The 1 Thing You Learned- Suppressors

[Oregon Hunter]

Hey Roksliders! I’m back with another installment of the “1 Thing” theme, this time focused on the rapidly expanding popularity of SUPPRESSORS. I think most of us make a mistake over and over again. We go on a hunt, but don’t make the effort to think critically about 1 thing we learned and will do different next time.

Think about it, how often do magazines write about a hunt, but fail to single out an action item to change in the future? Just 1 thing, maybe something you learned about elk behavior, your rifle setup, clothing, or camping system. We can consume all the information we want, but if we don’t change anything, did it really do us any good? I’d like to continue the series of discussions to get us in the habit of reviewing our hunt, and share highlights about the 1 thing we learned on a particular topic. To start, 1 thing I learned is about SUPPRESSORS.

Last year I finally took the leap and got a suppressor. While I’m happy with my over-barrel Amtac Sniper 5.56, I would have done it differently had I known this one thing. My intention was to buy a 22 caliber suppressor I could use on my 223 and 22lr. No one told me that rimfires are so dirty you need a suppressor that can be taken apart to clean. This particular suppressor cannot be taken apart, so I’m not supposed to shoot 22lr out of it. So far it has been fine shooting 22lr suppressor ammo and making sure to fire my 223 out of it periodically to clean it out. The one thing I learned is to either buy a 22 caliber suppressor that can be taken apart to clean, or buy a dedicated rimfire suppressor and a 30 caliber suppressor to use all your centerfires. Expensive lesson learned…

So what is the 1 thing you have learned about selecting the right suppressor?

 

[HandgunHTR]

My "1 thing" would be this: For a suppressor for hunting, length and weight are much higher priorities than how many decibels of reduction you are going to get out of a particular suppressor.

The other "1 thing" I have learned in my 8 years of owning suppressors is this. Direct thread suppressors move from one rifle to another just as good, or better, than "Quick Detach".

 

[Oregon Hunter]

I agree about the physical profile of the suppressor being a high priority. I wish they would start making them a little bigger in diameter so the length could be shortened more

 

[LeftyWilbury]

"Quick Detach" is only quick detach when you take it out of the box initially. Luckily I found an adapter to go from M18-1 to 5/8-24 so now all I have to deal with is 5/8-24" because that QD is neither Q nor ever going to D.

 

[Ynothunt41]

One thing I learned is it throws off the balance of the gun. You will want a shorter barrel for hunting and get the lightest suppressor you can. One other thing is, I will never shoot a gun without a suppressor. I wish I bought it years ago.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Any barrel over 18" is too long...do yourself a favor chop that bitch down...critters won't know the difference. QD is the only way to go way easier to replace the muzzle device than to re -thread a barrel.

I will never hunt without a supressor again.

 

[PantherCity]

Any barrel over 18" is too long...do yourself a favor chop that bitch down...critters won't know the difference. QD is the only way to go way easier to replace the muzzle device than to re -thread a barrel.

I will never hunt without a supressor again.

Under what circumstances would you need to either replace a muzzle device or re-thread a barrel?


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[Zappaman]

The one thing I learned is that I can't afford one

According to an old (x-Nam) guide I conversed with years ago, you give up your rights to "search and seizure" when you are approved. I never looked into it afterward, but when I priced the cost (and shot a few) I came away not liking the balance of the gun... or the cost.

I hunt with a few guys who use them, they like them. We both kill elk.

 

[mapticon]

This is really helpful to read right now. I have a Thunderbeast Ultra 9 somewhere in the ATF ether now. (Silencer Shop won't return multiple emails either...) Was planning on putting it on my Tikka 300 WM, but now having doubts when I add up the length.
Tikka + Ultra 9 is 54 inches, or 4.5 feet. That's a lot of gun to be taking up and down mountains.

Beginning to think I should have included physical dimensions more in my buying criteria.

 

[JDMBEND]

Is there a reason to not cut the barrel down?

 

[HandgunHTR]

The one thing I learned is that I can't afford one

According to an old (x-Nam) guide I conversed with years ago, you give up your rights to "search and seizure" when you are approved. I never looked into it afterward, but when I priced the cost (and shot a few) I came away not liking the balance of the gun... or the cost.

I hunt with a few guys who use them, they like them. We both kill elk.

This is a very common misconception when talking about NFA items (suppressors, machine guns, AOWs, etc). Just having an approved item doesn't give any law enforcement group a right to violate your 4th Amendment rights. i.e. they cannot just come into your house and search around whenever they feel like it.
As far as balance goes, yes, if you put a can on the end of a 26" barrel, it is going to feel a bit off balance. But, if you chop that barrel to 22", it balances a lot more.

 

[jge340456]

what’s the legalities of traveling to another state to hunt with a suppressor?

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Under what circumstances would you need to either replace a muzzle device or re-thread a barrel?


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Threads get crossed and marred eveyday on stuff. Just a matter of time before it's the ones on the end of your barrel.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I agree about the physical profile of the suppressor being a high priority. I wish they would start making them a little bigger in diameter so the length could be shortened more

Much bigger in dia and it will be in your sight picture a lot more..I can already see mine in the scope at lowest power on a few of my rifles...chop that barrel!

 

[fwafwow]

Under what circumstances would you need to either replace a muzzle device or re-thread a barrel?


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I’m having a barrel rethreaded because the manufacturer did it wrong the first time.

 

[ElPollo]

what’s the legalities of traveling to another state to hunt with a suppressor?

I thought the same thing until recently. While NFA requires that you notify law enforcement for transport of short barreled firearms and machine guns across state lines, there is no similar requirement for suppressors. You can legally take them across any state line where it is legal to possess them. I believe there are five states that currently don’t allow them, and frankly they aren’t big destinations for me.

 

[journeyman713]

Order one a year before you want one!

 

[HuntInWild88]

I agree about the physical profile of the suppressor being a high priority. I wish they would start making them a little bigger in diameter so the length could be shortened more

I have built several suppressors(all legally using the Form1 route) larger diameter and shorter isn't as effective. The purpose of a suppressor is to slow the gasses down when exiting. Because of the type of flow and at the speed it's traveling its hard to strip the gasses off of the linear gas colum. (Think water coming out of a fire hose) there's alot that more goes into the effectiveness of a suppressor than just volume of the can. It's a little hard to explain in text and if I tried this would be a novel.

1 thing I learned. It is so nice not having to worry about Ep's when hunting.

 

[Oregon Hunter]

One thing I learned is it throws off the balance of the gun. You will want a shorter barrel for hunting and get the lightest suppressor you can. One other thing is, I will never shoot a gun without a suppressor. I wish I bought it years ago.

The lightest suppressor you can makes a lot of sense. I wonder if that would change your point of impact less as well?

 

[Oregon Hunter]

The one thing I learned is that I can't afford one

According to an old (x-Nam) guide I conversed with years ago, you give up your rights to "search and seizure" when you are approved. I never looked into it afterward, but when I priced the cost (and shot a few) I came away not liking the balance of the gun... or the cost.

I hunt with a few guys who use them, they like them. We both kill elk.

So far I'm liking the one I have for rifles that you wouldn't be packing to the elk mountains. It's also on 22LR and 223 that used for varmints and target shooting