Silencertalk.com

A little bit about the site: Silencer Tests (TM) publication (now called SilencerTalk) was created as a testing and evaluation site to provide a level playing field for those who wish to compare silencer performance.
The site’s creator has since resigned from independent testing and now designs silencers for AAC. The site is now the number one discussion forum for all brands of silencers and with a very knowledgeable user base.
All manufacturers are invited to participate.

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SilencerResearch.com

A little bit about the site and it’s creator: John Titsworth, Jr. created Silencer Research.com gives you exclusive access to reviews that are not available anywhere else in the world. You will also gain access to private forums where you can ask questions and discuss silencers and silencer related items. These forums will be populated civilians like yourself and with industry professionals from all over the world. While there are other forums available on the internet to discuss silencers on, they are usually filled with dealers and manufacturers trying to push products even if they don’t fit your needs, or will only let manufacturers post who pay thousands of dollars a year for posting privileges. At Silencer Research, manufacturers join for free. All of them fully understand that the products they produce can and will be tested and the results will be posted without bias. Our forums absolutely, positively, WILL NOT allow bashing of manufacturers, from another manufacturer or member. This practice is undertaken on a continuous basis on other boards and it won’t be tolerated here. Anyone who bashes anyone will be ejected from the forum on the first offense and will never be allowed back on the website for any reason (no refunds either!). This fosters a healthy, peaceful, learning environment instead of discontent, discord and drama.
I will be working with manufacturers all over the United States to bring you the best possible unbiased product reviews available, complete with pictures, tutorials, and videos of the tests including the now famous “meter cam.” Members will be able to have dialogue with behind the scenes industry professionals on private message forums. This website will never be an infomercial for any manufacturer, and we have no plans to accept money for advertising. That means you will never see a “gun rag” write up on this website. You are entitled to the truth without the hype.

**Check out the Reviews on SilencerResearch.com :”2008 556/223 RIFLE SILENCER SHOOTOUT RELEASED!!!
On October 25th, we performed the largest civilian single day independent silencer test ever conducted in the United States. Fifteen 556 silencers were tested on 3 different weapons with Nato M855 ball. The results are finally here with over 40 videos and 130+ pictures.”

Here’s a new ad for Daniel Defense in BLACK GUNS magazine. I see an M4-2000 in there…

Selective Fire Steyr: The TMP

By Jacques Lenaerts

Three years ago, during a visit to the Austrian Steyr-Mannlicher company, I had a short look at a compact 9mm submachine gun, called the TMP, that I was allowed to handle very briefly. I remember wondering why Steyr was trying to develop a new 9mm SMG: there are already plenty of these weapons and the market for them is quite restricted. Further contacts with a company’s representative changed my mind: each time, we briefly discussed the progress of the TMP. I came to suspect Steyr of working towards something else than a classic SMG, clearly developed to compete with the Mini-Uzi or the Heckler & Koch’s MP5K family and the like.I was right. As a matter of fact, this short-sized SMG came out of the same military concems that repeatedly led the U.S. Infantry School to start a new approach to the Personal Defense Weapon (PDW), now set within the frame of the Objective Family of Small Arms (OFSA). These concerns are shared by most modern armies and arose from the poor efficiency of the semi-auto pistol when used under true combat conditions as a last ditch defense weapon, especially by those people whose primary task is not to fight.Steyr’s designers were fully aware of this problem ever since the AUG assault rifle was put on the drawing board in the early seventies. (more…)

U.S. Army 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment Capt. Brian Westerfield walks away from a car that was set on fire by U.S. troops in Mosul, Iraq Friday, Feb 18, 2005, after a cache of insurgent weapons was found inside. Occupants had been spotted shooting at U.S. and Iraqi troops from the same car earlier in the day.  (AP Photo/Jim MacMillan)

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Here is a photo of 0.241 set on a caliper with a 0.224 gage-pin (diameter of a 5.56mm bullet). It represents the bore size of a competitor’s blast baffle on their Stainless Phantom silencer. What happens when a 69 grain bullet is shot from a 1:9 twist barrel on a short-barrel upper? Will the long bullet be stable enough to make it through? Answer: Most of the time, yes. Thanks to the Gemtax, it is more difficult to replace a silencer than ever before, so think about bore size when making a decision.

When boring out a silencer using conventional machining, stringy chips are often left inside. At AAC, we true our bores using the wire-EDM process. Yes, it is more costly, but due to the non-contact nature, there is no boring-bar or reamer to wander. This makes a true bore, and the metal is vaporized so they are curly-que-free. Bullets and metal-fragments don’t mix.

We checked the threads on this silencer from a new maker and the threads had very flat tops. Their minor diam was 0.5980. Class-3 specs require 0.5800 – 0.5869. Class-2 specs (a looser standard generally for bolts and Home-Depot hardware) require 0.5800 – 0.5900. This unit was 0.008 outside of class-2 specs and 0.011 from class-3 specs. Less than 75% thread engagement is not acceptable. This silencer was closer to 40%.

When it comes to bullets, it is best to be conservative and use safe engineering practices. This means making a bore large enough to safely pass a bullet in all cases. Yes you can get another few dB by risking it, but it is not sound engineering (pun intended). Engineering-school graduates work with tolerences and that means they would find the maximum diameter of a bullet before it is out of spec, the maximum runout of the barrel threads allowed by their respective makers, and the maximum runout of your parts as a silencer company. You then add these up to determine the minimum safe bore. Finally, add some safety factor because things happen – and muzzle devices unscrew sometimes as you shoot. AAC’s Evo-9 has a 0.391 bore, which allows for 0.036 over bullet diameter. That works, and is reliable enough for no-nonsense military use day in, day out, and under adverse conditions.

Pictured are some competitor silencer parts: one is for 9mm and has a 0.361 bore (a 9mm bullet is 0.355 typically, but is sometimes 0.357), and one is for .45 ACP and has a 0.462 bore (45 is .452). Assuming barrel threads have 0.0000 runout (in reality they are generally a few thousandths), there is only 0.002 clearence per side for a bullet at the larger-end of the tolerence range. That is 1/3 less than the thickness of a human hair! AAC’s safety factor is SIX TIMES HIGHER.

(.45 caliber bullet measured below)

(Human hair measurement shown below.)

“The Agonizing, Tedious, time-consuming, frustrating, exhilirating, imposing, costly, illuminating, detailed, liberating, fascinating, eternal, baffling, espensive, gratifying, important, inexpedient, visionary, unending, illusional, impressive, delightful, fulfilling, endless, but ultimately extremely satisfying-Birth of the Offensive Handgun Suppressor.” ~Nov. 1998 issue:Small Arms Review

This is Colt’s submission for the Offensive Handgun program in 1991. It is a heavy all stainless steel pistol that uses a rotating barrel locking system similar to the Colt All American 2000 and recent offerings from Beretta. The Colt OHG used a silencer designed by Knight’s Armament Corp. It is an all stainless steel wipeless design that uses a fast attach mechanism similar to the one used on the Snap-On silencer for the Beretta M9.

The silencer attaches to a frame mounted muzzle brake that is an active component of the silencer and contributes to the excellent sound suppression.

The suppressor data below shows that the KAC silencer was very hearing safe.

Trey Knight sets up some exploding targets for an added bonus.

Kevin Brittingham was offered the opportunity to shoot this extremely uber rare handgun/suppressor combo on a recent trip to Knight’s Armament Corp.

SOCCOM chose the H&K handgun entry as the MK 23 and asked KAC to redesign their silencer to work on the Browning style action of the H&K pistol. The images below are taken from the Mk 23 article in the 1998 November edition of Small Arms Review.