cans and muzzles

[ErikW]

What do I want on the end of an AR-15 barrel if I want to sometimes use it with a suppressor? A2 flash hider? How about the Phantom and Vortex FHs? I saw a Gemtech that slipped over an A2.

Can I get a single can that will work on a .223 AR and .22LR rifles/pistols?

[TMC]

Man, you get out of California for a couple of months and just go crazy! AR-10, supressors, at this rate a belt fed can't be too far behind. I'll bet you've already talked to Alan about this huh?

Oh, the other day Shooting Gallery had a show on I think it was Surefire's supressor. It has an adaptor that looks alot like and A2 FH and works like one when the supressor is not on.

[Patrick Sweeney]

Each supressor maker will tell you what options you have with their cans. I don't think you'll find much overlap between 5.56 and .22LR products. the pressure curves they have to deal with are so wildly different, anything that would "work" with both would likely be a poor compromise with either.

[Bear1142]

Erik,

Like Patrick stated, any company that makes a quick detach suppressor will have their own proprietary mount that accompanies it. Several companies do make suppressors that fit the standard 1/2 x 28 thread, but conventional wisdom states the threads are too fine to maintain a good long term suppressor fit. Even if that doesn't concern you, once you get a suppressor installed on a standard pitch thread, you probably won't want to take it off repeatedly. Bullet strikes inside the baffles of the suppressors from inproperly indexed suppressors are quite common (ask me how I know this). I currently own an Advanced Armament Corp. M-4 2000 quick detach suppressor. I think it's the best on market in every aspect. Their quick detach mount doubles as a very effective flash suppressor when the actual suppressor is not being used. I fully recommend this setup if your interested in suppressors. I think the website is Advanced-Armament.com

Erik

[ErikW]

I checked out GemTech and they have a quick-detach flash hider adapter for AR-15s. .22s just thread on.

But damnnnn, $700 for a can, plus $200 plus a few months of waiting for the bureaucrats...

[EricW]

Will a can cut down on the smoke/condensation that obscures your scope?

[rkgsmith]

We currently use the GemTech with the quick detatch mount. On HK53's and MP5's. All our guys had to put witness marks on the units to get them on the same way each time. Had shifting points of aim, and bullet strikes with the Bi-lock mount on the 53's, and just aiming shifts with the MP5's. For what it's worth I think a "properly fitted" threaded unit is much better.

[ErikW]

Anybody think it's worth dedicating an upper and keeping the can on it?

[EricW]

Surefire claims they've developed a can/flash hider system that fixes most of the indexing and longevity issues. I'm sure it's expensive as hell (and probably uses a plastic lens cover that melts under normal use).

http://www.surefiresuppressors.com/

[davidwiz]

With most, if not all, suppressors, you could find the poa shifting severly (read 5+moa) when taking the suppressor off and on. Meaning, you would have to sight-in if put the suppressor on and then re-sight-in when you took it off. Surefire (pictured above) claims that poa shifts no more than 1moa with their product.

[Garrett]

What do I want on the end of an AR-15 barrel if I want to sometimes use it with a suppressor?

How often do you plan on installing / removing the can? Here's a better question: under what circumstances will you not be using the can? Once you start shooting with a suppressed gun, there's not a lot of reasons to go back. Most cans work like a really good muzzle brake, but without all the noise and blast. The trade-off is the gun is a bit longer, and you get more gas & crud dumped back into the action. For this reason, I would recommend getting an adjustable gas block on your AR if you're going to use a suppresser on it.

Are you planning on hunting with your AR? Some states don't allow hunting with a silencer. Or do you shoot often in a neighboring state that does not allow suppressors? Those are about the only "recreational" reasons I can think of for not using the gun with the can installed.

Are you going to use it on one gun only, or are you going to move it around between guns. A can with a QD mount makes this really easy, but then you have to get mounts for all of the guns you plan to use. The extra mounts are often expensive.

Unless you are going to pull it on & off a lot, I would just get a threaded mount. The QD mounts are good, but often come close to doubling the price of the unit as a whole. That one is up to you.

Can I get a single can that will work on a .223 AR and .22LR rifles/pistols?

Any .223 can will work with .22LR. It will usually be bigger & heavier than a dedicated .22 can though. And it often will not work as well as a dedicated .22 can. You will also get a lot of crud in any .22 can. A bigger, heavier can isn't as big a deal if you are going to use it on a rifle. It's a bit of a bummer on a pistol, though. Again, it goes back to what you plan on using the can on the most.