Good morning everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday series brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM Turbo 5.56 and YHM Resonator R2 rifle suppressors. Last week we sat down with the AMTAC Mantis and discussed the pros and cons of over-the-barrel reflex style suppressors. This week we take a look one of the most frequently asked questions when a shooter is shopping for an AR-15 suppressor – is a 5.56mm can quieter than a 7.62mm can? But the bigger issue is why James Reeves got it wrong.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM Turbo K 5.56 rifle suppressor. Last week we stepped back a bit to look at the Q Honey Badger PDW and Thunder Chicken suppressor. This week we get to discuss one of my secret fetishes – deep and dark over-the-barrel rifle suppressors like the AMTAC MANTIS. What makes them so special? Let’s take a look.

The Meridian Defense Pestilence is one of four rifles from Meridian Defense Corp’s Apocalypse Series.  Each of these rifles is handcrafted by using a mix of both imported and American parts.  These special projects division “apocalypse” themed rifles aim to be a cut above the rest in both looks and performance.  Rather than taking their word for it, I borrowed a friend’s Pestilence rifle and headed to the range to see just how good this AK variant could be.

Smith & Wesson has produced ARs for many years now. Their M&P 15 series has expanded to dozens of models, ranging from .22 rimfire plinkers, to standard .223 AR-15s, to large-frame camo-coated .308 versions, and more. Most of their offerings live more on the budget-friendly end of the price range as well, which has helped them become hugely popular with customers. S&W has sold a ton of these rifles over the years. Now they’re adding a new option to the list, offered exclusively to the military veterans, law enforcement personnel and other first responders who qualify for S&W’s “America’s Guardians” program. This newest M&P15 is an SBR, and thus will require a $200 tax stamp from the ATF on top of the purchase price. Davidson’s, who will be distributing many of these mil/LEO program guns to retailers and end users, issued the following announcement about the new item.

In this episode of TFBTV filmed at SilencerCo in Salt Lake City, James Reeves and Austin R. from The Firearm Blog go to SilencerCo’s lab to answer the question: “Which silencer do I get for my AR-15? A .223 or a .308 can?” This is a difficult question because .308 cans are more versatile and can be used with more calibers including .300 Blackout. On the other hand, .223 cans are lighter, smaller, and usually less expensive. In this video, we have a blind panel compare the sound from each without knowing which is which, and asking what they think about .223 versus .308 cans. After the guys give their opinions, we hook the AR-15 up to a sound meter to see which one is actually quieter. The results may surprise you.

Good morning everyone and welcome back to another edition of TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM  Resonator and Resonator K line of rifle suppressors. Last week we got some time behind the Gemtech Integra .22LR suppressed upper, a super-quiet, integrally suppressed option for plinking and training. This week we check in with a couple of old friends – the Q Honey Badger 300BLK PDW and Thunder Chicken suppressor. This is a light, very quiet combination that will make even the most surly of shooters smile. Does it hold up after a few years of industry advancements? Let’s take a look.

If you shoot suppressed, you like the quieter experience that a silencer provides. Hearing-safe shooting is the main benefit to a can, right? One issue that may arise is that most common ammo isn’t designed to perform at subsonic levels. This means that even though your suppressor will help in containing the rapidly expanding gases propelling your bullet – and thus the flash and sound this creates – if and when that projectile breaks the sound barrier in flight, it will make a popping noise that is actually a tiny sonic boom. The quietest suppressed shooting typically requires the use of subsonic ammo. 300 Blackout was designed primarily intending to do just this, although supersonic .300BLK options like Barnaul‘s 145-grain loads do exist.

In addition to their many excellent pistols and rifles, SIG Sauer produces a robust array of complimentary product offerings. From optics to ammo and more, SIG does quite a bit more than just guns. One of these supplemental lines is their own collection of suppressors. SIG cans come in a baker’s dozen versions, suited for a broad spectrum of calibers from rifles to handguns, and one rimfire silencer. The newest addition to this suppressor series is the MODX-45, of which we first got a glimpse at SHOT Show 2019. SIG’s 9mm version of this modular, 3D-printed design released late last year. On the heels of its 9mm little brother, this .45-caliber can is now ready. SIG announced its availability with the following April 29th press release.

Good morning everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the awesome YHM Turbo K and Turbo T2 5.56mm rifle suppressors. Last week we had some fun with the Griffin Armament GP-NATO A2 flash hider mount rifle silencer. This week we go plinking with the Gemtech Integra 15-22 integrally suppressed rimfire upper. Should you pick this integral over a standard thread on rimfire suppressor? Let’s take a look.

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report. In this ongoing weekly series we discuss rimfire firearms and related subjects surrounding ammunition, sports, targets, practices and trends that are found within the rimfire world. This week we’ll be talking about suppressing your 10/22 and developing it into an improved suppressor host.

