Good morning everyone and welcome back to another Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM R9 suppressor. Last week we reviewed the CGS Helios – a silencer that has an above average price point that is justified by its performance and features. This week we shoot the new OSS RAD 9 and RAD 45 modular suppressors and explore flow-through technology as it’s applied to lower pressure pistol rounds. Does the forward venting of gasses reduce noise and blowback? Let’s take a look.

Side note: 5.56mm full auto testing of the CGS HELIOS from Silencer Shop is all queued up. Let’s see if we can get some video next Saturday.

Flow-through suppressor technology isn’t exactly new; patents from decades ago show the rerouting of gasses towards and out the muzzle as a sort of vent. There are all sorts of theories as to why this type of system hasn’t been more prevalent. The most likely reason is that until the last 20 to 30 years, suppressors were primarily geared towards military customers – many of whom valued signature reduction to the enemy over hearing protection to the operator. Hence why at-the-muzzle decibel reduction testing and the 140 dB “hearing safe” rating was a large part of the evaluation process.

With the dramatic spike in civilian silencer ownership in recent years, there has been a renewed focus on reducing noise to the shooter, supporting the need for at-the-ear decibel testing on top of MILSTD muzzle decibel testing. One of the basic take-home observations is that silencers that test louder at the muzzle can be quieter at the ear – a reason to know and understand industry decibel testing as it applies to ranking different purchase options.

While I am definitely not an engineer or fluid dynamics expert, I think I have a basic understanding of pressures and vacuum as it relates to silencers. As the bullet and expanding gasses pass through a suppressor, a vacuum is created forcing these pressures to find the nearest emergency exit. In some tight-bored suppressors, this pressure can mean “blowback” down the barrel and out the action towards the shooter as noise and gasses. Suppressors with a generous bore or forward venting provide an exit out the front of the suppressor and away from the shooter. These feature are more important on semiautomatic firearms that can be effected by adding a restriction at the muzzle.

OSS @ TFB:

• [TFB GUNFEST] New RAD 9 and RAD 45 Pistol Suppressors from OSS
• [TFB GUNFEST] OSS is Making Pistol Cans: The RAD-9 and the RAD-45
• OSS Launches the New Helix HX-QD 556 Ti Lightweight Rifle Suppressor
• New MILSTD B&K Impulse Noise System Exceeds Military Requirements

I have been critical of OSS in the past, pointing out overly complex designs that were heavy, required specialized mounting setups, and seemed to offer minimal performance gains over other market leaders. The company has gone through a series of changes, including major redesigns across all their product lines. Whether you were an OSS believer from the beginning or not, the current lineup is very different from the original concept. In my opinion, these changes are a huge improvement, moving OSS from niche setups to mainstream market contenders.

Let’s look at the new OSS RAD 9 and RAD 45 pistol suppressors.

SILENCER SATURDAY #169: OSS RAD 9 And RAD 45 Pistol Suppressors

• Manufacturer’s Site: OSS RAD 9 And RAD 45
• Buy At Silencer Shop: OSS RAD 9 And RAD 45
• Read The Freaking Manual: https://osssuppressors.com/content/uploads/2021/01/RAD-9-45-Manual.pdf

Lightweight and modular, the RAD 9 is built with our next generation Flow-Baffle™ technology, substantially reducing gas blowback while maintaining superior pistol performance. You’ll feel the difference the first time you shoot.

OSS’s innovative Flow-Baffle design is based on our patented and proven Flow-Through® technology. Flow-Baffles direct expanding gas away from the bore-line, and radial grooves route them forward through the suppressor and away from the shooter.

• MSRP: $849
• Silencer Shop: About $789 (Check your local dealer’s prices)
• Tube: Titanium with Cerakote finish
• Baffles: Stainless Steel
• Pistons: SilencerCo and other manufacturers compatible
• RAD 9 Long / short configuration specs:
  • Length:  7.7″ / 5.15″
  • Weight:  9.1 oz. / 5.9 oz.
• RAD 9 / Long configuration dB specs*:
  • Muzzle: 129 dB
  • Right Ear: 138 dB
  • Left Ear: 131 dB
• *Meter: Brüel & Kjær 3052 | Gun: GLOCK 19 Gen 5  | Ammo: CCI Blazer Brass 147 gr | Environment: Utah Desert  | Test Spec: TOP 3-2-045

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• MSRP: $999
• Silencer Shop: About $829 (Check your local dealer’s prices)
• Tube: Titanium with Cerakote finish
• Baffles: Stainless Steel
• Pistons: SilencerCo and other manufacturers compatible
• RAD 45 Long / short configuration specs:
  • Length:  8.6″ / 6.4″
  • Weight:  10.3 oz. / 7.6 oz.
• RAD 45 / Long configuration dB specs*:
  • Muzzle: 136 dB
  • Right Ear: 135 dB
  • Left Ear: 128 dB
• *Meter: Brüel & Kjær 3052 | Gun: SIG 1911  | Ammo: Speer Lawman 230 gr | Environment: Utah Desert | Test Spec: TOP 3-2-045

OSS RAD 9 and RAD 45 modular assembly steps.

The RAD suppressors contain different baffles in different locations so it’s important to read and understand the disassembly and reassembly process.

The baffles allow gasses to pass through the cones and also around the assembly through a series of spiral fins.

Of course, the RAD series is modular, meaning you can run each of them in either a short or long configuration.

Without a suitable .45ACP host in house for testing, I opted to use the RAD 45 in its longest configuration on my quietest 9mm host – the Beretta M9A3. While the combination is fairly long, it is amazingly quiet, delivering the performance decibel-chasers strive to achieve. My highly sensitive testing equipment consists of a dog placed a set distance from my backyard range who will shrug off quiet cans, give a single bark at average cans, and multiple barks for louder cans. Patent Pending.

The RAD 45 in long form received no barks.

In the short configuration, I used the RAD 9 on the FN 509 Compact Tactical, another solid host. As expected, the short length gave the report a bit of a bite, noticeably louder than the long configuration. The RAD 9 short received two barks but they were separated by a few seconds. Of course, there is also the “rogue squirrel” bark possibility.

Overall, I think the OSS RAD suppressors are near the top of the pack when it comes to performance. Without some scientific testing equipment, it’s difficult to tell if the flow-thru venting adds to the performance of each model. A solid front cap option might help to compare the two types of suppression designs. My completely uneducated and unscientific guess is that larger forward vents in the end cap may provide additional performance gains.

Pricing is a little higher than I’d like to see, but not abnormal considering a titanium modular design. Overall, I can’t find much to pick apart on the new OSS offerings – if they are available and in your budget, buy it.

We’ll try out the fixed barrel spacers on 9mm pistol caliber carbines and 300BLK subsonic before they head back home.

Thanks for reading. Be safe and we’ll see you back here next weekend for another Silencer Saturday.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves speaks with OSS to unveil their new pistol suppressor lineup, starting with the RAD-9 and the RAD-45. ««« GUN + GEAR GIVEAWAYS »»» TFBTV is viewer supported and does not accept money for positive reviews of products. Please visit our Patreon and SubscribeStar pages if you enjoy our independent content and consider helping us. Not only does this assist us in creating content, but we give away hundreds of dollars of guns and gear a month to our supporters!

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NOTE: These giveaways are not affiliated with, associated with, or in any way endorsed by YouTube and TFBTV is solely responsible for the giveaways mentioned in this video and this description. No purchase required for guns/gear worth over $250.

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