My First Suppressor

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • jeffsqartan

    Expert
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 21, 2012
    1,300
    83
    Well, I'm finally doing it. Wanted to for years, finally just pulling the trigger (pun fully intended) and I kind of plan on documenting my experience here.

    For my opening post, I want to outline my plans/uses for this purchase and explain why I'm going the route I am. I've seen a lot of people who have posted their experiences and it's helped, but hasn't quite given me all of the info I was looking for. I'd like to regurgitate some of what I've found, as well as fill in the blanks that I couldn't find in my own searching.

    Plan for this suppressor
    This will be my first suppressor and I don't need or want something crazy expensive. Nor can I really afford it. I plan on shooting more, but I really only put 1,000 rounds down range per year. Most of that is in 9mm and 22.
    I'm going to get a can that be used on my 300blk pistol and rifle, 556 rifle, and my 22 rifle.
    I'd also like something that is fairly light, since it will spend a fair amount of time on my 22 when I hunt squirrels (or just plink around).

    What I plan on buying
    All of the above adds up to the Rebel Silencers SOS-Hunter. If I decide that I want something a little more beefy, I'll either build my own with titanium parts, or I'll purchase a Radical Firearms suppressor.
    I originally wanted to go with Radical Firearms because I have one of their uppers and I'm happy with it, but their suppressor is almost double the weight of the Hunter.
    Now, I know that the Hunter isn't as beefy as the RF (or other, more expensive units), but I'm not going to be putting enough rounds down range per year or even per session for that to matter right now. It looks like this is the perfect suppressor for me.

    Trust or Individual
    I've spent several years looking into suppressors and deliberating on trust or no trust. A couple years ago, the trust was a clear winner because of its simplicity. Due to 41f, that's not the case anymore.
    However, I am married and will eventually have offspring of my own. I decided to go ahead and go with the trust. Only my wife and my Dad will be on the trust, so prints and what-not won't be an issue. Plus, my MIL is a notary and lives 5 minutes away.

    How to get the trust
    I'm not a lawyer, so YMMV here. I decided to go with a Silencer Shop NFA Trust. I spoke with a local the other day who had one and said he'd had no issues with his. Honestly, I'm not too worried about it. I did a fair amount of research here, too, and didn't find anyone who had issues with this trust.
    I literally just purchased this about 30 minutes ago and will report back on how the process goes getting all of the paperwork taken care of.

    Where I'm going from here
    I won't lie, this was a bit of a turn of events. I actually almost bought another racecar last week and wouldn't be getting the suppressor if I had.
    I found out that the wait times for trusts are in the 10 month range right now. I'd really like to use this for deer hunting next year. Initially, I had planned on setting up my trust in January and then the suppressor around late Feb/early March. Due to the long wait times, I'm going to go ahead and start with the suppressor before January ends.
    I'm hoping to have the Hunter shipped to a close-by FFL who will allow me to use it on their range.

    It's good to finally head down this road and I look forward to sharing the experience with all of you.
    Hopefully this will also serve as some good info for anyone looking to jump into their own suppressor.
     

    JonProphet

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 83.3%
    5   1   0
    Apr 14, 2012
    433
    18
    Southern Indiana
    I would think again about purchasing a Hunter. The quality and customer service aren't there. You need to up your budget. I've held two different versions of their Hunter cans. They are light, cheap and not worth the price. Even as low as it is. Its not worth the stamp you are putting to it.
     

    jeffsqartan

    Expert
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 21, 2012
    1,300
    83
    I have not bought the can yet.

    I will likely be waiting until the end of January to make the actual purchase. I want to be sure that I choose the right shop to ship it to and, more importantly, the correct suppressor.

    I've heard good things on that suppressor, but I am always looking for more information.

    Jon, have you or anyone you know had horror stories with those cans?

    Also, if anyone knows someone who'd be willing to let me see or even use their Hunter (under their supervision, of course), that would be a huge plus.
     

    IndyGlockMan

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    23   0   0
    Jul 19, 2011
    1,943
    38
    Fishers
    Some .30 cal cans don't recommend use with .22LR (because it's so dirty I guess).
    There's a few .22 cans out there that can be had pretty cheap, so you might consider getting one for .22 and one for .30 cal/.223.
    Of course you will have 2 tax stamps, but if you went with a lower dollar .30 cal can, your budget might be enough.
    What's your budget? I'm sure we can spend it for you very quickly :cool:
     

    jeffsqartan

    Expert
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 21, 2012
    1,300
    83
    What's your budget? I'm sure we can spend it for you very quickly :cool:

    Trust me, I can do that quite well for myself. I'm always interested in the expensive stuff... Diesels, racecars, guns.... Never the cheap side haha.

