Question about suppressors

[trlcavscout]

Wanting to get my first can for an AR but I have a couple questions. First is average cost of the can and stamp or whatever it is? Second is life expectancy of newer cans? 3rd is it registered to the paticular weapon or can you use it on multiple rifles, say if you upgraded, changed etc. Best place to get one? My budget is pretty low right now but thinking about a winter project.

[Irving]

$200 tax stamp no matter what can you buy.

A suppressor (that doesn't use wipes) works the exact same way as a car muffler. Unless you are shooting lead .22lr, your suppressor should theoretically last forever. There are no moving parts (on a rifle can anyway), and the bullet shouldn't come into contact with any part of the can. If you have a baffle strike from an unstabilized bullet, or crooked threads, you'll do damage and need to send it in, or possibly buy a new one.

The suppressor is registered to you. You can put it on whatever gun you want, whenever you want. You can't lend it to a friend though. You always have to be present.

You do have to send in a form if you plan to take it across state lines (DOUBLE CHECK THIS).

As far as buying a can goes, there are a few different things to consider.
1) In Stock: Does the dealer actually have the can you want in stock? If they do, then your wait time only depends on the good ole government. If it is NOT in stock, you can get your stamp back, but still have to wait additional time for the company to make the next batch and send it out to everyone.
2) Transfer Fee: If you want a particular brand that your dealer doesn't carry, they can get it for you, but will charge you a transfer fee. Usually it is around $100. I've heard of some places that charge you the fee even if they have a can in stock. I would avoid that place if it exists.

Tips:
-Some places sell cans cheap enough that the difference in price will more than make up for the $100 transfer fee AND the $200 tax stamp.
-There are a lot of different brands and models to choose from. You'll get different opinions based on where you ask, but be careful because there is a lot of drama within the suppressor community/manufacturers. For instance, if you ask around on arf.com, everyone will tell you how they hate AAC. People who defend AAC get banned. If you ask around on Silencertalk.com, you'll hear a lot about how bad Gemtech is. Personally, I like AAC as a company, and the reason they get trashed on arf.com is because they sued Gemtech for ripping off their designs and called out Gemtech on claiming certain levels of decibel reduction, and tests showed them to not meet the claims. Also, arf.com sucks and everyone there sucks too.

What caliber are you looking at suppressing? You can shoot smaller calibers through larger cans, but you won't get the same result. For example, shooting .223 through a .308 can, will probably not be as quiet as shooting .223 through a .223 can.

If you are planning on buying a .22lr can, or a .223 can that you plan on also shooting .22lr through, you want to look at getting a can that you can disassemble for cleaning. Lead is dirty and will eventually clog up a can if you don't clean it out. Also, some .22lr cans are rated for other calibers like .17HMR, .22 mag and wildcat, 5.7mm, and full auto. Some cans are not though, so be careful to get that information based on what you think your future needs will be.

Good luck, and if you need more insight, there are several people here who actually have cans and I'm sure they'll chime in.

[gcrookston]

I picked YHM for my cans after doing some comparison shooting with AAC and Gem Tech. Price wasn't that much of a consideration at the time, but it was hard to 'hear' were another $400-600 made a difference. I'm especially pleased with my Phantom can and use it every chance I get when shooting 5.56 or 7.62. One of my buddies has one he's put over 10,000 rounds out of, most of it full auto, and it's performance has been outstanding.

I purchased my cans through stocking dealers. The first can in '08 .45 Cobra for my USP tactical. Cost was $450.00, stamp $200.00. The dealer did not charge a "transfer fee". It took the BATF 91 days to process (I hand carried the paperwork to the Local LEO for approval the day I purchased it). The dealer was kind enough to let me demo it at their range any time I wished until the paperwork came in (it was stored in their safe until the stamp arrived).

The 2nd can I purchased at a different dealer and they had to order it from YHM (Phantom .308/.223). Again, I carried the paperwork to the local LEO for signature. The can and 2 adapters arrived within 10 days. The paperwork took 135 days. Cost was $575 for the can, $200 for the tax stamp. No transfer fee.

