Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertrap?

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whiterussian1974
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Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertrap?

Post by whiterussian1974 »

I bought mine in 2003. Wish I knew more at the time and bought AAC.
AWC customer service consists of saying, "Just keep sending more money. Let us worry about everything else."
Looking down the boreline I can't tell, but it looks like a series of cones. I tried to count the # of baffles, but keep losing count. Makes me wonder if it's much different design than 1900s Maxim.
I know they are largely obsolete as a company. I just hope that someone has some info. I've seen many cans' xrays, but never this company.
Thanks for any help that anyone can provide.
I hope this is the correct Forum since their isn't a dedicated Mfr Forum for them.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by Bendersquint »

whiterussian1974 wrote:I bought mine in 2003. Wish I knew more at the time and bought AAC.
AWC customer service consists of saying, "Just keep sending more money. Let us worry about everything else."
Looking down the boreline I can't tell, but it looks like a series of cones. I tried to count the # of baffles, but keep losing count. Makes me wonder if it's much different design than 1900s Maxim.
I know they are largely obsolete as a company. I just hope that someone has some info. I've seen many cans' xrays, but never this company.
Thanks for any help that anyone can provide.
I hope this is the correct Forum since their isn't a dedicated Mfr Forum for them.
AWc cans are pretty basic by nowaday standards. Why dont you xray the can and check it out? The last AWC can i xrayed was plate washers.
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whiterussian1974
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by whiterussian1974 »

Bendersquint wrote:AWc cans are pretty basic by nowaday standards. Why dont you xray the can and check it out? The last AWC can i xrayed was plate washers.
I don't have permissions from a clinic or lab to xray.
I figured that it was plate washers. Maxim tech in 2000s? This and deplorable customer service is why they are laughing stocks.
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.300WinMag
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by .300WinMag »

Go to Snipershide and look for RollingThunder in the suppressor section. He can line you out.


FYI - by review of several the TBAC and the TI Thor are some of the most accurate cans out there. And let's all be honest, they all sound about the same with full power ammo, accuracy is what counts on a precision stick.




Good luck
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by iron.maiden »

I think AWC is on k-baffles after stamped baffles , rolling thunder guy at snipershide posted a pic of awc cans before welding , k-baffles
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by DesertRat »

I used to own a Thundertrap. I purchased it in 2001. Transfer took about 60 days (sigh).

From looking into the can (I don't have access to an industrial X-Ray machine either) I recall that they looked like K baffles. I bought it from a guy who was an AWC dealer and he had a bunch of their cans. I remember taking apart a 9mm sub gun can he had. It was K baffles, as well.

I've still got an Abraxas sitting in the back of my safe. Looking inside it, it looks like a miniature Thundertrap. I know that the Abraxas uses K's. I think they used pretty much the same baffle for everything back then.

One thing to be aware of, is that the bore is very tight on the Thundertrap. Do not use subsonic ammo with it.

Other than being a heavy pig, the Thundertrap was a decent performer. I sold mine and replaced it with an AAC Cyclone. The two cans are closer in sound reduction than I expected.

Still much prefer the Cyclone, though.

I can attest to AWC's appalling customer service. I made the mistake of sending them my rifle to have it threaded for the Thundertrap. I will not recount the tale here, but suffice to say that several months of waiting and multiple phone calls were required.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by Bendersquint »

We had an abraxas in that was welded plates. The face looked like a k baffle but no skirt, just the plate.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by DesertRat »

Both the Abraxas and the Thundertrap had flat faced baffles with a scoop cut next to the bore.

They did look like the front of a K. Probably what led me to assume they were K's. That and the sub gun can I got to look inside used K's.

Not that I would trade one of my newer cans for one, or recommend either to someone else, but they did perform surprisingly well for such a simple design.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by Coltm4 »

DesertRat wrote:I used to own a Thundertrap. I purchased it in 2001. Transfer took about 60 days (sigh).

From looking into the can (I don't have access to an industrial X-Ray machine either) I recall that they looked like K baffles. I bought it from a guy who was an AWC dealer and he had a bunch of their cans. I remember taking apart a 9mm sub gun can he had. It was K baffles, as well.

I've still got an Abraxas sitting in the back of my safe. Looking inside it, it looks like a miniature Thundertrap. I know that the Abraxas uses K's. I think they used pretty much the same baffle for everything back then.

One thing to be aware of, is that the bore is very tight on the Thundertrap. Do not use subsonic ammo with it.

