There are cheap counterfeit solvent traps on the market, which you may already know if you’ve purchased them firsthand. How do you know what is legitimate and legal, opposed to those that are not?  We see advertisements for high-grade, high-quality, and top quality displayed everywhere. So, which products are reliable, legal, true grade 5 titanium solvent trap kit?

Is it worth saving a few dollars to end up with an illegally constructed solvent trap, or a steel composite of weak leftover metals when you paid top dollar for Grade 5 Titanium? This is the issue we find ourselves in today.

There are many offshore predominantly Asian-Pacific suppliers selling products advertised as Titanium, when they are not. They can turn out to be inferior, lower quality composite metals. Some contain titanium, but diluted with cheaper metal composites.

A majority of these products are imported and seized at Customs due to illegal features that can often create troublesome issues and results for buyers, and generally a visit from the ATF. Funny thing is, all of the overseas websites say, “Proudly Made in the USA”, but if you run a domain search, they are located in regions such as:

Registrant State/Province: Guangdong

Registrant Country: CN

There are several reasons counterfeit solvent traps are seized at customs. The primary reason being constructive intent. For example, center marks on any piece of the product or any indication where the solvent trap would be used for anything other than firearm cleaning.

The issue is that these overseas suppliers will tell you there are no center-marks or post images of products without center-marks, and then they ship you center-marked items anyway. Once your order is seized at customs, you will receive a letter from the federal government. The rate at which products are being seized under the Biden administration is far more than ever before.

Armory Den’s overarching goal that supersedes everything else, is customer satisfaction from outstanding customer service and superior-quality products, such as our 7” GR5 Titanium Tubes, 7” GR5 Titanium Solvent Trap Kits, and our GR5 Titanium Adaptive Solvent Trap (AST) . When we say that our products are Grade 5 Titanium, this can be tested with chemicals and also through the color of sparks when emitting a torch to the Titanium.

We have an aggressive goal in our product launches going forward and we take pride in ensuring that our fit and finishes are flawless before pulling the trigger and setting them live for purchase. Having a perfect fit is important to avoid damaged during delivery and during transport after your product arrives, in 3-7 days after order processing.

Quality is more difficult to come by in our industry, therefore buyers should be aware that there will always be an abundance of products on the market comprised of blended steel and aluminum metals. If you are an experienced shopper who cares about quality, then you will find true quality titanium products in the den.

If you wish to finance our products, we offer both Afterpay and Sezzle. These are some of the most trusted and reputable, Shop now, pay later features available – Offered for our awesome customers right here at Armory Den. Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed!

If you’ve visited Armory Den before, you know we offer a variety of solvent trap solutions, and new releases will become available soon. After handling several solvent trap kits offered in our line-up, the AD Radial-8 Adaptive Solvent Trap™ kit may be one of the best kits we’ve released thus far. There is no other solvent trap kit on the market that compares.

Its proven difficult for other companies to replicate and counterfeiters don’t even try.

This kit is manufactured with 7075 Aircraft Grade Aluminum and weighs in at 9.9oz. when fully assembled for transport. In its shortest configuration, the Radial-8 solvent trap kit is only 3.5oz.

Armory Den’s Adaptive Solvent Trap Kit lineup and is mechanically identical, touting a modular framework that allows for the user to configure their preferred cleaning setup.

Adaptive dry storage cups can be used with end caps to create storage compartments and are ultra-light. However, you will need to purchase additional end caps for each adaptive dry strorage if this is your goal. a different design than traditional cone style storage cups as traditional style storage cups seperate the interior of the tubes for storing essential items, or using them as quick use, discard and recycle option during cleaning. We call this the one cup method.

The adaptive dry storage cup, thread protector, end cap, and base of the adaptive solvent trap tube has an octagonal exterior. This allows easier tightening and untightening of the threads. Tight threads are important so there is no leakage. For now, rubberized tension wrenches or other tools can be used; eventually we will release a rubberized or resin coated octagonal wrench for this model.

Customer’s that have done business with Armory Den, know that we invest in our staff, infrastructure, and value not only our customers, but their feedback as well. Our chief cornerstone value is customer service, and we take pride in all feedback provided, and our staff speaks with upper management to take action on customer feedback, if possible. A great example of Armory Den’s propensity to act on customer feedback, is evidenced in the thread protectors included in our AD Radial-8 Adaptive Solvent Trap Kit.

