Suppressors Dead Air Sandman L - poor endcap assembly leading to alignment problem

[92G]

I posted in the form 4 thread but it's out of topic so starting a new thread here.

New production dead air Sandman L. Acquired March 2021. Surefire alignment rod is either touching or just a few thousandths from the endcap. Fired it on a Howa 308 and did fine although clearly something isn't right. Mounted on multiple rifles with different keymo muzzle devices. The eccentricity is always in the same position (if keymo indexing point is 12 o'clock the endcap contact is always at 8 o'clock). This indicates the problem is neither the barrels nor muzzle devices.

My analysis shows the following

1. baffles are aligned perfectly (so nicely that it hurts my soul to continue)
2. rotation of the endcap and measurements indicate the endcap itself is fine
3. the endcap threads/housing is clearly welded crooked from the suppressor body

the endcap housing needs to be removed and properly replaced. it appears this issue is not rare. my understanding is that the suppressor is build by first welding the mount then EDM the baffles. unfortunately it looks like the endcap housing/threads were hastily welded on a friday afternoon.

i have an RMA to DA/KG to have this repaired. before all the dead air excuse patrol shows up, their current repair time is listed at 50-60 days. someone with my level of suppressor knowledge should not be able to easily find such glaring build errors. embarrassing. With the exception of the keymo mounting system, I am unimpressed by every aspect of this suppressor and DA.

contact with endcap always at some location relative to keymo indexing point

textbook alignment of the baffles and suppressor itself

endcap housing / threads welded by drunken sailor, leading to misaligned endcap

 

[M5Pilot]

Sorry to hear about this. I too just got my Sandman-L in May and had read about alignment problems before from others. While mine was in jail at the dealer, I took my 300blk upper with the flash suppressor off and my alignment rod down to the gun shop and checked it for this very thing based on others with this problem. I figured I'd get it fixed while waiting on the stamp but I was lucky and it was dead nuts perfect. I was hoping they had gotten this behind them.

 

[FuhQ]

Send it back to Dead Air (KGM) to have the cap removed and re-welded. Yeah, it sucks it will take a month or 2, but it is what it is. Better than having them send you a new can, and having to pay $200, and waiting another 7-9 months for the F4 to get approved, right?

Anything man-made has the possibility to be defective. All the cans I've seen, shot through, handled, dealt-with, I've never seen a Dead Air can with an issue. I'd say your issue is more of a fluke than reason to start a bash thread.

Also, I'd have your SOT ship it, that way if something happens in the mail, it's between your Class 3 dealer, the shipping company, and Dead Air to figure out, and your headache gets alleviated immensely.

 

[FuhQ]

Sorry to hear about this. I too just got my Sandman-L in May and had read about alignment problems before from others. While mine was in jail at the dealer, I took my 300blk upper with the flash suppressor off and my alignment rod down to the gun shop and checked it for this very thing based on others with this problem. I figured I'd get it fixed while waiting on the stamp but I was lucky and it was dead nuts perfect. I was hoping they had gotten this behind them.

Both of my Sandman-S cans are dead-on, as well.

 

[sam4886]

They quote a couple months to repair and send back, but I think that's just a CYA thing.

I sent them my nomad that I managed to fuck up and whack the baffles on due to my negligence one time, and had it back and repaired in a week and a half.

 

[Long Range 338]

So you find an issue with your can and already have an RMA in hand so the next step is to go online and start talking shit? Interesting..... Can we safely assume you will also start another thread raving about the awesome customer service if they beat their indicated repair time?

Sucks that your can has a defect, just seems premature to trash on the company before they have a chance to make it right. Even Thunderbeast who is considered the gold standard had a batch get out with QC issues. It sucks but it happens.

 

[Strykervet]

Lots of companies make decent shit, even a blind squirrel gets a nut. Some good ones fuck up now and again. It sucks but it happens.

But it's shit like this and how they handle it that gives me the necessary information to determine if they're just "good" or "stellar". You never really know until they fuck up and you have to deal with it.

I've got a list of companies that will absolutely bend over backward to unfuck a problem and make it right. Most do business on this very site.

So give 'em a chance. If they pull a Gemtech or an AAC on 'ya, then they're shit. If they handle it like TBAC or Sico, then they're the titties and you've got no reason to bitch.

I'll have a review later on of a serious fuckup by one of the best gunsmiths in the biz. Trashed an MRAD chassis, was an honest mistake. Now some places would waste half a year trying to talk their way out of it or whatever, but this place got the last one available from Barrett and made it "better than right" as they said they would. So give 'em a chance, and then get back to us.

That said, I got an SDN6 I'll trade 'ya, I got no problem with the wait if you don't. I promise it'll line up, FWIW...

 

[92G]

So you find an issue with your can and already have an RMA in hand so the next step is to go online and start talking shit? Interesting..... Can we safely assume you will also start another thread raving about the awesome customer service if they beat their indicated repair time?

Sucks that your can has a defect, just seems premature to trash on the company before they have a chance to make it right. Even Thunderbeast who is considered the gold standard had a batch get out with QC issues. It sucks but it happens.

1. please elaborate where I’m “talking shit” or “trash on the company”

2. its called a data point. they’re used by grown ups.

 

[Long Range 338]

1. please elaborate where I’m “talking shit” or “trash on the company”

2. its called a data point. they’re used by grown ups.

I’ll let you own up to your own actions as you see fit. Coming online to cry about your woes before allowing the company to address the issue is not a data point, it’s a lack of maturity or professionalism - again whatever you want to call it, you seem to feel your self important opinion is very impressive.

I can totally appreciate the let down over having to deal with the issue but would at least have the decency to allow an opportunity to make it right before I went online to lambast a reputable company. But hey, you do you.

The only chance this thread has of reviewing anything of importance is customer service.