Re: 8 Amphibians
This is the 13th generation of this pistol, it utilizes a 303 stainless steel primary baffle and 6061T6 secondary baffle and a new frequency shift chamber. Always a great shooter the new baffel almost completely eliminates aero dynamic disruption. Always insanely accurate (the secret sauce in this receipe is a proprietary hydraulic press used in assembly that puts frequency taming stress on the barrel), the new ones do not disappoint..or come apart. AWC makes nothing that comes apart, for those of us that have tended cans all the way to Sionics, we are mindful and grateful of that fact. AWC is able to make things shorter by going long on precision, alignment and diminuative baffle tolerances. Keep reading.
Subsonic ammo...I do not use subsonic ammo in a good .22 can. A great design does not require it. With regular velocity the sound of the pistol cycling will be the loudest thing happening. It is called the amphibian because you can literally pour two tablespoons of water down the barrel if you need quieter than..than...than quiet. Although you may use any standard or high velocity cartridge, what is recommend for the best sound reduction, power & proper function are the Remy or CCI high velocity 40gr or 36gr hollow point (preferably coated for increased service life). Subsonic rounds are not recommended by AWC.
Cleaning, none, zero, nada. First off this designs uses the residuals as artificial environment, the rest is blown out the barrel. If after thousands of rounds, one simply cannot stand the thought that they might need to clean something you can go four ways:
1. Clear the chamber, insure the weapon is unload with safety engaged and introducing bore foam from the chamber end of the barrel until foam starts to exit the muzzle of the suppressor. Allow the foam solvent to soak for 30 minutes followed by a hot water rinse to remove any sticky residue left behind by the solvent/ foam. This is accomplished by plugging the chamber and pouring denatured alcohol or hot tap water into the front of the suppressor tube. It may take a few pours to fill the chambers. They enclose a few chamber plugs. Use a chamber plug to plug the front of the suppressor and shake barreled upper for about 60 seconds, remove the chamber plugs and allow to drain. Perform another fast rinse and allow the suppressor to drain from both ends. It is also advisable, but not mandatory, to blow compressed air into both ends of the suppressor after cleaning. After cleaning a quick spray of Rem-Oil in the suppressor and action is recommended. Use cotton swabs (Q-Tips) to dry the chamber of the barrel and action prior to firing. Although it is not necessary, if the user insists on cleaning the barrel with a bore brush it is accomplished by using the proper .22 rimfire bore brush only. A bronze brush works best and Shooters Choice is recommended. Always insert the bore brush through the chamber end. This eliminates the possibility of crown damage. After cleaning with bore brush follow the flushing/rinsing procedures described above to remove any sticky residue left behind by the solvent. DO NOT attempt to use a patch! I think I wrote a piece on cleaning with denatured sometimes back.
2. Clear the chamber and buy their new "jet" cleaning tool. It is inexpensive and gets sent right to your house. Attach a hose and your done in a couple of minutes. Im not making this up.
3. Clear the chamber, grasping the pistol by the barrel, place it firmly into your gun safe and lock the door. Open a minimum of 22 ounces of Extra Añejo agave tequilla and proceed to ingest until the need to clean your Amphibian passes. This should take no more than 45 minutes. If you listen to Barbara Streisand or like Hugh Jackman in musicals, best to lock up the "jet spray" tool as well.
4. Return to factory for detailed strip, baffle upgrades, etc. Its cheap and fast and a service they have offered since the late '80s. Say once every five years?