I’m not Pew Science, I can’t tell you which suppressor is scientifically the quietest. My perspective comes from the experience behind the gun and how friendly suppressors are to the shooter, as well as how useful they can be over various platforms. Since the price of tax stamps is dropping to $0, I figured this was a good time to introduce a new series of articles we are doing on some of the better NFA items on the market that you can make or buy.
Let’s start with keeping it quiet by going with suppressors.
Go Quiet with These Suppressors
Velos 556K
The Velos 556K from SilencerCo is their 3D-printed, flow-through suppressor. Flow-through suppressors promise to reduce or even eliminate gas blowback when shooting suppressed. I’m a bit of a sissy when it comes to gas blowback. I don’t understand how people deal with the eye-watering and choking I get from shooting suppressed.
The Velos 556K eliminates that issue. You don’t need an adjustable gas block, a special charging handle, or any other upgrades. I can toss this on an over-gassed budget carbine and not get hot gas in my face with every shot fired. The Velos 556K is also a little shorter than the OG Velos, and this makes it a bit more carbine-friendly.
I can’t measure sound reduction, but I can tell you that the 556K certainly takes the sting out of a 5.56 cartridge. It makes shooting much more comfortable and reduces volume significantly. SilencerCo uses a muzzle flash-reducing endcap, which does help mitigate the primary downside to flow-through cans. The Velos isn’t cheap, but I view cans as a buy once, cry once deal.
SilencerCo Hybrid 46M
Speaking of “buy once, cry once,” if you wanted only one can ever, I’d go with the SilencerCo Hybrid 46M. This is a .46 caliber suppressor, so it can suppress everything from .22LR to .45-70, and even powerful magnum calibers. Admittedly, smaller calibers won’t suppress as well, but the ring and sting of common calibers like 9mm, 5.56, .300 Blackout, and more.
The suppressor is just as useful on a .44 Magnum, a .338 Lapua Magnum, or really any magnum cartridge you want to suppress. The M in 46M stands for modular, and you can reduce the length at the cost of some of the suppression capability. The Hybrid 46M can suppress practically any common cartridge and a lot of uncommon ones.
OCL Polonium-30
If you just want to suppress rifles because you believe suppressors on handguns are basically a meme, then you likely want a .30 Cal can. The Otter Creek Labs Polonium-30 has been an impressive can at a great price point. At around $500-ish, the OCL-30 can suppress everything from 5.56 to .300 Norma Magnum.
The Polonium-30 uses the HUB mounting system that makes it easy to mount in a variety of ways. The OCL can is made from stainless steel and is full-auto rated. At 13.5 ounces, it’s not exactly lightweight, but for the price and the durability, the Polonium-30 is tough to beat for a dedicated rifle shooter.
Rugged Obsidian 45
If you don’t think suppressing pistols is a meme, then the Rugged Obsidian 45 is tough to beat. This .45 caliber suppressor (also available in 9mm) allows you to suppress a wide variety of calibers. Besides being able to suppress most common pistol calibers, you can suppress various rifle calibers as long as you stick to the recommended barrel lengths.
The Rugged Obsidian 45 claims to be the quietest .45 caliber suppressor, and it’s certainly long enough to be at 8.6 inches long. Luckily, it is modular, and you can reduce the overall length to 6.7 inches. It will turn POWs into pews and deliver a tough-to-beat experience for the pistol connoisseur, and it’s even compatible with most pistol-caliber lever guns.
GSL Pill Box
There are lots and lots of great .22LR cans out there. Some are as cheap as $99, some are modular from SilencerCo, and others, like the OCL Titanium, are both light and affordable. The GSL Pill Box is not the best .22LR suppressor, but I’m adding it because it’s the first can I’m going to buy when stamps are free. I couldn’t justify paying $200 for a tax when the can only cost $200.
The GSL Pill Box is a micro-sized suppressor; in fact, it’s the smallest suppressor available for the .22LR. This micro-sized suppressor is only 1.44 inches long overall, and it weighs less than an ounce. It’s a wipe-based suppressor, so the wipe has to be replaced every 50 rounds. GSL straight up says it’s not a suppressor designed for extended shooting purposes.
Ultimately, it’s a novelty, but it’s just so cool. It can fit on a keychain and will be a great can for my Beretta 20X Bobcat. It’s just cool, and sometimes things can just be cool.
Suppressors: Silence Is Brass Colored
Suppressors are going to be a hot commodity when the stamp price is $0. In most cases, the tax stamp was a significant part of the purchase price. Even if you spend a grand on a suppressor, the tax stamp adds 20% to the price of admission. With this speed bump gone, I imagine suppressor sales will skyrocket!