I've picked up a couple of extra adapters and plan on threading the barrels of a couple of bolt guns I have (.223/.308).

The 5320 is usually received within 21 days (this is required if you are moving and is recommended if you are taking it for play time out of state).

[trlcavscout]

Thanks for the info guys. I am really wanting to get this process started ASAP! Where is the best place to buy? I know Jensen in Loveland sells them but I dont know about price and availablility. I will be looking for more of an "economy" starter one, but not so cheap as to be inifective or short lived.

[Irving]

What caliber? If it is a .22lr, I don't think you can beat a Tac65 for an "economy" can.


You can also build your own suppressors on a Form 1, just FYI.

[trlcavscout]

What caliber? If it is a .22lr, I don't think you can beat a Tac65 for an "economy" can.


You can also build your own suppressors on a Form 1, just FYI.

Any more info on that? Its for a 223 AR. I wouldnt mind a 308 one for future build but for now a 223. To be able to use it on a 22 would be a big plus though.

[Irving]

There are quieter cans, but this is about as cheap as it gets (as far as I know, I'm a little out of date).

http://www.tacticalinc.com/tac65-22l...lean-p-38.html
http://www.impactguns.com/store/TAC65.html

I don't know ANYTHING about either of those dealers, and I think the local dealers carry them.

Here is a comparison thread:
http://ingunowners.com/forums/class_...tback_2_a.html

Basically, just Google TAC 65 and you get a lot of results.

What I would do, is go to www.silencerresearch.com, pay the $30 for a full access, premium membership and look at the raw data of like 90% of the cans available, then decide how you want to proceed from there. If you're going to be spending at least $400 on the cheapest can (including tax stamp) what is another $30 to find the best choice? Silencerresearch is like the Car and Driver of suppressors. There is a decent amount of free stuff to check out as well.

[Seamonkey]

What I would do, is go to www.silencerresearch.com, pay the $30 for a full access, premium membership and look at the raw data of like 90% of the cans available, then decide how you want to proceed from there. If you're going to be spending at least $400 on the cheapest can (including tax stamp) what is another $30 to find the best choice? Silencerresearch is like the Car and Driver of suppressors. There is a decent amount of free stuff to check out as well.

+1 for silencer research. You're going to spend a couple hundred bucks on the item, it's worth the $30 to get unbiased info.

[Hoser]

Just to clear up a few things.

The one time fee is $200. The fee is per suppressor. This fee goes to the NFA Branch of the ATF. If you own 5 suppressors, you will have $1000 in tax stamps.

The suppressor is the serialized item, not the weapon that it is attached to. So if you have threaded barrels on all of your rifles, you can move the supressor from gun to gun to gun.

Traveling with a suppressor does *not* require any approval or paperwork. Just dont take them to states where they are not allowed.

There is no formal or set fee for a transfer of a suppressor. Some dealers charge a fee and others dont.

Shooting a smaller caliber bullet through a can will not do any damage and in some cases it will actually be quieter as the volume of gasses you are cooling is less. I often shoot my 243 and 22BR through a 308 can. It is much quieter than shooting my 308 through my 308 can. I also shoot 300 Whisper through a 338 can. Sounds like a pellet gun.

Do not shoot 22LR through a centerfire can. You can, but it is not advised as the gunk from 22LR is nasty.

The price difference in suppressors come mainly from weight and noise reduction. Cry once and get a good can.

Get in touch with Alan at Machineguntours. He has many of them in stock.

[colblaster]

I would recommend the AAC M4-2000. Yes, it is more expensive, but it is small and light. Should be hyper durable. even on SBRs.

If you ever envision also wanting to suppress a 6.8 or 30 caliber, you may want to get a 762-SD. This will work fine on your 5.56 AR, but will also work on the larger calibers ( including your 30-06 elk rifle ) if you so choose.

I am very happy with performance of my M4-2000...