Customers that purchase multiple solvent trap thread protectors had issues identifying the TPI of each mount. Generally, it is easy to identify the most common a 1/2×28” and 5/8×24” thread protector size. However, when placing the 1/2×28” and 5/8×24” beside the 9/16×24” or .578×28”, it proves difficult to know what size is what.

In response to this feedback, we had our product development team include imprints of the thread size on the internal side of the AD-Radial-8 thread protectors, including the 5/8×24” and 1/2×28” thread protectors which are included with each kit. The rarer thread protectors are sold separately.

We pride ourselves on keeping up to date on market demand and what our customers actually want. Armory Den is not new to firearms, and our owners and operators each have at least a decade of experience in the industry, from firearms training, to licensed dealer experience, and more, so we only create and stock items we know the people want and that we would personally purchase for ourselves!

The Radial-8 Solvent Trap kit has a standard thread pitch of 1.375-24 TPI. Through our research and customer feedback, we found that some customers do not want to deal with direct threading their solvent traps to their firearms. This is because some firearms require tools and time to remove muzzles devices or other items they own in order to thread the solvent trap on for cleaning.

To take configurability to the next level, we have decided to include our 1.375-24 TPI Male to 1.1875 TPI Female adapter in with this the AD adial-8 kits! This adapter converts the solvent trap kit into another industry standard thread pitch of 1.1875-24 TPI for further compatibility!

This allows this solvent trap kit to adapt to some of Armory Den’s muzzle devices for streamlined cleaning, and adapt to many other third-party devices sold by other companies.

If you’re searching the web for a solvent trap adapter, you will find a variety of results. You will quickly realize that there are two ways the term solvent trap adapters are used. Some companies refer to a solvent trap adapter as a “catch all” term, where they reference them as solvent trap cleaning kits themselves.

Other companies use the term solvent trap adapter more specifically, which is to reference thread conversions, quick connect, trilug and various other devices that simply the firearm cleaning process.

We provided the ways a solvent trap adapter can help firearm owners make their cleaning process more efficient and solve problems with connectively issues.

If you have purchased or thinking about purchasing a solvent trap cleaning kit for a browning style pistol, such as a Glock, you may have run into a common issue depending on the diameter of the solvent trap. Glocks have guide rods like many other firearms in its class. When the solvent trap is connected to a Glock, and the slide is racked (or cocked), the guide rod protrudes from of the front of the pistol hitting the installed solvent trap. This is a very common problem we solved.

When this occurs, the slide of the firearm is stopped in its tracks and will not rack at all. This makes it impossible to run solvent through the firearm when a solvent trap is installed. Armory Den is extremely in tune with customer feedback. We responded to our customers through action and problem solving. The way we solved the guide rod problem is by offering Muzzle Extention Device that work with select solvent trap kits. This allows the slide to rack and provides enough room for the guide rod to stick out fully, without coming in contact with the solvent trap kit.

The video on our homepage provides a visual demonstration of the guide rod problem on a Glock 19 Gen 5 MOS, and the Muzzle Extention Device as a solution. The solvent trap that was used during this video is a 7” Aluminum Tube 1.45”OD Solvent Trap Kit and the compatible M34 Muzzle Extension Device.

Rifle cleaning can be straightforward, but when it comes to efficiently using a solvent trap on popular rifles such as the AR-15 or AR-10, selecting the correct kit can be the difference in a 45 second connect/disconnect process and a 30 minute connect/disconnect process.

Standard AR-15s come with a flash hider that is threaded onto a 1/2×28” barrel. Likewise, AR-10s come with a flash hider threaded onto a 5/8×24” barrel. In either case, flash hiders are not hand tight, they shouldn’t be… They are normally installed so securely that it takes a vice and an AR-15 Wrench equipped with a flash hider remover to remove the part. This is required because the solvent trap must take its place during the cleaning process.

There are many items on the market that can be used to quickly and conveniently connect and disconnect the solvent trap to AR-15s and AR-10s. What is important though is that you know what you are getting into and that the correct kit is purchased, with standardized thread protectors and adapters, allowing for these solvent trap adapters adapt. Armory Den’s 1.57” Outer Diameter Adaptive Solvent Trap Kits are one of the most popular options because they come with a 1.375-24” thread pitch on the tubes and cups and an optional 1.375-24 TPI to 1.1875-24 TPI Adapter.

