ATEC Suppressor experience, problems, and troubleshooting thread

[Stocky]

Figured this might be a good way to discuss a few issues people have mentioned they have experienced with the ALock system as well as a thread to just discuss the suppressors and any experiences or solutions in future so its easy for people to find rather than a comment here and a comment there throughout the forum.

For context:

I have the a-tec on my 7mm prc and the dpt on my 6.5 creedmoor so not a fair comparison. They both doing what they are supposed to do and on both the brake end cap is probably reducing the remaining recoil by a third of what’s left vs can without.

Why? There's no way I'd run any suppressor without a decent rear bushing without a locking style mount.

Didn’t pay attention between shot, A-lock system got loose and supressor launched down range 120m to beat… had also point of impact moving slightly around between shooting session depending how hard I was tightening the A-lock

2 questions I guess.

My alock is so tight I've had to break it free with the vice before ive got to the point i lather it liberally in silver antisieze. Are you sure your adapter didn't loosen? Guess if just the suppressor launched it has to be the alock.

On POI are you sure your rifles as accurate as you think/does your scope actually hold zero. I had shifting zeros with a VX3i and managed to track it down to it not liking vibrations when being behind the seat. And also unless you have down a high round composite group "shifting zero" is often just the real accuracy of a rifle being observed over a larger sample size (assuming your meaning 0.25-0.5 moa shifts) gimp threads are a decent example of this. When I sighted in prior to the Shoot a few weeks ago if I'd zeroed of the forst 5 I'd have been high 0.2mils and left 0.2 mils at 10 shots with 1 "flyer" I'd have been high 0.2 and left 0.1. That's the most extreme I've seen it with 10 I don't think most people's rifles cone of fire is as good as they think (not that it really matters in most cases)

We should perhaps create a new thread, it's not really an A-tec discussion. "My alock is so tight I've had to break it free with the vice before" how does that work? the alock is inside the suppressor quite deep how do you get a vice in there? or do you mean you had to secure your suppressor in a vice to unscrew the barrel?

It happened few years ago during second session at the range. I got it tight during first session but then it came loose on the barrel and got stuck in the suppressor. I had to use red loctite on the barrel muzzle thread, wait for it to dry to then manage to get the aloc free in the can. Then second session I didn't torqued it has hard to not repeat the experience, fired quite a few round this day without checking the can and boom.

Group impact shifting depending the torque applied on the aloc 100%. I'm not the first having reported that. Aloc been now secured inside with Loctite 638 and all good.

So now to continue things:

I used a vice to hold the suppressor and stop it rotating so i could break it free from the rifle. My ALock adapter is Loctited one and would require significant heat to remove. It was only being done up hand tight, snug but still only hand tight. I now apply liberal amounts of silver anti sieze. I dont understand how you couldn't do this with an overbarrel version as you would be holding the overbarrel portion. I think the confusion was that you assumed id got the adapter stuck in the suppressor not the suppressor stuck on the rifle.

I will try test the POI shift as that is interesting to me and i have plenty of 223 to burn so will do a few 20 or so shot groups to see if theres any measureable shift. I know its been reported but id like to check it as that wpuld be enough for me to potentially go away from them.

Im interested to hear about others that have experienced them loosening or POI shift.

As an aside my experiences with ATEC are with an Optima 45 and Optima 45 Front. In NZ most guys dont make up a rear bushing for the Optima 45 so it is effectively a muzzle forward suppressor as there is very little volume between the isolator tube and outside of the suppressor. The isolator tube is about 24mm ID and about 1.5mm thick whilst the outer is about 45mm and about the same. This only leaves about 7.5mm of air gap around the barrel section and its behind the muzzle so is already less efficient. I decided it probably wasnt worth the weight. My opinion might differ if a rear bushing was being used.

I personally run just 1 module on my 223 and it suppresses quite adequately (new info says its 4db louder with 1 module, old info used to say 1db), weighs about 200grams, is only 90mm forward and has a stainless core.