My last day at SHOT I finally got to stop by one of my last vendors, Gemtech. Even near the end of the show, their huge booth was still packed with hardly any room to spare.
The new products that were being showcased at SHOT include The Arrow (and the Arrow’s 3-Lug QD muzzle brake) and their new Suppressed Bolt Carrier.
So shooting suppressed, while having a number of benefits, also can cause some issues for you, especially if you are over-gassed (fun things like blowback and mega-dirty actions). And that is one of the reasons that adjustable gas blocks have become a thing. Gemtech has come up with a pretty interesting idea. They have engineered a bolt carrier that has an adjustable vent. With the flip of a switch you can choose between suppressed and unsuppressed modes without having to make more complex modifications (like installing an adjustable gas block or different buffers). The selector itself is on the side opposite the ejection port and cannot accidentally flip while the bolt is installed in the rifle. They offer the new bolt carrier in 5.56 and 7.62 configurations (will not fit Armalite AR-10).
The other new offering is a large bore suppressor, in 338 Lapua Magnum to be specific, with their new 3-lug quick detach muzzle brake system. The suppressor is made of titanium and 7075 aluminum and is finished in black (and tan) cerakote. It is a full 12 inches in length and 27 ounces. If you don’t want to use the QD version, you can directly thread the Arrow onto your barrel. The housing was designed to dissipate heat to reduce mirage (the rep said they are seeing a reduction over twice as many rounds fired, somewhere near 6 rounds). With the suppressor installed on their test rifles (I forgot to get the specs) they were only seeing a 1/4 MOA shift. Additionally, you can use their “Blast Jacket” with the muzzle brake.