SBR suppressor advice

[Leaveammoforme]

I went with a Sandman K for an 11.5". I swapped out the end cap for the 5.56 flash hider cap which lowered flash drastically compared to the factory .30 end cap.

I started with the flash hider muzzle device. A few (sarcarsm) rounds later I started noticing wear on the blast baffle. I swapped to the brake muzzle device since I shoot that rifle 100% suppressed anyways.

Goal for the rifle was to be shorter and quieter than a 16" gun. It does that beautifully.

Don't compromise on the goal for your rifle over a few hundos difference but...... the Sandman line does come factory with a free Keymo!

[HCrum87hc]

I don't have any experience with the Surefire cans, but wanted to reiterate that before you buy anything, check out Pewscience.com. There's tons of good info there. You can also check them out on IG or their podcast for even more info.

[Alex V]

According to pewscience.com, which is a resource that anyone looking at a suppressor should absolutely utilize, the sandman S has slightly less back pressure than the Socom7.62 Rc2, but the Socom is quieter at the ear and at the muzzle.

Attachment 65924

Good info but I don't know if comparing the SOCOM 7.62 RC2 with the SandmanS is apples to apples. The 762RC2 is 8.4" long, SandmanS is 6.8". Perhaps it would be better to compare it with the SandmanL which is 8.9" long and weights almost the same, in which case it has more suppression and back pressure than the 762RC2

[1168]

OP, if you don’t feel like reading the rest of this, just get a Surefire. They are the 6920 of rifle cans. They have been tested.

Good info but I don't know if comparing the SOCOM 7.62 RC2 with the SandmanS is apples to apples. The 762RC2 is 8.4" long, SandmanS is 6.8". Perhaps it would be better to compare it with the SandmanL which is 8.9" long and weights almost the same, in which case it has more suppression and back pressure than the 762RC2

Often overlooked by people advocating for giant 7.62 cans, saying they sound just as good with less backpressure. Well, yeah. Its huge. That path is of course still just as valid as mine, as long as you understand the tradeoffs.

As for Dead Air, I think most people will be very happy with a Sandman S. Everyone I know that has one, is. Many of my friends do own a Sandman or two. I personally own a Mask and an Odessa, and I am quite happy with them. They were not my most anticipated cans, but at this point, I think starting with these would have been great. I was going to buy a second Mask, but then I discovered that QDs exist. I’ll probably still buy a second one at some point.

With that said, I think we all know that marketing is something they specialize in, alongside designing. As such, it is no surprise that they have released “contract overruns” or that their cans have been seen in pictures with some dudes that are considered to be flashy in comparison to the rest of the SOF community. One of which looks staged, to me. I’m not saying that to knock anyone. It is what it is. Dead Air is a good company, and I’m happy that they are around. Some of you probably remember me saying that a Sandman would make a good .mil can, and I’m not taking that back. But, they are not KAC or Surefire, in the context of military contracts. This can be a good thing, for consumers, also. For example, they cost less than a KAC. I think they will continue to do great things, and I think they will only get better.

Mistwolf brought up Rex Silentium. I have three of their cans, with more in my future. The vast majority would be very satisfied with these. I absolutely LOVE mine. The only concern I would bring up is the stainless blast baffle. Mine are too new for me to say if this will become a problem, but I don’t think its a huge deal, particularly on my 12” and longer SBRs that I bought them for. In exchange for living with the possibility of wearing out the blast baffle, I’m getting a can that is inexpensive and very light, and performs as advertised. Obviously I’m cool with that, since the second I saw one in person I decided that I was getting several.

Someone brought up the Turbo. The YHM cans punch well above their weight. You would be foolish to not consider them. They don’t do a lot of flashy guerrilla marketing, they just design and make exceptionally great cans instead. I would go so far as to say that in the same lengths, bores, and diameters, they are better than most cans of twice their cost. In the ways that matter to 99.999999% of people here, a YHM can with a ~1.25 long Keymo is equivalent in length and performance to many of the other cans being discussed, and weighs less. It will likely contain a half pound of filth or more well before anyone here without a Mk46 finds its durability limits. I use my own Turbo K with a Plan A, because the point of it in my case was to just be short, but I have found that there is more to it than that. I’d not hesitate to chuck it on a Mk18 with a Keymo, but would probably go with the non-k version.

