Suppressor Recommendation?

[Robert Mitchum]

Purpose for my home defense AR 15 that will only be used with a can for the what if.
Not for long range sessions have other rifles for range use.

The AR is a DDM4 V7 SLW; Barrel Length 14.5" MUZZLE DEVICE: Pinned and Welded Daniel Defense Flash Suppressor, Extended, 17-4 PH Stainless Steel,

Don't care about weight. I know you still need plugs in your ears in a house.
Thanks for any info!

[Bolt_Overide]

I currently have a Dead Air Sierra 5 on my main SBR, good can, quite compact. The CAT WB is getting very good reviews, but I have no personal experience, as soon as it transfers I will be switching to a Dead Air Lazarus 6.

[JRB]

Doubtful that there's any option at all that works without getting rid of your P&W muzzle device.

Pull the upper. Remove the P&W muzzle device.
Buy and complete the paperwork on an Otter Creek Polonium, Polonium-K, or Ecco Machine five-by-five. Add the P&W muzzle device needed to 'make it make sense' with your suppressor purchase.

Shoot it a bunch with duty ammo, consider a BRT E-Z Tune gas tube to make everything match your suppressor + ammo combo.

[Robert Mitchum]

Doubtful that there's any option at all that works without getting rid of your P&W muzzle device.

Pull the upper. Remove the P&W muzzle device.
Buy and complete the paperwork on an Otter Creek Polonium, Polonium-K, or Ecco Machine five-by-five. Add the P&W muzzle device needed to 'make it make sense' with your suppressor purchase.

Shoot it a bunch with duty ammo, consider a BRT E-Z Tune gas tube to make everything match your suppressor + ammo combo.

Primary Arms sells them I get a discount on their site they are out of stock ... going to give them a call and see when to expect them in.
I am not going to scan the earth looking for the A number one suppressor for my simple needs seems a lot of people like the Otter Creek Polonium.
Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

[Robert Mitchum]

I currently have a Dead Air Sierra 5 on my main SBR, good can, quite compact. The CAT WB is getting very good reviews, but I have no personal experience, as soon as it transfers I will be switching to a Dead Air Lazarus 6.

Primary Arms sells them I get a discount on their site.
Dead Air Armament is listed some are out of stock some in ... going to do a little research.
Thanks for taking the time trying to help me.

[JRB]

Primary Arms sells them I get a discount on their site they are out of stock ... going to give them a call and see when to expect them in.
I am not going to scan the earth looking for the A number one suppressor for my simple needs seems a lot of people like the Otter Creek Polonium.
Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Hansohn Brothers has the Polonium and Polonium-K in stock. Plus they're P-F people! They'll get you squared away with whatever you need:
https://hansohnbrothers.com/shop/?_sft_product_cat=223-caliber

[TGS]

Robert Mitchum

Your muzzle device is incompatible with suppressor use. Griffin Armament makes a couple different options to mount directly to A2 birdcages, even suppressors with oversized bores for the purpose of being attached to A2 birdcages that are mounted with washers instead of shims. The problem is that since yours is P&W'd, that process usually distorts the surface of wherever the P&W took place...thus, it's no longer an in-spec muzzle device, so the Griffin suppressor may not be able to mate correctly.

I'd caution against being blasé with your purchasing decision, or refusal to set up your rifle correctly. Your rifle will be wicked over-gassed if you just throw a Polonium on it. This isn't a matter of trying to find the bestest suppressor with what you might feel are meaningless features that you don't care about. This is about making your rifle function correctly, and using a super gassy suppressor indoors specifically for self defense isn't really a great idea (ever try shooting with tear gas in your eyes?). This isn't about being a tough guy......hot carbon gas can and will cause an involuntary response with the exposed tissues around your eyes.

You didn't mention price being a concern, but rather it seems like you want a simple-button answer. Buy a flow-through suppressor, which will minimize gassiness. Surefire RC3, Huxwrx Flow556k, or even a cheaper reduced back-pressure suppressor like a Griffin Eco-Flo series (ex: Dual-Lok 5) or even a YHM Turbo K-RB.

The Polonium is gathering a lot of popularity right now for its decibel rating. In virtually every other category, it's not good match for your described use.

[HeavyDuty]

I’m a suppressor newbie, but I agree with TGS - look at lower back pressure options. I went with a YHM T3 on their sRx mount system and have been happy with the results on 11.5” and up carbines. I’m not sure how it compares to a Turbo K-RB but the T3 is marketed as reduced backpressure. Getting a faceful of gas ain’t no fun.

One problem I’ve noticed about getting suppressor recommendations is a lot of confirmation bias, as an analyst that drives me nuts. (Hell, I’m doing it here too.) But, I would trust the suppressor related experience of fellow P-F members over most other online resources.

