DBFoam – One Weird Trick To Suppress A Suppressor

Using an ablative media has been a popular method to further reduce the sound signature of a suppressed rimfire or pistol caliber gun for decades. And while the technique works, it is short lived, inconvenient and messy. Well, MKS Supply out of Dayton, Ohio is now selling DBFoam – a new media that promises further reduction, extended lifespan, cleaning and lubrication and less mess.

In theory, the foam is supposed to act almost like wipes by closing off the area behind the fired round as it exists the muzzle and enters the silencer. DBFoam also says that the foam is more effective than other liquid-based ablatives because it is already in bubble form.

If I am being completely honest, I was all set up to write a sarcastic parody piece about late night infomercials, dual use as a shampoo and cost. However, I decided to do a complete 180 – MKS Supply has been nice enough to offer a couple cans of DBFoam for some honest testing.

I’m actually looking forward to giving it a shot.

MKS Supply, Inc., Dayton, OH, April 2017 – Inland Firearms, makers of the incredibly popular Inland series of M1 Carbines, offers up a suppressor foam that really works! Decibel Technologies, LLC is a subsidiary of Inland Manufacturing and dB Foam is marketed exclusively by MKS supply, LLC.

Now for the good stuff! Over the years, suppressors have been additionally muffled with the use of some “liquids.” The effect upon firing the gun is that the liquid became aerosolized and the particulates helped some to interfere with the gases and sometimes lowered the sound, but not reliably. But until now, an efficient and safe wet solution suppressor foam (already pre-aerosolized in the form of tough tiny bubbles) has not been commercially offered.

Many suppressors are pretty costly, so squirting water (little or no effect) or other liquids (some dangerous) into them is not a good idea.

dB Foam is a proprietary, low viscosity (thin), expanding water-soluble foam specifically formulated to do several things for all suppressors:

Enhance suppressor efficiency
Make the suppressor easier to clean
Help reduce internal heat
Lubricate metallic innards to help prevent corrosion
Help protect the muzzle, bore and action from particulates that may be blown back into a firearm with a suppressor attached.

A small (½ second or so) shot of dB Foam will expand to fill the dead space in most suppressors with tough, sound-absorbing bubbles that testing shows will last for more than a week.

Tests of dB Foam used Mil-spec equipment in 5.56 and .308 calibers, and subsonic .22LRs and 147-grain 9mm rounds were fired from several handguns and suppressor systems. Results showed that, on average, dB Foam lowered the sound over ten-shot strings by 3-5 decibels – and, more importantly, up to 10 decibels for the first shot.

Follow user directions (basically, a quick squirt into the front of your suppressor), and the stuff works. It is that simple!