Suppressor and Muzzle Device Recommendation

[JCS]

Looking to get a can for my AR. But I know next to nothing about them. I don’t want to pigeonhole myself with an IGNORANT purchase. My main purpose is noise reduction/hearing protection.

I’m getting a 14.5 BCM upper and will need to pin and weld. From what I understand the muzzle device determines your suppressor options.

Should I start with suppressor or muzzle device?

If you could start over what would you do?

[Cory]

Looking to get a can for my AR. But I know next to nothing about them. I don’t want to pigeonhole myself with an IGNORANT purchase. My main purpose is noise reduction/hearing protection.

I’m getting a 14.5 BCM upper and will need to pin and weld. From what I understand the muzzle device determines your suppressor options.

Should I start with suppressor or muzzle device?

If you could start over what would you do?

I have a BCM 14.5 with A2X pinned. Wish I had picked a different muzzle device. It seems not much decent fits the A2.

I've thought about getting the A2x removed and a huxwrx pinned instead. That would allow me to mount a 7.62 flow can, which to my understanding is the pinnicle of current technology. But I haven't made the jump because of price and NFA/trust confusion.

[Default.mp3]

Many newer suppressor are what's known as HUB compatible, which is to say, their mounting method can be changed, as they have a 1.375×24 internal thread that allows you to swap out the mounting interface on the suppressor side, which thus opens up your ability to use various different muzzle devices across different brands.

As for the suppressor question, there still remain many questions. How much does weight matter compared to audio signature reduction? Will this rifle be dedicated suppressed, or only sporadically so? Is visual signature reduction a lower concern, or a non-concern? Etc.

[JohnO]

Low Back Pressure is the latest innovation in suppressors. Hux Wrx is one of the leaders in the tech. https://huxwrx.com/

[Clusterfrack]

After having been burned by buying the latest hotness, I will likely be sticking with Surefire and TBAC from now on.

If the upper will be used primarily with the can, I'd go with a brake (acts as a sacrificial 1st baffle and prolongs can life). If the upper will be shot a lot without the can, I'd go with a flash hider because brakes are harsh on anyone nearby.

[JohnO]

What have is a Dead Air Sandman S which is a .30 cal can. I put SOLGW Nox muzzle devices on my 5.56 uppers and a .30 cal gun. The pinned & welded Nox makes my SOLGW 13.7" upper a full legal 16". I have the Nox on a 14.5" and a 16" as well. I could get a 5.56 end cap for the Sandman but the juice for a 1-2 dB reduction isn't worth the squeeze. I like not have to worry about what caliber I an using the can on.

[ASH556]

Some guys seem to approach suppressors with an "as many fits as possible" approach. From the outside, I suppose that makes sense. You want to get the most bang for your buck (and tax stamp, and waiting period).

Personally I prefer to tailor the suppressor to the gun as much as possible. Also, I think we do better when we get over the "it's forever" idea. I've owned 7 NFA items (not a ton by any stretch compared to some), and currently only own 4. A 9x19 can, a .30 cal can, and a Benelli SBS went down the road. I actually made money on the SBS and didn't loose too much on the cans. All sold to other individuals on form 4's. Just putting it out there that if you get something and don't like it, you're not necessarily stuck with it forever.


What did I keep?
- 5.56 SBR
- 5.56 Can (AAC M4-2000)
- .22lr Can (AAC Element 2)
- .22lr SBR

My cans are older AAC because of the time and place I got them. They still work fine, but are "outdated" technology. Frankly the M4-2000 sounds fine, is bombproof inconel construction, and the 51T mounts aren't as bad as some say. If I were buying today I would hope to gain lower backpressure and lighter weight.


I would recommend you think and prioritize features such as length, weight, sound, and mounting above others; especially on a centerfire can. AR's are loud, even with silencers. So why use one in the first place? To minimize blast, flash, and not go deaf if you ever do need to shoot it without earpro. For a 14.5" I'd probably go with a shorter "K" can of some kind, and knowing what I do now, a YHM Turbo K with whatever plan B mount you like is not a bad way to go.