[TGS]

I’m a suppressor newbie, but I agree with TGS - look at lower back pressure options. I went with a YHM T3 on their sRx mount system and have been happy with the results on 11.5” and up carbines. I’m not sure how it compares to a Turbo K-RB but the T3 is marketed as reduced backpressure. Getting a faceful of gas ain’t no fun.

One problem I’ve noticed about getting suppressor recommendations is a lot of confirmation bias, as an analyst that drives me nuts. (Hell, I’m doing it here too.) But, I would trust the suppressor related experience of fellow P-F members over most other online resources.

The funny thing is that they released the Polonium at the perfect time......when everyone else was releasing flow-through and reduced backpressure designs, with one of the selling points being reduced noise suppression at the shooter's ear due to reduced port pop. OCL basically took the characteristics of a 30 year old suppressor, fine tuned it with technical knowledge gained over the last 10 years in particular to make it slightly quieter at the muzzle while still being lightweight, then sold it as something entirely new and different, and capitalized it as being so quiet at the muzzle even though the current trend is to recognize that 5.56 cans aren't hearing safe no matter what, and that flow-through cans with higher DB ratings at the muzzle actually tend to be quiter than cans like the Polonium at the shooter's ear.

To quote Anthony Bourdain, "It's not old fish, it's a whole new thing! And the best part is, they don't realize they're eating 3 day old Halibut."

I'm not hating on Otter Creek, just so ya'll know. I own an OCM-5, which is great.


Cans are all about trade-offs and understanding those is more important than with most other things because selling a can you learned not to like is a PITA. John Thomas at RAW or D. Wilson can both remove a p/w muzzle device. Flow through cans make a lot of sense but have their own downsides (mostly signature). I strongly prefer known quantities in this area so the SF Socom RC2 and Mini2 get my vote, with the Mini2 in the lead since it’s going on a full size gun. It will still be loud, but it takes the edge off, is durable as hell, and has ok gas blowback. It is not a flow through or low pressure design by any means but it’s far from the worst design and if you find it terrible, then you can start tuning with something like the BRT tube or just get an RC3 as TGS said.

What is the OPs use case, as he listed?

Signature reduction is very valuable to an infantryman setting up an ambush.

Is signature reduction valuable in civilian home defense use case?

[Wake27]

Cans are all about trade-offs and understanding those is more important than with most other things because selling a can you learned not to like is a PITA. John Thomas at RAW or D. Wilson can both remove a p/w muzzle device. Flow through cans make a lot of sense but have their own downsides (mostly signature). I strongly prefer known quantities in this area so the SF Socom RC2 and Mini2 get my vote, with the Mini2 in the lead since it’s going on a full size gun. It will still be loud, but it takes the edge off, is durable as hell, and has ok gas blowback. It is not a flow through or low pressure design by any means but it’s far from the worst design and if you find it terrible, then you can start tuning with something like the BRT tube or just get an RC3 as TGS said.

My RC2 usually sits on my 11.5 Super Duty and while that’s not a super gassy gun, I usually don’t even notice the gas. I don’t know the port size on your barrel but since it’s a presumably longer system, you might not notice it at all. My 13.9 Criterion Core with Mini2 was my favorite setup (with no noticeable gas to face) until the barrel started giving me problems.

[Wake27]

The funny thing is that they released the Polonium at the perfect time......when everyone else was releasing flow-through and reduced backpressure designs, with one of the selling points being reduced noise suppression at the shooter's ear due to reduced port pop. OCL basically took the characteristics of a 30 year old suppressor, fine tuned it with technical knowledge gained over the last 10 years in particular to make it slightly quieter at the muzzle while still being lightweight, then sold it as something entirely new and different, and capitalized it as being so quiet at the muzzle even though the current trend is to recognize that 5.56 cans aren't hearing safe no matter what, and that flow-through cans with higher DB ratings at the muzzle actually tend to be quiter than cans like the Polonium at the shooter's ear.

To quote Anthony Bourdain, "It's not old fish, it's a whole new thing! And the best part is, they don't realize they're eating 3 day old Halibut."

I'm not hating on Otter Creek, just so ya'll know. I own an OCM-5, which is great.


What is the OPs use case, as he listed?

Signature reduction is very valuable to an infantryman setting up an ambush.

Is signature reduction valuable in civilian home defense use case?


That’s ultimately up to him to decide, but it is for me, though to a smaller extent than many other things. Flash is less of a problem with good SD rounds but even with auditory exclusion, a tiny bit quieter won’t hurt, especially since I want a shorter can which will already be loud. I understand that a flow through design will likely have a louder report. Plus, the flow through Mini variant isn’t on the market yet and the whole RC3 is still pretty new. I’m not saying don’t get it, so much as I’m saying that I wouldn’t for now. But I’d still take the RC3 over anything else recommended by others here and will likely get the full size and mini variants down the road.

