Threaded Barrels

[Crosswind]

For those people that have pistols with threaded barrels (i.e. for suppressors), is there really a need for thread protectors?

What exactly happens to exposed threads if a gun were to go through several thousands rounds?

Or are thread protectors simply there in case the gun is dropped or knocked against a sharp corner? Lastly, do you guys leave the thread protector on during firing?

Thanks

 

[vagrantviking]

As I understand it the protectors are cosmetic or to keep the threads from damage it the gun gets knocked around on hard surfaces.

 

[mmattockx]

As I understand it the protectors are cosmetic or to keep the threads from damage it the gun gets knocked around on hard surfaces.

+1. It's not shooting them that does damage, it is the fact that threads get dinged very easily.

Mark

 

[aric84]

It's amazing how fragile threads are. Any ding or even dirt can bind them up real good. Leave the protector on until you are ready to replace it with something else.

 

[chemo]

when i bought my threaded barrel i also wanetd to ditch the thread protector cause afterall, I'm not gonna leave the threads exposed, and I'm such a cheap ass.

In the end I paid the extra 15$ to have it, in case I wan't to try my racegun without a compensator

 

[MTF]

I lived in the US and had an altered PPK with a threaded barrel and a legal silencer (or suppressor, as the guys who make them call them). The thread protector was there to keep the threads from being deformed. They're pretty fine, and any distortion from careless field stripping or just some accident would have made the silencer into a paperweight. The thread is fairly long, and it's important to have as tight a seal as practical between silencer and barrel, so preservation of the thread is critical. The current snap-on/off arrangements must be quite a relief for professional users.

 

[Crosswind]

Thanks for the info guys.

That's what I like about these forums, you're always learning new stuff.

For example, I've always wondered if suppressors ever became loose due to frequent shooting.

Now I know it's because of the tight design tolerances of the threads; thread protectors would definitely be good insurance.

 

[Suputin]

For example, I've always wondered if suppressors ever became loose due to frequent shooting.

Yes they can. At each shot, the rifling causes the barrel and the gun to be torqued slightly which can cause the suppressor to loosen on the threads. This is why most European suppressors use left hand threads. The left hand thread is actually tightened by the torque associated with each shot.