[bofe954]

Of these-

Free A2 Flash Hider (Installed)
BCM® Comp MOD 0 + $84.95 (Installed)
BCM® Comp Mod 2 + $84.95 (Installed)
BCM® Comp Mod 4 + $84.95 (Installed)
BCM® Comp Mod 6 + $84.95 (Installed)
SureFire® SFMB-556-1/2-28 Muzzle Brake + $152.00
SureFire® WARCOMP Closed Tine Flash Hider for 5.56mm Rifles + $152.00
SureFire® WARCOMP Flash-Hider/Suppressor-Adapter - (Installed at neutral position unless specified in order notes) + $152.00

Is the only option- SureFire® WARCOMP Flash-Hider/Suppressor-Adapter ?

[CleverNickname]

If you could start over what would you do?
I would never get a P&W muzzle device again. Either 16" or SBR.

[Default.mp3]

Of these-

Free A2 Flash Hider (Installed)
BCM® Comp MOD 0 + $84.95 (Installed)
BCM® Comp Mod 2 + $84.95 (Installed)
BCM® Comp Mod 4 + $84.95 (Installed)
BCM® Comp Mod 6 + $84.95 (Installed)
SureFire® SFMB-556-1/2-28 Muzzle Brake + $152.00
SureFire® WARCOMP Closed Tine Flash Hider for 5.56mm Rifles + $152.00
SureFire® WARCOMP Flash-Hider/Suppressor-Adapter - (Installed at neutral position unless specified in order notes) + $152.00

Is the only option- SureFire® WARCOMP Flash-Hider/Suppressor-Adapter ?All three of the SureFire muzzle devices will work with SureFire and other compatible suppressors. That being said, WARCOMPs are considered poor suppressor adapters, due to their lack of labyrinth seals; if the rifle will see frequent suppressor use, the muzzle brake and flash hiders are better choices.

[bofe954]

All three of the SureFire muzzle devices will work with SureFire and other compatible suppressors. That being said, WARCOMPs are considered poor suppressor adapters, due to their lack of labyrinth seals; if the rifle will see frequent suppressor use, the muzzle brake and flash hiders are better choices.

The choices might change by the time I order (which could be next year). I just thought I'd piggyback on this thread since I have the same question. Which of those specifically would you pick, or just get the free A2 and get something else? I would get a 16" barrel so pin and weld is not an issue, although I wouldn't mind having BCM just install something if I could.

The rifle probably won't be a specific suppressor host. I currently have rimfire suppressor and would like get some sort of 30 cal suppressor to hopefully use hunting, and hopefully could also go on the AR.

[Default.mp3]

The choices might change by the time I order (which could be next year). I just thought I'd piggyback on this thread since I have the same question. Which of those specifically would you pick, or just get the free A2 and get something else? I would get a 16" barrel so pin and weld is not an issue, although I wouldn't mind having BCM just install something if I could.

The rifle probably won't be a specific suppressor host. I currently have rimfire suppressor and would like get some sort of 30 cal suppressor to hopefully use hunting, and hopefully could also go on the AR.3 prong flash hider would be my choice if it's not gonna be a dedicated suppressor host. The 4 prong is fine, really, just slightly weaker prongs and slightly less effective at flash suppressing, is my understanding; main draw of it is that it's clone correct for those trying for the SOCOM look. The brake works quite well, but, well, it's a brake, with all the concussion, flash signature, and kicking up of dust/dirt that goes with a brake.

Of course, that, only matters if you're set on getting a SureFire can, which may not be the best choice depending on what you're looking for. The new B&T cans also works with SureFire muzzle devices, but they're also HUB compatible, so there's no reason to have to stick with the SureFire mounting method, which while still quite good in terms of repeatable POA/POI shift, is a bit prone to carbon locking. If you're not getting a SureFire can, the plain ole A2 birdcage will be fine as a placeholder while you figure out what can you want.

