I'm not here defending another forum member's statements or any product and def not pitching a fit. I'm just pointing out that you do not have facts to back up several statements you made namely that OSS is expensive, heavy, doesn't sell many cans and no one uses them. The first two are verifiably false (or demonstrably relative depending on what brand you're looking at) and the last two none of us has any real data to make an accurate assessment. Nothing more, nothing less.
Guys who argue suppressor db numbers are like car guys who argue over lap times, produced by professional drivers, when they themselves would never come close. It's awesome. Doesn't really represent real world use but that wasn't my original issue with your post.
Just quote the PEW data and be done. Win win for everyone and the internet in general. Just know there's more to end user satisfaction than db readings but I get the whole numbers game. Hopefully everyone continues to improve, including OSS, aka HUXWRX.
I'm confused about the "toppled" comment? It appears the OC did beat the OSS at the muzzle but not at the ear? I personally care about the ear numbers but if you care about muzzle, nothing wrong with that, just state the facts and move on. Overall rating was 37.7 vs. 31 (OC to OSS respectively) so good on them. But trying to suppress a 10.3" barrel on 5.56 is going to be tough for any can. I'll take function over 4db. It appears the two cans weigh about the same with mounting devices. Otter Creek definitely gets the win in the cost department but I have no doubt that it produces substantially more back pressure than the OSS.
From Pew's site, direct quote on the OSS, granted this was prior to the OC but the OC's numbers are higher at ear than OSS: "From the above data, it can be concluded that the aforementioned low back pressure (low flow restriction; low
PEW Science Back Pressure Metric, Omega) of the OSS HX-QD 556 results in
significant sound signature reduction at the shooter’s ear on the MK18 weapon system, when compared to that from the
Surefire SOCOM556-RC2 and the
SilencerCo Saker 556. On the MK18, the at-ear Suppression Rating with the HX-QD 556 is half a category higher than with the 3-prong-equipped SOCOM556-RC2. The MK18 with the HX-QD 556 exhibits an ear signature
a full category less severe than with the WARCOMP-equipped SOCOM556-RC2 or with the Saker 556.
This is a direct consequence of the low back pressure (low flow restriction) generated by the HX-QD 556.
A notable performance metric of the HX-QD 556 on this weapon system is that the muzzle Suppression Rating is, for all intents and purposes, identical to that of the at-ear Suppression Rating. Bystanders may perceive the OSS HX-QD 556 to be louder than the SOCOM556-RC2 or Saker 556. However, the personnel firing the weapon will experience lower hearing damage risk.
The coalescing of the ejection port overpressure with the primary muzzle blast exacerbates the severity of the signature at the shooter’s head position.
It is not ejection port signature, alone, that dictates the signature measured at the shooter’s head position. The muzzle signature of the OSS HX-QD 556 is quiet enough such that the at-ear signature is
still quieter than those from the other silencers. This performance balance is notable on a short barrel automatic weapon system (the MK18)."
I care about my ears, not the other guy. I can see the argument for muzzle signature down range. I'm not in that use category.