Silencerco Omega Lead Powdercoat Test
Prior to picking up my Silencerco Omega suppressor I was shooting 300 Whisper (the predecessor to 300 Blackout). At the time, very few manufacturers were selling components specific to the Whisper. I decided to try out a Lee 309-230 lead mold to cast my own bullets. I figured that the subsonic velocities of the Whisper with heavy bullets would be easy on the lead. With range scrap lead, I would be able to load the ammo for much cheaper than any of the available jacketed bullets.
I was able to develop a load for lead bullets coated with Lee Liquid Alox and one for powder coated lead. The leading was not bad with either load and they were a favorite for plinking, although not as accurate in my tested loads as jacketed bullets.
Once I picked up the Silencerco Omega, I bought a KAK Industries 300 Blackout barrel for about what it would have cost me to thread the 300 Whisper barrel. I, of course. thought that it would be nice to shoot the cheaper lead bullets through the suppressor, but wondered how much lead buildup there would be in a sealed can. I reached out to Silencerco customer service and they did not recommend shooting powder coated bullets through the Omega, stating that there would be too much lead buildup in the can.
Being the curious type, I decided to conduct my own test. I didn't have a lot of 300 Blackout brass sitting around, but I was able to load up 200 powder coated rounds to try. I figured that would give at least an idea if there was any appreciable build up, or if there would be scraps of powder coat building up.
*Silencerco did not recommend shooting powder coated bullets through the Omega. The following is for informational purposes only.
Overall, there did not appear to be a lot of lead build up to me. I noticed more of what appeared to be unburned powder than build up. I don't think I will shoot a lot of powder coated lead through the suppressor, but I won't be afraid to shoot some now and then. One of the most important things that I noticed was that there was no noticeable pieces of the powder coat. I was a little worried that the areas that contacted the rifling would wear off the coating and that would come loose in the suppressor. As you can see in the photos to the right, the coating was removed from the base of the bullet, but I did not find any of it left behind in the can.
One thought that I had was that if you were really wanting to shoot lead through the 300 Blackout and wanted to regularly suppress it (isn't that a large part of the reason to shoot Blackout?), it would probably be ideal to choose a pistol caliber suppressor rated for Blackout that can be disassembled for cleaning, or find a 30 caliber rifle suppressor that is designed to be user-serviceable.
Do you shoot lead bullets through an Omega or through the Blackout? Or do you powder coat your lead? Let me know in the comments below:
I was able to develop a load for lead bullets coated with Lee Liquid Alox and one for powder coated lead. The leading was not bad with either load and they were a favorite for plinking, although not as accurate in my tested loads as jacketed bullets.
Once I picked up the Silencerco Omega, I bought a KAK Industries 300 Blackout barrel for about what it would have cost me to thread the 300 Whisper barrel. I, of course. thought that it would be nice to shoot the cheaper lead bullets through the suppressor, but wondered how much lead buildup there would be in a sealed can. I reached out to Silencerco customer service and they did not recommend shooting powder coated bullets through the Omega, stating that there would be too much lead buildup in the can.
Being the curious type, I decided to conduct my own test. I didn't have a lot of 300 Blackout brass sitting around, but I was able to load up 200 powder coated rounds to try. I figured that would give at least an idea if there was any appreciable build up, or if there would be scraps of powder coat building up.
*Silencerco did not recommend shooting powder coated bullets through the Omega. The following is for informational purposes only.
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| Recovered 300 Blackout lead powder coated bullets. |
One thought that I had was that if you were really wanting to shoot lead through the 300 Blackout and wanted to regularly suppress it (isn't that a large part of the reason to shoot Blackout?), it would probably be ideal to choose a pistol caliber suppressor rated for Blackout that can be disassembled for cleaning, or find a 30 caliber rifle suppressor that is designed to be user-serviceable.
Do you shoot lead bullets through an Omega or through the Blackout? Or do you powder coat your lead? Let me know in the comments below:
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