About to buy a silencer, brands and calibers?

[9mm]

Looking to buy a silencer,

Yanke Hill
AAC (models,, m4-2000 and mini-4) does anyone know difference?

is the brands I am aware of, there is some others but I heard great things from these two and probably what I will go with. I don't really know many others.


I am looking at one for a 5.56 but also use on a 9mm so I do not know what threads I am going to need to swap between the two. 5.56 main and 9mm/22lr extra use. I was told this was possible.

[Theohazard]

The AAC Mini-4 is just a shorter (and therefore louder) version of the M4-2000. Yankee Hill also makes several different rifle suppressors, but I'm not sure which one you're referring to and I don't have any personal experience with their products. Generally, their products aren't going to be quite as high-quality as a company like AAC, Surefire, or Silencerco, but they'll be cheaper. And they're still really good.

The AAC M4-2000 is one of the quietest 5.56 suppressors on the market, but it has more gas blowback than some others and also isn't as durable. If I were buying a 5.56 suppressor right now I would buy the Silencerco Saker, hands down. It has the strongest baffle design and baffle materiel on the market, and has a truly revolutionary modular mounting system that lets you mount it on muzzle devices designed for other company's suppressors.

.22 suppressors use the same thread pitch as most 9mm and 5.56 suppressors, but they're not interchangeable for the most part:

1) Nobody who actually cares about their 5.56 suppressor is going to shoot .22 through it; the lead and extra carbon fouling is going to build up in the suppressor and they're usually not designed to be taken apart (you don't want a center-fire rifle suppressor that can be taken apart; they don't need it and they're louder and weaker that way).

2) If you shoot 5.56 through your .22 suppressor you're not going to have a .22 suppressor for very long.

3) No 5.56 suppressor will work with 9mm because the bullet is too big. And any 9mm suppressor that works with a 5.56 is going to suck at it. Take the Liberty Mystic for example: It's a 9mm suppressor that is rated for 5.56, but only if you shoot very slowly. It's stronger than most 9mm cans so therefore it's longer and heavier, but it's still not strong enough to allow you to fire 5.56 at anything but a very slow rate, and even then it puts a large amount of wear on the suppressor. And it's not as quiet as a true 5.56 suppressor. And if you made it strong enough to handle shooting 5.56 at a normal pace it would end up way to heavy to be a practical 9mm suppressor; at that point it would cause your gun to malfunction due to the weight.

So to sum it up, don't shoot .22 through a center-fire rifle suppressor or through most pistol suppressors (the SWR Octane is a notable exception) because it will foul it up with lead. And don't shoot 5.56 through a .22 suppressor because it will destroy it. And any suppressor that is designed to shoot both pistol AND center-fire rifle rounds is going to be noticeably heavier than other pistol suppressors and is going to suck as a rifle suppressor.

Also, I'd recommend a 7.62 suppressor for your first rifle suppressor if you think you're ever going to want to suppress a .308, .30-06, .243, .260, 6.5, 6.8, or 300 Blackout as well as a 5.56. A 7.62 suppressor lets you also shoot all those calibers and is just a little bit bigger, heavier, and louder than a 5.56 suppressor and has less gas blowback. For most people it makes a lot more sense to start out with a more versatile suppressor like the AAC 762-SDN-6, which is a 7.62 suppressor. That's what I use on my 5.56 and 300 Blackout (and my friend's .308). And while I'm waiting on the funds to buy a 5.56 suppressor (the Silencerco Saker) I already have another suppressor that will work on all my rifles, so when I'm going thought the 9-12 month wait it won't be so bad.

[Willie Lowman]

I am looking at one for a 5.56 but also use on a 9mm

9mm pistol or carbine? If it is a pistol, forget about it doing double duty with a 5.56.

Tell us what guns you are looking to suppress and Theohazard will direct his silencer OCD to your cause. I might be able to add a few things too!

[Theohazard]

Originally Posted by Willie Lowman

Tell us what guns you are looking to suppress and Theohazard will direct his silencer OCD to your cause.

Ha! You know it, Willie!

[9mm]

I am looking mainly for my 556, I heard 22lr is not the best case because a 556 can can't be taken a part for cleaning? but also to swap on a 9mm Glock with lone wolf barrel.

[Theohazard]

There is no dedicated 5.56 suppressor on the market that will work on your 9mm. Period. There are a few 9mm suppressors that kinda-sorta work a little bit on a 5.56, but I REALLY don't recommend using them as a dedicated rifle suppressor. Read post #2 above where I explain why.

5.56 and 9mm are COMPLETELY different; mainly in terms of the pressure and heat generated inside the suppressor. You're looking at two suppressors here. And a third if you want to shoot .22 (though the Octane 9 or 45 is an exception; it's a pistol silencer that's fine with .22 also).

Keep in mind it's not just about being able to be disassembled, it's also about how hard it is to disassemble when the baffles are leaded up; many pistol suppressors that are easy to disassemble when they're dirty with carbon will be really hard to disassemble after you shoot .22 through it and it gets leaded up. The Octane is a rare exception in that it can be easily disassembled even if it's leaded up.

