First suppressor input

[Jermh]

Decided to drink the kool aid and have a stainless 20” Tikka 223 and an SWFA 3-9 on the way. This rifle will be used for training as well as hunting. I’ll be ordering a suppressor shortly that will live most of its life dedicated on this rifle. This will be my first suppressor. I’m looking at the AB-A10. What am I leaving on the table by not going with some double the price? Anyone bought one and wished they’d just spent the money from the get go and went with something a little lighter/nicer? Really would rather not drop $1k on a can just for a 223 but if I would be that much better off in the long run I could probably stomach it. Opinions?

 

[Q_Sertorius]

The A-10 is a great can. Just heavier than its more expensive titanium counterparts. This spreadsheet might help you make some comparisons.

Q's Suppressor Comparisons

docs.google.com

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Decided to drink the kool aid and have a stainless 20” Tikka 223 and an SWFA 3-9 on the way. This rifle will be used for training as well as hunting. I’ll be ordering a suppressor shortly that will live most of its life dedicated on this rifle. This will be my first suppressor. I’m looking at the AB-A10. What am I leaving on the table by not going with some double the price? Anyone bought one and wished they’d just spent the money from the get go and went with something a little lighter/nicer? Really would rather not drop $1k on a can just for a 223 but if I would be that much better off in the long run I could probably stomach it. Opinions?

Do yourself a favor, do a bunch of research and spend the money to get exactly what you want the first time. I own a few silencers that I dislike for a variety of reasons (banish 30, scythe) and I’m just stuck with them unless I want to give a friend a cheap deal and transfer to them.

I wish I’d researched more because I would either have 2 more silencers that I like or 2500 dollars still in the bank. While any silencer is better than no silencer, I bet you’ll buy that budget option and almost instantly wish you’d spent a bit more for the lighter version or a different silencer entirely.

Out of the 5 centerfire silencers I have, I strongly dislike 2 of them. It sucks. Avoid that if at all possible. Maybe you’re not as OCD as some of us, my dad had a dead air nomad (not ti), he wanted another silencer so he just bought another one of those and didn’t even look around to see what else was available. That works for him but not me.

 

[Ajsomp]

AB is a good company so you can get one and it’s going to do what you need - probably not the “bests”

Figure out what you really require in a suppressor before you sink the money in. If it’s only ever going to be a training can you don’t need to have it be the lightest or quietest.

But if you intend to carry it in the field, there’s a huge difference in weight between a short lightweight titanium suppressor like the air lock vs a heavy inconel suppressor

 

[Jermh]

Solid advice all around, I appreciate it. The past 15 years or so I’ve mainly focused on bow hunting with small amounts of whitetail rifle stuff here at home so the suppressor thing is a whole new deal for me. I’ve got more research to do.

 

[ruger35]

Especially for 223 I’d look at any of the short cans. Abel Theorem S w/brake or flat cap, Nomad Ti XC, or Magnus S.

 

[Snowhunter11]

Here is my tikka .223 cut to 16” with AB-10 .30 and Swfa 3-9. Amazing gun/scope combo. Suppressor is real good for its price point. Nothing to worry about on practice rifle. I can shoot 100rds in a session with .223/6.5 no problem. It also sounds good to me.

 

[khuber84]

Really hard not to recommend the dead air nomad ti XC here, hub rear mount for many types of muzzle mounts, and has a threaded end cap for running smaller apertures if staying on the 223. It's a light can, and quiet.

UM reaper, very similar to the nomad above, lil shorter, lil fatter, prob very similar db performance, similar weight. Idk if there are multiple caliber end caps available or not.

These are my recommendations for muzzle forward cans.

I don't know enough nor have enough use with OTB supressors to recommend any of them.

There are smaller lighter high performance cans like the zero-gravity 65, however the 5/8x24 direct thread and solid end, makes it not very modular nor multi purpose. You'd need a muzzle thread adapter.

I personally do not like running muzzle adapters for a supressor, however with a dedicated 223 bore and larger caliber supressor, even some stacked tolerances you'll be fine unless the muzzle threads were cut terribly out of alignemt to the bore.

Once you get used to shooting suppressed, it's hard not want a can on the end of every rifle you're shooting. If it's going to get a lot of use, spend a bit more and get a modular lightweight quiet can that can serve multiple purposes.

 

[Jermh]

I’ve been looking at that airlock and that may be the direction I go. Specs look very good and at a good price point. I’ve got no problem with direct thread with Tikka now threading them 5/8 from the factory. I won’t be ordering right away so I’ve got a little time to sleep on it.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I’ve been looking at that airlock and that may be the direction I go. Specs look very good and at a good price point. I’ve got no problem with direct thread with Tikka now threading them 5/8 from the factory. I won’t be ordering right away so I’ve got a little time to sleep on it.

Be advised that the Airlock is super effective at trapping gas. That means it heats up and produces mirage very quickly. No issue for a hunting can, but if you are planning on extended range sessions, it might not be right for that.

 

[Bluefish]

The A-10 is a great can. Just heavier than its more expensive titanium counterparts. This spreadsheet might help you make some comparisons.

Q's Suppressor Comparisons

docs.google.com

Not much heavier. They reduce the baffle count by 1 to help with weight. It’s 1-2 oz more than the full Ti with one less baffle. Imho it’s a great choice for a sub 500 can. I run one on my 6 arc and like it. Not as quiet as a 10 stack but half the money.

I am really looking forward to trying the US raptor, but again twice the money.

 

[RockAndSage]

OP, one bit of advice, is to be very clear in your mind about how you would expect to use it - in the field, at the range, just on one gun vs multiple, just bolt gun or ARs too, low-volume shooting (less than 20-40rds per session) vs moderate vs hard-use, etc. Be very explicit in how you expect to use it, and be prepared to make trade-offs with any direction you go. Sometimes an all-around can is the best bet, other times something very specialized may be better. The more specific and explicit you are, the easier you selecting will be.

And...after you get your first one, there's a good chance you'll want to get others - it just makes the entire shooting/hunting experience better.