Good afternoon tax stampers and welcome to the latest edition of TFB’s Silencer Saturday, where we bring you the latest in news, announcements and product releases from around the suppressor industry. Today we will reflect back on the week’s events and then dive in to an academic discussion about designing and building the world’s perfect silencer. Is it possible?

Above: The Q Honey Badger pistol with the Trash Panda Silencer

A few days ago, we published an initial review of Dead Air Armament’s new silencer the Nomad 30. This new model is feature-rich with several mounting and end cap options, a very manageable weight and length and decibel reduction levels and a tone that will make most potential buyers very happy.  Yet, as I read through the comments section here at TFB and other Internet discussion forums, I can’t help but think that the modern day American silencer buyer is exceedingly hard to please. Are we spoiled with too many quality options? Are we endlessly searching for that one perfect suppressor that will answer all of our hopes and dreams, all the while ignoring solid performers that meet 99% of our needs?

It wasn’t that long ago that heavy, long and loud silencers were all that was available to the American shooter. As popularity increased and the face value of $200 tax stamps because less of a burden, research and design money was allowed to flow. As performance increased, we moved the goal posts, requiring the next release to be quieter, lighter and shorter. Rinse and repeat.

SILENCER SATURDAY #41: The Perfect Suppressor

Here we sit in 2018, with at least a dozen major manufacturers designing suppressors, using multi axis milling machines and exotic metals, releasing two to three new models a year, each improving upon the last. While I don’t expect companies to sit back and rest on past successes by announcing the ‘silencer to end all silencers’, I did expect consumers to have a baseline level of reasonable expectations that can be met.

So, without bending the laws of physics, thermo and fluid dynamics or requiring a space-race billion dollar budget, what are the characteristics that buyers want to see in a perfect silencer?

Strength:

Let’s face it, most quality modern day silencers are built to withstand rates of fire that far exceed what they will actually see in the course of their lifetime. While many of us enjoy a magazine dump or two, a very small percentage of owners own select fire or crew served weapons that can really push modern silencers to their limits. And even so, most buyers conveniently forget that gas tubes and barrels will begin to fail before many hard use silencers.

Mounting Options:

Twenty years ago, you’d be hard pressed to walk in to a local gun shop and find more than a few firearms with threaded barrels. Today, not only does every manufacturer provide standard threads, but muzzle devices and mounting systems for silencers are plentiful. But we don’t seem to be satisfied with our options: one handed quick detach systems are too heavy, tapers require tools, direct-thread models limit options. But I’d be willing to bet that the majority of silencer owners use the same model on the same host almost exclusively, reducing the need for additional expensive and complex mounting systems.

Modularity:

Mounting options are one thing, but I would love to see actual data on how often users move between different lengths on a hosts. My personal feeling is that outside of rimfire designs, length modularity requirements are overstated. A second ‘K’ sized silencer is probably a better option.

Length/Weight:

In my opinion, this is where the majority of R&D should be focused while preserving excellent noise reduction. If the goal is to maintain the host weapon’s handling characteristics whether it is suppressed or unsuppressed. Adding the least amount of weight and length to the end of a barrel will make the most noticeable difference in the user’s experience.

Price:

After all is said and done, and the perfect silencer is available for purchase to the public, the last hurdle seems to be budget. This magic line of demarcation seems to float somewhere between twice the cost of a tax stamp to somewhere just south of 2/3 the cost of the host weapon. Which means that if the mythical ‘perfect silencer’ were to present itself but the cost was $3,000, consumers would turn up their noses.

All of this being said, there are a few caveats to remember. The first is that manufacturers are constantly trying to improve on past designs and models. Materials and process technologies continue to advance over time. And market fluctuations, regulations and laws will dominate advances. The facts of NFA life.

Last, but not least, is personal requirements. What may be a perfect fit to me could be substandard to you. So knowing your intended uses and host weapon requirements will help to manage your overall expectations. If I were made king for a day and could design and build the perfect silencer by category, here’s my realistic wishlist:

Rimfire:

• 4 ounces or less.
• Modular
• Very quiet

Pistol:

• Four to five inches.
• Eight ounces or less
• Boosterless
• Quiet

Centerfire:

• Ten ounces or less
• Five to Six inches
• Quiet (subsonic); Hearing safe (supersonic)
• 1.75-2” OD
• Durable without needing belt fed rating
• Taper mount

How about you? What is your perfect silencer? Does it already exist? Let me know.

Have fun, be safe. See you next week.

TFB’s Silencer Saturday is brought to you by Sig Sauer

 

 

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Joe Gaddini (inventor of the Omega silencer baffle and the former owner of SWR) and Kyle Grob (KGMadesuppressors) have teamed up to form a new venture to produce the Hopaii – an extreme duty use silencer built mainly for the military and law enforcement markets. The two partners have joined forces under RMS2, a play on the old SWR company name, to design and build hard use silencers for customers who demand extreme reliability.

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No, it is not the weekend quite yet. Whereas we usually like to share our heavy silencer news, information and analysis on TFB’s SilencerSaturdayseries, today we have a special treat. Kicking off the season of new NFA product announcements is DeadAirArmament with the new Nomad 30 – a lightweight, modular 30 caliber suppressor built to live on everything from a carbine to a hunting rifle. With a variety of mounting solutions, swappable end caps, flash hiders and brakes, the Nomad was designed to be an affordable workhorse that doesn’t add on any unnecessary weight or length. How does it perform? Stick around for TFB’s firstshots to find out.

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If you recall, I got a chance to visit GSL Technology back in August. There I learned that Greg Latka, founder and owner of GSL Technology, was the wizard behind the curtain at Gemtech. One of the things Greg designed and developed was the Gemtech Aurora. Well he has continued to develop his original design and now that they have received patent pending, I can share the secret behind the Boss emergency suppressor.

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New Ownership at Ase Utra

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October 9, 2018 – Silencer Shop

Sporting a stainless steel and solid-welded core, the Dead Air Wolf-9SD is built with durability at the forefront. Considering it handles full-auto fire, this silencer is as tough as you need it to be while running your subgun or pistol rigs. In the long setup, it measures 7.58” and weighs 14.7 ounces. In its short layout, the Wolf is only 4.1” in length and 7.5 ounces in weight. Moreover, a removable front module provides added versatility/mounting options during your gun range visits.

To that point, it even uses the same adapters as its older brother, the Ghost-M unit. In addition, a booster assembly (i.e., retaining cap and spring) accompany this unit; however, a piston purchase is needed to fire the Wolf on a semi-auto pistol or a fixed-mount (3-lug) setup for use on sub-gun or pistol caliber carbines. And although its 1.618” diameter will block most pistol sights, this can’s still effective on your preferred handgun. Needless to say, the Dead Air Wolf has already made its mark on the industry.

Full-auto rated!
Weight: 14.7 ounces (long); 7.5 ounces (short)
Length: 7.58” (long); 4.1” (short)
Build material: stainless steel
Finish: Black Cerakote™
Removable endcap/module

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