Shopping for a 5.56 rifle can - recommendations?

[Mike OTDP]

Like Willie Sutton, I'm in the market. I'm looking for a 5.56 rifle can, which will spend most of its time living on a Larue OBR.

What I need: Quiet. Lightweight. Doesn't impair accuracy.
What I don't care about: Quick Detach. Cheap.

Recommendations? Right now, I'm leaning toward either a Gemtech 556LE, but I've heard good things about Thunderbeast as well.

 

[Warp]

Like Willie Sutton, I'm in the market. I'm looking for a 5.56 rifle can, which will spend most of its time living on a Larue OBR.

What I need: Quiet. Lightweight. Doesn't impair accuracy.
What I don't care about: Quick Detach. Cheap.

Recommendations? Right now, I'm leaning toward either a Gemtech 556LE, but I've heard good things about Thunderbeast as well.

Can you quantify those requirements?

No 5.56 is going to be "quiet" as in hearing safe. 5.56 is loud and is (very) supersonic. A suppressor will simply make it less-loud.

Lightweight is a relative and subjective term. Can you quote a specific number of oz as a target?

What is more important to you, sound reduction or size/weight?

 

[kanook]

I think Thunderbeast makes (4) .223/556 suppressors.

I think what you are going to run into is "mine is better". The only way to know for sure is to try them both under the exact same conditions.

 

[zerobarrier]

The new SilencerCo Omega

My SpecWar 762 seems to be good but a little heavy. 24oz. But it is quiet.

I think OSHA defines anything <140db for impulse noise hearing safe.

According to the CDC and NIOSH 133db for less than .45 seconds is hearing safe. I don't know what the duration of a gunshot is. 133db or less is what my SpecWar meters with 556

 

[Theohazard]

I think OSHA defines anything <140db for impulse noise hearing safe.

According to the CDC and NIOSH 133db for less than .45 seconds is hearing safe. I don't know what the duration of a gunshot is. 133db or less is what my SpecWar meters with 556

Hearing damage is cumulative. There is no suppressed firearm that is completely "hearing safe" (specialty low-velocity .22 ammo excluded); any audiologist will tell you that repeated noises even as low as 90 dB can cause permanent hearing damage over time.

Suppressed handguns run in the 125 dB range, and suppressed rifles run in the 135 dB range. Both will permanently damage your hearing over time. The only question is, "How much?"

 

[zerobarrier]

Hearing damage is cumulative. There is no suppressed firearm that is completely "hearing safe" (specialty low-velocity .22 ammo excluded); any audiologist will tell you that repeated noises even as low as 90 dB can cause permanent hearing damage over time.

Suppressed handguns run in the 125 dB range, and suppressed rifles run in the 135 dB range. Both will permanently damage your hearing over time. The only question is, "How much?"

Yes but the main part is continuous sound. If you run a gas mower which is roughly 90db for 2 continuous hours then that can cause damage, but that is not the same as running the same mower for 1 hour then stopping for a little bit then running it again for another hour.

Even though it is the same time, it does not do the same damage. It is the constant part that cause damage.

Going by your logic everyone who lives in a big city is going to go deaf, since 85db for a continuous 8hrs can cause damage if done often. 85db is about the level of traffic in a big city, like New York or LA.

So 125db is safe as long as the sound does not exceed ~3.9 seconds.

Hearing damage is cumulative but only if you go over the db and duration multiple times. So if you fire thousands of unsuppressed rounds without hearing protecting you will have hearing damage since it is way over the db and duration for hearing safe noises. But if you fire thousands of rounds suppressed at 125db there will be no damage because it is below the safe db and duration guidelines. Defined by scientists and audiologist btw.

Just like you don't go deaf from firing one round without hear protection, it is the cumulation of many rounds that will do it.

But you are entitled to your opinion about this as well as I am.

 

[Theohazard]

Going by your logic everyone who lives in a big city is going to go deaf, since 85db for a continuous 8hrs can cause damage if done often. 85db is about the level of traffic in a big city, like New York or LA.