    Anyway, my ideal budget is $600 with stamp. That's why this was such a great idea.
    I have sat here for about an hour going through a bunch of reviews and looking for new options.
    This is what I've narrowed it down to-
    SOS Hunter - Some initial reviews and experiences aren't great. Others, are really good. It feels like a 50/50. However, it does sound like their newest design is mostly aluminum, but uses stainless steal on the baffles to prevent wear.
    Black Aces Tactical Po'Boy - $200, all steel construction can. Supposedly, the innards are just washers. Quite honestly, not sure that I care as long as it works. I've seen crazy builds that use intricate monolithic designs, and I've seen budget cans that use washers from Lowes and they all work about the same. Difference is price and difficulty to make.
    DIY Solvent trap kit - ~$300. I'm a fan of doing things myself, and the kits that certain sites sell would work just fine for me. My plan here would be to pick up a 10" tube, preferably in Titanium (which is going to be the cost factor) and use steel spacers, but utilize Valve Spring Retainers as baffles. I'm looking to find the right size VSRs for a 308 round. That's proving to be a little difficult. I would likely need to borrow a lathe and turn them down. Not a big deal. I like learning, I like building. If I had a lathe already, I'd probably be building my own suppressor anyway.

    So, I've already heard some local stuff about the SOS Hunter. What about the $200 BAT Po'Boy can? Anyone seen one? Used one? Trash or not?
    It's not my ideal situation, but I'll sacrifice some weight if it means that I'll have a longer lasting item.


    *EDIT* When I say that the expensive/intricate cans work about the same as the cheap/simple designs, I mean for my own scenario. There is, without a doubt, a use for the high-end model cans. I personally don't think that I'll need that for several years. The goal here is to get a can for a good price that will last until I can purchase something, or make something, more heavy duty.
    I don't want to sacrifice quality, but I don't need a full-auto rated can, either.
     

    Bfish

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    13   0   0
    Feb 24, 2013
    5,801
    48
    I've shot the Po'Boy it came into my LGS as a demo can. Not terrible when you consider they are only $200 or so. But, I'd say if you budget is $600 with stamp you are almost in the territory of really good cans. Stay away from the Po'Boy, the DIY stuff, and just wait a little longer and save to get something better. Heck the other day Capitol Armory had AAC SDN-6's for $400! So it sucks you missed out on that!
    It's not a gun where you can turn around and sell it afterwards the next week. It's worth it to just buy quality for a little bit more I promise!
     

    ROLEXrifleman

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    54   0   0
    Feb 7, 2009
    1,767
    84
    NW Indiana
    The sdn-6's were $350 each if you bought 3! As had been stated, your $100-$200 away from a class a supressor. Finding a good quality value line can is nice but when it comes to a lifetime commitment I'll stay with solid companies.
     

    JonProphet

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 83.3%
    5   1   0
    Apr 14, 2012
    433
    18
    Southern Indiana
    I bought a AAC SD .30 cal and a rebel .22 on pre-sale. $275 total invested for a .22 isn't much and as I stated in the other thread, I don't have to actually put the money down on the stamp. And to be upfront and honest, I really want to put down money on the pre-sale Creedmore but after seeing final product, I have to tell myself no. Over and over.

    I've handled an original Hunter and a newer version. The quality of the machine work down right sucks. They are building a Ponzi scheme. $75 isn't much for me and I thought I'd dip there. They are basically taking my money to finance producing more later for other folks to buy at full price. The good news is, they are delivering. Their Customer Service sucks. Period. Look up Huntertown Arms. They were producing a far superior product but started to have issues because CS sucked. I don't expect Rebel to be able to sustain what they are doing. They can post Youtube video's all day long but 1 issue, snowballs into another, and as soon as someone on the management team leaves, forget it, its over(Rebel). There are to many players with quality products and far better CS then to cheat yourself trying to pinch pennies.

    Like others have said, it far more difficult to buy a NFA item and then try to sell it down the road.

    AAC has had issues as well. And honestly, scares me a little when I hear of shops selling those products at a deep discount.

    -JD-
     

    NyleRN

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    28   0   0
    Dec 14, 2013
    3,834
    113
    Scottsburg
    Reason I asked if you've already bought the can is because of reasons stated above. I don't try to tell people how they should spend their money but I feel like I ought to at least encourage you in another direction where your hard earned money will better spent. Huntertown is out. As in closed the doors for good. Sorry for those who have one and encounter problems. I wouldn't have much more confidence in Rebel either. No warranty, no attention paid to details, and bottom of the barrel materials. Heck, that Hunter doesn't even have a proper blast baffle. You'll erode those baffles down to nothing in 500rds. A better can now will be cheaper in the long run.
     

    tbhausen

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    83   0   0
    Feb 12, 2010
    4,927
    113
    West Central IN
    Wow, baffle erosion after 19 rounds? And an end cap strike? Why anyone would consider buying this hunk of garbage completely “baffles” me. I believe that’s one of the most scathing reviews I’ve ever read on any firearms-related product.
     

