Alamo5000: Thanks for the input. I was hoping dudes with some 1st hand suppressor would chime in. I realize that there's a lot that goes into DB numbers like you mentioned but we gotta start somewhere. Honestly the more research I do the more it's really coming down to my application more than trying to find the quietest can.
"Quietest" is a function of ammunition choices, or rather that to me is one of the biggest contributing factors. Like I said though above, research based on other criteria just as much if not more before making a final call. I've seen/heard of a lot of people bitching about weight of a can. I've handled other people's rifles that when I picked them up I was like 'this would get annoying after a while' because it was so out of balance (IE extremely nose heavy). Not saying weight is a end all and be all because it depends on what you put it on. A 9 inch 300 Blackout will generally have a different feel than a 24" bolt gun.
In a lot of cases I nerd out hard on precision or trying to shoot tiny groups. If that's you the type of mount you pick is a HUGE deal. I typically like cans with some form of taper mount. Some people will get into the weeds with stupid arguments about thread placement but the fact is the taper style of mounts (more than one company uses them) is more repeatable.
Things like Griffin's 'gate lock' might be good for some applications but not mine. That 51T mount, I was like not only no, but hell no. I don't like moving parts. They will eventually wear out and break and in my opinion there are substantially better options out there.
Also stuff like user serviceable cans are kind of interesting but I don't have any. If I was shooting a lot of cast lead bullets it might be a good idea. That said I read the thread on cleaning suppressors (here on this forum) with a lot of interest. I have at least a couple thousand rounds (plus) of subsonic 300BLK through one can and as an experiment I cleaned out enough stuff to make me a believer from my Recce 7.
Another thing that is a 'thing' is gas flow balance. I don't know the technical terms for it so I just made up that name. That means if you are shooting on a bolt gun you can pretty much restrict the flow of gas with no major issues. It can produce insane muzzle numbers, but the minute you put that same can on an AR with some slightly gassy powders used in the ammunition and you will be choked out in no time. What lots of manufacturers do now is try and 'tune' their cans to provide less back pressure to help mitigate that. If you are hunting it's not a big deal, but if you are practicing clearing rooms it's a huge deal. It sucks when you literally can't see because you got stuff in your eyes.
I am going on and on here not just to ramble about it but rather to show more specifically what kind of criteria that can be considered. Meter numbers are important, sure. I got a suppressor from the get go so that I could shoot more and piss off the neighbors less. Also I have animals (dogs) and it makes my shooting a lot more tolerable all around when I try to be considerate of other people. So yes meter numbers matter but they are not a definite end all, nor should they be a starting point in my opinion.
Get the can that meets your needs but that happens to also have good meter numbers. It's easy to get off in the weeds about metering for sure. It's not really needed for most people to understand how various meters work other than having a general idea that is.
