How many sbr owners without suppressors?

[Eurodriver]

I didn't know whether to make a new thread or post here, hopefully someone gets some use out of this.

I've always been curious about the difference between an SBR and a suppressed SBR in weight and maneuverability. Unfortunately, for the longest time I only had one real SBR which was a dedicated suppressed setup. My others were 12.5" "do-it-alls" not easily compared.

I did some objective and subjective measuring of my newest 11.5" LW and compared it to my trusty 10.3".

The first rifle is

BCM 11.5" LW upper
10" KMR Rail
Aimpoint T1 in Larue Mount
Troy F/R BUIS
Surefire M300 in an IWC mount
IWC QD sling mount
Midwest Industries Rail Panels
BCM VG KM

Magpul CTR
BCM Gunfighter Grip
Standard H Buffer
VCAS Sling

It is 7lbs 1oz and 27.75" long as pictured.



The second rifle is
DD 10.3" w/ AAC Muzzle Brake
9" Centurion Rail
M4-2000
Aimpoint T1 in Larue Mount
Troy F/R Buis
Aimpoint T1
Surefire M300 in Gear Sector mount
Larue Index clips
Magpul RVG Foregrip

Magpul CTR
A5 Buffer assembly
BCM Gunfighter grip
VCAS Sling

It is 8lbs 11oz and 32" long as pictured.

(my scale stops working at 7lbs 8oz or something ridiculous )



I should begin by saying I'm a bit biased. I have shot a ton of rounds through my suppressed AR. At least 10,000. I've had it for years and it runs and runs. However, the 11.5" is really growing on me. I was running drills all day today and I still really preferred the suppressed AR. The weight difference isn't that noticable, which is remarkable considering the 11.5" is probably the lightest quality setup on the market. The suppressed AR seems to have less muzzle climb as well. I know if I threw a battlecomp on the 11.5" this would swing in the opposite direction, but the benefit of sound reduction is always going to lie with the suppressed AR and that is something worth making sacrifices for.

Surprisingly, in their current respective configurations, the suppressed AR seems much more practical (Fully admitting here that there were no vehicle ops or extremely close up engagement scenarios) There is a lot that goes into having a quieter gun. Much easier to communicate, less "distraction" of teammates having muzzle blast in your face and I did not notice any significant downsides. I say significant because there are a few. Namely, they are that you have an 800* furnace on the end of your muzzle. Transitioning to your secondary requires, umm, "luck" in not searing clothing, teammates, or anything else. While we should always be aware of where our muzzles are pointing, you'll quickly find out that doesn't necessarily coincide with where your muzzles are when it's acting like a light saber.