Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles AR-15 suppressor

I'm looking at buying a suppressor for a 5.56 AR, looking at reasonably light weight, low muzzle flash, close to hearing safe on a 16" barrel but will be run on an 11.5" as well, without a lot of back pressure.

Watching video's and seeing readings from at the chamber vs at the muzzle seem to show more back pressure creates louder volume at the chamber but quieter at the muzzle. Looked at 8 or 10 cans today and just had to walk away cause they all have their strengths and I just couldn't decide. So what do you have and what would you choose today? Not for bolt guns just AR's.

Seems like James at TFB TV (Youtube) compared similar 5.56 and .30cal versions and found port pop was better with the .30cal versions due to backpressure, while the dedicated 5.56 cans were quieter at the muzzle.

I think my .30cal YHM R2 makes my 18” AR sound about like a 10/22 carbine with hypers. There’s a bit of gas, of course, but I’m not mag-dumping with it.

Yes I watched that video and the noise at the muzzle was lower on the 5.56 can but higher at the chamber where it counts. The 30 cal can had less back pressure and sounded better at the chamber where it counts. But does that mean more muzzle flash?

Sensor is at Shooters Ear and the LZpeak is the important number.

It makes intuitive sense to me that more back pressure would equal louder at the chamber and would be harder on the rifle and more gassy.

YHM T2 suppressor has an excellent reputation as a low cost dedicated AR suppressor but I have no first hand experience with it.

I use a Dead Air Nomad 30 with the ebrake and regularly swap it between an AR-.308 and an AR-.223 and it seems to work fine for both. I also have a Nomad TI-30 that I use on all my bolt guns.

I have used both a 22 cal and 30 cal can on my 20" AR. They both do decent job on the muzzle blast shooting 69 gr SMK, but the port noise is enough that I still wear plugs.

405wcf

I've been T&Eing an 11.5" upper with a pinned Wyoming Arms 5" suppressor. We compared it back to back with a Surefire Mini. Shooters and bystanders were evenly divided about which was quieter and had a better tone.

I know everything here that involves John Burns devolves into nonsense, but those suppressors are surprisingly good for their size and weight.

Everyone's first reaction to the P&W upper was "this is stupid". After shooting it everyone immediately changed their mind. I wouldn't do a lot of shooting with it without ear pro. But for a hunting or patrol gun it makes a lot of sense.

I was told about the Huxwrx 5.56K Flow tonight by a buddy of mine. He’s a lefty and says he can really tell the difference in cans with too much back pressure. He really likes this flow through can. After watching several videos on it, including night shooting, I’m adding it to my short list.

As for pin and welding, I’m already waiting for SBR approval. Figured I’m only gonna do one can and I can swap it around.

John Burns will never see any of my money.

But I’m still looking and gathering info so keep it coming.

I wouldn't buy anything from Burns even if it was the best in the world. There's no way such a condescending aszhole would give good service.

Condescension and customer service are polar opposites.

I looked hard at the numbers - shooters ear vs out the front.

Figured shooters ear was what was important and based on the numbers a 30cal short can with lower backpressure looked pretty good. So I got a DA sandman K, set it up on a “properly gassed” SOLGW upper. Supposed to be a lower backpressure can. It’s loud as hell.

Recently I built an upper for my kid for her first hunt. Used a thunderbeast ultra7 and an adjustable gas block on the rifle and turned the gas down. This is a much higher backpressure can and should be louder at the shooters ear. It’s not even close, the TB can is way quieter for the shooter setup with an AGB. I’m super concerned about earpro with my kids and this setup was fine for a hunting with no earpro IMO.

So basically, take some of the published numbers with a grain of salt, they may not be apples to apples especially if you can turn down the gas.

Good info!

A buddy of mine was working with a PSA 11.5” pistol, unlike everyone else’s PSA, this one was way overgassed and besides the extractor slipping off the rim, it was extremely loud. He installed a BRT reduced gas tube, a Vortex flash hider and a Colt extractor. It fixed all problems and was nowhere near as loud.

Gas does make a difference.

So LZ peak is the same as how loud is it downrange? I don't really care how loud it is where I'm at. I simply want it quiet as can be when shooting at game downrange.

After messing with these for ten years, as best I can tell it's 2/3 the can and 1/3 is how much gas you have in the system. Or maybe it's 50/50.

30 cal holes in the front sound overall quieter to me.

The quietest cans I've used on 5.56 ARs have all been 7" 30 cal cans, 5" cans are a little louder.

But the bottom line is that ARs are just not that quiet. Even a 300 BLK with subs and a large suppressor still has an annoying port crack to many people. Fine for a few shots, but if you run a mag through it you'll be looking for ear pro.

I bought of one the new surefire cans bc supposedly it had low backpressure but is still had more backpressure than a 7" omega with a 30 end cap. You're still getting gas in the face if your gun is gassed to run well without the suppressor attached.

All of which is to say: whatever you get, you'll probably be good. But if you want the quietest and smoothest and no gas in your face you'll have to choke your gas off somehow, regardless of which can you get. The suppressed ARs I shoot most all have very small gas ports and won't run without the suppressor.

The only way to be sure is to shoot some suppressed ARs and figure out how big of a gas port they have and make your decision based on that.

FIIK, but, I love my SilencerCo Omega and the resultant downrange look of utter bewilderment.... "Why is Bambi laying down?" "What's up with Rudolph?" "Hey, WTF was that?"


Subscribed as I would like a couple more dedicated suppressors.

I like the Dirty 30 for $299.. Right now it's on sale at $224

https://wittmachine.net/product/the-dirty-30/

Some insight as to how things work at Witt Machine.

I have both the T2 and the Resonator R2 for my ARs (a pistol, a carbine and a full size). The T2 is not impressive on the pistol, but it works fine on the carbine and 18" ARs. It's a good compromise of size and effectiveness. The R2 is not a compromise at all, but it's a few ounces heavier and an inch or so longer. If I had to do it over again*, I'd go with the R2 for all the ARs.

*unless I can butt kiss my way into grifting a can from Mr. Burns' company.

Finally after much wait including an extra 14 months because the dealer closed down (after years in business) I got a call from him…..he got a temporary license from ATF to transfer the ones that have a stamp. I get it, a Odin Moab .30 at 9:30 and I’ll do the efile for the SilencerCo Hybrid 46 and start that wait.

I had given up hope but luckily these guys are honest. I celebrated by getting a 6.5 Grendel…😀😬

Its hard to have low muzzle flash, hearing safe, AND lightweight on one suppressor.

If you want low muzzle flash, you won't find better than Surefire. The .30 cal SOCOM cans are low back-pressure on an AR in 5.56, but they certainly aren't lightweight at over a pound.

I have a titanium direct thread from one of the major companies that is very quiet on a 5.56 AR and weighs just 11 oz clean...but it throws quite the fireball out the front. Sometimes, you just have to learn the proper compromise to make. For bolt-actions, the Thunderbeast Ultra series is great. On ARs I quite like the Surefire SOCOM.