High-grade Stainless Steel 1/2×28″ ID (Female) to 5/8×24″ OD (Male) CNC Converters are manufactured with high-grade Stainless Steel. This product has a three quarter inch (3/4″) hex outer diameter (OD) by 0.78″ overall length. The 3/4″ Hex outer diameter is for easy installation and removal. Our den specialists state a 19mm wrench will also get the job done.

This adapter was machined with an increased outer thread length, ensuring a secure attachment to any muzzle accessory. All threads are CNC cut for smooth and easy installation. All adapters are checked with go/no go thread gauges to confirm the threads are cut and sized correctly.

Our CNC machinist’s ensure a precise fit and a very easy installation.

The short answer to this is yes, you can buy solvent traps in any state, they are not regulated items. Many people think that just because something connects to a firearm, that it automatically becomes a firearm part or part that somehow falls under the ATF/NFA regulatory umbrella or becomes part of the Gun Control Act of 1968.

These devices have become extremely popular in the firearm community, and the demand for these products continue to grow in the industry. If you often clean your firearms, using a solvent trap can be very helpful if you wish to prevent a total mess. Because our company clearly states our intent for the use of our solvent traps on our site, our customers enjoy asking us questions regarding the best products to clean their firearms with. Firearm owners love conversations and talking about their firearms, and cleaning is fun topic!

Solvent traps also help our customers trap and reuse cleaning fluids at a later time, depending on the frequency of their routine maintenance.

The purchase of a solvent trap is 100% legal, without a Form 1. However, there are very important restrictions and regulations you must be aware of prior to purchasing these products. For instance, You cannot alter, modify, or redesign them into a device for muffling, silencing, or diminishing the report of a firearm, without first filing and receiving back from BATFE an approved Form 1. You must always be aware of the restrictions and regulations, especially within the state you reside.

Only after getting the approved Form 1 back can you make any modifications to the product. You will be committing a crime if you make the alterations or modifications prior to obtaining the paid tax stamp. A Felony Alert: Do not make any alterations or modifications to our products, or any solvent trap product or part for that matter, before getting back the approved Form 1.

To learn more, please review our ATF Legal Den and website Terms & Condition.

When shopping around, you will come across websites that provide links in their blogs that direct you to overseas companies who list low-grade solvent traps, or even worse illegal solvent trap kits. If you click a link that directs you to a page with “spiral looking” solvent traps, these are highly illegal and can lead you to a felony charge once seized at customs.

Don’t be fooled with the text, “fuel filter.” The law doesn’t care what an overseas manufacture calls it, they care about who made it, and who purchased it! Think twice when you are inputting your shipping address, because once you hit submit, you are tied to that illegal product.

Armory Den takes pride in selling legal solvent traps. We do not sell illegal solvent traps or products such as:

• Monocore Solvent Traps
• Storage Cups w/ Center-Marks (aka ‘dimples’)
• Other indications or parts that are not intended to be used in the cleaning process

Our end caps and storage cups do not include illegal center-marks, our solvent traps are within legal parameters and within known guidelines. Purchasing products overseas from shady suppliers may result in felony charges as your shipping address will be tied to the illegal product once seized at customs.

Solvent traps are devices that can be attached to the threaded muzzle of a firearm in order to capture the fluids that are used to clean your rifle and/or pistol. Cleaning your firearm regularly can help improve performance, and help improve safety and reliability.

Solvent traps have a female threaded end, so that you can attach it to the threaded barrel of a firearm, the male end. Although solvent trap kits have various designs when it comes to aesthetics, they also have mechanical designs. For instance, if you are looking to purchase a steel solvent trap, you should first understand the mechanical design needed for your firearm.

Once you have an understanding of the product that will be comparable with your firearm and/or other firearm accessories you own, only then should you  choose one based off the aesthetic design. Remember, the main idea is to catch cleaning fluids from the end of the barrel so that you alleviate the mess during bore cleaning processes, etc.

Unlike a AR-15 which comes standard with a threaded barrel, all pistols without a threaded barrel will need to purchase one in order to use this device. Again, all solvent traps come with the threaded end, the female end. This way it can attached and work properly.

