azShootist
01-14-2009, 04:01 PM
5 or 6 years ago, I was hot to make my first NFA purchase, and decided a suppressor was the way to go. At the time, I had only heard .45 through a couple AWC cans, but was completely sold on .45 being my caliber of choice. Oddly enough, I hear a lot of comments about .45 not suppressing well, but it still remains one of my favorite suppressed calibers.
In selecting a can, my only requirement was that the can be a small enough diameter that it cleared the sights. Based on GemTech's reputation and small can diameter, I bought a USPT and set out to suppress it with a GemTech SOS-45. I ran that can for about three years without a hiccup. It suppressed very well, and the package was a pleasure to shoot. In fact, my only complaint was the overall length of the can, due to the size of the LID (booster).
I read that the MK23 didn't require a booster on on the SOS-45, so I set out to "upgrade" my USPT and lose the LID. ...that's where my problems started. The MK23 did in fact cycle without the LID, but it needed hotter ammo, not high pressure ammo, just the hotter variety of the common stuff to engage the slide lock. The MK23 was cool, but it wasn't living up to my dreams, so I wound up dumping it after a couple months. I replaced it with a newer USPT, and was happy to return to my previous platform; that's when the problems started.
On my first day out with my new USPT, the LID failed and was irreparably damaged. I thought it a fluke, and I informed GemTech of the problem. They promptly sent me a new LID, and I assumed all to be well. However, the very next time I shot it (probably 4 months later), the LID failed again. Once again I informed GemTech of the problem, and again they promptly replaced the part. This actually happened two more times. 4 LIDS down the road, I was pretty upset that my can had become a paper weight. After catching them at SAR, I was told that I'd need to send the gun and can in for inspection, and I was directed to call Phil Dater after SAR.
At this point, I was pretty discouraged and wasn't expecting much from the conversation. However, I eventually called Phil, and I'm glad I did. In the first minute he stated that my gun was over boosted, and I simply needed to lose the booster. He sent out a standard end cap at no charge, and now I'm happy as a clam. Since getting the end cap, I've put about 400 rounds down the tube without a hiccup. My USP runs like it should, and now I have the benefit of no moving parts, and a shorter overall can length. I couldn't be happier.
So the takeaways from this experience:
1. Not all USPs are the same. I still don't understand how two seemingly identical guns could have such a pressure difference, but they clearly do.
2. A reliable can on one gun, does not necessarily mean it will be reliable on other like guns.
3. Phil's the man. He took time to help, was a pleasure to work with, and he got the job done right. I have a bunch of GemTech's, but was about to join with AAC bandwagon after this fiasco; I'm rethinking that.
4. Despite the early remedy's being incorrect, GemTech's support was demonstrably better than the rumored (lack of) support from their competitors.
In selecting a can, my only requirement was that the can be a small enough diameter that it cleared the sights. Based on GemTech's reputation and small can diameter, I bought a USPT and set out to suppress it with a GemTech SOS-45. I ran that can for about three years without a hiccup. It suppressed very well, and the package was a pleasure to shoot. In fact, my only complaint was the overall length of the can, due to the size of the LID (booster).
I read that the MK23 didn't require a booster on on the SOS-45, so I set out to "upgrade" my USPT and lose the LID. ...that's where my problems started. The MK23 did in fact cycle without the LID, but it needed hotter ammo, not high pressure ammo, just the hotter variety of the common stuff to engage the slide lock. The MK23 was cool, but it wasn't living up to my dreams, so I wound up dumping it after a couple months. I replaced it with a newer USPT, and was happy to return to my previous platform; that's when the problems started.
On my first day out with my new USPT, the LID failed and was irreparably damaged. I thought it a fluke, and I informed GemTech of the problem. They promptly sent me a new LID, and I assumed all to be well. However, the very next time I shot it (probably 4 months later), the LID failed again. Once again I informed GemTech of the problem, and again they promptly replaced the part. This actually happened two more times. 4 LIDS down the road, I was pretty upset that my can had become a paper weight. After catching them at SAR, I was told that I'd need to send the gun and can in for inspection, and I was directed to call Phil Dater after SAR.
At this point, I was pretty discouraged and wasn't expecting much from the conversation. However, I eventually called Phil, and I'm glad I did. In the first minute he stated that my gun was over boosted, and I simply needed to lose the booster. He sent out a standard end cap at no charge, and now I'm happy as a clam. Since getting the end cap, I've put about 400 rounds down the tube without a hiccup. My USP runs like it should, and now I have the benefit of no moving parts, and a shorter overall can length. I couldn't be happier.
So the takeaways from this experience:
1. Not all USPs are the same. I still don't understand how two seemingly identical guns could have such a pressure difference, but they clearly do.
2. A reliable can on one gun, does not necessarily mean it will be reliable on other like guns.
3. Phil's the man. He took time to help, was a pleasure to work with, and he got the job done right. I have a bunch of GemTech's, but was about to join with AAC bandwagon after this fiasco; I'm rethinking that.
4. Despite the early remedy's being incorrect, GemTech's support was demonstrably better than the rumored (lack of) support from their competitors.