WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

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deereman01
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WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by deereman01 »

I have an AAC Element 2 and love the suppressor. But..........
I decided to put it in the ultrasonic cleaner after running about 250 rounds of various species of ammo through it.
To my surprise and dismay the finish (paint) on the exterior of the suppressor came off in like 2 minutes!!!
I couldn't believe this thing shed its outer coating so easily in plain simple green and water!
I have read that people use these to clean other brands without incident.
I am wondering if my experience is unusual or this is typical of the AAC product?
Comments please.....
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Emilio
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by Emilio »

You didn't read enough. Do not put the tube or aluminum or Ti in a sonic cleaner!
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Bendersquint
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by Bendersquint »

The tube is titanium, i am not surprised the finish came off.

Titanium should not be placed in an US.
rimshaker
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by rimshaker »

Call up AAC...they might help you out.
66427vette
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by 66427vette »

Krylon it and call it lesson learned the hard way. Change title to warning I am an idiot.:)
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Emilio
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by Emilio »

Be nice now. :mrgreen: he's new here.

Deer you can fix it or send it in. Mine is The pre 2 element and the finish wasn't that good anyway and they nickel coated them then. I gunkoted it and it's held up great and much better. They are now TI tubes and I thought they went to cerakote but still can't pass the sonic test. :mrgreen:

Here was mine naked. :oops: :D


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(Looking for a finished pic now.)
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Kramer
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by Kramer »

66427vette wrote:Krylon it and call it lesson learned the hard way. Change title to warning I am an idiot.:)

I wish that I could rep you, but...
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silencertalk
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by silencertalk »

I did that to a nearly new S&W 945 pistol and learned the hard way.

You could send it in for a finish if you wanted. I would just leave the finish off. No big deal.
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mpallett
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by mpallett »

I just did that to a prototype Spectre. I was using Slip 2000 750 de-greaser. A good portion of the black oxide came off (must have been bad surface prep as the production Spectre done at the same time was fine). I ended up tossing it in with the last round of 9mm brass in the stainless media tumbling set up to see what it would do.

It took off pretty much the rest. I might just leave it, or maybe I should moly it. not sure yet.

I will say that we had a guy ruin his Trident with "mean green". It pretty much removed the anodizing.

My tube:

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bani
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by bani »

AAC claims the finish is cerakote, but it comes off far too easy. if this is cerakote then cerakote is basically a thin coat of paint.
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JasonM
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by JasonM »

bani wrote:AAC claims the finish is cerakote, but it comes off far too easy. if this is cerakote then cerakote is basically a thin coat of paint.
Cerakote is generally the most durable of the sprayed-on/baked-on finishes…

I wonder when the switch was made on the finish?

For years and years, they used Duracoat followed by years of Gunkote… both of which kind of suck. and yes, they are essentially spray paint.
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silencertalk
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by silencertalk »

AAC switched maybe 1-2 years ago.
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by bani »

wonder if they will refinish the tube. i can remove the finish with a fingernail.
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Emilio
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by Emilio »

JasonM wrote:
bani wrote:AAC claims the finish is cerakote, but it comes off far too easy. if this is cerakote then cerakote is basically a thin coat of paint.
Cerakote is generally the most durable of the sprayed-on/baked-on finishes…

I wonder when the switch was made on the finish?

For years and years, they used Duracoat followed by years of Gunkote… both of which kind of suck. and yes, they are essentially spray paint.
Gunkote works great if you prep and do it right, I did my element ( over slick nickel ) and a few guns and they still look great. Two part sucks because of waste and life span of hardener where you can pour back gunkote and no mixing or thinning and keep it for over 10 years. If you scratch something up you just whip out the air brush. Very easy for personal use.

My guess is AAC slaps in on in a production way vs care doing it right yourself.
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bitfi3nd
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by bitfi3nd »

deereman01 wrote:I have an AAC Element 2 and love the suppressor. But..........
I decided to put it in the ultrasonic cleaner after running about 250 rounds of various species of ammo through it.
To my surprise and dismay the finish (paint) on the exterior of the suppressor came off in like 2 minutes!!!
I couldn't believe this thing shed its outer coating so easily in plain simple green and water!
I have read that people use these to clean other brands without incident.
I am wondering if my experience is unusual or this is typical of the AAC product?
Comments please.....

Ultrasonics cause cavitation just like props do. They will eat steel if you leave it in them long enough.
Not surprised at all.
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by RJT »

The finish started coming off of mine right out of the box, but it's mouse fart quiet, so I don't care how it looks. :D
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
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Re: WARNING!!!!!!!!Element 2 finish problems!!

Post by Joker31D »

Emilio wrote:Be nice now. :mrgreen: he's new here.

Deer you can fix it or send it in. Mine is The pre 2 element and the finish wasn't that good anyway and they nickel coated them then. I gunkoted it and it's held up great and much better. They are now TI tubes and I thought they went to cerakote but still can't pass the sonic test. :mrgreen:

Here was mine naked. :oops: :D


Image

(Looking for a finished pic now.)
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