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Thanks for coming back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday – where the most important sound is silence. Besides a few odds and ends, today we will take a look at a few manufacturers located outside of the United States. Because of U.S. importation restrictions, the sale of foreign made suppressors is limited to military, government and law enforcement customers only. The result is an interesting blend of design evolutions between countries that are somewhat independent of each other. This is mostly because firearms and their typical use cases differs between the United States and foreign countries (target and defensive setups versus hunting, military and law enforcement, for example).
While the U.S. has enjoyed massive growth in the silencer industry over the past decade, other countries have not had to deal with National Firearms Act laws, restrictions and ownership transfer wait times. In my opinion, the time it takes to manufacture a silencer and get it into the hands of a shooter – up to two years in some cases – suffocates the industry. Not only do some customers refuse to participate, but by the time most shooters get their new suppressor, the next model is ready to debut.
On the flip side of the importation argument, current restrictions prevent cheap foreign-made silencers and silencer parts from entering the market. Given the choice between a $500 rifle silencer and a $50 rifle silencer from AliExpress for example, many new shooters might opt for an inexpensive, heavy and possibly out of spec, silencer to start their collection. Not that I am in favor of these regulations, it’s just something to consider.
Because U.S laws are unlikely to change in the near future, we will just have to keep dreaming of an alternate reality where silencers and silencer parts can be bought and sold from around the world – for better or worse.
SILENCER SATURDAY #7: The Sound Of Silence
Silencer Shop and SilencerCo Update:
It looks as if whatever was causing the delay of Silencer Shop carrying SilencerCo products is finally over. An email went out last week stating that most of SiCo’s products were in stock and available for purchase. Even the new Chimera *cough* Saker *cough* is listed on Silencer Shop’s website. (I kid, I kid, don’t be so serious).
MINNEAPOLIS PD SELECTED OSS SUPPRESSORS FOR SUPER BOWL SECURITY
Millcreek UT – OSS Suppressors LLC is proud to announce the City of Minneapolis Police Department contracted and issued HX-QD 556k and HX-QD 762 suppressors to four Metro SWAT Warrant and Sniper teams. These teams were responsible for securing one of the world’s major sporting events recently held in their city – Super Bowl LII.
The selection of OSS was the culmination of an extensive 4-month evaluation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and assisted by Sentinel MN, a leading Twin Cities source of specialized firearms, optics and suppressors for law enforcement.
Sentinel MN owner Tom Huot said “our approach takes all the hype out of the process and puts quality equipment in the hands of the officers. Starting last summer, we presented a range of suppressors from over 10 manufacturers and let the teams test performance with thousands rounds.”
“We had evaluated suppressors a few at a time in the past,” said Mark Kaspszak, Minneapolis PD SWAT sniper, “and we had the opportunity to finally take a hard look at most of the major brands head to head and compare factors like sound suppression, muzzle flash, blowback, weight/length, accuracy impact, attachment mechanism, and how the suppressors impacted our SBR and precision rifles. After all that, leaders for both the Sniper teams and our Warrant teams unanimously selected OSS as the suppressor we wanted on our guns.”
“I want to thank Tom and Sentinel MN for their extensive work and professional approach” said Chris Estadt, VP of Marketing and Sales. “The Minneapolis SWAT officers were able to test the best suppressors on the market, and to individually experience the advantages of OSS’s patented Flow-Through™ technology and our new HELIX-QD 5.56 and 7.62 suppressors. We’re proud of the public servants who are dedicated to keeping our communities safe,” he said, “and we’re excited that more and more law enforcement professionals are experiencing the unmatched advantages of OSS.”
A brief look at silencer manufacturers from around the world:
Wedgetail Industries – Australia
Our products are designed and made in Australia. Our production facility in Victoria, Australia is the home of our products from prototype through to production. Our versatile production technology allows us to quickly produce prototypes and test new ideas in rapid succession right at our front door. We have shot countless rounds downrange to create great products that are practical, robust and beautiful.