[Biggy]

I like and use the Zeno suppressor adapter and fashhider suppressor mount on my 11.5 barreled AR. It works great and I have had no issues with it using it with my old Omega 300 can.

https://youtu.be/WoYnaqkTmYM?si=TJq0h17m64GTOmru

[Skinner Precision, LLC]

Like Clusterfrack, I like the sacrificial blast baffle aspect of a brake on a dedicated suppressed only gun and a flash hider if the majority of the time it will be unsuppressed. I am personally fond of the griffin armament taper mounts. The system is simple enough / reliable enough and easy enough to fabricate your own mounts or compatible form1 cans if so inclined...

Sbr's with the increased muzzle pressure and more unburnt powder (abrasive/erosion potential on the can) benifit more from brakes IMO but if you think you are going to do high round count classes etc. with said SBR, where you don't want to abuse your can, pick a mount with a blast shield option.

[Failure2Stop]

First things first: there are no truly "hearing safe" supersonic rifle/suppressor combinations. The "140dB is hearing safe" is utter bullshit, and I would almost go as far as to say negligent on the part of any manufacturer to claim unless stipulated by "for a single exposure in 8 hours".

If you are going to be taking multiple shots inside 8 hours, you should be wearing at least single-layer hearing protection.

That said, the lower the peak impulse and impulse duration, the more you can shoot inside those 8 hours.
Also, be cognizant of the difference in testing methodologies, ESPECIALLY "at ear" measurements. Standardized testing protocols are for A-weighted sound pressure level (SPL) at 1 meter left of the muzzle with the firearm and sensor 1.5m elevated from the ground, as well as at "shooters ear" at 11" behind trigger and 3" offset left. The "at ear" location is usually significantly lower than the muzzle measurement due to variable obstacles being laid into the path of the pressure wave. This is also a misleading measurement in that it implies that the "actual" damage is lower that the muzzle measurement, whereas the pressure that can cause actual damage is not truly negated, and can still affect people in near vicinity to the shooter, and the pressure waves can bounce off nearby hard surfaces in the real world, causing damage.

SPL with most centerfire rifles will be 163-175 dB at muzzle, and 160-172 dB at ear, with barrel length and muzzle device being significant contributors to "at ear" SPL variability. Properly worn single-layer in-ear hearing protection will have an NRR of around 25 (reduce harmful exposure by 25dB). Properly worn over-ear muffs will have an NRR of about 20-30, BUT these are extremely susceptible to being compromised due to having the seal broken by eye protection legs under the cup, or shifting when changing positions. Audiologists and OSHA type folks recommend keeping exposure BELOW 130 dB, and therefore recommend 2-layer hearing protection when using firearms. Those 2-layers of hearing protection will get you down to about 125dB in most cases. What I'm getting at is that no matter what suppressor you are using, if it's not under 125dB, you are damaging the hearing of everything within about 30 meters of the muzzle, and ultimately, it's best to look at the suppressor as replacing a *single layer* of hearing protection for anything inside that radius.

When it comes to suppressing a gas-operated firearm, the residual bore pressure that results due to the containment and slowed release of the pressurized gasses inside the suppressor is responsible for speeding up the extraction and ejection phases of the cycle of operation, which can cause issues in ejection and increased cycle speeds. The escape of those gasses also contributes to significantly increased exposure to lead and toxic/noxious gasses and fumes for the user. This is not talked about nearly as much as it should be, but those of us in the suppressor industry have been paying attention to it over the last few years when testing has illuminated the issue.
There are a few ways to remedy these problems. When it comes to the operating system itself, you can reduce the pressure to the point that the primary operating system barely does more than unlock the breech mechanism, relying on the blowback effect of the contained bore pressure to complete the rearward stroke. This, however, will make the gun severely undergassed in an unsuppressed configuration. You can increase ejection force, as KAC did with the E3.2 bolt, but that won't slow down the operating system, so you could still have issues with the magazine keeping up with the cyclic rate. The optimal approach is to use a low backpressure suppressor that keeps cyclic rate increase to less than 10%. That not only keeps the operating system working in its optimal band for reliability and felt recoil/muzzle rise, the will also significantly reduce the increased exposure to the nasty stuff that usually gets blown downrange instead of sitting in a ball around two of your most important orifices.

My advice is to choose a muzzle device that will work with a low backpressure suppressor.

