Suppressor Questions

[michaelmew]

This was a pm I was typing to Warped to ask a few questions, and I figured there might be others wondering the same things so I would post it as a thread instead.....


I'm interested in the new WCI/Templar suppressors, but not for my Grendel. I want to know if you can use the same suppressor for a pistol and a rifle if the cartridge/inside diameter/??? is nearly the same. For example (I was wondering specifically) can a .45ACP be used on a .450 Bushmaster or .458 SOCOM? And, can a 9mm be used on a .357 SIG?
The threading would have to match, but what else would make a difference?

Also, Warped mentioned in another thread that someone should look at getting a WCI/Templar suppressed bbl and then they would only need 1 stamp for a suppressed SBR. Can you or someone else elaborate on how that is possible?

Thanks,
-michaelmew

[LRRPF52]

Yes, you can use .45 cans on .45 cal weapons of different cartridge design, just as you can use .30 cal cans for 6.5mm blasters. The one thing with some of the pistol caliber cans is that you need to make sure you have a can rated for the rifle pressures if you are going to shoot higher pressure cartridges. A good example of this is .22 cans that will literally explode if subjected to .223/5.56 pressures. I've seen a lot of viable .22 cans made out of plastic, that would disappear from the muzzle blast of a .223 Rem.

The one-stamp barrel/suppressor combos are permanently attached, so a short barrel combined with a suppressor reaches or exceeds 16". Most suppressor makers will advise against it, but might offer it if they make sure their suppressor is perfectly concentric with your barrel. Baffle strike is a real issue that I have seen and dealt with on different occasions. Another con of a unitized barrel/suppressor is the difficulty to clean your can and pipe, but this issue can be handled with ultra-sonic tanks and other methods.

Back to the .45 suppressors. Most pistol cans require a Nielson device to allow the action of a semi-auto pistol to cycle reliably, since you now have totally changed the barrel weight and resistance to delayed blowback via the Browning method, which is the most common for locking semi-auto pistol breeches. The Nielson device basically allows the barrel to recoil normally, while the can stays in position temporarily, using a spring and somewhat floating mount. It is commonly used on pistol cans, and you will need one for almost all .45 ACP pistols. With the Nielson device (recoil booster), it might not be the best thing to mount on a rifle.

.45 caliber is also pretty disappointing to suppress, and most guys that get into cans and NFA items only mess with .45 once, usually against the advice of their friends. It's just too loud, no matter what you do. 9mm and .22 LR are a different story altogether. Conversely, .308 and 6.5's suppressed are much quieter than .223 suppressed in rifles, from all the cans I have heard. In the States, there is a lot more money required to buy cans than in Europe, so it is a pretty exclusive, but rapidly-growing market.

Unless you're shooting a high-end 9mm can or 300 Whisper, .22 LR Rugers integrally suppressed are one of the most fun guns to quiet down. A lot of other cans amount to more "cool factor" than anything else, although many precision rifle guys benefit from the accuracy enhancements from them.

[RStewart]

I plan to use my Templar suppressor on my 6.5, but am having it bored to .325 for use on a .30 rifle, if I choose to do so.

[warped]

Paul did not tell you wrong, if the bbl is integrally suppressed and it is 16" long you don't need a SBR tax stamp.

We do have a way to do this and still allow a thorough and semi easy disassembly for cleaning.

Although pistols typically have less gas to contend with than a rifle cartridge of the same bore, so it works better if you use a rifle can for a pistol and not the other way around, although it can be ungainly.

Thanks for your interest, let me know what you are interested in doing, there is no rush and we can customize to your needs.