it I don't have any of the blowback problems like what you have described. I also shot it outside without hearing protection and had no issues and my ears are pretty sensitive. I think it's likely your host and not the can. I am 100% happy with my 45 Osprey.

[a_canadian]

This may be totally off base, as I've no experience with the pistol in question nor the suppressor, but what about making a blow-back blocking baffle out of aluminum or some other reasonably durable material and mounting it between the host and the suppressor? If there's a gap of 2mm or more it would seem a likely option, preventing 100% of 'stuff' from coming back from the suppressor itself. Of course it junk is flying at you through the ejection port or elsewhere such a shield wouldn't do anything. A simple shield could be made the same size as the suppressor or a hair larger and not block sights or otherwise interfere with use. If it were a question of mounting it on the threaded barrel itself, which may cause an issue with alignment or secure mounting, so I'd understand not wanting such a shield in that case. Is this stuff coming from the suppressor itself? Or through the pistol frame/upper somehow?

[swapmeet]

It may very well be my host. As far as the baffle idea, the blowback media is coming from the ejection port.

I haven't given up hope. CCI sells a "clean fire" version of their 45acp FMJ, I may give that a try. Its pricy but at this point its worth the research. I've done some searching but not a lot of ammo specific threads on shooting 45acp, and what ammo is best. What that tells me is that it doesn't really matter and its either me, my host, or my ammo. (Or a combination.)

I'm waiting for my buddy with the Sig to get his Osprey, then I can try them side by side.

Thanks everyone for the input and being cool about this. I feel like a weirdo since so many people don't have a problem with their Osprey.

[savagetactical]

The problem with Kimbers is that they tend to be built with very tight tolerances. This makes them good shooters, but more susceptible to failures. Generally speaking 4" and 3" 1911's aren't as reliable as the full size government models. THe extra fouling caused by can could be causing your reliability problems by dirtying up the gun faster, but it could also be the extra weight put on the barrel causing problems on your particular gun. If you can borrow another 45 suppressor to try on your host it might help you narrow down the possibilities.

[swapmeet]

Little update, maybe someone searching the interwebs for info will stumble upon this.

I tried out the CCI Clean Fire ammo yesterday and its much better than anything else that i've run through the gun.
Blowback was basically non-existent, and it was pretty quiet considering the can only has some two week old pulling gel in it.

I will press on with trying another host when the opportunity arises. Thanks everyone for the input and help.

[Nuclear]

The last time I went out shooting in the desert, I and another guy with 45 ACP's shot alternate side by side to compare my Osprey on a Sig 1911 to his suppressor (Octane, I think) on an HK. Everyone agreed mine was quieter (and bigger ), but it isn't as quiet as a 22lr. We later shot them at steel, and the noise from the steel was louder than both of them. Note this is outside, no structures around.

[Historian]

The problem with Kimbers is that they tend to be built with very tight tolerances. This makes them good shooters, but more susceptible to failures. Generally speaking 4" and 3" 1911's aren't as reliable as the full size government models. THe extra fouling caused by can could be causing your reliability problems by dirtying up the gun faster, but it could also be the extra weight put on the barrel causing problems on your particular gun. If you can borrow another 45 suppressor to try on your host it might help you narrow down the possibilities.

Something to consider, in 1960's I met an old NH gunsmith who had served in WW II
and knew more about firearms than any man I had ever met. Of particular interest
is what he taught me about optimizing actions. Each semi-auto or .357 trooper he
had in stock worked as smoothly as " ... running your hand up Rita Hayworth's* nylon
covered thigh [ massive grin included ]".

He used thin sticks of hard Arkansas stones. **
Some he had snapped into narrow long 'tooth picks'.

"... trick is not to over-hone. Use cutting oil, feel edges, grooves,
wherever metal rubs metal. Then gently run Arkansas to polish
and remove jagged pieces that machining always creates during
manufacturing. Work it slowly, lovingly, testing each time. Like my "Eye"-talian
grand uncle who worked as a teenager for Baretta** taught me."

I picked up a GI 1911A1 that was his. The slide, trigger, hammer, etc. was 'Rita Hayworth'
silky smooth. The Colt Trooper pulled back so easily that it is impossible to relay.









* << http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fteYUNiWvyw/T ... /rita1.jpg >>
<< http://chicvintagebrides.com/wp-content ... 23-900.jpg >>

** << http://www.123mountain.com/arkansas-sto ... -holmenkol >>

*** << http://www.beretta.com/en-us/world-of-b ... ince-1526/ >>