Free, sort of, Bore Alignment Rods

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,731
    Socialist State of Maryland
    I recently made some bore alignment rods from McMaster Carr high carbon steel drill stock and have more material than I need. The diameters are for .22, .30 and 9mm and are @ 12 inches long and I have two for each caliber. I have cut them and faced off one end and chamfered the other.
    Here's my offer.

    I would like to offer these to soon to be or new suppressor owners. I know most of the long time users probably have their own stuff or know where to get it..

    The offer is that I will send 1 rod of any caliber listed via USPS Priority Flat Rate for $8 or will hand it to you if you are in the Davidsonville, Edgewater, Annapolis area.

    Add a comment to this thread that you are a new suppressor owner and want a ... cal rod. I will send you a PM with my email address and you can do a Paypal friend money transfer.


    All rods are gone!
     
    Last edited:

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,731
    Socialist State of Maryland
    To insure there is no misalignment between the can and the muzzle of the firearm. If you get a baffle strike you may have to pay another $200 bucks to get your repaired can back even if the manufacturer did it for free.
     

    4g64loser

    Bad influence
    Jan 18, 2007
    6,381
    maryland
    Not in, I'm good but this a VERY generous offer. I can vouch for John as an upstanding man, this is just further evidence.

    Bore alignment rods are used to confirm that a projectile will travel through the suppressor without contacting internals. In other gunsmithing work, such rods are used for timing revolvers, among other operations.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,731
    Socialist State of Maryland
    Can you post the McMaster Carr product numbers for those of us that are not eligable for the giveaway?

    Here is the info I got from an NFA board

    "There's been a number of posts here in the past suggesting the use of precision drill rod as a makeshift suppressor alignment tool. This post is an attempt to gather that information into one place, as well as cover some fringe cases. Credit going to /u/Cantonious for what I believe was the first post on the subject, as well as a few other users like /u/alain4957 who have also posted on the topic.

    For every option below, I will be including a McMaster-Carr part number for easy purchase. Keep in mind you'll see a minimum $7-8 for shipping, so you may want to grab all sizes you need or may eventually need in one go to dilute the shipping costs. So here we go!

    .2031" - P/N 8893K187 - Good general purpose rod for 22 caliber suppressor alignment - should work well for distinctly undersized match .22LR bores (think CZ452/455 at .210-.212" bore diameter), but otherwise may be a slightly loose fit;

    .212" - P/N 8893K191 - Better fit for many standard 22 caliber bores (.22LR at .217" bore diameter, .223/5.56 at .219" bore diameter, etc.)

    .250" - P/N 8893k204 - Good fit for 6.5mm Creedmoor/Grendel bores (.256" bore diameter);

    .295" - P/N 8893K217 - Good fit for 7.62x39, .308, 300BLK and most Western 30 caliber bores (.300" bore diameter)

    .339" - P/N 8893K229 - Good fit for 9mm (.346" bore diameter)

    .4219" - P/N 8893K252 - Slightly looser fit for .45 ACP (.442" bore diameter). Stepping up to a .4375" rod (P/N 8893K254) may generally work, but could be too tight for rare cases.


    The sizes recommended here tend to be some fairly close fits - for some guns with tighter bores, going down one size may be necessary. My recommendations are based on SAAMI bore size specs, and are what I've used with success.

    These drill rods ship from McMaster-Carr as roughly saw cut lengths, so they'll typically have sharp edges on the ends that you'll want to chamfer down to prevent damage to bores. The three foot lengths aren't exactly practical to use, but you can certainly cut each bar in half or maybe even thirds - consider the length of your suppressors and how much alignment rod would be in the gun's bore. The O1 tool steel these rods are made of is some pretty tough stuff, literally the kind of steel they make drill bits out of - be patient and careful when cutting down or chamfering the rods, as bending them will render them useless. They're not hardended and shouldn't tear up your tools, but tool steels can be pretty tough in almost any condition.

    To check straightness of your alignment tools, you can roll them on a surface plate (or in a pinch, a glass-topped table) and look for any "eccentricity" in the rods sort of "flopping" or completely resisting rolling.

    With a suppressor installed on the gun, you'll want to gently feed the appropriate rod through the suppressor and into the bore of the gun - don't force anything, as you could risk damage to the crown or bore of the barrel. Leaving just a tiny bit of the alignment rod sticking out the end of the suppressor, you'll want to look out how close the rod passes to the bore in the end cap or end of the suppressor. Ideally, the end of the rod should be centered in exit bore of the suppressor. If the rod contacts the end of the suppressor or completely refuses to be inserted, you may want to seek a professional evaluation of the suppressor-to-bore alignment."
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,731
    Socialist State of Maryland
    Not in, I'm good but this a VERY generous offer. I can vouch for John as an upstanding man, this is just further evidence.

    Bore alignment rods are used to confirm that a projectile will travel through the suppressor without contacting internals. In other gunsmithing work, such rods are used for timing revolvers, among other operations.

    Thanks young man, your parents raised you properly. :party29:
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,815
    I borrowed this from another site. From the McMaster Carr site, simply enter the number in the far right column that corresponds with the caliber of your barrel into the search box. Hope this helps...
     

    Attachments

    • Screenshot 2021-10-31 at 11-12-37 Suppressor alignment rods from McMaster-Carr.jpg
      Screenshot 2021-10-31 at 11-12-37 Suppressor alignment rods from McMaster-Carr.jpg
      54.6 KB · Views: 609

    h2u

    Village Idiot
    Jul 8, 2007
    6,693
    South County
    I’ve owned suppressors for years, but never used an alignment tool. I guess I’m lucky! :D

    I’m on the clock for 22 and 45 suppressors right now.
    If you have a 22 rod left after any newbies, I would love to get it. I shoot suppressed 22 all of the time from many hosts.

    I’m local to you off Pax River Rd.
     

    Glaron

    Camp pureblood 13R
    BANNED!!!
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 20, 2013
    12,752
    Virginia
    Tempting. I am making my own 9mm suppressor.
    I have the approvals and tax stamps. I got derailed by finding out I need a booster. I still hope to finish it.
    So much for planning. It was a win for learning. ;)
     

    USArmyJoe

    Pretty good shot
    Oct 5, 2021
    163
    AA County
    This is very generous!

    I would like a 22 rod, or if they are spoken for, the 9mm rod for 9mm and 350 Legend. I'd be happy to pick it up in Annapolis - I'm just up the road in Odenton.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    I could stand to meet up with you at Bass pro some time to check a Glock clone barrel and a new Form 1 can. 9mm of course
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,921
    Messages
    7,258,955
    Members
    33,349
    Latest member
    christian04

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom