rtr Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Looking for an excuse to buy a suppressor for my 3gun rifle. Ignoring the division it may put me in I'm curious if anyone can comment on how an AR shoots with a sure fire micro or mini or perhaps an AAC mini4. Especially curious what the recoil is like and if you can see your shots through the scope well. I realize a comp is the best recoil reducer but how close is a suppressor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) Just one thing.. a Suppressor isn't considered a comp in USPSA.. so you can run it in all divisions.. I don't have on for my AR yet.. so I can't comment directly, but the ones I've shot.. seem to shoot with less recoil than any comp I've used. Probably just because there's so little noise Edited January 8, 2012 by D.Hayden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chills1994 Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 If it is suppressed well enough, the timer;s microphone won't pick up any BANG! so it won't know when to stop. You might as well pull out a stopwatch then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outsydlooknin75 Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 If it is suppressed well enough, the timer;s microphone won't pick up any BANG! so it won't know when to stop. You might as well pull out a stopwatch then. If the RO is good and keeps the timer near the ejection port of the rifle the timer will pick it up. But for the most part it is ill advised unless its a head to head race with falling steel to determine a winner. Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 If you want to go this route, Surefire makes a muzzle break (MB556K) that's not a bad compensator in it's own right. Plus it acts as a twist on adapter for their suppressors. I've tested one but don't own one because I can't in this state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 We had someone on our squad at Area1 MG use one (a Gemtech I think)... with the timer you had to keep close.. but no real issues. The funniest thing was, dumping it into a vertical barrel, with nothing on the bottom (cardboard, whatever).. it melted right through it.. At IronMan (2008?), another guy on our squad used a suppresed AR for the long range bonus targets as his 4th gun.. I think he drilled them all.. it was very sweet to see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmysterious Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 The last time I ran my suppressor at a match the RO just swatted the timer for my last shot and it registered the time. Chasing me AND the ejection port made life a little difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landshark45 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Going to be running a YHM 30cal phantom this year. I will post here with info this month on how it works out with timers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landshark45 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 As far as recoil is concerned... Much less than normal with flash-hiders I would guess about half the recoil.. however its still not as good as a break. This is on my 556. My 308 enjoys a huge decrease in overall recoil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziebart Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I think one of reasons why some may say the recoil is reduced more than a break is the added weight as well as the reduced sound pressure. If you are going to use one of the smaller silencers then you won't be eliminating the noise just reducing it so if the timer will pick up a 22lr then it will pick up your rifle. If a person did decide to use a silencer in a match would it need to stay on for all stages? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunfixer Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 The timer should still easily pick it up, IMHO the disadvantage is that you now will have to contend with Blow-Back into your face/ eye's.. It is uncomfortable, but manageable.. A good muzzle break is a better advantage, but not a cool to have.. I really like suppressors too..! Eric! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Anderson Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 The timer should still easily pick it up, IMHO the disadvantage is that you now will have to contend with Blow-Back into your face/ eye's.. It is uncomfortable, but manageable.. A good muzzle break is a better advantage, but not a cool to have.. I really like suppressors too..! Eric! Pure recoil reduction is about the same as a decent comp. Where you lose with the suppressor is the stability in the sights. Basically, offhand with a comp, the gun should stay on target. With a suppressor, it wanders around a bit. Rearward force gone, but there's nothing directing the gun in any particular direction. I've shot more than a couple matches with my SureFire on. It's okay, but nowhere near as fast as a Cooley Comp. A very good compromise is the SureFire MB556K and a suppressor. You can use just the muzzle break at the matches you really care about and the suppressor at the fun ones. It is a pain in the butt to use the timer with a can. Depending on whether it's one with a sensitivity adjustment you may not pick up the last shot. The RO just needs to pay attention to what he's doing. If the timers picking up shots, no change. If it's not he needs to get closer or tap. Depends a lot on the ammo and can being used. The blow back issue can be significant though. Again it depends alot on the ammo. Some will be very Ammonia-Y (uh, yeah that's a word) and sting the eyes. A gas buster charging handle is a must on any suppressed rifle though anyway. Won't cure the problem, but it helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landshark45 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 If you run a can during the match I think it needs to stay on the entire time. If it didn't it could be seen as equipment change for an advantage. Just like changing your optic to a 20x high power scope for long stages but using a 1x for the short hoser stuff. I believe must shoots have a rule that your equipment must stay the same the entire match. But wait can we pretend its like a shotgun choke lol!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 My experience is very similar to what Chuck said. As an RO, I don't mind them at all, in fact I prefer them. Any good RO knows to get the timer near the ejection port towards the end of the stage, not really an issue. Anyone who uses a suppressor will recognize this and it won't bother them. As for division, it varies. Some matches will let the Open shooters change them out, some will not. Suppressors on Piston driven guns help reduce the blow back, but a DI needs a gas buster CH. Removal of the Forward Assist assembly and replacement with a vent also helps quite a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Player Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) My experience is very similar to what Chuck said. As an RO, I don't mind them at all, in fact I prefer them. Any good RO knows to get the timer near the ejection port towards the end of the stage, not really an issue. Anyone who uses a suppressor will recognize this and it won't bother them. As for division, it varies. Some matches will let the Open shooters change them out, some will not. Suppressors on Piston driven guns help reduce the blow back, but a DI needs a gas buster CH. Removal of the Forward Assist assembly and replacement with a vent also helps quite a bit. I'm getting a can soon and can't wait to run it in 3 gun "just because" Edited January 9, 2012 by Mr Player Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviesterno Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I ran my 22 can on an SBR for a local but big steel match. I was in the running for first or second place overall, and was really killing the targets. With no crack to worry about and a total elimination of recoil, i thought it was going to be a huge advantage. Then gas blew back under my glasses, effectively blinding me on the clock. It took a good 15 seconds of crying and wiping to clear it out, then I was blurry for the rest of that stage. It was the last stage of the day, and I lost the match because of it. I will run a can again though. This time with a dedicated upper with no gas system and a side vent. Oh yeah, bigger glasses, too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziebart Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 You may not need to spend the money on the gas buster, try RTV on the handle first You could also drill holes in it so it would be more like the real thing if you want. Oh and be sure and wear real shooting glasses that wrap around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmysterious Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 That charging handle mod really helps out and keeps most of the gas out of your eyes. I'm using a Gunfighter medium on mine though, that dinky roll pin on my Gasbuster sheared off in the middle of a run while clearing a jam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k. easton Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 There are many good points of view mentioned. What was missed was to get a MGI adjustable gas tube or adjustable gas block. They do a great job with the AR or m16 family but I personally consider them a must with a DI type system. Especially running FA suppressed. FWIW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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