Good afternoon suppressor fans and welcome back to another edition of TFB’s Silencer Saturday. Last week we dug into the Dead Air Nomad L, a very quiet can if you don’t mind a bit of extra length. On the other end of the yard stick (meter stick if you are a metric system junkie) is the brand new YHM Resonator K .30 caliber suppressor. Spoiler alert, for the money, there is probably no better option for a compact 7.62 that still performs well as a 7.62mm suppressor.

SILENCER SATURDAY #112: YHM Resonator K – Quiet, Short, Light, Affordable

In terms of Kurz or ‘K’ sized silencers, using the term quiet is always going to be relative to an unsuppressed host instead of relative to full-size silencers in the same caliber. For subsonic rifle rounds like 300BLK, a ‘K’ can is a balance between hearing-safe quiet and the smallest possible length. For supersonic rifle rounds like .308WIN, the trick is reducing blast, especially on shorter barrels, to a level that makes shooting more enjoyable. “Hearing safe” may or may not be achievable depending on the hosts and barrel lengths. Bullet point goals for ‘K’ cans:

• Subsonic: Short, light, as quiet as relatively possible.
• Supersonic: Prevent ears from bleeding.

With those caveats in mind, let’s look at the long awaited YHM Resonator K.

YHM Resonator K – Specifications

Enter YHM’s .30 caliber “K-Can”, the Resonator® K. Care, attention to detail, and a love for the industry helped to shape this remarkable piece of engineering. It was designed to provide the shooting enthusiast a quiet, lightweight and cost effective suppressor for the high caliber shooter looking to shed some weight and reduce their footprint.

The blast chamber is threaded to the popular 1-3/8”-24 thread which allows it to utilize many available mounting options currently on the market. The new end cap design helps greatly reduce flash signature. The Resonator® K can be used on rifle calibers ranging from .17 HMR through 300 RUM.

The Resonator® K uses a tubeless design which consists of heat treated 17-4 stainless steel and a heat treated 718 Inconel blast baffle which allows the suppressor to be full auto rated and designed for rigorous use. Comes with the Phantom® Q.D. Adapter, 2 suppressor wrenches, and your choice of a Phantom® Muzzle Brake or Flash Hider.

• Sound Reduction:
  • .308WIN – 137 dB / 145 dB (Ear / Muzzle)
  • .300BLK – 142 dB / 147 dB (Ear / Muzzle)
  • 5.56mm – 150 dB / 153 dB (Ear / Muzzle)
• DIAMETER / LENGTH: 1.562” / 4.8” (No Mount) ; 5.65” (Q.D.)
• WEIGHT: 9.6 Oz (No Mount) ; 12.4 Oz (Q.D.)
• RATING: .17HMR – .300 Ultra Mag
• MATERIAL: 17-4 Ph SS / Inconel
• FINISH: Matte Black Cerakote
• Minimum Barrel Lengths:
  • 7.62×51 / .308 Winchester: 10.5″ minimum barrel length
  • 5.56 NATO, 6.8SPC, 7.62×39: 10.5″ minimum barrel length
  • 300 Win Mag / 300 RUM: 20″ minimum barrel length
  • 300 Blackout: 8″ minimum barrel length
• MSRP: $589
  • $440 (approx): Silencer Shop
  • $425: Hansohn Brothers
• Accessories:
  • YHM Mini Phantom QD Flash Hider – https://yhm.net/mini-phantom-q-d-flash-hider.html
  • YHM Kurz Kits – https://yhm.net/kurz-kit.html

Resources:

• Manufacturer’s Page: https://yhm.net/the-resonator-k-30-cal.html
• TFB Announcement: https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2020/01/10/yhm-resonator-k/
• AR15.COM Discussion Thread: https://www.ar15.com/forums/Armory/Resonator-K/20-506576/
• Quieter Alternative: Full Size YHM Resonator R2 – https://yhm.net/yhm-resonator-r2.html
• 5.56mm Only Alternative:YHM Turbo K – https://yhm.net/turbor-k-5-56-stainless-with-1-2-28-q-d-flash-hider.html

Hosts Used:

• SIG Sauer Rattler SBR – https://www.sigsauer.com/store/sig-mcx-rattler-sbr.htm
  • 5.5”, 6.75” subsonic; 9” supersonic
• Colt 11.5” AR15 SBR with SureFire OBC – https://www.surefire.com/optimized-bolt-carrier-group-556mm.html
• PTR PDWR “G3K” SBR – https://ptr-us.com/product/k3p-pdwr-ptr-111/

Ammunition Used:

• Discreet Ballistics Subsonic 190gr 300BLK – https://discreetballistics.com/shop/300-blackout-target-50/
  