A solvent trap does not have a hole for a projectile, or a bullet to pass through. Solvent traps are a ‘firearm accessory’ made for cleaning your firearm, such a bore cleaning processes. Solvent traps are for trapping solvent to make the cleaning process easier and/or more efficient. Catching solvent is the purpose of a solvent trap kit, legally and mechanically. Frequent cleaning can also improve the performance of your firearm, as well as make it more safer and reliable.

Catching solvent is the purpose of a solvent trap kit, legally and mechanically. Frequent cleaning can also improve the performance of your firearm, as well as make it more safer and reliable. Like any products in a home appliance or hardware store, they need to be as intended. They are not devices for muffling, silencing, or diminishing the report of a firearm.

Armory Den sells high-grade solvent traps that are 100% legal. Our products are tested and go through quality control testing prior to delivery. Moreover, our high-grade products are sold without center-marks (dimples) as they are made for cleaning purposes only. Between the sales from both our customers and our dealers (members of our Dealer Den), our volume allows us to offer the most competitive prices on the market!

Armory Den is a U.S. company that carries the best quality solvent traps, firearms cleaning kits, accessories and parts. We are proud of our quality control, with our research team constantly updating the best and lowest prices in the industry.

You might be shopping around for a solvent trap, a useful and effective firearm cleaning accessory. However, there are certain precautions you should take before doing so. For instance, you should be beware of online companies who do not specialize in solvent traps and those who do not sell them for legal purposes or those who reference links in their blogs directing visitors (like you) to overseas companies who sell illegal items, not intended for cleaning or adapt to storage for travel or dry storage

Overseas companies list both illegal and low-grade solvent traps. Purchasing illegal solvent traps can result in a felony charge as the product is tied to your shipping address upon purchase. Armory Den only sells solvent traps for their intended use, which is to trap solvent. If you are looking to purchase a solvent trap legally for routine cleaning, to improve firearm safety, reliability and overall performance – Then we are the company for you!

It’s important to share a few things on solvent trap cleaning solutions so you don’t end up purchasing an illegal product manufactured for other, potentially illicit purposes. A monocore solvent trap is illegal and can result in a criminal offence when purchased because it has a hole in the center, and throughout the cylinder. Monocore products are the ‘spiral looking’ solvent traps that you should avoid if looking for a reliable cleaning accessory for your firearm cleaning process.

Again, we recommend refraining from purchasing these items or you might find yourself with an unexpected visit from the ATF, who will confiscate the item(s) on arrival. This is assuming that the monocore solvent trap even makes it past customs. If your order is seized by customs, they will redirect them to the ATF and eventually the Field Office nearest your zip code, as it is the ATF’s jurisdiction – Shortly after, you will receive a letter and/or a visit from a Special Agent within the Crime Enforcement Division, not from Industry Operations!

According to a spokeswoman with the ATF, the purchase of a solvent trap is not illegal. However, if a solvent trap is constructed or has parts that the ATF deems are “intended” to make the device function as a suppressor (or silencer), it must be identified as such, and it must be appropriately regulated.

This is not Armory Den’s market, but it’s still important to educate our visitors to create awareness, as some companies sell them for other intended purposes, or buy them to use them for something else rather than their intended use, which is to trap solvent during bore cleaning. If you purchase a product from a home improvement store or local hardware store, you should use those products as intended. The same applies for those who purchase from our site.

Do not be fooled with verbiage that Chinese companies use when they list their illegal products, such as ‘fuel filter’ or ‘fuel cleaning system’. Once the customer inputs their shipping address and submits their order, you are tied to that product through a digital trail.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a list of what the ATF/NFA defines as a legal vs. illegal solvent trap, interpretations can be made based on ‘constructive intent’. The ATF works with their NFA FATD “Firearms & Technology Division” counterparts to analyze individual parts, as well as the overall design of solvent traps to determine if they should be deemed unregistered suppressors, which are essentially illegal firearms parts.

Where it gets even more confusing is that some companies sell solvent traps with holes bored through the center and have a valve on the outside of the solvent trap, effectively this type of kit is made to filter the solvent and drain it for reuse. Therefore, the intent and instructed purpose is for trapping solvent, so the ATF would have a tough time deeming that type of product as anything illicit even though it has characteristics that may be deemed illicit if marketed differently by another company.

