Probably were forced to stop selling the components for legal reasons
Yes they were. They didn't help themselves either by selling all the individual parts separately, no ticket required, just posted, at prices that added up to exactly the same price as buying a fully assembled one (requiring a ticket, RFD-RFD transfer etc. Even at one point provided a handy list of all the components that added up to a complete one.
Goodness knows how many "Wild" Wildcats are out there, built up this way.
Eventually this attracted the attention of the powers that be, and was stopped. Every important part is now serialised together. So now they are yet another disposable, mostly aluminium, device, not fit for range use. Used to be that when you burned out the baffles you'd just order another set and get it in the post. Workable. Not so anymore.
A shame, but they are a nicely made product at a fair price. £250 or so.
If you like things that you can take to pieces and obsessively clean (not necessary) Just realise that they are now a disposable item, at least until they maybe come up with some sort of cost effective return-to base rebuild scheme. Can't see that being viable.
Or, alternatively, simplify the design so that it is not so lego-like in versatility, but still strippable for cleaning fetishists, and drop their price point even lower. Might even make them stronger and more durable.
Their USP was that you could change the bridge piece to suit any rifle threading. And the baffle stack to suit any calibre. And when bits (baffles) burned out, replace those too. No paperwork, parts in the post.
Of course that did require some cleaning and greasing to prevent all the bits and pieces becoming stuck together permanently.
Attractive I suppose.
As to how effective they actually are, that's for others to comment on.
Wildcat were forced to stop selling parts by their insurance company. Their insurance insisted that all parts being sold had to be proofed, which is think caused them a nightmare providing a replacement bush for example.
Not my favourite type of mod, but I don’t believe the spare parts issue is their choice.
I don't think that was the entire reason.
Neither were, AFAIK the mods "proofed", which is, arguably, not required.
TBH the proof houses are missing a trick. If they were serious about this they might have come up some sort of credible proof test method. But no I don't think they could anyway. We are within CIP, and most (if not all ?) other CIP countries have no such concept of proofing moderators.
I.e. could any of our members in those other countries tell us what rules have to be followed in say Germany, Austria, Belgium, Chile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Spain, the Russian Federation, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
In several of which anyone can just buy one, no questions asked.
NB: Norway and Sweden are not in CIP, but do make a lot of moderators sold hereabouts. Whereas Ase Utra is Finnish, and do make some very good stuff, having been in the game pretty much from the start. Jetz (discontinued) and SL being very good. As was the NorthStar (four (patented) Z baffles and a big reflex chamber) Totally indestructible all these, though the NorthStar was a heavy lump. I'd still like one for range use.
Its left for the manufacturers to decide how flimsily to make them, in the race to the bottom here that is light weight. Whilst hopefully keeping their product liability insurance up to date, not that that would be any comfort to a purchaser hurt by one.
Some notorious examples of that over the years, e.g. the once fashionable Freyr & Devic featherweight things. ISTR that
@Edinburgh Rifles was very keen on those, even advocated using ones smaller than the notional bore size as long as the bullet still went through with a few thou. clearance. I think he has changed his mind about that and chooses not to sell them any more, there have been incidents reported, including forestry rangers who actually used them for real work, longer term not just new ones on test.
Then earlier there were the ones with carbon fibre outer tubes. Some spectacular disasters with that bright idea.
I'm not fond of the chore but when you put out $1200, fill out reams of security paperwork, and wait 11 months to get it -and manufacturer says to clean it, I clean it. Not on schedule but, like cutting the grass, I guilt trip myself into doing it. The paperwork needed to buy or ship a suppressor is the same as that required for a machine gun. I'd rather clean it regularly than need to ship it back for repair.
Like cleaning primer pockets, I consider it a necessary evil. ~Muir
Sometimes I do wonder at your US regulations. I suppose if you are going to have to go through that palaver you will want a heavy expensive over-built over-engineered thing that will hopefully last forever and cherish it. That's not how most of the rest of the world approaches this. And then you like to use them on gas operated semi-autos, indulge in repeated mag dumps, etc. etc. requiring even more durability and special design features to reduce back pressure (also compromising performance.) You have built your own little niche I suppose, but with great American innovation. Such a pity that couldn't be put into a wider marketplace, where, frankly, some of what I see over there seems more than a little ridiculous.
It really isn't so bad here, if you want/need one you can have it. It will not be refused. Just has to be listed on your FAC. No charge.
Just as we can have any rifle, with "good reason" for it. Our definition of a rifle being minimum barrel length 12", minimum overall length 24". And, BTW, if the buttstock can fold and make it even shorter, that doesn't matter. The 24" only applies in the unfolded state.
With titanium you are unlikely to wear anything out
Sorry to disabuse you, but titanium (and its alloys) aren't much better regarding gas cutting than steels. Possibly worse. All that titanium adds is lightness.
As well as corrosion resistance, which is important. Particularly compared to aluminium mods which have little resistance other than that provided by a suitable anodising of the internals. You are a bit stuffed with aluminium ones though, because if you want to spray something mildly alkaline inside, gun oil, ballistol, WD40 etc. to neutralise the acidic powder residues it might also attack the anodisation. TBH, speaking theoretically, I reckon you'd be better just pouring a kettle full of boiling water through to wash away the salts.
Of course aluminium is by far the most useless material for the first or subsequent blast baffles, but an insert of e.g. stainless steel can improve that. Or titanium, if that helps with marketing. Won't work any better though.
If you want an everlasting mod. then the important parts where the muzzle blast rages need to be made of something quite different e.g. Inconel or Stellite.
ASE advised weighing the Jet Z and if it is significantly over then cleaning via ultrasound. Over the years the carbon build up reduces the volume available for attenuation.
I weighed mine before and after ultrasound cleaning in BoreTec carbon cleaner. Removed 10g of car on ie about 3x powder charge for a 308. Couldn’t tell if it was quieter but should be good for another 15 years and 3,000shots
First I've heard about that. 10g of "carbon" is nothing compared with the internal volume. Unless you are shooting absolutely filthy powders, as with rimfires, you just do not need to clean. The residue will build up to an equilibrium level, any more and it just gets shot out. The moderators silence better anyway once this equilibrium has been reached.
