How to Build a Solvent Trap Suppressor

Suppressors are over-priced, And you must wait 12 to 18 months before the ATF approved.

Now you have a better option: build one legally Solvent Trap Suppressor.

How a solvent trap suppressor Works The baffles slow the gas down, creating all that turbulence and reducing velocity. The tube and end caps contain the gas, preventing the explosion and sound inside from escaping.

The energy your suppressor’s working to contain is incredibly high. That means your suppressor’s converting a lot of energy into a lot of heat. That means you need quality alloys like stainless steel, high-grade aluminum, and titanium.

Are solvent traps legal?

Yes. The ATF has classified solvent traps “firearm accessories.” That means it is not a controlled item under any federal gun law. But a solvent trap with drilled cups may be considered a silencer and you will be in big trouble.

Do I need an FFL or paperwork to buy a solvent trap?

No. Since the ATF has classified solvent traps as accessories, purchasing a kit is no different than buying any other commercial product online.

Do I need an paperwork to Bulid a solvent trap Suppressor?

Yes. A suppressor is a controlled item also an NFA (National Firearms Act) item. Federal law requires that anyone who does so still register the device, and submit it to a background check before construction.

Drilling The Cups It’s incredibly important the diameter and location of the holes you drill be precise.

If the holes are too wide, the suppressor won’t capture and dissipate all that pressure (and sound) effectively.

If the holes are too small, the bullet will hit the baffle and solvent trap will damage or even hurt you It’s incredibly important the diameter and location of the holes you drill be precise. If the holes are too wide, the suppressor won’t capture and dissipate all that pressure (and sound) effectively. But drilling holes with tight tolerances means they need to be incredibly precise, lest you wind up with an exploding suppressor because your first bullet down the tube struck a baffle or ruptured the tube. So, how do you make precisely machined holes? Many machinists and hobbyists use a lathe or drill press. Even without any tools like that, you can simply use a machining jig like the one below, which many solvent trap manufacturers provide alongside their various cones:

Clipping The Baffles Clipping involves cutting small ports into the pass-through holes to create additional turbulence and improve performance.

The drilling jig ensures the baffles you drill for your homemade suppressor are safe and effective.

A jig includes a small centering fixture to be clamped in a vise, and a plate with a drill bushing for the cones’ drill bit. This jig setup allows you to automatically find the center of the cone or cup to drill the pass-through hole centered perfectly. A drill press or even a hand drill can be used with a bushing-equipped jig. All you need to do is secure the cup and jig assembly together with screws. Then drill through the baffle via the jig with the appropriately sized drill bit.

The solvent trap drilling jig plate is usually secured to the baffle jig with Allen-head bolts.

Once secured in a vise, simply drill through the baffle’s drill bushing with a hand drill or drill press.

Since the jig controls the bit’s position, all you need to do is control the drill while each hole is completed.

Drilling The Baffles: Drill Bit Sizes vs. Caliber Use the bit size list below to drill the appropriate diameter pass-through holes in your solvent trap’s cones or cups. If using your suppressor on various weapons (like a 5.56 NATO rifle and a 300 BLK pistol), always pick the bit size based on the largest caliber your suppressor will be used on. ● .22-Cal: 9/32″ ● .30-Cal: 3/8″

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9mm: 27/64″ .40 S&W: 15/32″ .45 ACP: 33/64″ .450 Bush: 17/32″ .458 SOCOM: 17/32″ 6.5 Grendel: 21/64″ 6.5 Creedmoor: 21/64″ .338 Lapua: 13/32″ .50 Beowulf: 9/16″

Before you go drilling holes into some solvent trap cups, you need to figure out which design works best for your chosen cartridge. The type of ammo you’re trying to suppress — centerfire or rimfire, supersonic or subsonic, rifle or handgun — will largely dictate what types of cones or cups you use in your suppressor. Let’s review the common types of internals most often sold for solvent traps, and what applications they’re best used for.

Clipping The Baffles Unfortunately, drilling the pass-through holes into your cones or cups, turning them into baffles with spacers, and stacking them in your tube isn’t going to provide the best sound reduction. A best practice that is effectively required to achieve the most decibel reduction, called “clipping”, must be done to each drilled baffle to ensure sufficient turbulence and disruption of laminar flow is achieved to reduce pressure and sound as much as possible. This illustration below shows how clipped baffles perform compared to un-clipped baffles:

The clips on each baffle induce greater turbulence by sheering gasses away from the next baffle’s pass-through hole. This increases the time the gas spends in the suppressor before exiting.

Thankfully, an effective clip is easy to achieve on the most popular cones with basic tools: Cut half the pass-through hole horizontally by a height that is one-third to one-half the diameter of the hole. The finished cut should look like this.

DISCLAIMER: You are responsible for following all local, state and federal laws and regulations.

The information presented here is for educational use only. When in doubt and before making any firearm, consult with an attorney and/or the ATF for official guidance.