How Hot Can .223 / 5.56 Suppressors Get?

[Munk]

I am building a 10.5" SBR and am going to suppress it. One idea I have been tossing around in my head is having a hand guard that partially covers the suppressor. At the same time, I want to keep the weight down, and so have been considering getting a carbon fiber free float. So naturally I thought "what if I used a carbon fiber hand guard to partially cover my suppressor?" I got a quote from a manufacturer of said carbon fiber FF who said it was rated to 475F. So, practically speaking, what sort of temperatures can we expect to see when shooting semi-auto 5.56 through a can on this type of build? For the most part I won't be doing mag dumps, but if I wanted to, would a CF FF hand guard turn to mush or burst into flames?

[PAIN]

Think of a catalytic converter for your car.
They glow at night with a beta mag dump. Shooting slowly, (like target shooting) they won't change color, but the mirage will get so bad you can't see the target with any time of accuracy.

They get hot, but if you allow them to cool between mags, you can manage the heat they put out.

[Munk]

Do you have idea what temp they can get to in order to change color like that?

I mean, 475F is pretty good for carbon fiber...but I have also heard that a suppressor will increase by about 7 degree for each round fired (not factoring in cool time). If I go out on a 100 degree day, for example, that means I could theoretically shoot 50 rounds in rapid fire before I reached critical temperature. Ideally, I would like to stay a good margin below this, which means maybe 30 rounds. That's not a whole lot... unless this heat-increase starts to level off at a certain temperature (which it must do at some point).

If suppressors can get to 600, 800, or even 1000 degrees with semi auto fire, I will want to stay away from doing this hand guard overlap thing. I don't plan on doing multiple mag dumps mind you, but I'd like my rifle to be able to handle it if I did. I don't want something that is going to overheat after a single 30rd mag dump, you know?

I just don't have anything concrete to go off of at this point, so its all just theoretical.

[Bendersquint]

Do you have idea what temp they can get to in order to change color like that?

I mean, 475F is pretty good for carbon fiber...but I have also heard that a suppressor will increase by about 7 degree for each round fired (not factoring in cool time). If I go out on a 100 degree day, for example, that means I could theoretically shoot 50 rounds in rapid fire before I reached critical temperature. Ideally, I would like to stay a good margin below this, which means maybe 30 rounds. That's not a whole lot... unless this heat-increase starts to level off at a certain temperature (which it must do at some point).

If suppressors can get to 600, 800, or even 1000 degrees with semi auto fire, I will want to stay away from doing this hand guard overlap thing. I don't plan on doing multiple mag dumps mind you, but I'd like my rifle to be able to handle it if I did. I don't want something that is going to overheat after a single 30rd mag dump, you know?

I just don't have anything concrete to go off of at this point, so its all just theoretical.

Suppressors can easily get hotter than 475 degrees. I have had mine change colors before while shooting and have melted handguards as well.

[crazy-mp]

Suppressors can easily get hotter than 475 degrees. I have had mine change colors before while shooting and have melted handguards as well.

I wonder if anybody at the Silencers are legal shoot will let me try that

[JasonM]

Suppressors can easily get hotter than 475 degrees. I have had mine change colors before while shooting and have melted handguards as well.

I wonder if anybody at the Silencers are legal shoot will let me try that

All depends how gast you shoot... but you should have no problem at all getting a rifle can above 475 degrees.

[rogerme]

If your worried about heat send it to RJ they do this water cooling thing with barrels I bet they could make you a suppressor with a water cooling system as well.


If you fire 30 rounds fast or semi fast your not gonna wanna touch it. If I dump a 30 rd mag on fa you can cook a meal on it.

[Munk]

Well I guess that answers my question Ill stay away from doing the overlap thing with a CF FF. Thank you!

[silencertalk]

900 F with 2-3 mag dumps. 1600 F if you are having a contest to see how hot you can get it.

[SRM]

Suppressors can easily get hotter than 475 degrees. I have had mine change colors before while shooting and have melted handguards as well.

I wonder if anybody at the Silencers are legal shoot will let me try that

All depends how gast you shoot... but you should have no problem at all getting a rifle can above 475 degrees.

Now that`s BAD ASS right there!!!!

[Munk]

900 F with 2-3 mag dumps. 1600 F if you are having a contest to see how hot you can get it.

Best answer ever.

[JasonM]

Yes, if you are trying, you can get them really hot:

[JasonM]

[JasonM]

[crazy-mp]

All I can say about the night lights

[markm]

That's ghetto!

[Munk]

what's ghetto

[ghostdog662]

What a perfect place to light a cigar from.

[rogerme]

What a perfect place to light a cigar from.

Not really a good idea. There is allot or radiant heat off them when they are hot. I tried this once myself will not be doing it again..

[ghostdog662]

What a perfect place to light a cigar from.

Not really a good idea. There is allot or radiant heat off them when they are hot. I tried this once myself will not be doing it again..

Noted, but I don't think I would be able to help myself.

[Munk]

What a perfect place to light a cigar from.

Not really a good idea. There is allot or radiant heat off them when they are hot. I tried this once myself will not be doing it again..

All that means is that you need a bigger cigar

[ghostdog662]

What a perfect place to light a cigar from.

Not really a good idea. There is allot or radiant heat off them when they are hot. I tried this once myself will not be doing it again..

All that means is that you need a bigger cigar

[Stout]

Here's a color chart for mild steel. Stainless colors are along the same lines but just a bit higher temp to get the same color. I don't know what inconel or titanium would look like at the same tempuratures. Aluminum just turns white and melts at much lower temps although it seems to take longer to reach the critical temperature due to better heat dissipation. Which means the aluminum should heat up slower and cool down faster.

http://www.smex.net.au/Reference/SteelColours.htm

I's say if you are getting any color to your can at all, it's too much for the CF you mentioned.

Although, that cool dude in Corpus Christi is making CF cans that people really seem to love so... Cough, cough! Kidding..

[Munk]

Yeah i've been reading that topic too

Thanks for the color chart!

[abinok]

I've got a upper on the way from loki that will have a 8" 300 blk barrel, and a 15" cf handgaurd. Someday, when my 762 titanium phantom stamp shows up, it should be pretty cool.
But then again, I'm not a mag dump kinda guy anymore.