[PearTree]

For the muzzle device, I would recommend a rearden or liberty precision machine. For the suppressor, traditional high back pressure options I would recommend are the OCL polonium/polonium k, liberty precision machine anthem k/s, aero lahar. For flow through/low back pressure I would recommend the huxwrx ventum 762. These are all hub compatible which is what I prefer. If you don’t mind manufacturer specific mounts, there are other options as well.

[TWR]

I have a Huxwrx Flow 556k suppressor with their flash hider. I don’t know how well the flash hider works because I haven’t shot without the suppressor since I got it. I love this thing. I shoot it on an 11.5”, 16” and 18” AR’s.

It works great on all of them but the 18” is really nice. The other night I shot a coyote and I was amazed at how quiet it was. Shot it again today under an awning at the range and it really seems quieter than a 22.

Function wise I’ve done nothing to any of the 4 guns I’m shooting it on. They are gassed right unsuppressed and the suppressor makes no perceivable difference. It just works.

However, I don’t have a ton of rounds on it yet nor do I have a lot of experience with other cans so take it for what it’s worth.

[JCS]

Many newer suppressor are what's known as HUB compatible, which is to say, their mounting method can be changed, as they have a 1.375×24 internal thread that allows you to swap out the mounting interface on the suppressor side, which thus opens up your ability to use various different muzzle devices across different brands.

As for the suppressor question, there still remain many questions. How much does weight matter compared to audio signature reduction? Will this rifle be dedicated suppressed, or only sporadically so? Is visual signature reduction a lower concern, or a non-concern? Etc.

I had no idea about the HUB. Thank you for that!!

I have not thought a lot about these other questions but here's my initial answers:

This is my only rifle (for now haha). My biggest reason for getting a suppressor is the noise reduction. I understand it's not like the movies and I'll still need hearing protection, but I recently had a scare with my hearing and don't want to shoot unsuppressed rifles too much. I plan on running it suppressed a large majority if not all of the time, but I don't want it to be a permanent install. I would still like to be able to shoot the rifle unsuppressed if something changes. Lastly, I don't really care about signature reduction.

[JCS]

After having been burned by buying the latest hotness, I will likely be sticking with Surefire and TBAC from now on.

If the upper will be used primarily with the can, I'd go with a brake (acts as a sacrificial 1st baffle and prolongs can life). If the upper will be shot a lot without the can, I'd go with a flash hider because brakes are harsh on anyone nearby.

Thoughts on the SOCOM suppressor and surefire warcomp? Initially that was just what I was going to do (it seemed like the easy button solution) since I can get it pinned and welded directly from BCM.

[JCS]

Some guys seem to approach suppressors with an "as many fits as possible" approach. From the outside, I suppose that makes sense. You want to get the most bang for your buck (and tax stamp, and waiting period).

Personally I prefer to tailor the suppressor to the gun as much as possible. Also, I think we do better when we get over the "it's forever" idea. I've owned 7 NFA items (not a ton by any stretch compared to some), and currently only own 4. A 9x19 can, a .30 cal can, and a Benelli SBS went down the road. I actually made money on the SBS and didn't loose too much on the cans. All sold to other individuals on form 4's. Just putting it out there that if you get something and don't like it, you're not necessarily stuck with it forever.


What did I keep?
- 5.56 SBR
- 5.56 Can (AAC M4-2000)
- .22lr Can (AAC Element 2)
- .22lr SBR

My cans are older AAC because of the time and place I got them. They still work fine, but are "outdated" technology. Frankly the M4-2000 sounds fine, is bombproof inconel construction, and the 51T mounts aren't as bad as some say. If I were buying today I would hope to gain lower backpressure and lighter weight.


I would recommend you think and prioritize features such as length, weight, sound, and mounting above others; especially on a centerfire can. AR's are loud, even with silencers. So why use one in the first place? To minimize blast, flash, and not go deaf if you ever do need to shoot it without earpro. For a 14.5" I'd probably go with a shorter "K" can of some kind, and knowing what I do now, a YHM Turbo K with whatever plan B mount you like is not a bad way to go.

Thank you for this! Can you explain what a plan B mount is?

[JCS]

I would never get a P&W muzzle device again. Either 16" or SBR.

