Muzzle Mounting MX Minireflex Moderators for 9 mm and 7.65 mm Pistols
MX12, MG16 and
MG12 Minireflex Moderator variants are "moderator"-class sound
suppressors lightweight enough to enable semi-auto operation of most recoil-action 9 mm
pistols shot with full power ammo, like CZ and Tanfoglio,
Beretta and Taurus, FN Hi-Power and its
variants. Most heavy bullet subsonic 9 mm ammo will also cycle their action
satisfactorily. These pistols may require a spare shortened recoil spring for suppressed
shooting to compensate the extra weight added to moving barrel.
Straight or delayed blowback pistols with fixed barrel, like 9 mm Heckler & Koch P7 and almost all 7.65 mm pistols, will cycle normally without any modifications to recoil spring. Some recoil action pistols, like Glock, are especially sensitive to any extra mass attached to barrel. For Glock, ask for the extra lightweight MG12 Minireflex Moderator. Both main and striker springs of Glock need to be shortened for reliable functioning with any mass like a suppressor or an effective muzzle brake mounted to barrel. Use unshortened spare main spring when not using a moderator to avoid stressing slide and action.
Purchasing an extra long barrel for
suppressor/moderator use is the easiest and most advisable way to mount a Minireflex to
the pistol. However, the mounting can also be accomplished with a threaded extension piece
soldered to the muzzle of standard barrel, or by broadening the barrel bushing of the
slide for sinking the suppressor back extension inside it. Minireflex moderators are made
for a large variety of standard and fine metric and inch threads.
Update: 070799
User's Manual: MX Sound Moderators for 9 mm and 7.65 mm Pistols
MX Minireflex Moderators are light and small all-steel devices primarily intended for reduction of environmental grievances and defects of hearing, caused by noisy reports of 9 x 19 mm and 7.65 mm pistols. The basic model MX12 weighs ca. 140 g and adds ca. 140 mm to the length of a pistol. MX12 is an extra durable pistol moderator best suited for very active shooters using primarily full power 9 mm ammo for IPSC shooting, target practising etc. If the pistol is shot primarily with subsonic ammo, the Minireflex Moderator MG16 is the primary choice with its added number of baffles. Dimensions of MX12 and MG16 are chosen to compromise between silencing effect and automatic function of selfloading pistol, loaded with full power supersonic or heavy bullet subsonic cartridges. Properly mounted Minireflex Moderator does not affect bullet speed or precision. Standard finish of Minireflex moderators is military grade parkerizing. Diameter of a Minireflex Moderator is small enough (max. 27.5 mm) to enable aim with pistol's standard iron sights. Very best silencing effect is possible by shooting subsonic 9 x 19 mm cartridges (bullet velocity ca. 300 m/s). However, all-steel Minireflex Moderators endure shooting with full power rounds of 9 x 19 mm Para/Luger ammunition (bullet velocity 350 to 400+ m/s). Shooting noise is then comparable to noise level of an unsilenced .22 LR target pistol.
Mounting
of a Minireflex Moderator is usually carried out by male thread on the muzzle. Recoil
action pistols like CZ-75 and it's 9 mm variants, as well as
FN-GP/Browning HP, Beretta 92, Taurus PT92 and many other 9 mm selfloaders are
suitable for use with a moderator (see appendix below for mounting directions). Most
recoil action pistols require shortening the recoil spring, for compensating the moderator
extra mass on recoiling barrel. Glock is particularly sensitive to any
mass on its muzzle, and it requires its very own extra light moderator version, the "MG12".
Even then, both recoil and striker springs of Glock need to be shortened for reliable
cycling. Users report, that the striker spring of Glock
can be shortened by 25 to 30 % without getting misfires. The recoil spring
tolerates 10 ... 30 % shortening before causing feeding problems. Cut one turn at a time
from the spring and try the pistol. Use spare unshortened recoil spring for shooting
without a moderator to avoid stressing the action of the pistol. Striker spring needs not
to be replaced for unsuppressed shooting. Straight or delayed blowback pistols,
like Heckler & Koch P7, will cycle normally with
a sound moderator without modifications to recoil spring. Shooting noise of revolvers
(other than the obsolete gas-tight Nagant R95) is impossible to be reduced effectively by
any moderator or suppressor.
Fastening and unfastening of a Minireflex Moderator is easily done by winding on/off, tightening firmly by just one hand. Note: Never use tools; over-tightening is unnecessary, and may lead to eccentric mounting. Use heat protective glove or cloth for unwinding, if rapid firing has heated up the jacket of the Moderator. Along with noise reduction, the Moderator acts as a muzzle brake or a compensator of recoil and muzzle jump. Additional weight ahead of the pistol renders also steady aim and enhanced accuracy of shooting.
Minireflex Sound Moderator is primarily a muffler of excessive noise; also known as "semi-silencer". Silencing effect is, however, available in full extent just by use of subsonic cartridges. "Ballistic crack" or "whiplash noise" of bypassing bullet is unavoidable evil, if flight velocity of bullet is as high as velocity of sound in air at ambient temperature (Actually must bullet velocity be less than Mach 0.85, because development of flight noise will start along with transsonic velocity). See an image about bullet flight noise for more information.
