Welcome back everyone. It’s Saturday which means it’s time for our weekly discussion of silencers and related information for those who like to make shooting a more enjoyable sport. Today’s headline has a bit of a double meaning. First, the barriers to entry for a potential suppressor customer feels quite large. For someone who is used to filling out 4473 paperwork at the gun counter and walking out with their new gun, the forms are daunting, the wait time feels tortuous, the extra $200 is expensive and the ownership regulations appear tedious. Of course, for those that have been through the ATF Form 4 process previously, most of the above concerns no longer exist – it’s a lot easier than it appears.

Point being, if you know someone who wants to get into shooting and owning suppressors but is staying out for any of the above reasons, make a point to walk them through every step of the process. We need all the legal and responsible silencer owners we can get these days.

Breaking The Sound Barriers:

Avoiding a political discussion, the past two weeks has been a difficult time for both gun owners and non owners alike. While it’s not exactly my style to attempt to alter someone’s opinion on a particular topic, especially during emotional times, it does remind me of the deep valley that exists between beliefs and reality.

For instance, there as an overwhelming misunderstanding among the non-shooting crowd that silencers/suppressors somehow make firearms more deadly. And frankly, I normally wouldn’t care, except for the fact that these incorrect beliefs are attempting to alter the perception of ownership of silencers in the United States. Instead of a path towards deregulation, we are facing the potential for additional hurdles for items that are little more than miniaturized dirt bike mufflers

If you’ll allow me a little personal leeway for a moment: silencers on centerfire firearms shooting supersonic ammunition are still LOUD. ‘Damage your hearing’ type of loud. Subsonic centerfire ammunition is somewhat quieter, but is still far from what Hollywood movies portray. And last, but not least, yes subsonic rimfire ammunition is quiet when suppressed, but terminal energy levels for these projectiles are equal to most modern day air rifles.

Obviously, people are always entitled to their own beliefs, but using factually incorrect arguments to prevent ownership of a tube and some washers is dishonest.

I’ll end my discussion here to avoid violating our ‘Firearms Not Politics’ motto.

Rimfire Silencer Cleaning:

Unjacketed bullets like lead and copper washed rimfire rounds can make a mess out of a silencer in short order. Thankfully, the majority of .22LR cans are user serviceable, meaning shooters that push a few bricks through their host/suppressor combos can strip them down for cleaning before they get sealed up tight. Unfortunately, the process to remove lead and powder residue from baffles and other parts can take a lot of scraping and polishing.

In partnership with Brownells, I recently had the chance to produce a TFB Mod Minute how-to video on the use of a Lyman Turbo Sonic 6000 ultrasonic cleaner. This setup makes quick work of a dirty silencer and was surprised I haven’t ventured into the world of ultrasonic cleaning before now. No matter which make or model cleaner you decide on, I think ultrasonic is well work the investment for suppressed rimfire shooters.*

* Some materials like aluminum are not suitable for ultrasonic cleaning. Check the specifications before use.

National Firearms Act (NFA) firearms distributor, Silencer Shop wants to let everyone know that their website will be down this weekend as they implement a full upgrade. Customers and dealers alike will have better control of orders and inventory as well as a more uniform approach to reviews, information and available suppressors. Let’s see how it looks and feels on Monday.

Here are some screenshots of the new site ahead of the release:

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Detroit Ammunition – Subsonic 12 Gauge –

https://detroitammoco.com/product/subsonic-12-gauge-2-34-00-buck-12-pellets-box-of-5/

On the way from Detroit Ammo is some subsonic 12 gauge shotgun shells in both slug and buck variety. I’m going to pair them up with my Remington 870 Short Barreled Shotgun (TFB POTD) and 870 TAC14 (TFB Review) with a SilencerCo Salvo suppressor. This should be fun.

Published on Jan 26, 2018

Evan from Griffin Armament talks about some of their new products, the Optimus Micro and the new General Purpose line of suppressors.

Published on Jan 26, 2018

CZ-USA had a number of new products for this year, most importantly their additions to the Scorpion both on the LE and civilian markets. The company is also introducing reflex suppressors that are direct thread to their rifles and Scorpion line.