Using the ATF/NFA interpretations, it is very easy to conclude that monocore solvent traps are illegal unregistered suppressors from a ‘constructive intent’ point-of-view, because they have a hole through the middle of the ‘Monocore’ or ‘Single Core’ cylinder. Even though foreign websites (like China) sell a majority of monocore solvent traps with a sealed end cap, you are still purchasing an item that will most likely be seized and deemed an illegal unregistered NFA item, due to the intent of the hole bored through the entire monocore.

Even though foreign websites (prominently in China) sell a majority of monocore solvent traps with a sealed end cap, you are still purchasing an item that will most likely be seized and deemed an illegal unregistered NFA item, due to the intent of the hole bored through the entire monocore.

One of the stances of the ATF/NFA that makes a solvent trap a ‘firearm accessory’, opposed to being an ‘unregistered suppressor’ is that a bullet cannot pass through the solvent trap. Monocore Solvent Traps sold in China have a hole through the entire cylinder, making it easy for a bullet to pass through it and penetrate the end cap.

It is very important to note that Chinese companies are not bound by American laws, and it has been rumored that many of the Chinese suppliers include an end cap opener with their monocore solvent traps. This item screws on the end of the monocore in place of the sealed end cap and effectively “opens” the only sealed off passageway, providing a clear opening at the end of the monocore solvent trap, thus unambiguously converting it into an unregistered suppressor, for all intents and purposes.

Even if Chinese companies do not provide these ‘openers,’ the simple fact that they sell solvent traps with center-marks on their end caps(commonly referred to as dimples), combined with a monocore that resembles monocores on serialized suppressors which are sold by Gemtech, YHM, and others.

Monocore’s are viewed as ‘unregistered suppressors’ and they are not legal to import into the United States. With the ATF/NFA, it comes down to ‘Constructive Intent’. If solvent traps are being sold with center markings or holes drilled through the cylinder, monocores or end caps, then they are essentially being sold as ‘unregistered suppressors’ in the eyes of the ATF. We provide cleaning guides that show customers how to clean their firearms and use solvent traps for their sole intent – to trap solvent. They work great and make clean up safe and very efficient.

The intended use of monocores, when analyzed relative to the consumer base, sellers content, and/or marketing strategy, is what the regulators consider. Most that are selling monocore solvent traps are obviously targeting the underground suppressor market. These legalities should scare the average person away from purchasing these monocore solvent traps, but surprisingly many Americans continue to buys these from shady companies and loose money from having it seized or paying court fines due to being charged with a felony.

If the legal issues involved with exporting monocore solvent traps from China isn’t a concern to you, the inferior 6061 T6 aluminum with very poor finishes should dissuade you from wanting to put them on anything more than an airsoft gun.

It is very important to note that Chinese companies are not bound by American laws, and it has been rumored that many of them include an end cap opener. This item replaces the end cap and provides a clear opening at the end of the monocore solvent trap, rendering it into a suppressor for all intents and purposes.

Armory Den does not, and will never sell illegal products such as: Monocore Solvent Traps or Storage Cups with Center-marks . Although our company specializes in cleaning, we still need to abide by regulations so our customers can continue to purchase for cleaning and improve the safety, reliability or overall performance of their firearms.

Our end caps and storage cups do not include illegal center-marks as they are made for trapping solvent and cleaning purposes ONLY! Purchasing products overseas primarily results in felony charges as your shipping address will be tied to the illegal product once seized at customs.

Armory Den sells parts and products for solvent traps. Solvent traps are a “firearm accessory”. As a firearm accessory, they can be attached to the end of the barrel and with an adapter, as a cleaning accessory. Thus, they are not considered as anything other than an accessory because a bullet, or projectile, cannot pass through the tube without modification. If you view our cleaning instructions, our solvent traps and parts all have specific uses for trapping solvent, cleaning efficiency, storage, storage during transport, convenience, and more! 

Only after getting the approved Form 1 back can you make any modifications to the product. A crime is committed if you make the alterations before obtaining the tax stamp. Do not make any alteration or modifications to our products before getting the approved Form 1 back.

Solvent traps can be purchased legally without a Form 1. However, you cannot alter, modify, or redesign them into a device for muffling, silencing, or diminishing the report of a firearm without first filing and receiving back from BATFE an approved Form 1 – Please be aware of the restrictions and regulations.

DISCLAIMER: This blog post is not legal advice. The information provided is for informational purposes only. Any information posted on our website is to inform our customers due our industry, and also appease companies we do business with, such as those who insure us. Legal advice may only be provided by a properly licensed attorney.