gemtech not so silent

[MarkV]

imo you might as well shoot a supressed 10/22 if you're going to load subsonic .223. among other previously stated reasons it's cheaper and just about as potent even if somewhat lacking in the cool factor.

if you've ever been in a shoot house or fired a rifle in close quarters you'll quickly appreciate how nice that little bit of suppressor helps. but the performance among brands is generally similar at that caliber.

 

[Jmacken37]

I think it is really a good idea to spend some time around suppressors before purchasing. Being able to shoot safely without hearing protection is a reasonable measure of a can's effectiveness. We see stuff in movies and have somewhat unrealistic expectations. That being said, subsonic ammo makes a huge difference. Shooting outside is usually noticeably 'quieter' in my experience, too.

Jake

 

[MrM4]

Jake has a very valid point most people seem some what disapoint the 1st time they hear a .223 can because they expect a "movie quite" type suppressor. I would say the only thing I have heard that was truly "movie quite" is the interal Ruger pistols and a few of the bolt action .22s.

With a ,223 or other rifle round your dealing with a large amount of pressure and there comes a point where the volume of a can has got to be so big that it isnt practical. But I guess if you went extreme and built a Car Muffler sized can maybe you could reach "movie quite" db levels in a full power rifle round, of course theres always the sonic crack to deal with....

 

[Garrett]

The first time I heard a suppressed M16, I was very impressed. This was around 10 years ago, and with an AWC can on a relatively short barrel. To me, it sounded like a .22 rifle.

However, my perspective changed a little when actually shooting a suppressed AR15.

One thing to consider it that an AR15, while not excessively "loud", is still not the quietest action out there either. With an AR15, you feed gas back into the bolt carrier to work the action. Once the bolt unlocks, the gas escapes out the vent holes in the side of the carrier at the ejection port. This is relatively close to the shooter's face, so the shooter will get some extra (unsuppressed) sound from the ejection port area.

While a gas piston gun would not have this issue, it dumps gas at the gas block. This moves the gas release point a little farther away from the shooter (and closer to where you typically take sound readings). I don't know if the perceived sound levels would be louder or quieter on a piston gun.

But with a direct-impingement gun, the shooter will get some extra noise close up. Some people have made the claim that there are no hearing-safe suppressors for an AR15 if readings are taken at the location of the shooter's ear. (I don't know this one way or the other, but neither of my .223 cans are entirely "comfortable" to shoot with on a 10.5" or a 16" barrel).

If comparing the effectiveness of a particular can, it might be better to try them on a bolt-action and take the mechanical and ejection port noise out of the equation.

 

[Garrett]

I won 500 rnds of Engel Ballistic Research Subsonic Match 63 gr. 5.56 ... this combo will not cycle the M16...

For the cost of a few boxes of ammo, you may be better off buying a .22 conversion or a fast-twist barrel for a 10/22 and shooting the Aguila 60 gr. SSS round. You get the same result downrange, but with a load that cycles the action.

I can see to some extent using the super-heavy (100+ gr. bullet) specialty loads in order to get more energy on target with a can / gun that you already own. But again, with a bullet that long, you may have stability issues too. Check them without the can first.

But if you are going to be doing a lot of shooting, it might work better to get a heavier caliber and an appropriate can. Just looking at the AR15 platform, a 9mm can perform well at subsonic velocities out to 100 yds. Beyond that, a .300 Whisper may also be a good choice, but unless you reload the cost and availability of ammo may be prohibitive.

 

[MPA guy]

I've used the aguila SSS 60 grainers in my SBR AR with my form 1 suppressor exclusively and it's fun.

Yes, a half brick of aguila is more expensive than the remington or federal bulk packs and usually run around $40, but is super quiet in mine.

I'm about halfway through building a dedicated 22 upper that will use a different can, but I'm going to try to cut the barrel down enough so that I can keep even the cheap stuff quiet. Right now, the HBar barrel is cut down and rethreaded at about 5 inches, so that should keep most everything I put through it shhhh.

 

[pcso112]

If you’re looking for a movie quite gun that can still pack a punch, go with the 300 Whisper. My 300 Whisper Remington 700 with YHM Phantom produces .5 moa accuracy shooting 220gr SMK’s. It took me a long time to develop a load that was both accurate and quite but the results were well worth the effort. Every time I bring it to the range it is a crowd favorite. I would compare the sound to that of a pellet gun.

 

[ArevaloSOCOM]

I have a LWRC M6A2 12" upper with a AAC SPR/M4 can.

It's very quiet, no blowback at all.

If there is one thing I have learned about silencers, it's this. Buy the best one you can afford. That way there are no regrets.