--- title: "How Many Rounds Does It Take To Melt A Suppressor? Let’s Find Out" description: "Sometimes a controlled burst from a light machine gun just doesn’t cut it, which is why [weapons manuals]() include detailed breakdowns on when a barrel change is recommended — like, say, after you fire 850 rounds from an M249 Squad…" date: "2017-07-07" modified: "2017-07-07" authors: - name: "James Clark" job_title: "Editor-in-Chief" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/james-clark/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/tech-tactics/many-rounds-take-melt-suppressor-lets-find/" categories: - "Analysis" - "Guns" - "News" - "Tech & Tactics" - "Weapons" --- # How Many Rounds Does It Take To Melt A Suppressor? Let’s Find Out ![]() Sometimes a controlled burst from a light machine gun just doesn’t cut it, which is why [weapons manuals]() include detailed breakdowns on when a barrel change is recommended — like, say, after you fire 850 rounds from an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon in under a minute. Don’t think that’s likely to occur? Maybe not, but thankfully someone decided to show what actually happens when a gunner goes HAM on a SAW with a suppressor in one continuous minute-long burst. \[embed\]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BczhT1ByrXA\[/embed\] In [a July 6 YouTube video](), the crew over at [West Coast Armory](), a full-service gun shop located in Issaquah, Washington, decided to find out just what it takes to reduce a suppressor into a molten pile of steel... and to turn the barrel of an M249 into a glow-stick from hell. Related: Say Hello To This New Pistol With A Built-In Suppressor » Turns out about 700 rounds fired at the cyclic rate from an M249 SAW is overkill. In the video, the suppressor begins to glow red hot just a few seconds in, before splitting around the 350th or maybe the 400th round (at that rate of fire, it’s hard to tell.) Even so, this [Stoner on steroids]() just keeps going, while the shooter hangs on for dear life and the a-gunner tries his hardest not to take any molten metal flakes to the face. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase: suppressing fire. **WATCH NEXT:** ## Author James Clark is the editor-in-chief of Task & Purpose. He is a former Marine and a veteran of the War in Afghanistan. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()