They might not always go deaf, but they can easily get hearing damage: People who live in big cities tend to get more cumulative hearing damage than people who live in quieter places.

if you fire thousands of rounds suppressed at 125db there will be no damage because it is below the safe db and duration guidelines. Defined by scientists and audiologist btw.

That's completely and utterly untrue; it's definitely possible to get hearing damage from that kind of noise exposure. Sure, some people might not have measurable loss from repeated sessions of that kind of exposure, but some might. You're spreading bad information that can potentially result in hearing damage for some people if followed.

But you are entitled to your opinion about this as well as I am.

But you're not entitled to your own facts, and the fact is that there's no such thing as a "hearing safe" silencer for a centerfire firearm.

 

[zerobarrier]

That's completely and utterly untrue; it's definitely possible to get hearing damage from that kind of noise exposure. Sure, some people might not have measurable loss from repeated sessions of that kind of exposure, but some might. You're spreading bad information that can potentially result in hearing damage for some people if followed.

No you are spreading incorrect information. Most ear muffs reduce the db by 22-33, which is about the same as most rifle suppressors. So tell me what the difference is?

But you're not entitled to your own facts, and the fact is that there's no such thing as a "hearing safe" silencer for a centerfire firearm

This is just one source for facts.
http://www.silencerresearch.com/hearing_protection.htm

This quote is from OSHA and posted on the American suppressor association - "According to OSHA, the threshold for a hearing safe impulse noise is 140 dB. Without hearing protection, exposure to any impulse noise over 140dB causes varying degrees of permanent noise induced hearing loss, which can also lead to tinnitus. Most well engineered suppressors take the dB level of their host firearm below 140 dB, making those suppressors effective primary hearing safety devices"

So maybe you should not make up your own facts just because you think it is not hearing safe, like saying you speak for all audiologists.

Most 223 Ar db ar in the 165db range so if you buy a pair of NRR 22db muffs you are still at 143db above the safe limit, when my SpecWar is around 133db. You go ahead and use those muffs and think you are safer, I will use my SpecWar.

Oh and this quote is from SilencerCo on their webpage - "GENERAL HEARING PROTECTION
The most common purpose of silencers is hearing protection. Even with earmuffs or plugs, guns are still loud enough to hurt your ears and cause ringing long after you are finished shooting — sometimes permanently. Earmuffs and plugs can be very uncomfortable; when shooting with conventional hearing protection, it is nearly impossible to hold a conversation or communicate with your shooting companions. This type of hearing protection also mutes your surroundings and makes you less aware of your environment. SilencerCo silencers lower the sound signature of your firearm to the point where it is comfortable to shoot without the need for hearing protection, making your shooting experience safer and more enjoyable."

But I guess none of them know what they are talking about, right?

 

[rjrivero]

I've always been a fan of ops inc suppressors. They are no longer being marketed and Ron Allen is now making suppressors under his own label. The AEM4 is the equvalent of the Ops 16th model, and it is the one I use the most. I also have an AEM2 (for the SBR) and an old Ops Inc M4S which is just an enclosed blast baffle. (Like a Noveske Flaming Pig that just works better.)

www.aesuppressors.com

They aren't the lightest cans out there (all stainless steel) but they do have a very low poi shift, (if the barrel is threaded perfectly concentric, it's virtually none). And the tone of these suppressors is very pleasing to the ear. Much nicer pitch/tone than any other suppressor I've shot side by side with.

 

[Theohazard]

No you are spreading incorrect information. Most ear muffs reduce the db by 22-33, which is about the same as most rifle suppressors. So tell me what the difference is?