For extra silencing effect, Minireflex Moderators are strong enough to be used also as a "wet" suppressor, by applying about a spoonfull of grease inside the moderator from its back and spreading it with a stick among the baffles and away from the bullet path. Grease or liguid inside a sound moderator absorbs muzzle blast energy by its immediate vaporization. The effect stays for 3 ... 20 shots after each refilling, depending on the properties of the absorbing substance. Ordinary lithium based lubricating grease is one of the most easily available absorbers. See Alan C. Paulson's book Silencer History and Performance for more details about wet suppressing techniques and noise absorbers. Caution! Do not over-fill the moderator, as it will raise the inside pressure beyond a risk of suppressor damage!
Functioning of recoil action pistols is inherently sluggish or deficient, because of extra weight attached to recoiling barrel. A great many pistols will eject and/or feed reliably no other loads, but those with extra heavy bullets (weight 9 g or more). A makeshift trick is to obtain an extra recoil spring, and cut it short enough to reduce spring tension 20 to 25 per cent. This method may, however, result in feed jams - especially when the magazine of the pistol is crammed till it's nominal capacity. Shooting with reduced tension recoil spring and without Sound Moderator may curtail life of pistol, if powder charge of cartridges (behind standard weight bullet) is not reduced along with spring tension (20 to 25 %). Use of heavy bullet and reduced charge is the most advisable way to get reliable autoloading of the pistol, along with reduction of shooting noise. Some brands of 9 x 19 mm Subsonic cartridges with heavy bullets are available factory loaded (f. ex. Lapua with 9.7 g CEPP bullet), but any experienced handloader is able to develop and reload "subsonics". Cast bullets of lead alloy are excellent for these loads. Recommended bullet weight is circa 9.5 g /146 grains. Bullets with round point are best, if reliable functioning of pistol is of vital importance.
If automatic function is unnecessary, it is possible to get very good silencing effect by rather heretical use of 9 mm Browning Short (.380 Auto; 9 x 17 mm) cartridges with 90 to 95 grains bullet, velocity ca. 265 m/s. Theoretically it is impossible to shoot cartridges having 17 mm case length in 19 mm chamber, but in practice most 9 x 19 mm pistols are able to fire 9 mm shorts. However, when cycling the slide manually the extractor hook of pistol will keep the cartridge in reach of firing pin. Feed from magazine is also usually reliable, in spite of less length and diameter of cartridge. For target practising without disturbing the neighbourhood, using 9 mm shorts is usually an economic way. Because the pistol does not "sow" spent cases all over, also unnecessary littering of the surrounding is avoided.
Does it need an extra barrel for mounting? No - most centerfire pistols have thick enough barrel wall ( 2 millimeters or more) so a threaded barrel extension can be mounted to them by soldering with regular silver alloy. The extension is made by a gunsmith or a suppressor manufacturer and it is a very economic alternative to purchasing a new extra long barrel. Internal thread in the muzzle is in principle also possible but the barrel wall thickness may not be sufficient for it and the thread is prone to heavy fouling. It is also possible to "sink" the Minireflex suppressor thread end extension inside the slide by enlarging the slide bushing around the muzzle (a recess with 15 mm diameter on the front end of slide around the muzzle, deep enough to expose muzzle thread and relief cut). A lot of Minireflex Moderator mounting has been made also this way but the soldered barrel extension is a preferable way because it does not require enlarging slide bushing.
Not always even muzzle extensions
are needed. Some pistols with long muzzles, like Beretta 92 and Taurus 99, need just
thread cut on the muzzle. However, most models - like Browning Hi-Power and CZ-75 - need a
muzzle extension.
Thread mounting of suppressors is unsuitable for pistols with twist-barrel action: for
instance Colt All-American, Steyr Hahn M 1912, Savage, Mab PA-15 or CZ Vzor 24.
Maintenance: A Minireflex Moderator is a practically maintenance-free device. Normal fouling of powder and primers cannot take effect on its functioning. Loose solid impurities, like powder kernels and carbon chips, are easy to remove by brisk shaking, while keeping the Moderator vertically, rear-end downwards.After shooting session it is advisable to remove the Moderator. This helps steam condensed from powder gases to evaporate away.
APPENDIX:Mounting directions: Competent gunsmith is needed for mounting. Thread must absolutely be lathe-turned; not cut with hand die. Barrel must be unfastened from pistol, centered between three-jaw chuck (or four-jaw, if necessary due to odd shape). Muzzle must be centered with a conical point of tailstock in the bore.
Length of thread (M12x1, M13x1, M14x0.75, 1/2"x28G as most common ones) is about seven (7) millimeters or more including relief cut, which is usually 1.5 mm wide and no more deep than the nominal inner diameter of the thread, or smallest diameter of female thread in Moderator's mounting sleeve. Fit of male (muzzle) and female (sleeve) thread must be loose enough for easy winding on/off with three fingers of hand, but excessive slackness must be avoided. Aligning of mounted moderator and bore of barrel must be checked by looking through the bore from the chamber. If the bore and holes of diaphragms (silencing baffles) are not in line, it is possible to correct slight eccentricity by filing or grinding very carefully rear end of mounting sleeve slanting, until aligning is achieved. See separate aligning instructions.
MX Minireflex Moderators
MX Minireflex Pistol Moderators on Internet: http://guns.connect.fi/rs/mxgraaf.html
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