Oceania Defence – New Zealand
Oceania Defence began developing a new way of manufacturing suppressors using Selective Laser Melting technology or more commonly known as 3D Metal printing available in NZ. Using patent pending methods and designs, we set out to manufacture the most advanced firearm suppressors in the world for sound reduction while weighing less than any comparable suppressor designed for long life and high volume fire.
Using powdered Titanium 6Al4V and Inconel 718, Oceania Defence created the first one piece suppressor using this technology which allows for maximizing structural strength with minimum material use since there are no threaded joints and lighter since redundant structures and wasted material from other fabrications methods are not required. The entire structure is formed as one piece ensuring complete structural integrity. Completely monolithic suppressor, not just a monolithic core, provide the strongest, most efficient design available for the least cost.
Titanium is a bit heavier than aluminiuim while being over twice the strength of stainless steel. It is extremely corrosion resistant and retains 90% of its strength at 400 degrees C making it ideal for semi auto use. Inconel 718, although not as strong as titanium at room temperature, is also corosion resistant and slightly heavier than stainless but retains most of its strength over 700 degrees C. The yield strength of Inconel at 700C is stronger than 304 SS at room temperature making it ideal for full auto use.
Suppressors provide one of the most challenging design excersises imaginable. Every feature represents a compromise in another part of the weapon system. Baffel structures are actually more complex to design than would appear at first glance. By exploiting this new technology using advanced solid modeling techniques, flow analysis and extensive testing of design iterations, Oceania Defence takes suppressor manufacturing into the 21st century by providing a design with the least compromises to ensure:
Minimal size
Minimal weight
Minimal POA POI shift
Minimal back pressure
Robust structural characteristics
ASE UTRA OY – Finland
Ase Utra Oy is one of the largest manufacturers of sound suppressors in the world.
Total suppressor manufacturing usually exceeds over 10,000 each year.
Since 1994 Ase Utra has developed and manufactured sound suppressors for the needs of
- Hunters and sport shooters
- Military and law enforcement users
- The Ase Utra sound suppressors have proven to be extremely durable and reliable products in demanding conditions.
In addition to sport shooters and hunters, Ase Utra sound suppressors are in use with law enforcement and military units in across the world.
The patented products are the result of continuous research and development.
Quality, in both operation and products, is the foundation of the company!
B&T – Switzerland
The core competence of B&T is the integration of firearms expertise and state of the art engineering into practical solutions for special military and police users. Expertise is a big word and at B&T we believe it means:
- Knowledge of the systems the operator is using
- Knowledge of what the technical benefits and limitations of the current system are
- Knowledge of what is best value for money for the customer
- Knowledge of what to propose and from where to procure it
- Knowledge of how to integrate many different current or perhaps newly designed components into a new tactical system that will meet current mission and requirements
- It does not matter what your current weapon system is, B&T has more than 300 different types of firearms in its reference collection, so we can start the development of mounts or other accessories right away.
State of the art engineering competences enable B&T to create and produce the optimal possible tactical solutions for weapon systems. When B&T started in 1991, suppressors were the first product the company produced. Users of suppressors very often needed special optical sights on their weapons, so optical sight mounts for tactical weapons soon became a second product line.
To complement this, B&T introduced a line of Tactical Rail Handguards (TRH), thus increasing the modularity of modern firearms, adapting them to accept laser sights, night vision devices, illumination systems, brass catchers and more.
Many customers would also come to us asking for suitable weapon platforms that were not available from other manufacturers. In summer 2004 B&T started to produce its own line of complete weapons, these include:
- MP9 9mm submachine gun
- APR308/338 sniper rifle
- GL06 40mm grenade launcher
- APC9 submachine gun
- APC556/APC300 police carbine
- APC223 sporting rifle
- VP9 veterinarian pistol
- SPR300 urban sniping rifle
As different as these weapons are, they all have something in common; these weapons are genuinely modular, offering many interfaces to accept all accessories that your missions may require.
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