Good afternoon everyone and thanks for tuning in for another addition of Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM R9 suppressor. Last week we went all apocalyptic prepper on you by testing out an oil filter suppressor and mount adapter – not great, not terrible. This week we get an in-depth look at the new Griffin Armament GP-N (GP-NATO) A2 birdcage mount suppressor. Is it worth returning to your retro roots? Let’s take a look.

If you’re a firearms enthusiast (as it’s likely that most people reading TFB are), you probably have a list of guns you want. Unless you’re one of the fortunate few to have an arsenal rivaling Heckler and Koch‘s Gray Room, the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, the NRA’s Whittington Center, or this guy that Nick met at a match several years ago, budget and availability are often limiting factors for new gun purchases. Of course, some guns are harder to get than others. Manufacturing runs and timeframes, frustrating legislation, importation challenges, the ravages of time, and a host of other factors can have a significant effect on the availability, accessibility, and price of various guns. The hardest pieces to procure are sometimes referred to as “unobtanium guns”, with the term being a sort of colloquial reference to these firearms’ difficulty (or sometimes impossibility) for us to acquire. Today we’ll explore a handful of the unobtanium weapons on my personal wish list, by no means comprehensive and in no particular order. I’m pretty sure that more than a few of you will find some commonality between my list and yours.

Good afternoon friends and welcome back to another edition of TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM R9 suppressor. Last week got to spend some time with the impressive CGS Hydra rimfire suppressors. This week we get our hands dirty with the manufacturing of a legal oil filter suppressor. Is it worth the NFA Form 1 application time and $200 to make one for yourself? Let’s take a look.

Any firearms-related recall is always unfortunate. Companies typically invest a significant amount of time, effort, and resources into their products’ research and development. They want to do all they can to ensure that by the time their product heads out the door into the waiting hands of distributors, retailers, and customers, it’s been well-made and thoroughly tested. Thunder Beast Arms Corporation, or TBAC for short, is no different. They’ve been putting plenty of sweat equity and passion into their suppressors for years, and normally have solid results. Unfortunately, occasionally things can and do go wrong for all of us, and one of those snafus has hit TBAC. If you have one of their Dominus or Ultra Gen2 cans that was manufactured last year, please be sure to read the following recall announcement that was just released, and check your silencer’s serial number.

Good morning friends and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the Turbo K centerfire rifle suppressor. Last week we took a look at some full auto suppressor testing. This week we return to one of the pure joy’s of shooting – rimfire silencers. Reviewing the CGS Hydra line of rimfire suppressors was one of the easiest Saturday analysis I’ve had the pleasure to put together. The CGS Hydra rimfire silencers are extremely quiet, well designed and beautiful. Let’s take a look.

In the world of lever guns, Mad Pig Customs has become a bit of a legend. This small Connecticut-based gunsmithing and Cerakote shop has been cranking out fun projects for years, and has garnered something of a cult following on social media. One of Mad Pig‘s particular specialties is modernizing lever-action rifles. They’ll take a customer-supplied firearm like a standard Marlin 1895, 1894, or 336, and bring it from the 19th century into the 21st using what is probably best described as a “mad scientist” approach, or perhaps “ yeehaw gat sorcery“. Imagine your grandpa’s trusty, beat-up old truck gun, a wood-stock .45-70 that’s isn’t too far removed from John Wayne, saddlebags, and tumbleweeds rolling across the prairie.

Last fall, I wrote about my experience with the ATF Form 1 process to make a Short Barreled Shotgun (SBS). Between buying my 1980’s vintage Remington 870 Magnum, getting the ATF approval, and actually making it into an SBS has been a long time, admittedly though, purely self induced. My goal has been to do as much of the work myself, rather than to send it off and have the work done for me. That way, I save some money, and learn things in the process.

Jonathan Wild is back at it again with his latest DIY rocket launcher project. The design once again hailing from Germany but not quite as well known is the Fliegerfaust multi-barreled surface-to-air rocket launcher. This obscure piece of explosives technology never saw widespread use even though over 10,000 units were ordered. This time Jonathan Plans to bring the long-forgotten piece back to life in modern home-brewed fashion along with an accompanying book much like his previous project involving the Panzerfaust.

At SHOT Show 2020, Griffin Armament gave us a heads up that they had a new suppressor in the works: the GP-NATO (or GP-N for short). While most of the industry’s popular cans tend to use various aftermarket mounting systems, this new 6.5″ dedicated 5.56 model would wear the NATO designation because it was designed to attach to the common A2 “birdcage” flash hider, the typical muzzle device for most NATO nations’ standard-issue M4s and similar firearms. Griffin drew inspiration and some lessons learned from Gemtech’s prior A2-compatible design, the Halo silencer. Now the GP-N is finally here and should be shipping soon. The text from Griffin‘s release announcement reads as follows.

