Will (Slippers) brought up a good point in another thread regarding differences in the Surefire SOCOM MDs. That is, that the muzzle brake and the flash hider have labyrinth seals and the warcomps and closed-tine FH do not. I don't think most people have noticed this.
After using the closed-tine warcomp and CT FH, I have decided that they aren't good suppressor hosts because they don't seal as well as the brake or open FH. Not that the latter two seal wonderfully; they don't, and the SOCOM suppressors still get stuck. However, I have found the devices without the seals to be noticeably worse than those with the seals/rings.
Additionally, I have found that the holes in the warcomps contribute considerably to the suppressor getting stuck after prolonged firing (approx 200rds or more without removing suppressor).
I'm interested in the observations of others.
Also mentioned in the other thread was a question about blast baffles in the devices to act as sacrificial baffles for a suppressor. Each of the SOCOM-compatable devices has a restricted orifice (baffle) - including the FH. They are not open/unrestricted such as a NATO FH is. The brake is the only device that has more than one of these baffles.
**To me, QD means quick (a few seconds) detach and without tools, even (especially) after prolonged firing.**
Having used the SOCOM suppressors and mounts extensively I have determined that I don't care for them. They are not QD, even using oil/grease on the mating surfaces. I think there are better QD mounts available. The suppressor itself is durable but I don't consider it QD when I have to shoot it off with a blank (or live round).
I prefer the NT-4 and Griffin M4SD type mounts because they are repeatable and truly QD. The devices are short/same length as a NATO FH. The mechanism on the suppressor is relatively short as well. My experience shows they generally (not always) have more POI shift than the SOCOM set up, but not enough to be a problem. The QD benefit is well worth the trade. (Yes, Griffin makes some longer devices designed to bring a 14.5" barrel to 16+".)
I also have experience with the Dead Air Key-Mo QD devices and find them to be excellent. They have solid and repeatable lock-up, and actually are QD. I don't like how long the devices and mount are, but feel that's a small price to pay for the function.
I know there are other QD systems out there but I have little to no experience with them. I would particularly like input from hard users of the KAC QD mounts and suppressors.
Bookmarks