Other than being a heavy pig, the Thundertrap was a decent performer. I sold mine and replaced it with an AAC Cyclone. The two cans are closer in sound reduction than I expected.

Still much prefer the Cyclone, though.

I can attest to AWC's appalling customer service. I made the mistake of sending them my rifle to have it threaded for the Thundertrap. I will not recount the tale here, but suffice to say that several months of waiting and multiple phone calls were required.
Pretty much what my experience was as well. Bought my Thundertrap in 01 as well. Waited forever to have AWC thread my bbl, but this is before I learned of places like Tornado Tech who I think does a WAY better job. But yeah, besides being a serious boat anchor, they work remarkably well. I also believe the Abraxas is the only pistol can AWC made that was worth a damn. I unfortunately have a Jupiter Eye that just sucks donkey balls. The Raider also works well, but again a total boat anchor.

Does anyone know or have a suggestion as to who I can send the Jupiter hole off to for recoreing?
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by prdubi »

AWC has changed considerably since Lynn passed away.

I have a Jupiter Eye II and it has done well for me but there are better cans out there.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by hillbillym16 »

I believe this is the first time I've ever posted on here as I only occasionally browse the forums every couple months...

I have 3 AWC cans, all purchased new in the late 1990's. Thundertrap in .30 cal, Raider and Archangel III. All heavy.

They were all originally some iteration of a simple "K" baffle (Archangel III rebuilt to monocore). I couldn't get any info on baffle designs before I bought them because back then most cans were sealed and manufacturers were quite secretive. After I bought them, we radiographed them at the shop that I worked at. All appeared to be very similar baffle design to each other, of course with size scale and numbers of baffles.

I don't remember for sure, but I believe the Thundertrap had 7 baffles. I still have the films for all 3 cans, around here somewhere but don't know if it would scan to produce an image.

I haven't dealt with AWC since early 2000's, but never had an issue with customer service. I did have 1 threading job take quite a while but the others were reasonable.

I had the Archangel rebuilt to a monocore last year; mainly to reduce backpressure and fouling. Quite pleased with the results.

In the 90's, they were fine but as with most things they are outdated. The newer cans can be lighter, somewhat quieter and have less tight bores.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by twodollarbill »

prdubi wrote:AWC has changed considerably since Lynn passed away.

I have a Jupiter Eye II and it has done well for me but there are better cans out there.
I too have a few AWC cans. That was all too be had it seemed back then.
Even have a few that Doc built in the early days....my early days that is :lol:
Lynn seemed to take care of me if I had a request, some others tell a different story.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by Coltm4 »

In the late 90's to very early 2000's it seems to me the only shows in town were AWC and Gemtax. Funny thing is that even back then I knew to stay away from the Gemtax crap in spite of the weight penalty of AWC products. I guess the only real complaint about them is they are outdated at minimum and the ridiculous weight penalty one has to pay for their rifle cans and the piss poor performance of the Jupiter eye. If it weren't for Gemtax, I would have "rebuilt" that stupid Jupiter eye into an Abraxas which I strangely have a real infatuation with.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by Bendersquint »

Coltm4 wrote:In the late 90's to very early 2000's it seems to me the only shows in town were AWC and Gemtax. Funny thing is that even back then I knew to stay away from the Gemtax crap in spite of the weight penalty of AWC products. I guess the only real complaint about them is they are outdated at minimum and the ridiculous weight penalty one has to pay for their rifle cans and the piss poor performance of the Jupiter eye. If it weren't for Gemtax, I would have "rebuilt" that stupid Jupiter eye into an Abraxas which I strangely have a real infatuation with.
Don't forget AAC, they were pretty young but they were there in that time frame too. Think they arrived on scene in 95 or 96. I know I have rebuilt cans of theirs with '97/'98 tax stamps.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by silencertalk »

A Thunderap was a good can to buy in the early to mid 1990s.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by prdubi »

Lynn McWilliams was AWESOME to talk to on the phone. Just a plain jane cool guy who knows his stuff.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by iron.maiden »

found the pic of some maybe thundertraps in basket ready for the welder , if are not th-traps i think are the same design , nothing to be surprised at all , add any spiral on top of the flat section , if not spiral maybe a cut.... looking that they are using lately on awc designs ...enjoy

Image
Last edited by iron.maiden on Sat May 17, 2014 3:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Does anyone have info on baffle design of AWC Thundertra

Post by silencertalk »

When the Thundertrap came out, which I am guessing was around 1995, it was very good. It would have been a great early purchase. Ops Inc was probably the best though.
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