Re: What suppressor to buy
What can one say?
For those that PMed me (including the guy who started this thread), I responded with a lengthy explanation of what I came to believe was the right can for me. Having said that, it appears that my suggestion that hearing as many cans as you can for yourself is not enough to some. For those, here is your answer, my answer to the question "who makes the very quietest, best made, most modern design and newest materials and execution." For me, I also wanted a company that would be there when I needed them, or when my kids might need them. As to all the discussion on NDACAs, well, I am sorry to say there is nothing in my observations that anybody couldn't learn for themselves, if they really wanted to understand suppressors and the companies that make them. No secrets, no special sauces or violations of trust. Never ran a supressor company, never worked for a suppressor company.
Back in May of 1966, when ENSURE No. 77 submitted for what was to become the Sionics M14SS-1 for the XM21 it has been an interesting ride watching as each generation of users pleaded their best case for suppressor designs. Breakthrough after breakthrough, MAW-A1, HEL-H4, H4A and by ENSURE77 we had moved through, FA-CM, FA-XM, S-1, S-2, S-3. Final breakthrough came with the first stable, first fully fieldable unit, the MAW-AL. After Sionics, after J.A. Ciener, well, not much left that AWC did finally figure out and make. What we have is the oldest supressor company in the U.S. and the company that has produced more commercial cans than anybody else AWC. They would have produced more military cans, but they couldn't build a good suppressor for what the current contract is calling for. Besides, they build "quietest" not "quiet enough". The majority of large, new military contracts are for mufflers, not suppressors. I bought an AWC Thundertrap 5th gen. I bought a Thundertrap "T" Enhanced.
Question, "When was the first time titanium was used in a can?" Answer, 1968, the Sionics S2 (stainless bore.) A majority of what read from the newbie makers today makes others laugh and pin it up on the board.
I bought a titanium Thundertrap that I had speced out to include an additional baffel set and an expansion chamber tuning that is designed to not only handle the typical .30 set, but will take my .300 WinMags & 7mm Mag. I asked for an additional 1.1" worth of supression, exactly 9.3" TOL. I have probably made their lives miserable as somebody is sure to ask for enhanced now.
So why? Why not a Knight's, a Surefire,an AAC? Simple, I had heard them and knew that all of them did a good job, but to my ears, one did the best job (and one did the poorest job.) So I picked up the phone and called AWC and talked to them alot. I explained to them that after a lifetime of shooting I had fended off tinitus and wanted to be sure that continued. I told them about the other cans of theirs I had bought, and had serviced by them. I had lived through check valves, mesh blast, spiral/counterspiral, stamped conical, machined conical, conical and chamber, accoustic pack, artificial environment hard, artificial environment liquid, pour to go, dip to go, leather wipe, poly wipe, hard wipe. And they listened. I explained to them that I wanted the most quiet, most accurate configuration I could have, that I did not feel I needed QD, I knew I did not need to take it apart. I already had take aparts and knew what they are good for and where they actually run counter to efficient suppression, duration of use. I had already maintained the quietest suppressor set ever made, a sealed integral that shot thousands of rounds of filthy ammo for years. I knew that take apart is for those that simply can't help but do what knowlegeable folks know isnt required. Got denatured? Got a chamber plug? Heck, got hot water? But to each his own. This was a centerfire can, centerfire cans do not need to come apart to be cleaned.
Do you get to keep your $10? No idea.
Man do I want to let loose on dB testing....ANY dB testing that isn't measured from either 4" behind the chamber or 50 yards out in front. You would expect that from a guy who was intrigued when HEL published their "area of certain location" findings.
Got to go, my Mom is coming and I have to do my homework.
