Thread: Getting a silencer for my AR...but which bbl to use?

alright I have been looking at silencers for over 2 yrs now and finally decided to take the plunge. I have a carbine length gas system with a 16" M4 contour bbl. The silencer I want to get is the YHM SS QD Phantom for like $625 plus tax stamp. It's a little over 6" long itself and weighs 20oz. It brings noise down 35db... the 7.62 version is like 9oz heavier, longer and only brings db down 32 or else I would of consider that instead.

My question is... what barrel if any should I consider? The guy at the shop told me a 10.5" won't shoot any less accurate than a 16" within 300yds. I find that hard to believe with all the loss in velocity... Regardless I don't need more than 300yds range out of this gun. I only use an EOTech and probably be hard to hit anything past that with no magnification or BDC anyway.

I will be at a whopping 23" long or so with 20oz extra weight at the tip...that seems very out of balance to me. But I want to run suppressed so bad... I love this match grade 16" fluted bbl I have now and it can't be cut down because of the fluting. I would have to get another bbl if I want to go shorter which I am considering because I could use this 16" bbl for a 2nd build.

What size bbl would you go to and why? twist? Also, will I need an adjustable gas block and a gas buster charging handle once I get my supressor? I currently have a BCM gunfighter CH.

How about reliability of the action with a 16" vs say a 10.5 or 12.5"? Once I get the suppressor will I have to get special buffer or bolt possibly?

Any advice would be most appreciative. I found lots of threads on silencers but nothing addressing the exact issues I am facing

Thanks in advance!

Sam

That's kinda why I've held off on getting one, cause a 16" barrelled gun seems so long anyway, now add another 6-8"...that's long for a CQB weapon.

I personally would never consider getting a .223 cal silencer unless I just had one gun or a lot of money laying around. The nice thing about the .30 cal silencers is you can use them on many guns and I do. Of course there is a little weight gain and length if you go with the same materials. Of course there are much lighter ones out there but they cost more.

As for barrel length if you go any shorter then 16" you will either have to permanently attach the silencer to the barrel or have an SBR registered lower (another $200).

I have never had a problem with gas on any of mine. I have from 16" (since I wont use it on my 6.5" pistol) to 24" which is what I use it on most. I have never seen the need for a gas buster but if you think you do then $0.05 worth of silicon can do the same thing that $$$ handle is.

A good place to go for silencer info is Silencertalk

1. Are you filing for SBR Tax stamp as well? Anything less than 16" and you will need to do so.

2. Stick with your current setup until you find out want you really want. You might decide you don't like the suppressor at all. 16" with a suppressor doesn't feel out of balance to me. But understand your issue with CQB.

3. I would get a gas buster charging handle if you are right handed (shooting left handed won't make a difference). Even with the handle you will get some blowback and gas but a lot less than not doing it.

4. Be prepared to clean action a lot from all the crud that will be blown in there. You might want to change out from DI to a piston from Osprey or Adams on the existing barrel (but wait until you find out how often you are using the suppressor).

5. Another option is to get the Noveske adjustable gas block for DI guns. Cuts back on the abuse your bolt will take from the increased pressure.

6. Be careful with the YHM QD it isn't as robust as the AAC mounts.

Good luck.

obviously I would file for stamps as required by law. If I do SBR i will have it engraved as well.

Thank

I have the YHM 30 cal can and while it does work on a 16" gun it's to heavy for a lot of use. If you are going to just be plinking at the range its perfectly fine. But if you are going to be packing in, or taking lots of classes it's to heavy. It is a very good compromise if you only want one silencer for multiple uses and don't want to burn through a lot of money. I am switching over to a Noveske 10.5 with a AAC Mini4 or M42000. I like to shoot suppressed. I will probably sell mine if you are interested.

DO YOURSELF A BIG SERVICE AND CALL WILD BILLS IN MOLALLA OR. I PAID 350.00 FOR THE SUPRESSOR.WHICH WAS MADE IN COLTON OR BY HAIR TRIGGER FIREARMS. I CAN US IT ON MY .223AR,MY RUGER 10/22 AND MY RUGER 22/45 ASK FOR JIM..503 829 5153 AND TELL HIM KEVIN SENT YOU..THEY HAVE THE BEST GUN SHOP I HAVE EVER BEEN IN..AND THY ALSO HAVE MACHINE GUNS....

I have a hairtrigger can as well but they are a bit heavy.

Doomsday, I am not sure i would use the hairtrigger can on your 10/22 a ton, the .22lr ammo is dirty and will foul up the hairtrigger can fairly quick, most .22 cans are cleanable by taking them apart, Dan @ Hairtrigger welds his cans.

But for the price you won't get a quieter bang for your buck than a Hairtrigger can. Plus its so well built you can use it as a hammer in a bind ;-)

I have been told if the can where to ever need a rebuild Hair Trigger will do it at no charge..

I have attached a YHM 308 to my 16" M4. Don't do it often. It is incredibly nose heavy. Shorter bbl and lighter can will help. try to simulate your solution by adding wight to your the difference in wieght to you M4 and see if that's something you can live with.

Check LAR uppers if you'd like to get rid of the gas blast in your face.

Originally Posted by doomsday

I have been told if the can where to ever need a rebuild Hair Trigger will do it at no charge..

Most, if not all, can makers offer this service if the can is welded shut. I also wouldn't use a welded .223 can on .22lr. Save a few more pennies and get a dedicated rimfire can or multi cal that you can take apart and clean yourself.

When buying cans you need to look at a few things and decide what order of importance for you.

Price
Materials
Size
Weight
Brand
Mount style

I can get really cheep cans that are heavy, long, made out of steel with thread mount and washer style baffles. This may work for some or some applications. On the other hand you can get very efficient, small light weight cans with advanced baffles with QD mounts but they are going to be more expensive.

I love the Gemtech Outback 2 cans (I have 2) due to their small size and very light weight since I do use them on pistols too. Of course I could have bought cans that cost 1/2 as much but were considerably heavier and longer which is not what I want. While the .30 cal can I have now is all steel and very heavy it was cheeper then others at the time. Now I am looking at a light weight QD .30 cal can but it is much more expensive. I wish I would have spent the money on it the first time since there is no way to recoup you money by selling a used can. So buy what you really want in the first place and in the long run you will be way ahead.

It's hard to beat a 12.5" barrel. Suppressed guns run at higher pressures so you may want to consider using a gas buster type charging handle. Also if you plan to do a lot of switching between suppressed and non-suppressed, you may want to consider a Noveske adjustable gas block. They were designed for suppressors and feature three different settings, fully open (non-suppressed), constricted (suppressed), and closed (sinle shot suppressed with no action movement). Congrats on the suppressor.