I also enjoy my Griffin cans, both of which have done a year on a SBR. However, I find myself gravitating to lighter 1.375 mount cans these days. But even if the NFA wasn’t a thing, they would not be for sale. I have friends with other model Griffin cans that we like, as well.

KAC does not eff around. Pretty much whatever they make is the best of its type at the time of its release. Paging @F2S

As for IR glow, there is a difference in chasing low/no light CAPABILITY, and thinking you’re going to ninja head-to-head on equal footing with government actors. In fact, in the 17 years that I have been using rifle silencers professionally, I never really gave it much thought, despite being in the group of people that might have that concern. Because, that concern is a huge stretch unless you are on a small team that has to break contact and then E&E from people with IR/NIR/Thermal capes. The second you start shooting again, the glow isn’t your biggest problem.

Edit: don’t forget about Rugged. I don’t have any, but everyone seems to like them. I’ll have access to some, shortly.

[Leaveammoforme]

What is the RC2 baffle stack compromised of? Website just says "high-temp alloy" and stainless.

[WickedWillis]

I use the older Surefire SOCOM on my 11.5" BCM and have been happy with it. It is heavy, but mounting is a breeze and I do like the ratcheting mounting system. Got it on sale a few years back for $500 shipped, and for what I paid, think it's incredible.

[Leonidas24]

What is the RC2 baffle stack compromised of? Website just says "high-temp alloy" and stainless.

Inconel 718.

[Warp]

I went Surefire because of that keyword people keep using...rugged. Also durable.

These things are basically a lifetime purchase, with potentially questionable future sourcing of replacements/upgrades. I want something that is as Surefire as possible to go the distance. The RC2 is proven as all hell and as much as we can be sure of anything like this, Surefire is a good bet to be around for service.

[okie]

Well if you put a six inch suppressor on a ten inch barrel the report will be about the same as an unsuppressed sixteen inch barrel.

Okay that's a slight exaggeration, but I think it's probably pretty close to the truth. No matter what, SBRs just seem to be LOUD. I think the port pop is somewhat responsible for that since they eject at higher pressures, and of course the back pressure from the suppressor is just going to make that even louder still. That can be mitigated somewhat but it's always going to be there.

With that in mind, my own personal fetish is for K cans on SBRs. Since they're never going to be quiet or anywhere near hearing safe, it seems logical to try to tame them without turning them into muskets. My hope is that it tames them enough to rule out or at least dramatically reduce the possibility of actually rupturing an eardrum if I ever have to use the thing in self defense. I have fired a shot from my Mk18 with a 4 inch can on it, without hearing protection, and it wasn't that bad. Granted this was out in the open, but in my best estimation it wouldn't be enough to do serious harm even indoors. It sounds a lot like an unsuppressed Glock 19 to me, maybe even a little bit quieter.

Keep in mind, though, this was direct thread, so all four inches is actual suppressor. It also has a real first baffle with clips, vs. most cans that have a flat, unclipped first baffle to reduce impact shift. I've seen a lot of K cans dissected that were only maybe two inches of actual suppressor after you factor in the whole QD muzzle break and everything. You lose a lot of volume, but more importantly effective suppression length. Each real baffle with effective clipping bends the laminar column slightly, causing it to go down into the baffles instead of straight out the bore. The longer the can, and the more length of clipped baffles it goes through, the more gas you can strip off and throw down into the baffles. The shorter the can, the more escapes unprocessed.

I don't feel like I've lost anything though going that route. It's lighter for one. You also have a reduced possibility for baffle strikes since it's a semi permanent fixture. You have to basically think of it as a muzzle device. As for the impact shift, that's also not a big deal if you're not taking it on and off. If you leave it on full time, and sight it in with the can on, no longer a problem. Plus it's an SBR with a red dot, so not exactly like I'm taking precise shots with it. It's minute of man at any distance I can reliably hit offhand.

[MegademiC]

Sf 556 mini on 11.5 is a great combo. Its 556, the report is similar to the sonic crack.