• SIG Sauer SBR Supersonic – https://www.sigsauer.com/store/ammo-300blk-120gr-sbr-solid-copper-blk-case-box-20.html
• Federal Fusion 62gr SP .223 – https://www.federalpremium.com/rifle/fusion/fusion-rifle/11-F223FS1.html 
• ZQI 188gr .308

Special Thanks:

• Midwest Industries Rattler Handguard – https://www.midwestindustriesinc.com/product-p/mi-sigr-5.25.htm
  
• Outlaw Anodizing MK18 FDE – https://outlawano.com/about/

YHM Resonator K – Overview:

Full disclosure, Yankee Hill Machine sponsors our weekly silencer sermons here at TFB. If you’re concerned about my objectivity related to this or any other review, let me be clear – like anyone, I do have my preferences and biases. However, as the good people at YHM know, I praise and criticize at will. If I felt that one of their products wasn’t worth your money, I’d tell you. The Resonator K that appears in this review is on loan and will be either purchased or returned to the factory in a few weeks.

Quickly becoming an unofficial industry standard, the Resonator K is outfitted with a 1 3/8” x 24 rear thread pitch which allows for the use of the direct thread module, the YHM QD brake or flash hider adapter as well as other manufacturer’s mounting systems like the Q Plan B, the Griffin Armament Plan A, the Dead Air Key-Mo and the SilencerCo ASR system.

The Resonator K does include front end cap machining that works to reduce muzzle flash, but stops short of including front threads for the use of a brake modules. My guess is that adding a removable end cap feature would increase manufacturing costs to a level that may not be considered affordable to some. Besides, I think adding length to a ‘K’ silencer is somewhat counterintuitive to the short and manageable mantra.

The stainless steel and inconel build combination is robust, and fairly light for it’s size. Under 10 ounces with the direct thread mount and right around 12 ounces for the QD setup is more than respectable. I’d like  to see the barrel lengths for 300BLK dropped a few inches since the Resonator K is perfect for a PDW setup. (Full disclosure, I broke the barrel length restriction with subsonic ammo feeling confident it would hold up. Always abide by manufacturer guidelines.)

YHM Resonator K – Range Time:

As always, please follow the four primary rules of gun safety:

1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
   

We’ll break this section into categories based on hosts/calibers:

SIG Rattler – 300BLK

On this platform the supersonic suppression impressed me more than the subsonic suppression. A few subsonic shots were taken using the 6.75” barrel before switching back to the ultra short 5.5” Rattler barrel, but I couldn’t really tell the difference. As to be expected, the short Resonator isn’t the ultimate quiet setup with subs, but it is what most would consider “hearing safe”. If you are looking for giggle-worthy quiet, opt for the full size Resonator and give up a few inches of freedom.

Colt 11.5” AR-15 – 5.56mm

For this comparison I used the YHM Turbo K 5.56mm suppressor as a comparison and honestly I couldn’t tell the difference. I removed my left ear protection for one shot each and had an observer standing 10 yards from the ejection port. There may have been a slight edge to the Turbo K, but it was a tough call.

As much as I love dedicated 5.56mm suppressors, in this case with a short barreled host, I might consider purchasing a Resonator K to pull double duty on 7.62mm hosts. If you have no need for a 7.62mm can, go with the Turbo K.

PTR G3K – 7.62x51mm

Strangely enough, the Resonator K on this host with full-power .308WIN impressed me the most out of all the tests and comparisons. I felt like the Resonator K performed almost to the level of the full-sized SilencerCo Saker 7.62. That could have something to do with the Saker being a high back pressure can or the fact that the Resonator has better internal geometry. Either way, I really like this setup.

YHM Resonator K: Conclusions

For the money, the Resonator K currently has no real equal. For about $450 you’ll get a 7.62 silencer that has a small footprint and punches above it’s weight class. Included in the package is a muzzle device and a highly regarded mounting system. One suggestion for the YHM team: start selling the Turbo K and Resonator K with the shorter ‘Kurz Kit’ components. The included mounting system is great, but it adds almost 20% to the overall length. However, the smaller Kurz components may reduce the blast chamber size and effect overall sound suppression.

Many shooters have been asking for the Resonator K since the Turbo K made its debut. I think it was worth the wait.

Have a great week everyone and we’ll see you here next Saturday for another edition of TFB’s Silencer Saturday.

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Silencer Saturday is Sponsored by Yankee Hill Machine:

Buy YHM silencers and accessories at:

Silencer Shop – Hansohn BrOthers – dead eye gun supply –

Mac tactical

All YHM Products At Brownells

DEALERS: If you want your link to buy YHM suppressors included in future Silencer Saturday posts, email: silencers@thefirearmblog.com

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special Thanks: Mac Tactical

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