Good afternoon and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by our friends at Yankee Hill Machine. Full auto rated suppressors have been an industry selling point for years, but those ratings come with their own caveats. The overwhelming majority of suppressors sold to consumers in the U.S. will never see any fully automatic rates of fire, let alone at the brutal SOCOM/MILSTD testing protocols. But, if you own a transferable machine gun, that full auto rated stamp of approval is pretty important. Silencer Saturday is finally ready to offer you a limited amount of select fire observations along with our suppressor reviews. Don’t expect full load out and burn down type displays – my ammo budget is about as long as James’ inseam.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves discusses some tips for suppressing your MP5, more specifically for suppressing the MP5-K PDW (or SP5-K PDW). James reviewed the Heckler & Koch Operator’s Manual, H&K’s MP5 Armorer’s Manual, spoke with H&K engineers and customer service, and even interviewed Federal Law Enforcement who have used a suppressed MP5-K PDW to get a few pointers for TFBTV viewers. At the same time, James used the opportunity to review the brand new OSS RAD-9 suppressor to see how it worked with the SP5-K PDW.

Over the years, Dead Air Silencers has become a dominant force in the suppressed shooting game. From the sound suppression performance, to feature sets and innovations, to lifespan and durability, most of the time you’d have a hard time beating the value proposition that Dead Air cans bring to the table. Founder Mike Pappas and his Utah-based team continue to grace the market with excellent products at competitive prices, and they sell these cans just about as fast as they can produce them. In addition to the commercial market, Dead Air also manufactures for some military contracts, and they recently produced a run of their Sandman-S model in FDE for one of these .gov customers. Fortunately, there’s a small batch of contract overrun cans that are now being released for public purchase. If you want a Dead Air silencer in a color other than the standard black or shiny Ti finishes they’re typically available in, you can have one! Act fast, however; the numbers will be limited. For availability, check Silencer Shop or contact your preferred local NFA dealer to ask whether they will be receiving any inventory, or to request that they do so for you.

It seems that everyone’s most favorite and benevolent government agency has moved on from pestering solvent trap and Form 1 parts kit manufacturers and upgraded to harassing novelty business card makers. For those that don’t know, AutoKeyCard is or was, a company that simply made and sold metal business cards that featured an outline of the fabled Lightning Link.

Good morning everyone and welcome back to another Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM Turbo K rifle suppressor. Last week we talked about the brand new OSS pistol cans. This week we stay in the same category with a review of the CGS MOD9 that achieves library quiet suppression levels while sporting a very reasonable retail price point. Is the MOD9 your next pistol suppressor? Follow me.

First unveiled at TFB’s GunFest 2021, the Zastava PAP M90 PS is the newest rifle from Zastava Arms that’s destined for American shores. The Zastava Arms M90 features a fully chrome-lined 18.25″ barrel that comes with an adjustable gas system from the factory.  All of this in a 5.56 chambering makes the M90 a very desirable option for fans of AKM pattern rifles. Zastava Arms USA CEO Ranko was kind enough to allow me to do this full in-depth review of this pre-production rifle. Let’s go over what sets the M90 apart.

Good morning everyone and welcome back to another Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM R9 suppressor. Last week we reviewed the CGS Helios – a silencer that has an above average price point that is justified by its performance and features. This week we shoot the new OSS RAD 9 and RAD 45 modular suppressors and explore flow-through technology as it’s applied to lower pressure pistol rounds. Does the forward venting of gasses reduce noise and blowback? Let’s take a look.

The Mute is a proprietary polymer constructed suppressor that is claiming to have superior characteristics to currently available off-the-shelf suppressors. The Mute claims to be a self thermal regulating suppressor that not only quiets the noise of your shots but also reduces blowback and decreases heat mirage let off by the suppressor.

Hello everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the YHM Turbo K rifle suppressor. Last week we shared some upcoming reviews and I thought we could kick the season off with a look at the CGS HELIOS QD – a suppressor marked as 5.56mm but is capable of handling almost any caliber you can throw at it. Full-auto rated and without any barrel restrictions, the CGS HELIOS is billed as the pinnacle of hard use silencers with features not found anywhere else. But how does the HELIOS sound? Let’s take a look.

If you’re worked at all with suppressors on quick detach mounts, you’ll know that after a day of heavy use you can end up with a stuck suppressor if you haven’t cleaned your adapter recently. Surefire has come out with their Adapter Carbon Scraping tool (ACST) to make the chore of cleaning your adapter quick and simple. The ACST is designed for high-use environments where carbon buildup can happen fast and deep cleaning isn’t convenient.

Built around the legendary HK416 platform, the Heckler & Koch MR556A1 is the newest variant available to the commercial market.  This newest model carries over tried and true features like HK’s short-stroke gas piston system with some new refinements like an M-LOK rail.  Built using a combination of both German and American parts I was curious to see how this new variant performed. H&K was kind enough to send over this review MR556A1 with an EOTech VUDU 1-6 in their new mount.