Because your stuck with one muzzle device? I haven't purchased the upper yet, I kinda settled on a 14.5 but that was before I decided to get a suppressor.

[CleverNickname]

Because your stuck with one muzzle device?
Exactly.

[JCS]

For the muzzle device, I would recommend a rearden or liberty precision machine. For the suppressor, traditional high back pressure options I would recommend are the OCL polonium/polonium k, liberty precision machine anthem k/s, aero lahar. For flow through/low back pressure I would recommend the huxwrx ventum 762. These are all hub compatible which is what I prefer. If you don’t mind manufacturer specific mounts, there are other options as well.

Why the 762 vs 556 model?

[Clusterfrack]

Thoughts on the SOCOM suppressor and surefire warcomp? Initially that was just what I was going to do (it seemed like the easy button solution) since I can get it pinned and welded directly from BCM.

I hear good things. Cdub_NW has this combo I think?

[Default.mp3]

Thoughts on the SOCOM suppressor and surefire warcomp? Initially that was just what I was going to do (it seemed like the easy button solution) since I can get it pinned and welded directly from BCM.The Warcomp is a poor choice in general, IMO; it lacks labyrinth seals, so it's not a great suppressor mount, as it will allow some gasses to escape out the rear and thus be slightly louder, but more importantly, it seems that it carbon locks much easier. It's also rather blasty, as it is my understanding that SOCOM switched back to flash hiders after trying out the Warcomp, specifically in the context of CQB. I personally would recommend the 3 prong open tine flash hider; it is a bit stronger than the 4 tine, which is really a thing only because it's clone correct for SOCOM guns, and the open tine flash hiders perform better than the closed tine ones in flash reduction, though the open tine ones do have a ringing that the closed tine ones do not, if that matters to you.


Why the 762 vs 556 model?Because they don't make a .223 caliber version, while the Ventum is the only HUB compatible model from HUXWRX at this time.

Given that you want to be able to shoot unsuppressed at times, I would suggest a low backpressure suppressor. There are many out there, but the HUXWRX does seem to be the most popular one, and has only a few weaknesses:

Their .223 caliber cans currently only use their mounts
They will give off a visual signature quite easily under night vision, in terms of becoming a noticeably glowing tube with relatively few rounds through it
They have a more limited lifespan (they used to state a lifespan of at least 20k rounds, with a reasonable goal of 30k on either the FLOW 556k or else the HX-QD 556k, I forget which)
They are supposedly more maintenance intensive (the manual states it needs a detailed cleaning every 2.5k rounds, while most other centerfire suppressors have manuals stating that you only need to clean at the mounts on occasion, probably to keep the cans from carbon locking)


Since you don't really care about signature reduction in general and are only really interested in the hearing protection aspect, titanium suppressors are also in the picture, as they are much lighter and thus more pleasant to actually handle the gun with. Titanium suppressors are typically a poor choice if visual signature reduction is a priority, as they are prone to sparking (due to titanium shavings being generated during firing and then igniting), but can be great at reducing sound while also keeping a rifle more handy.

I would suggest looking at the SilencerCo Velos LBP 556 or 556k if you really want HUB compatibility, and the HUXWRX FLOW 556k if you don't care. The SureFire SOCOM556-RC3 is also a good choice, albeit possibly overkill for your purposes, and lacks HUB compatibility. The B&T SRBS line is also worth a looksee, as they are also HUB compatible, though it's very new so reviews aren't really out, though B&T has done suppressors for a very long time, so I'm inclined to think that it'll be a quality product. I'm sure there are many other models out there that would work, I'm just not familiar with them, as I don't keep up as much with all the different brands since I'm 100% pot committed to SureFire cans at this point for my rifles.

[Beat Trash]

If I may jump into this conversation, What if you do care about signature reduction? Is the HUXWRX FLOW 556k still a viable option? Or should I look at the Surefire SOCOM RC-2 with a 3 or 4 prong? The Surefire RC-3 sounded like the answer until the internet told me that its signature reduction is supposed to be similar to a flame thrower. I don't know how true that is, but I have seen the cost of the RC-3 and it's painful.

