DonnyFL Koi Baffle Bounce/Clipping

Today after a range session with the kids I by happenstance noticed some damage to my DonnyFL Koi moderator on the end of my Brocock Commander. I had a few questions -- mostly out of my own curiosity. The intent of this thread is not to compare and contrast the DonnyFL moderator line. I'm not in a "backyard friendly" required area so the suppressor is mostly just a nice to have.

Background -- Noticed the damage and cleared the burrs with a drill bit and screw driver. The moderator wasn't snug tight and I was able to give it another 1/16th turn. It was snug enough to not really bounce around during firing I would think. The burrs left behind were impacted aluminum and not lead.

  • What would cause this effect and how can it be prevented in the future? Damaged skirt on a pellet? Double loading gone unnoticed and still fired fine? Moderator too lose (1/16th turn)?
  • From a sound suppression aspect it is still functional. Will the non-uniform opening in multiple baffles cause inconsistent POI?

The pictures are a bit difficult due to orientation but it appears the was some minor clipping on the first baffle which drove a pellet up. There was major clipping on the 2nd baffle which drove the pellet down. There was baffle and pellet impact on the final baffle before exit. There is a very small amount of lead deposited in the suppressor screen and felt. Basically the pellet hit the first baffle low and zig-zagged out.

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Thanks in advance for any thoughts you can offer.


 
It appears you definitely have some clipping going on. Assuming it was not caused by a loose attachment, then you have an alignment problem, which could be traced to the shroud, air stripper, adapter, or moderator itself (unlikely). I believe that rifle uses a threaded air stripper, which also centers the shroud, and thus the adapter for the moderator. Of the variables involved, my guess, the air stripper has a small amount of runout, which would place the adapter and moderator off center. You can remove the barrel, place it in a v block and rotate it, watching for runout at the air stripper. If there is enough to be visible, that's quite a bit, and likely your problem. 
 
It wasn't wobbling on the rifle, it was threaded and well seated, I would call it snug and then I was able to apply a little more pressure and rotate it 1/16 a turn to snug it up even more firmly. It's hard to describe but it's akin to putting on a car oil filter -- it was tight and then you can bear down a bit and get another 1/16 out of it. I also have about 1,500+ rounds through the rifle. I've been careful and loading undamaged pellets but I did experience a big POI shift a range session prior to the one today and I do recall loading one with a damaged skirt.

I'm really curious as to what would have caused it. It really looks like a singular wild pellet that was responsible. There is not an accumulation of lead between the screen nor any significant impacts on the screen. It really looks like one pellet just flew wild and baffle bounced out. I guess it's a myriad of potential root causes -- pellet loaded backwards or damaged pellet perhaps?

All in all everything was snug fit so I'm kind of scratching my head at root cause. I don't think it's a moderator issue at all I'm just trying to figure out where I need to triple check when supervising the kiddos and/or when I'm just plinking.

Truth be told I'm willing to chalk this up to something I've done -- Donny any way I can purchase the inner baffle core? Everything else looks great with the moderator setup.
 
Rock on, PM sent, thanks. So for root cause, I'm wondering if a damaged skirt caused off-center exit and baffle bounce? Again this rifle has 1500+ rounds through it and no significant POI shifts. The damage and accumulation really looks like a singular impact.

I assume the rifle is shooting okay, since you don't mention otherwise. Based on the pics, I might not agree with it appearing to be a single pellet strike. But, since I assume the rifle is shooting okay, I suppose it could be just that. Even the slightest strike will cause a flyer, and you would have noticed it. I wouldn't worry about it, nor bother replacing anything. The damage shown is not going to cause a performance problem. 
 
When I bought my second suppressor from Donny, he suggested a 25 caliber for a 22. He said there's hardly any difference in sound and if I ever moved up to 25 caliber I wouldn't need a separate suppressor. A few months later I bought a Wildcat 25 and didn't need a new suppressor!

:)

I just got two new Donny suppressors and spec'd them for 25 caliber even though my guns are 22.
 
 I started this thread trying to isolate root cause and the theme I'm hearing is double loading which is an operator error. This is absolutely something in the realm of possibility with my 11 year old daughter who struggles a bit with the bolt. My 13 year old daughter doesn't have as much of an issue but I've stopped a double load a few times with them each. With 1500 rounds through the rifle I never suspected the issue was with the suppressor itself because the fragment mass caught on the baffles, the fragments on the screen, and the small fragments on the felt look like a singular pellet.

DonnyFL is amazingly awesome, he's sending me a .25 core! I am amazed -- This act of kindness and generosity is very much appreciated. I'll hover over the children forward going like a hawk to ensure no potential for double loading. That said, if I damage the baffles in the future I know which replacement suppressor I'll purchase -- the same make/model -- since take down was easy and on the Commander all I hear is the hammer/action. :)

Thanks all for your replies, wisdom, and experiences.
 
Regardless as to the cause, a baffle strike is simply a part of having a suppressor. I’ve owned factory and custom suppressors from all sorts of vendors, and its not at all uncommon to have at least one baffle strike at some point, and when it does happen, it can be fixed. 

Where baffle strikes are a major problem is on firearm, where the Feds in the past have forbidden a person from fixing a baffle without a new Alphabet org stamp. 
 
DonnyFL, I'm at a loss for words for expressing my gratitude. Today in the mail I received what I thought was a replacement baffle core. It's an entirely brand new DonnyFL Koi in .25! You've gone above and beyond here and it's truly appreciated. Thank you for your kindness and generosity. The damage caused was my fault and you jumped in willing to help from the onset. Not only that but you wouldn't let me pay for any of it. On top of it all you sent a brand new suppressor!
 
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