11 minute read
SUPPRESSORS: LESS ‘BANG’ FOR YOUR BUCK
With high interest in 'cans' and plenty of manufacturers to pick from these days, here's a look at seven of the best units for AR-type rifles.
STORY BY NICK PERNA
Suppressors, or “cans,” are becoming a common accessory on the firearms of professionals and sport shooters. Once viewed as an assassin’s tool used by mobsters and spies, they are now used routinely by military, law enforcement and others. They are not “silencers,” as they used to be referred to. They decrease the decibel level, but they cannot silence a firearm.
There are many advantages to running a suppressor on your long gun. In the tactical realm, they allow operators to run their guns without hearing protection. This allows for ease of communication amongst operators. Bear in mind that ear protection is still a good idea, especially with rifles and when firing rounds traveling at supersonic speeds.
Suppressors allow for more accurate, consistent shots through noise and, to a certain extent, recoil mitigation. Good suppressors don’t usually cause
a big difference in shot placement when compared to shooting the same firearm without a can. There are minimal differences in round velocity with a decrease of about 1 to 3 percent in round speed. In general, they make guns more enjoyable to shoot.
THERE ARE A few disadvantages worth mentioning. Some suppressors can cause more buildup of carbon and other debris inside of a weapon, so more cleaning may be required. There is also a safety concern anytime you attach an item to the end of a barrel. That being said, a good quality suppressor paired with a properly adapted bore – one with threads or specially designed flash suppressor – generally mitigates those issues. For any number of reasons, steer clear of homemade jobs. The potential for a catastrophic malfunction when a high-velocity round strikes an internal part of a poorly made can is a distinct possibility. Besides, it’s illegal.
Suppressors get hot; really hot! The internet is full of videos of red-hot cans burning brightly after sustained fire. Care must be taken to avoid contacting them after shooting. There are suppressor sleeves available that are made out of burn-resistant materials that can help as well.
One other drawback of note for non-military/non-law enforcement folks is what’s involved in purchasing one. Some states don’t allow them, and in the ones that do, paperwork needs to be filed with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to own one. Turnaround times for processing the paperwork is six to nine months and a $200 tax stamp has to be purchased. This was the price set by the government in 1934 to try to make “silencers” out of reach for most folks. Nowadays, it’s still money no one wants to part with, but it’s comparatively a lot less painful.
Despite all that, a suppressor can reduce the decibel level of a firearm by 25 to 40 decibels, which is significant. The noise level varies depending on the type of suppressor used, type of firearm and type of ammo, especially if subsonic rounds can be used. In some instances, a subsonic round may not have enough energy to cycle the action of a semiautomatic or fully automatic weapon. Like suppressors, though, there have been great advancements in the development and production of subsonic ammo to
Surefire SOCOM556 Mini 2.
(SUREFIRE) THE MARKET IS currently flooded with suppressor manufacturers. For consumers, this means there are a lot of good cans to choose from. This also means there are suppressors available in just about every price range.
The weapons of choice for suppressors are AR-15s and their fullauto cousin, the M4. There is a great selection of cans available for 5.56 AR, as well as those chambered in .308 and other calibers.
Here is a look at some of the best suppressors for AR-type rifles.
SUREFIRE SOCOM556 MINI 2 Surefire is a mainstay in the suppressor business. They supply many of the cans used by the US military and law enforcement. As the name implies, it’s in use by SOCOM, the Special Operations Command. The Mini is compact at 5 inches and weighs under a pound. They can be had for around $1,000, so it’s a little pricey but worth the money. It works with the Surefire SOCOM 3 flash hider, which also allows other Surefire cans to be mounted to it and works well as a flash hider on its own.
I’ve used Surefire brand suppressors extensively and have found them to be excellent, durable products.
SILENCERCO SPECWAR 556 The Specwar model features a fastattach mounting system, which means it can be removed and attached in seconds. They use a proprietary manufacturing technique referred to as True Bore that ensures precise bore alignment,
Griffin Armament Paladin 5. (GRIFFIN ARMAMENT)
which means minimal point of impact shift. In other words, the rounds will hit in pretty much the same place, regardless of whether the can is mounted or not. It brings the noise level down to around 133 decibels. You can pick one up for about $650.
O.S.S. SUPPRESSORS HELIX 5.56 IFM6 The IFM6 is a good suppressor that can be used with multiple weapons when used with the STS muzzle brake. It is a threaded system with the can being threaded onto the muzzle brake. This makes a good choice for the owner who wants to run it on multiple platforms. The company guarantees the suppressor won’t come loose during fire. It is 8 inches long, weighs in at 23 ounces and will bring the noise level down to 132 decibels. Cost: $1,199.
GRIFFIN ARMAMENT PALADIN 5 The Paladin 5 is lightweight at 12.5 ounces. It uses titanium components to help keep the weight down. Size-wise it is just over 6 inches, making it pretty compact. Sound levels are around 131 decibels. It includes a tapermount minimalist muzzle brake for mounting, armorer’s wrench, tool kit and pouch for $850. This is one of the lowest priced cans out there.
DEAD AIR SANDMAN-S Enter the Sandman. The Sandman-S is a fully-auto-rated can that weighs 17.7 ounces and is 6.8 inches in length. It’s built to take a beating and is considered to be one of the toughest cans out there. There are no barrel length restrictions when pairing it with a rifle. Cost: $850.
Dead Air Sandman-S.
(DEAD AIR SILENCERS) OSS Helix 5.56 IFM6. (OSS)
SIG SAUER SRD556 The SRD556 is different from aforementioned models since it requires a threaded barrel to mount to. This results in a lower cost ($650) since no specific muzzle brake has to be mounted. As an added bonus, when permanently attached to an AR barrel, it counts towards the legal definition of the overall length of the barrel. Overall length is 6.4 inches with a weight of 14.5 ounces.