[9mm]

So a 9mm will not fit through the 556 chamber silencer? I thought you just changed thread adapters?

[Theohazard]

Originally Posted by 9mm

So a 9mm will not fit through the 556 chamber silencer?

No. A 9mm has a much larger diameter than a 5.56.

Originally Posted by 9mm

I thought you just changed thread adapters?

No, the standard US thread pattern for 9mm and 5.56 is the same: 1/2 x 28. If you put a 5.56 suppressor on a 9mm handgun it would fit just fine, at least until you pulled the trigger.

Also, a good, durable 5.56 suppressor is around twice as heavy as a 9mm suppresser; even if the suppressor was custom-made to except the bigger 9mm bullet, it would be too heavy to allow almost all 9mm pistols to function properly, even with a Neilsen device.

[9mm]

Thanks so much, this makes me wonder about a can right now. $1000 for one, could get a nice scope. I know they only drop 30db or so>.. maybe a 22lr can would be my cup of tea for now. $300 + a stamp

[Theohazard]

A good 5.56 silencer will drop the noise down to less than the sound of an unsuppressed .22 LR. It sounds kind of like a nail gun. Most people find they don't need hearing protection when shooting a silenced 5.56 outdoors, but indoors I like to use hearing protection still.

But a .22 suppressed is a different story: it's Hollywood quiet. Out of a rifle you want to use subsonic ammo, but you don't need subsonic ammo in a pistol; even .22 Mini-Mags wil be subsonic in a pistol. And man, is it quiet! There is nothing more fun to shoot than a suppressed .22 pistol.

[9mm]

Thanks again.

[Theohazard]

No problem, my friend. Let us know if you need any help choosing a specific silencer.

[9mm]

Thanks so far I have looked at some reviews on
m4-2000
and it has been pretty good. Happy Thanksgiving.

[Theohazard]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and everyone else!

As far as the M4-2000, it all comes down to what you want. The M4-2000 has a good quick-attach mounting system and it's also compact and very quiet. The Silencerco Saker has a better quick-attach mounting system, is just as compact, and will last a lot longer due to the stronger first-blast-baffle design and the better materiel used to make the baffles. But it's not quite as quiet as the M4-2000.

The Saker has a modular mounting system that no other silencer on the market has, it's called the MAAD mount. Currently they make four different MAAD mounts; one for the AAC 51T muzzle devices, one for the YHM Y-mount muzzle devices, one for their Trifecta muzzle device, and they also make a MAAD 1/2x28 direct-thread mount. And there are more MAAD mounts to come; my guess is the next one will be for the Surefire SOCOM series.

The problem with quick-attach silencers is that the muzzle devices they attach to are made only by the company that makes the silencer. When a company discontinues a mount design or goes out of business, you will no longer be able to buy any muzzle devices for that silencer. But the Saker MAAD mount changes that; it lets you change the mounting system to adapt to many different company's mounting systems. And considering silencers are such a pain to get and you're almost certainly never going to be able to sell it, it's nice to know that there are so many different mounting options for the Saker - you'll still be able to buy muzzle devices for it even if Silencerco somehow goes out of business.

In my opinion, the Saker is better than the M4-2000 in every single way except one: The M4-2000 is slightly quieter. I already have an AAC SDN-6 (I think everyone should start off with a 7.62 can before they buy a 5.56 can unless they never have any intention of shooting anything bigger than a 5.56) so I already have an AAC 51T muzzle device on my rifle. So I attached an M4-2000 first and then attached a Saker with the 51T MAAD mount after that. And the Saker mounted faster, easier, and more securely. I was trying to decide which one to buy, and this is what really sealed it for me; I'm currently saving up for a Saker.

[Willie Lowman]

I have not seen the Saker yet.

A friend of mine has a M4-2000 on his 10" SBR AR. I have a Mini-4 on my SCAR 16. The report of SBR/M4-2K and SCAR/Mini4 is very similar, I can't say that one is louder than the other to my ears. I am very happy with my Mini-4. Using my Mini-4 on his SBR leaves a little to be desired. The M4-2000 on my SCAR is awesome sound wise, just a little long and heavy for my tastes.

On the subject of mounts; I recomend a muzzle break mount if you are using your suppressor on a short barrel rifle. I hate breaks but with a can the mount serves as an extra blast baffle. Here is a thread from another forum that illustrates the point very well http://www.silencertalk.com/forum/vi...771&hilit=read

[Theohazard]

Yeah, I love the way the Mini-4 is so short and handles really well, but I've never actually shot one, I've only mounted one to my rifle. I worry that it's uncomfortably louder than a normal-sized can.

[Willie Lowman]

On a full length rifle (16+ inch barrel) the the Mini4 suppresses surprisingly well. AAC foolishly markets it for SBRs where it's performance will be found wanting.


Mini4 on SBR. It works well even on such a short barrel but ear-pro is still needed.


On the 16" SCAR the Mini really shines.

[9mm]

Thanks guys