My thoughts on suppressors.

[Happy2Shoot]

I see lots of questions and even more answers. I decided I would collect my thoughts and post them for others looking into buying one. I don't plan for this to be a definitive work, but something to help shape a person's thoughts into a plan of action. This is mostly rifle oriented.

First, money is money. We have all made sacrifices, and we have all spent more than we should have. If you go cheap, you may end up buying twice. Cheap one AND the expensive one later. Suppressor resale market is about zero. No one wants to buy a used suppressor.

Sound. Semi-auto or full-auto are always at least 140 dB at your ear. Always look for the dB rating at the ear. You still need ear pro with supersonic ammo.

Backpressure. If you shoot at indoor ranges or have a machinegun get a low backpressure can. If you shoot outdoors I wouldn't worry too much about it. Pistols (like 1911s and Glocks) can spit high speed hot particles at your face and EYES. Wear eye protection.

Weight. If you don't have a machinegun get a titanium can. With ammo prices, if you can afford to ammo dump magazine after magazine you can afford a new can. If your suppressor starts glowing stop shooting that rifle for a few minutes.

Quich detach mounts. I think it is personal preference mostly. At this point if you decide you want a qd mount make sure it has a taper mount with the threads behind the taper. That will keep the threads clean. Dead Air Keymo has a taper, and doesn't use threads, double bonus! Direct thread isn't that much of a hassle. Keymo is $250, and each muzzle device is about $80 each.

Suppressors don't make supersonic rifle fire quiet. They do take a lot of the boom away.

Accuracy. It is a heavy object, hanging off the end of your barrel and extending the length 6 to 9 inches. Things will change. If you have a 24" pencil barrel I would assume there will be more change. If you have a 12" bull barrel I would assume there will be less change.

That's it for now.

[BluntForceTrauma]

Good stuff and good discussion opener.

I've just signed my last bit of paperwork for my Dead Air Sandman-S, which is on order, and I already know I'm gonna regret its massive weight. But, hey, I've been known to go out in the woods and be kind of a mag-dump blaster. So, anyway, that'll be my hard-use can.

Next one, for sure, is gonna be a lightweight.

[Happy2Shoot]

That is me also. I got the DA Sandman-S because I have an 8.5" 5.56 pistol I love to shoot. More than likely I would have been just fine buying a Nomad Ti. They are about half the weight. Oh well, that will be my next one. I also have an Omega 45K for 9mm and 45 Auto hand guns. I like it. Probably will get the Omega 9K also. It is shorter and lighter, and I don't shoot my 45 nearly as much as my 9mm. At the time there was no way I wasn't going to get a suppressor for my 45. Now I look in the safe and say, "next time I'll take the 45".

[Jake TN]

+1 on the DA Sandman-S. I use mine on an 18 inch Grendel and an 11.5 inch SBR 5.56. Pleasant to shoot with good tone and takes the bite off the shot. I believe that flow suppressor designs are going to be the future for suppressors. OSS or whatever they call themselves today screwed the pooch at the beginning by offering too complicated a system. That has been changed and I think other companies will soon follow suite- well other than SIG. Just my two cents

[imaguy3]

my observations from use.

I had a budget and specific purpose. My priority was small and light for a mountain hunting rifle and a can that could handle everything. I started with one Dead Air Sandman K and mounts on all my guns. This allowed me to always shoot suppressed and move the can around to whatever I was shooting. This one fit the bill and at the time was super cheap (remember the hearing safety act that died).

The Dead Air Keymo system is stupid consistent and reliable. I'm able to take the can off one gun, put it on another gun, and not have to worry about POI changing inconsistently from removal/reinstall. Zero all the guns with the can on, zero will always be good if the can is on.

I checked all my guns after doing this. Three different rifles, a 16" 223 lightweight barrel, a 16" 6.5 grendel with medium profile, and a 280AI 24" carbon barrel, poi on ALL dropped exactly 2" at 100 yards with this particular can on. Interesting right?

Budget and need to have two guns in the field at once then allowed me to pick up another can, this time Sandman S. Stayed with it due to already having mounts on everything and loving the durability/repeatability. Checked loads and groups with the grendel and 280ai at distance and there was no change needed in load development or dope charts. Nice.