SILENT LEGION MULTI-CALIBER
This suppressor can easily be converted to work with 5.56/.223, .300 Blackout, .308, .300 Win Mag and 6.8 SPC. It MSRPs at $1,379, but given that it will work with multiple calibers, it is like getting multiple cans for one price. That
Introducing the Dragoon QD 350 Titanium Rifle Suppressor from TiON Inc.
TiON Inc is proud to introduce the revolutionary Dragoon QD 350 suppressor utilizing Total Breakdown Technology (TBT) and our Gas Indexing Technology (GIT) [U.S. Patent 9,410,761]. GIT allows the rotational orientation of baffles in a given stack providing optimum sound reduction capabilities for the 9mm pistol caliber shot from a rifle. Top rated sound reduction is achieved in the primary .350 Legend and 9mm calibers and very good performance in .300 Blackout. As a bonus the suppressor will achieve good hearing safe performance on .223/5.56mm and .308 Winchester bolt action rifles.
In a market where heavy, welded, non-serviceable designs are the norm; the Dragoon distinguishes itself with an all Titanium takedown design. The TiON design with TBT allows the user to remove, clean and service ALL Components.
The Dragoon QD 350 suppressor is machined from solid Titanium Bar Stock eliminating any weld failure points creating an extremely durable and light weight suppressor that can be serviced down to the piece parts.
Our Quick Disconnect design allows for one handed 2 second mounting/removal and achieves total repeatability of shot group. This QD design and smallest suppressor diameter in the industry facilitates sliding under many metal firearm forends with short barrels for fast attachment without the need to have a removable forend section.
Seven QD mounts and flash hider/mounts are available in 13.5X1LHM, 1/2X28, 5/8X24 and 9/16X24 threads. All our mounts are Titanium adding to the unsurpassed light weight of the suppressor.
DRAGOON .350 QD TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Caliber: Optimized for Rifles & Pistols with Braces chambered in 9mm and .350 Legend. Secondarily, it performs very well with .22LR, .300 Blackout. Bonus, Hearing safe on bolt action 5.56mm & .308Win rifles. Finish: Black, FDE Cerakote and Clear Cerakote Gunmetal Finish Length: 8.0 inches Diameter: 1.375 inches Weight: 12.2 oz. Sound Pressure Level (Mil-Std 1474D Test @ 1 meter) 9mm 147gr Winchester Train & Defend 16” BBL 121dB .350 Legend 255gr Winchester Subsonic 16” BBL 133dB .300 Blackout 220gr Remington Subsonic 16” BBL 130dB Material: 6AL-4V Annealed Titanium QD Spring – Stainless Compression Bushing - Brass
MSRP: $1285.00 Additional Mounts MSRP: $125.00 to $160.00
also includes two flash hider mounts for 5.56 and .308. It is 7.5 inches long and weighs 16 ounces.
THERE ARE MANY good suppressor options out there today and there has never been a better time to buy one. As with all things fun in the firearms world, I recommend buying one sooner rather than later. You never know what is going to end up on the government’s “naughty list.”
Editor’s note: Author Nick Perna is a sergeant with the Redwood City Police Department in northern California. He previously served as a paratrooper in the US Army and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also has a master’s degree from the University of San Francisco. He is a frequent contributor to multiple print and online forums on topics related to law enforcement, firearms, tactics and veterans issues.
Silent Legion Multi-caliber.
(SILENT LEGION SUPPRESSORS)
Sig Sauer SRD556. (SIG SAUER)
FEATURED COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
TREAT YOUR TRIGGER FINGER
Elftmann Tactical not only has drop-in triggers for AR-15s and AR-10s, but also select Remington, Savage rifle lines, plus safeties, aluminum stocks.
PHOTOS BY ELFTMANN TACTICAL
Helmed by the duo of Art Elftmann and Art Elftmann, Sr., Arizona-based Elftmann Tactical’s high-performance drop-in triggers for the AR-15 and AR10 have taken the industry by storm.
With a design unlike any other on the market, ELF triggers feature aerospace-grade sealed bearings – making for an incredibly smooth and fast trigger pull – and adjustability without the need for special tools or removal of the trigger from the lower receiver. Other features include a drop safety, full ¼-inch-width disconnector and a modular design.
The AR-15 drop-in trigger is available for multiple shooting applications, including 3-gun (built for winning competitions) and service (built for law enforcement and military duty), but any AR enthusiast, shooter or hunter will appreciate the amazingly short takeup, glass-rod crisp break and next to zero overtravel that the trigger offers.
Elftmann Tactical has also introduced ELF Precision Rifle Triggers for the Remington 700 and Savage 110. With the incredible feel and crisp break that ELF triggers are known for, as
AR-15 drop-in trigger is available for multiple shooting applications, including 3-gun and service.
ELF 700 SE precision rifle trigger.
well as the proprietary aerospacegrade sealed bearings, this is the pinnacle of drop-in trigger systems for precision rifles.
In addition to their lineup of drop-in triggers, Elftmann Tactical has several other innovative parts and accessories on offer, including the AR15/AR-10 Ambidextrous Speed Safety. With no rotation necessary and no shifting of the shooter’s hand needed, the Ambidextrous Speed Safety is the fastest safety selector to engage and disengage on the market. Also available from Elftmann Tactical is the Ultralight Aluminum Stock, which at 5.2 ounces is the lightest all-metal adjustable stock produced today.
All Elftmann Tactical products are manufactured in the US and are backed with a lifetime guarantee.
ELF Savage 110 SE precision rifle trigger.
AR-15/AR-10 ambidextrous speed safety.
Editor’s note: For more information, visit elftactical.com.
ELF ultralight aluminum stock.