    JonProphet

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 83.3%
    5   1   0
    Apr 14, 2012
    433
    18
    Southern Indiana
    They do offer a warranty. What exactly that entails, you may have to ask them.

    19 rounds, changes are, that was a VERY early example, but even still, who would let something out that performed so poorly?
     

    jeffsqartan

    Expert
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 21, 2012
    1,300
    83
    So, after everyone's thoughts and some further review, the cheaper cans are too risky to bother with right now. If I go with a cheaper can, I'm going to build it myself.


    It looks like I can build a stainless can for $150 before baffles. I'll be using valve spring retainers for the baffles. They're fairly low cost. I'll have to turn them down, but I don't mind.
    Believe it or not, I've been wanting to build a suppressor for a long time and I've done research on the subject over the last few years. I think I can way overbuild a suppressor using the stainless can and VSR baffles. I'll sacrifice on weight so long as it performs very well.


    Why do this over saving an extra couple hundred and buying a nicer suppressor?
    1. I like to build things. I'd rather build than buy, even if sometimes it means spending as much as I would have to buy it pre-made. I enjoy the process and the knowledge I gain along the way.
    2. This is turning into a more time-sensitive project. I could wait another month or two and save up for a better model, but then I have to wait another month or two to get the Form 4 paperwork started, meaning it may be after hunting season before my can is out of jail.


    Now, #2 is based on the assumption that I have to pay for the can and the stamp at the same time. If I could get the stamp paperwork started now and then pay for the suppressor in the summer, I'd be more than happy to buy something better built.


    I'm not broke, I just have a more important project going on (racecar) that I am budgeting for and I don't want to bend on the racecar budget for the suppressor budget.


    The verdict isn't in yet; I haven't made an official decision on what I'm doing. I need to check on wait times for Form 1s and do a little more planning. I'd say that my decision needs to be made around the 25th in order to get the paperwork started for a Form 1 or 4, whatever I decide.


    Who knows, maybe I'll hit the lottery on the 24th and buy several suppressors at once :laugh:
     

    thephasdin4

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Dec 31, 2017
    62
    6
    Terre Haute
    My first can was a AAC Cylone direct-thread 30 caliber can. It's slightly slower than the quick attach types but I have nothing to complain. It was solidly built. Super quiet with subsonics, and the most important of all, not affecting accuracy. There was a change in POI, but after I zeroed it the rifle is still as accurate as when it was without the can.
     

    Ggreen

    Person
    Rating - 100%
    49   0   0
    Sep 19, 2016
    3,686
    77
    SouthEast
    You may not have a suppressor by hunting season even if you did the paperwork today. There is honestly no guarantee on speed. I always plan on at least a year and will be pleasantly surprised if it is earlier. Save up and but a nice can, or take your time and build a nice can. I'll never understand paying a 200 Dollar tax on something that has mixed reviews. I also have called, and messaged both manufacturers before purchase to see if I could get a hold of a real person.
     

    jeffsqartan

    Expert
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 21, 2012
    1,300
    83
    Not to take this thread off topic, but, if you don’t mind my asking, what type of racecar?

    I have had to retype my response twice now, so I'm gonna be more vague than I was the first 2 times lol.
    92 Mustang. Goal is a roadcourse/autocross/drift car. I paid $900 for it 2 years ago and the drivetrain is solid, but I found rust on the driver side shock tower after I got into an accident a few months ago. I'm currently cutting out the rust and patching it up, but I'll need to buy a roller at some point and swap my stuff into it.
    My goal for this year is to just race. Doesn't have to be perfect, but does need to be safe and drive-able. I've spent several years wrenching on projects and not getting seat time, so I'm hoping to reverse that this year and go have some fun on the track!

    Back to suppressors. I definitely think I'll just have to get over the whole hunting thing. That's a bummer, but no sense in rushing just to be double disappointed (bad suppressor and not here in time).
    That being said, a DIY suppressor still has some real appeal to me. It may be cheap, but I will be able to control quality.
    I'm still open to suggestions for DIY suppressor supplies as well as budget minded suppressors ($400-$600, before stamp) that still have a good quality to them.
    Again, this will be used mainly on a 8.5" 300 blackout pistol (super and sub loads) and also on a 10/22. Just the main guns I plan to run the can on.
     
    Top Bottom