[ASH556]

Thank you for this! Can you explain what a plan B mount is?

It’s a similar concept to a HUB system that opens you up to multiple mount options while also shortening the overall installed length. To me the ideal would be a YHM Turbo K with a Plan B and a Rearden MFRing 3 prong FH.

RE pin/weld: too much is made of the permanence of that as well. In the grand scheme of what a fully setup rifle costs, paying someone like ADCO $80 to do a quality pin/weld is a drop in the bucket. I find the 1.5” to be quite noticeable in handling. You want to change muzzle devices? Send it back to ADCO and have them cut the old off and pin/weld the new on. But, once you buy a suppressor, you’ll want something that works with your can on the gun anyway, so it being “permanently” on there isn’t a big deal.

[PearTree]

Why the 762 vs 556 model?

Because that is the only model that is hub compatible. They make an adapter for 200 bucks but I’ve yet to see it actually in stock. Plus you are getting a more versatile can with higher internal volume. You can check out pew science for more in depth info on suppression and back pressure if you are interested.

[Default.mp3]

If I may jump into this conversation, What if you do care about signature reduction? Is the HUXWRX FLOW 556k still a viable option? Or should I look at the Surefire SOCOM RC-2 with a 3 or 4 prong? The Surefire RC-3 sounded like the answer until the internet told me that its signature reduction is supposed to be similar to a flame thrower. I don't know how true that is, but I have seen the cost of the RC-3 and it's painful.Based off of what I've seen/read, the FLOW 556k is going to have a larger visual signature in terms of flash than an RC2, and probably more than an RC3, but that's much more a function of the RC2 having some of the best visual signature reduction, rather than the FLOW 556k being particularly bad in that realm; it would appear to be fairly middle of the road in that regards. I would be curious to see how that flash performance is if the can is not regularly detailed clean every 2.5k rounds though, as stipulated by the manual.

The larger problem I would have with it is that it appears to have a very large signature reduction under NODs after relatively few rounds (Brass Facts shows how egregious it can get within a mag or two: https://youtu.be/HvNGTcake_o?t=1221), where it becomes a big tube in front of your gun that glows quite brightly; I have seen this phenomenon before in an NVG class with another student's suppressor, but it was far from being that bad. I would be curious to know if this is a trait that tends to be inherent to low backpressure suppressors (kinda like it is for tubeless cans), or if other designs do much better. This issue can be mitigated with the use of a suppressor cover, though I suppose the front end will still be exposed to a certain extent. This is also a fairly niche concern, obviously, but it is a real one. Still, given how much cheaper the FLOW 556k is, especially with pro deal, I would strongly consider it a viable candidate if it's between that and the two SureFire options for most normal civilian applications.

It appears to be that while the RC3 has significant flash when using Warcomps, it is much, much better in terms of flash reduction if using something with the labyrinth seal, with the flash hiders being the recommended choice by SureFire, while muzzle brakes seem to also do quite well anecdotally. I'm sure that more testing will come out.

Even with a rifle tuned specifically for suppressed use, the RC3 can have some advantages over the RC2; the higher backpressure may be mitigated to a certain extent by a smaller gas port, AGB, etc., but there will always be a higher pressure within the bore, which will still allow for more noxious gasses to come back to the shooter compared to a low backpressure suppressor.

[HeavyDuty]

As someone who dipped his toe into the world of supressors in the last 12 months, I always find the absolute lack of consensus about what cans and mounts to be fascinating. I made certain choices and am living with them; I would probably pick differently for the first can if I did it again but it’s working fine.

[wolf76]

If I may jump into this conversation, What if you do care about signature reduction? Is the HUXWRX FLOW 556k still a viable option? Or should I look at the Surefire SOCOM RC-2 with a 3 or 4 prong? The Surefire RC-3 sounded like the answer until the internet told me that its signature reduction is supposed to be similar to a flame thrower. I don't know how true that is, but I have seen the cost of the RC-3 and it's painful.

