Here are some of the most common questions we receive by phone and email from new customers.
 

Q:  DO SILENCERS CHANGE THE POINT OF IMPACT?

A:  All silencers will change the point of impact to one degree or another, depending on weight and baffle configuration.  Basic law of physics is that when you hang a weight on the end of the barrel it will change the point of impact.  Our rifle silencers have been thoroughly accuracy tested through all calibers and consistently change the point of impact either up or down, but remain relatively centered.  Each rifle and each silencer should be zeroed both with and without the silencer.

Q:  WILL TITANIUM SILENCERS HOLD UP TO FULL AUTO FIRE?

A:  There has been a lot of talk (by competing silencer manufacturers) about titanium not holding up to either full auto or even rapid semi auto fire.  This may be true for pure titanium, as I have heard reports of it eroding rather quickly.  Our titanium silencers are made from a titanium alloy that so far has shown no evidence of wear.  The first unit that was produced was used by myself over a period of four years on my 14" barrel M16.  I ran it full auto on a consistent basis and experienced no problems.  I then sold it to a dealer, who continues to shoot the same silencer on the same barrel without any problems over the years.  One of our dealers recently related that he has approximately 20,000 rounds through one of our early .223 titanium silencers, including use on a belt fed, and the silencer is holding up superbly. 

Q:  WHY DOESN'T QUICKSILVER MANUFACTURE A QUICK DETACH MECHANISM?

A:  There are so many stories of failures over the years with other manufacturer's quick detach systems that it's been our policy to promote a light weight silencer that can be left in place.  However, we've been asked recently (again) to manufacture a quick detach system for our popular titanium .223 silencer for the law enforcement and civilian market.  Although we and many others will continue to promote our light weight silencers with screw on attachments, we are going to provide what our customers are asking for in the near future.  Stay tuned.

Q:  ARE SILENCERS LEGAL FOR CIVILIANS TO OWN?

A:  Yes, in most states they are.  Check with your state to see what the regulations are, or contact us.  The civilian population can own silencers by going through a tax paid transfer process.  Your local Class III dealer can walk you through this process.  There is a 200.00 transfer tax required by the ATF for Class III transfers to civilians.  During the transfer process through your local Class III dealer, you'll need to get finger printed, have passport photos taken and get a local law enforcement endorsement on the transfer form.   These items are not required if the silencer is being transferred to a corporation or a trust.  This is called a Form 4 transfer and can take anywhere from six weeks to three months.

Q:  HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO CLEAN MY NEW QUICKSILVER TITANIUM SILENCER AND HOW DO I CLEAN IT?

A:  Normally if you are shooting center fire rifle ammunition, the titanium silencers do not require cleaning.  The titanium tends not to accumulate debris because of its hardness and its low chemical reactivity.  However, if you're shooting rim fire ammunition the silencer should be cleaned about every 500 rounds.  You can brush excessive debris out of the bore with a standard bore brush.  You can also soak the silencer in your favorite solvent over night to remove the carbon debris. 

Q:  I LIVE OUTSIDE THE U.S.  CAN YOU SHIP ME A SILENCER?

A:  No.  Although we get frequent inquiries from all over the world, we can only sell silencers outside of the U.S. with State Department approval for foreign military or government use.  However, Quicksilver Manufacturing is working closely with a U.K. company who is interested in licensing and manufacturing our silencers for overseas sales.  We'll keep you updated.

Q:  WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING COSTLIER TITANIUM VERSUS STAINLESS STEEL IN MANUFACTURING SILENCERS?

A:  Titanium is both lighter and stronger than stainless steel.  It is actually more corrosion resistant.   While more expensive to manufacture, these silencers should outlast the stainless steel by a significant amount of time.  The lighter weight of a titanium silencer normally means less shift in the point of impact. 

Q:  WHY ARE THERE NO VISIBLE WELDS ON YOUR SILENCERS?

A:  There aren't any welds on our silencers, period.  QSM silencers are machined to extremely exacting tolerances using state of the art CNC machinery.  Welding can induce distortions which affect the centering of components and also can affect accuracy of the silencer.  We will not allow a silencer out of our shop that is more than .010 inches out of center from front to back.  Our end caps are secured using threads and high temperature adhesive. 

Q:  HOW DO YOU TEST YOUR SILENCERS?

A:  We perform initial sound suppression and accuracy testing ourselves.  But we're very fortunate to have friends in law enforcement and tactical training who work with us as a small company.   Some of the elite shooters we provide silencers for, such as John Shaw (MidSouth Institute), Tommy Thacker (Northern Virginia Tactical) and other tactical trainers are better equipped to do thorough accuracy and durability testing than we are.  When these experienced shooters are satisfied with our silencer performance, we know the general public will be equally satisfied.  In the past year we've started working with multiple firearms manufacturers and we will test  our silencers to their specifications of course, but we prefer testing and positive feedback come from sources outside our own company.

Q:  I NEED TO HAVE A BARREL THREADED.  WHAT IS THE TURN AROUND TIME?

A:  Once we receive your weapon we can usually have it threaded within days and ship it back to you within a week.  However, we do have weapons being shipped in from across the U.S. and occasionally everyone ships at once.  So it can take us up to two weeks for return shipment.  Just contact us in advance and we'll let you know how busy the shop is at any given time.

Q:  WHAT IS THE LIFE SPAN OF A QSM TITANIUM SILENCER?

A:  Sounds lame, but we just don't know.  We had one of the originally manufactured (2002) .223 titanium silencers back in the shop a few months ago to repair a dinged end cap (from a barrel that wasn't threaded correctly).  It had just returned from Iraq, where the owner carried it on a Form 4 and it had seen plenty of action, including on a belt fed.  When we took it apart there was just slight pitting on the baffles, no real wear.  We replaced the end cap for our customer, rethreaded his barrel for him and that was that.  Kent Lomont (Lomont Precision Bullets) recently told us that he has over 20,000 rounds through his earliest .223 silencer, including use on a belt fed, with no signs of wear internally.  So we can tell you that they're durable.  Exactly how durable nobody knows.

Q:  CAN I HAVE MY LOCAL GUNSMITH THREAD MY BARREL?

A:  Yes, you can have your barrel threaded by your local gunsmith if you are confident that he knows how to thread barrels for a silencer.  The threads must concentric with the bore and the shoulder must be absolutely square.  This can only be done on a quality lathe using a live center in the bore.  If you do choose to have a local gunsmith thread your barrel you may void your warranty if incorrect alignment causes damage to your suppressor.  We will still repair your suppressor and thread you barrel properly for you, but we'll charge you for both repairs.