Re: Smithy AutoMate
Originally Posted by
brianbonedoc
Yeah I had to look up what the heck a solvent trap was. I still don't get it? What are those cups for? Do you just shoot a hole through them? I though I knew a bit about firearms, guess not!
A "solvent trap" is a suppressor (silencer). To make it work, you have to drill a hole through the end cap and through each of those cups. They already center drilled each cup to make it easy.
The "solvent trap" fiction makes it sort of legal to buy. Since (supposedly) you are screwing this on the end of your barrel to catch the solvent when you clean your rifle.
Of course, before you start drilling, you have to pay your $200 for your NFA stamp (and wait months and months to get it back). In the link I posted above, the machinist was pre-drilling some of those holes.... so it was a functional suppressor, not a "solvent trap".
The problem with basing your business off of this sort of thing is that BATF is known to change their mind without warning, regardless of what sort of letter you got from them. They could call this "constructive intent" if you own a solvent trap and a drill press (hasn't happened yet, but it falls in line with some of the other things they call "constructive intent"). And send you to jail. And send the machinist to jail for building these things without a license. The laws are general enough to be hard to defend against.
Another machinist was selling a "muzzle brake" that was about 6" long, 1.5" diameter with scallops cut out all along the length. Slip a tube over it, and voila! suppresor. He is in jail now
Suppressor "kits" sell for $300, so it is easy money.... until you fall afoul of BATF. Some view sales of this online as "honey traps". Buy one, and a few months later get a visit from your friendly agent to see how well that "solvent trap" is working.
Tim
Tormach 1100-3, Grizzly G0709 lathe, Clausing 8520 mill, SolidWorks, HSMWorks.