Suppressor FAQ?

[Dub_James]

I've been looking through some posts online and in the archives, and while there are a few "FAQs" on manufacturer sites which are fine as far as they go, there doesn't seem to be anything that covers the issue top to bottom. Very little about getting into it on a budget, best attachment methods, etc. Best for pistol or rifle....

Even Youtube seems to be mainly show-and-tell videos.

[308Mike]

Have you tried any of the manufacturer's sites? Check out this FAQ (PDF).

EDIT:

Here's an article in the American Rifleman magazine (from 2012).

Another manufacturer's FAQ (Tigon III). FAQ from SilencerCo.

[slowpoke]

I've been lurking silencertalk for a couple years, and theyre like ar15.com without the humor. Seems a very low snr. their better posters are elitist assholes. Their attitude is: If younhave a budget dont bother, If youre not a master machinest theyd prefer you fuckoff and buy something, their answer to learning is you should get an 07 ffl, if you have an 07 then why are you asking you should know it all, or we dont want to help our competition.

So anyone know a better forum?

[JustinR]

Paladin Press has Alan Paulson's Silencer History and Performance, that's probably a little more in-depth than you're looking for.

https://www.paladin-press.com/category/Silencers

[Mike OTDP]

I've been looking through some posts online and in the archives, and while there are a few "FAQs" on manufacturer sites which are fine as far as they go, there doesn't seem to be anything that covers the issue top to bottom. .

Try the Bowers board at http://subguns.com/boards/mgmsg.cgi

That being said, I'll make the following comments:

1. Don't go cheap. The transfer tax and dealer's fees will run you about $300 whether you buy the latest 3-D titanium technology, or a piece of pipe with a few washers. And what you buy, you're pretty well stuck with. Buy the best.

2. Attachment methods depend on the use. Quick detach is sexy...but is it worth it? Personally, I don't think so.

[Aesop]

Also, commensurate with the rise in gun sales, the wait period for BATFE processing from buy to permission to receive has grown from approx. 6 months, to closer to 8. So you're already too late for Christmas shopping.

So if you're going to pay, and wait almost as long as for a baby to arrive, you may as well get the best goods you can.
Which doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive.

[308Mike]

Also, commensurate with the rise in gun sales, the wait period for BATFE processing from buy to permission to receive has grown from approx. 6 months, to closer to 8. So you're already too late for Christmas shopping.

So if you're going to pay, and wait almost as long as for a baby to arrive, you may as well get the best goods you can.
Which doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive.

IOW, it pays (or rather saves you money) to shop around and compare. Take your time, this will be with you for a LONG TIME, so you might as well buy quality rather than trying to save bucks and make it work/wish you'd spent the money to get what you REALLY wanted.

There's a sign in my brother's jewelry store which says: "The bitter price of buying quality will soon be forgotten over the years, while the dread of buying cheaply will be tasted every time you see and handle the object you wished you'd bought instead."

If you read the articles I linked, for the most part they say the same thing. Spend the extra money to get quality. It's worth it!! If you buy cheaply and spend all the money for the tax and paperwork hassle, you'll understand - when you wished you'd purchased quality instead (which is going to last decades - at least the tax paid will, and with that same tax you could have bought something better instead of doing it again for another BETTER QUALITY device and doing it all over again 'cause you're not happy with your first purchase).

Buy quality, you'll enjoy it more (and bitch less)!!

[JAG2955]

A few of your questions are actually fairly simple to answer.

Pistol or rifle suppressors will depend on the pressure and volume of gas the cartridge creates. Off the top of my head, the only centerfire rifle caliber that you can shoot through a pistol suppressor (other than .22 and 5.7mm) is .300blk through certain .45acp suppressors, like the Osprey. Plus, you don't want to hang a heavy rifle can off of a pistol. You can usually shoot a smaller cartridge through a larger suppressor. I use a .30 cal 762-SDN-6 on my AR-15s all the time. You have a heavier and longer can at the ability to use it between multiple cartridges. Same goes with pistol suppressors. I've got an Osprey45 in NFA purgatory, and I chose the .45 so I can shoot 9, .40, and .45 through it. Depending on the construction, a smaller cartridge may be quieter in the larger caliber's can due to the volume of gas it is designed to slow. But of course, the endcap has a bigger hole, so you'll lose more gas there.

Budgets don't really exist. You can pay $1,800 for a Surefire because it's what SOCOM uses, or you can spend $1000 for an AAC that will do the exact same thing. The lowest I would ever think about going (and I wouldn't, unless I was on a very tight budget) would be YHM. You get what you pay for with a can, especially since you're spending $200 either way. Big things to look at for me are things like weight, strength of materials, and whether or not it can be repaired, which all sit much higher in my table of priorities than test lab sound suppression results. Buy one with a good warranty and customer service and hope that you never have to use it. I've read about some guys who have lost their can because they bought cheap. Others have bought from a reputable company and had theirs repaired, albeit shorter, because of an endcap or baffle strike.

As far as attachment methods, it's not just about looking cool. I look cool all the time. Heh. It's about having your can be secured on your muzzle device despite vibration and heat expansion and contraction. Thread on devices arguably retain the most accuracy. If you get a thread on, make sure you check it every few rounds especially as you are getting used to it to ensure it does not loosen with round counts. QD cans do a great job of not leaving your rifle at an inopportune moment. The downside is that there is no industry standard for QD muzzle devices, so it's a factor that you have to take into consideration. Most of my muzzle devices are AAC 51 tooth because that's what my suppressor uses, and conversely, I'm more likely to stick with AAC cans due to the cost of a muzzle device. A new can on the market, the Silencerco Saker has the ability to accept various muzzle devices with the addition of an adapter. Of course, the price of that adapter is quite high, at $200 for the adapter to the 51t mounts. And I don't know how long the ATF will allow it to stay legal, considering it's a "suppressor part". If you are going to have a short barrel on a round not designed for it, such as 5.56 in a 10" barrel, it's best to go with a muzzle break, vice a flash hider. The muzzle break will act as a sacrificial "baffle", reducing erosion on your expensive new toy.

I'm no expert, didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express, but I did a fair amount of research before I bought my NFA goodies. Best advice-get a trust, even if your CLEO will sign off, it has many more benefits like being able to have multiple people in possession and the ability to transfer to your heirs.