You're either not listening to what I'm saying, or you're being deliberately obtuse in order to "win" your argument. Either way, you're continuing to spread bad information. My point is simply this: All of the noise exposure that you're mentioning can potentially cause noise-induced hearing loss. Period. Just because a sound is below an OSHA-recommended limit doesn't mean it can't cause hearing loss over time.

http://american-hearing.org/disorders/noise-induced-hearing-loss/

From that page: "Habitual exposure to noise above 85 dB will cause a gradual hearing loss in a significant number of individuals, and louder noises will accelerate this damage."

But I guess none of them know what they are talking about, right?

Of course silencer companies are going to tell you that you don't need hearing protection, that's a major selling point for silencers. And many people won't get noticeable hearing loss from shooting suppressed. But that doesn't mean it can't or doesn't happen.

Claiming that you can't get hearing loss from shooting thousands of rounds through a 125db firearm is simply irresponsible. Whether the sound is brought down to that level by a silencer or by muffs, it can still contribute to hearing loss over time. OSHA recommends a minimum dB limit simply because below that limit the loss is minimal for most people, but that doesn't mean it can't or doesn't happen: Shooting guns leads to hearing loss, and silencers (and other forms of hearing protection) drastically lower that loss. But they don't eliminate it.

 

[HRnightmare]

This got sidetracked BUT anyway. I recently bought the Phantom 556 SS. I got a good deal on it. It is the QD version which I know prefer to the screw on. The downside is you limit yourself to the muzzle brakes you can use, obviously.

I shot my Phantom alongside the Silencero and AAC equivalents and mine was a tad quieter. We both were shooting the same ammo.

I liked it so much I recently bought and am waiting on my form 1 to come back for a Phantom .30 QD

 

[HRnightmare]

I also have a silencerco 22 Sparrow and an AAC 9mm Ti-Rant product and like them both.

Admittedly the AAc just came back to me yesterday. I have had it about 3 years and it has been back for repairs twice. They are excellent, pay shipping both ways and turn it around in 3-4 days. The first time the coating peeled off after I soaked it in 50% water / 50% purple power.. I mean the pain just slide right off of it like I sprayed it with paint remover. They recoated it with no questions asked.

Last night I got it back because the threads were you screw the end caps on had chipped. I use it both on a 9mm SBR rifle and a pistol so you need to change thread patterns and replace the spring with the spacer on a rifle and while I never recall it happening I can only assume something like crud or gunk got into the threads OR I cross threaded them.

All of my suppressors except the YHM disassembles in seconds for cleaning. I REALLY like that the SilencerCo Sparrow has one giant baffle rather than 8 or 9 like the Ti-Rant. It is literally 5 pieces. The baffle assembly, two metal sleeves that go around it, the tube and the end cap.

 

[OpticsPlanet]

Right, so back to the OP's topic....what suppressor should he get??

I've been keeping an eye on the innovative arms grunt suppressor but haven't used it yet

AAC and Silencerco are great companies to consider

I also really like Liberty suppressors.

-Matt S.

 

[michaelkih]

I'm very happy with my M4-2000

 

[rjrivero]

I also have a silencerco 22 Sparrow and an AAC 9mm Ti-Rant product and like them both.

Admittedly the AAc just came back to me yesterday. I have had it about 3 years and it has been back for repairs twice. They are excellent, pay shipping both ways and turn it around in 3-4 days. The first time the coating peeled off after I soaked it in 50% water / 50% purple power.. I mean the pain just slide right off of it like I sprayed it with paint remover. They recoated it with no questions asked.

Last night I got it back because the threads were you screw the end caps on had chipped. I use it both on a 9mm SBR rifle and a pistol so you need to change thread patterns and replace the spring with the spacer on a rifle and while I never recall it happening I can only assume something like crud or gunk got into the threads OR I cross threaded them.

I'm glad that AAC has a good warranty plan, but I'm really glad none of my cans never had an issue requiring warranty work!

 

[Stand1 Scott]

Can you guys get ASE suppressors?
The ASE Utra is very good, can be added with either a bore lock adaptor (which fits behind an a2 comp, and also behind the Lantac Dragon brake).