Take a look at the KAC CRS/PRT if visual signature is a concern: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?220036-New-KAC-Suppressors-Pressure-Reduction-Technology/page3, https://www.forces.net/technology/weapons-and-kit/ks-1-all-gen-british-army-and-royal-marines-new-rifle

Although this video is not done IAW a scientific protocol and is thus still subjective, shooting the PRT suppressor under NODS looks really impressive on this guy's camera, the first round flash is less noticeable compared to many competing models and the PRT is managing the heat better than a lot of competing suppressor models: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH2OmUZK7eQ.

[zaitcev]

If you could start over what would you do?

I would start with 16 inch and no pin and weld. You're aren't winning enough length (or shortness, if you will) to offset the lack of options during your period of learning.

World's leading militaries experiment with this, why shouldn't you?

Of course they have vast reserves of taxpayer money. But remember that on an AR with non-proprietary barrel nut and gas tuibe arrangement, you can swap the barrel alone later. That reduces your financial risk.

[Cdub_NW]

I hear good things. Cdub_NW has this combo I think?

Yes, I have this combo on three uppers, 2x 12.5" 13.9" uppers

[Wake27]

After having been burned by buying the latest hotness, I will likely be sticking with Surefire and TBAC from now on.

If the upper will be used primarily with the can, I'd go with a brake (acts as a sacrificial 1st baffle and prolongs can life). If the upper will be shot a lot without the can, I'd go with a flash hider because brakes are harsh on anyone nearby.

This is something that I've been worried about with cans and is one of the biggest reasons I've bought KAC and SureFire. I remember a Shot Show a few years ago where they called it "year of the suppressor" because there were so many new options. If there's one thing I don't want to gamble on, its and NFA item. Dead Air is coming under a lot of fire for issues and before Hux (formerly OSS, why the rebranding?), DA was the new hotness that everyone had to have.

I'm pretty confident that SF and KAC aren't going anywhere and I've had great interactions with their CS before. Plus those things have been tested to hell.

Between 14.5 and 16, I go 14.5 pinned all day. Size matters, and I want as short as legally possible, especially with a can on it.

Muzzle devices is one of the reasons I like KAC over SF. KAC's three prong is great, SureFire's is long AF and rings. Whether that matters to you is obviously subjective, but the three prong is their best option IMO. The Warcomps have some weirdness to them, mostly covered already. KAC's brake has been unattainable for a while so that's less ideal, and even when it was available, it was expensive AF. KAC's new cans also replaced their old ones which may or may not be good. SureFire gives you the option of RC2 with more blowback and better signature reduction or RC3 for flow through.

At the end of the day, SF SOCOM with a three prong pinned and welded is the easy button answer. It may be a bit gassy in heavy fire but there are workarounds for that. KAC if you're feeling real gucci and can find them.

[Poconnor]

With the current quick returns on Form 4 approvals I traded a bunch of safe Queen guns for a gaggle of silencers.
Trying to determine which muzzle device was more difficult than picking out the cans.
A surefire RC-2 was relatively easy. Surefire can uses a Surefire muzzle device. I picked the Surefire three prong flash hider.
Direct thread was the easy answer for my bolt actions.
For my AR-15s I wanted to be able to quickly mount my Otter Creek Labs Polonium K 5.56 on different ARs.
I went with Rearden Flash hiders and Rearden Atlas / Plan B Hub adapters.

I just ordered a 6315RF a Plan B compatible flash suppressor / compensator sound suppressor mount, a collaboration is between Revival Defense https://www.revivaldefense.com/ and Forward Controls Design. This is a tapered A2 style Flash hider.

In my short foray into suppressors I learned that silencers that can use the hub/ plan B tapered mounts are the easy button for mounting and swapping to different rifles.

Otter Creek Labs silencers have impressive performance especially for the price point.

When starting out think about getting a 30 cal can for your first 5.56.

I wish I had bought silencers decades ago

[Poconnor]

Delete

[Oldherkpilot]

I wish I had bought silencers decades ago

Amen, although I suspect I'd be living in a van down by the river by now if I had.

I'm a newer member of the suppressor club, but I'm very pleased with the Rex Silentium MG7 I took home two weeks ago. It's a .358 so I can use it on my AR, my 9mm pistol (w/booster) and my .308 rifle. I can't believe I waited so long to get on board with the hush kits.