Speaking of, I wouldn’t touch Dead Air. They were popular for a while though I never really understood why. Last I looked, which was maybe 12ish months ago, they were having notable problems with one of their models and huge CS hang ups apparently. The whole episode was a really good example of why I prefer to stick with “gold standards” for suppressors.

[PearTree]

As others have you said you will need a new muzzle device in order to run your current setup with a suppressor. D Wilson can change it out for you. I can attest they do excellent work. If you want to go that route, I recommend replacing with a Liberty precision machine pin/weld muzzle device and their new duty 556 can. It is considerably less back pressure than the polonium and a good price.

If you plan on getting a new upper or new barrel, the easiest plug and play option is a huxwrx 556k.

[psalms144.1]

Just because I love to pile on to good advice - do your research and do this right the first time. I'm on an NFA gun trust with a buddy, and when he moved on from his first AAC can, he put his muzzle device on my IWI Zion and threw the AAC on there. The gun is so gassy it's barely shootable, and needs long, intense detailed cleaning after every range trip because of the filth that gets thrown back into the upper. Never seen anything like it. In fact, after cleaning the rifle a couple of weeks ago, I took him his can back and said "thanks, but no thanks."

Yes, it's much louder now, especially shooting under overhead cover, but it's worth not eating a faceful of gas with every shot.

[Robert Mitchum]

Thanks for the great advice ... I am in no rush and money is not a problem for the right set up.
I am totally clueless on Suppressor, but I will not jump into a bad decision.
Just from the responses I now realize this is not one size fits all.
Thanks, guys, for the help!

[RealSelf]

I'd put a vote in for B&T Print-X SRBS Ti or Inconel if you plan to push it fast/hard. The Ti should be plenty durable though for most uses and very lightweight. Also you can get an A2 hub adapter that MAY fit your existing muzzle device but probably not going to work as it's proprietary and not quite A2 though similar. I really cannot fathom DD using this type of muzzle device on a pinned barrel, I guess it makes sense for users who will never suppress but these days it's getting very common. The SRBS suppressor legitimately can claim to have zero impact on bolt carrier velocity/rate and has very minimal blowback while having good suppression overall. Great company to deal with as well in general and they've been in the suppressor game a LONG time and stand behind everything 100%.

[TWR]

I’ll just add my limited experience with my HuxWrx Flow 556K.

1. It comes with a flash hider with a hole already drilled for P&W.
2. I’ve ran it on my 18” Criterion, 16” Criterion, 16” Sionics, 16” Colt and my 11.5” Colt. It did not change ejection patterns on any gun and I didn’t do anything different to the guns.
3. I shoot a bit at night and the flash signature is not an issue on the longer guns, I haven’t shot the 11.5” at night to see how it is.
4. I run Geissele Airborne CH’s and do not get any gas to my face, even shooting left handed.
5. The sound signature is greatly reduced on the longer barrels, maybe not OSHA ear safe but quieter than most kids run their car stereo’s. The 11.5” is tolerable even under an awning.
6. Huxwrx has come out with suppressor sauce that is supposed to make cleaning easy and safe. Of course that should work on any can.

I have yet to see a downside.

[psalms144.1]

Another point - you said you were not concerned about weight so much. I will tell you from my AAC experience that hanging a 18 ounce + suppressor at the end of a 16" barreled AR makes for a very unbalanced, nose heavy (and just plain heavy) rifle.

For ME, the question is what is the purpose of this suppressor? If it's for HD use, it'll be quieter than non-suppressed (*duh*), but nowhere near ear safe. It'll also add significant length to your rifle, which becomes problematic indoors.

If your HD plan is to bunker in place, neither of those issues are bad things. If you're thinking your HD scenario may be more "dynamic" it might become an issue.

When I was on a protection detail, we had Mk18s as our primary carbines. When we would go to the Sims shoot house (once a month), we only had 16" Sims uppers, and you would be shocked and awed to know how many times we punched those extra 5+" of barrel length through doors and catastrophically into other obstacles in the house. It made a very big difference to my team of federal agents, SOF members, and active duty MP types.

[Oldherkpilot]

Have you considered putting your future hush kit on a braced AR pistol? An 11.5" barrel with suppressor nearly eliminates the extended overall length. I put a RifleShooter adjustable gas block on mine so I can dial down the gas as required. This is all a PITA but its also damn interesting chasing down options. Good luck on your quest.

[HeavyDuty]

I have to agree - a reasonable sized suppressor on a 11.5” is about my ideal configuration.

[Robert Mitchum]

Have you considered putting your future hush kit on a braced AR pistol? An 11.5" barrel with suppressor nearly eliminates the extended overall length. I put a RifleShooter adjustable gas block on mine so I can dial down the gas as required. This is all a PITA but its also damn interesting chasing down options. Good luck on your quest.

O God yes that sounds like a winner!
Been looking at 11.5" but never put that with a suppressor in my mind.
The more that sinks in the more it sounds right.

Thanks !