---
title: "How Many Rounds Does It Take To Melt A Suppressor? Let’s Find Out"
date: "2017-07-07"
modified: "2017-07-07"
authors:
  - name: "James Clark"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/james-clark.md"
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

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/19041279-1.png>)

Sometimes a controlled burst from a light machine gun just doesn’t cut it, which is why [weapons manuals](<https://www.trngcmd.marines.mil/Portals/207/Docs/TBS/B3M4138%2520M249%2520Light%2520Machine%2520Gun.pdf?ver=2015-05-07-103752-850>) 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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BczhT1ByrXA

In [a July 6 YouTube video](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BczhT1ByrXA>), the crew over at [West Coast Armory](<https://www.westcoastarmory.com>), 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](<https://modernfirearms.net/machine/usa/stoner-63-e.html>) 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 Marine veteran and former combat correspondent. He deployed twice to Afghanistan with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, first to Marjah in 2010, and then to Kajaki and Sangin in 2011.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/JamesWClark>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jclarkjournalism/>)

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