All my swr/Silencerco cans have been spot on. Must be a fluke, but I guarantee they will take care of you.
I have no doubt of this.
Let me try to clear something up here folks. This conversation is going somewhere other than what Travis and I had intended. This video was
NOT meant to outline a deficiency in SilencerCo/SWR's manufacturing techniques. This video was meant to generate awareness in regard to ALL suppressors in regard to their concentricity, and encourage people to get their suppressors to their gunsmiths for eval
at the time their barrel is setup in the lathe to cut threads.
It was a mistake to even mention the brand names involved. I remember now how viciously competitive the suppressor market is, and did not give consideration to the fact it could do those manufacturers a disservice. We were simply astonished by what we saw, and realized that this conversation rarely takes place. The emphasis is always on the barrel threads, but never on the suppressors themselves. The intention of the video was to get people to check
ALL of their suppressors at the time the threads are cut regardless of manufacturer... not just SilencerCo/SWR's. We had a sample size of one part from each of the manufacturers. That is
NOT enough to make a summary judgement of that companies quality.
Also, let me be clear in saying we are a class 3 firearms dealer. We have sold a great many suppressors, and quite a lot of SWR Spectre II's. All of those customers are happy. You can see
here that we recently did a review of the SWR Spectre II, and gave it a glowing recommendation. It is a quiet, strong, ultra-serviceable, and accurate suppressor. When one of my customers comes looking for the best bomb-proof rimfire can, I sell them a Spectre II. So please do not misinterpret what the video was intended to illuminate. I have had no doubt that SilencerCo/SWR would stand behind their product, and replace any defective parts. We've been selling their suppressors for quite some time now, and while we have not had to use their service department, I have always known they would stand behind their product. This continues to be true. They are still our go-to suppressor for the top end rimfire segment. So please, understand that we were so excited to get our customers and viewer base to start looking at suppressor concentricity, that we did not give any weight to how it may impact the manufacturers mentioned. I tried to make this clear in the video, but apparently I wasn't clear enough.
After today I have more confidence in SilencerCo than ever. Gary @ SilencerCo saw the video, and called me first thing this morning. First, he let me know that the thread job he saw in the video was not their recommended spec. They have a published spec which involves a thread relief on the end of the muzzle, which makes concentric contact with their internal O-ring. He informed me that a typical .6" long thread spec would make contact with an internal shoulder, as well as put a great deal of stress on the O-ring. (TS Custom set it to .5" long, not .6") Gary said this is something they see every day, and has been the direct cause of run-out problems in the past. When they are confronted with that issue, they generally send out a spacer, that goes between the barrel shoulder and the suppressor, which pushes the suppressor out and eliminates contact with the internal shoulder and solves the problem. Gary is sending one of these spacers out to us as part of his due diligence. He was
emphatic in his willingness to solve the problem by any means necessary. He was very clear that if we adhere to their recommended thread spec, and/or use the provided spacer and still have unacceptable run-out, then they would replace the faulty parts with all haste. I never had any doubt, but it was good to have it validated yet again.
Having said that, Travis is a very meticulous and exacting gunsmith. We spent several hours examining the problem regarding that particular Spectre II's run-out. Travis had it off the host rifle, and was able to find
several irregularities on the part. Also, we are certain that the threads weren't making contact with the internal shoulder. So, we are of the mind that this particular end cap is faulty. However, it is clear that SilencerCo took exception to the thread spec in the video, and rightfully so. We cannot be certain that excessive run-out exists until we adhere to their spec, and re-test the suppressor in question. We intend to do this testing soon, and with proper video equipment to ensure a higher quality end product and eliminate any questions in regard to setup. This first time around it was just a surprise, so I whipped out my iPhone and started documenting. Gary made it very clear, that if any problematic parts are discovered, they would replace them. This is ALL anyone can ask. You can ask manufacturers to be flawless, but you'll be disappointed a lot! All companies can turn out a bad part once in a while. It's expected. It's how they handle it which is important, and SilencerCo is handling this very well.
I've received PM's from several people whom said they have a Spectre II or other SilencerCo product awaiting transfer, asking if they had anything to worry about. The clear answer is
NO... you have nothing to fear from that product! Again, please do not misinterpret the intention of the video. SilencerCo/SWR Spectre II is our favorite rimfire can, and we've shot them all. You should not trust
ANY suppressor from
ANY manufacturer unless that particular suppressor has been checked for concentricity by a competent gunsmith at the time your barrel is setup in the lathe to cut threads. Even if you then determine you have a bad suppressor, SilencerCo will absolutely make it right. As will most major suppressor manufacturers. Until we test the rest of our inventory of Spectre II cans, on SilencerCo's approved thread spec, we have no way of knowing if a tolerance problem exists. This is why I spent very little time talking about brand name issues. Nor did I ever say or indicate that all of SilencerCo's products would have run-out problems because that one suppressor did. Point in fact, I specifically stated that the video wasn't meant to "poo poo" on any one manufacturer, and that we had a very small sample size. Small enough, to not draw ANY real conclusions from. The point of the video was, unless you check
your suppressor, you will never know if it's straight or not.
Going forward we intend to try the "spacer" fix that Gary is sending out. We are also going to thread up another barrel to SilencerCo's recommended spec. Then we'll test our suppressors on that spec and report back with the findings.
