I'm starting to put thought into my next suppressor. After getting my feet wet with a rimfire can last year, I have at least a little familiarity now, and I think the next gun I want to suppress is my 16" 9mm CMMG RDB AR. I think that gun will be simpler to deal with mechanically than my gas-operated .223 rifles, and subsonic 9mm makes way more sense ballistically than subsonic .223, especially when I already have .22LR. My goal is hearing-safe subsonic center-fire shooting.

I looked at the YHM R9, but I want something user serviceable. I know people say you don't have to clean a centerfire can, but I shoot a lot of powder-coated cast, and I'm also pretty anal about servicing my equipment, so I've gotta have the ability to open it up to inspect and clean it out. This feature is non-negotiable.

I know weight is a consideration, but IMO will be less of a concern on a 16" rifle than it would be on a handgun. Cost and weight kind of go together, and I'm willing to spend a bit to save some weight, but don't want to break the bank. I'm thinking $6-800 range, but I'm not ready to actually buy yet anyway, so that's kinda flexible. Cheaper is better, but I want something durable that's not really obnoxious to use.

I have a bunch of 9mm pistols, but nothing is currently threaded. I guess it would be nice if it works out that I could use this suppressor on a handgun in a pinch, but it's not a huge priority. My primary intent is to put it on the rifle.

It would be nice if it was rated for subsonic .300 BLK. I don't currently own a .300 upper, but that could easily be rectified, and it would be nice to have the option to mount it on that if I chose to down the road. I'd say that the ability to run .300 BLK through it is more important to me than having it be optimized for use on a 9mm handgun, but it's not an absolute deal-breaker if it doesn't have that ability.

So from your experience, what is out there that fits these criteria? I'm currently doing direct-mount with my .22 can, but should I consider QD muzzle devices if I'm potentially going to swap it between the 9mm and a .300 rifle? If so, what do I need to know about those (I currently know nothing)?

Rugged Obsidian 9, or Obsidian 45 if you think you’ll ever want to shoot 40 or 45. The Obsidian 45 is what I used for my PPCs, until I got a Wolfman (which isn’t user serviceable).

How much of a difference in sound reduction is there going to be running 9mm through a .45 can compared to one designed for 9mm? I'd considered this as a more versatile option, but my only .45 rifles will never be threaded (Marlin 1894 and 1895), and the .45 handguns I own aren't really something it would make sense to supress, either. I figured a .35 caliber hole will accommodate all of my current and likely foreseen needs.

There's a chance I might pick up a .45 supressor host in the future, but if so it'll almost certainly be a handgun, and my thought is that I'd probably be better off trying to find a different can to fill those needs than trying to get this one to do everything.

Do you have a sonicator? That would allow you to clean out even one that can not be disassembled. I used one on my 9mm can, even though it didn't appear to really be necessary after years of use.

The difference for running 9mm through a 45 can is a couple of db. You can get a 9mm endcap for the Obsidian 45 to get some of it back.

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Originally posted by Dwill104:
The difference for running 9mm through a 45 can is a couple of db. You can get a 9mm endcap for the Obsidian 45 to get some of it back.

The Obsidian definitely looks interesting, and they're on sale at Silencer Shop right now.

quote:

Do you have a sonicator? That would allow you to clean out even one that can not be disassembled. I used one on my 9mm can, even though it didn't appear to really be necessary after years of use.

I don't, but I've used them in the past. I'd still prefer to be able to open it up and get at the internals, even if I could be sure that an ultrasonic would clean it out. I'm a tinkerer and I don't like equipment that doesn't allow me to get at it's working bits.

Another huge fan of the Rugged Obsidians. I have a couple of the Obsidian 9 and the 45. Very friendly to use and maintain. The both are rated for subsonic .300 in an 8" barrel but I only have experience using pistol calibers. They both can be short or long in configuration but I never run them in anything but the long configuration. I use them exclusively on PCC guns via trilug. I am not sure you can get a rugged mount option that will be usable for both your .300blk and 9mm PCC you would have to look into that.
I am unclear where the idea of a dropping a whole suppressor in an ultrasonic comes from, certainly no suppressor mfg. whose can's I have recommends that and it would be fatal on some types of can construction. But while I like the Wolfman I have for its versatility dead air is out as a vendor and I really like the fact that you can disassemble the Ruggeds.
There are lots of can options, and so I don't have experience on the whole universe, but I can say the Obsidian is a very satisfactory option.

If you can find one at a ‘blowout’ price, AAC TiRant 45’s have various thread pitch pistons to mount on 9’s, 45’s, and even 300BLK. The 5/8x24 piston I have for a 9mm SBR AR doubles as a fixed barrel spacer, and was made for 300BLK (subsonic only).

Do I need a piston for mounting on a rifle barrel?

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Originally posted by 92fstech:
Do I need a piston for mounting on a rifle barrel?

No. If the can you buy has, or can be fitted with, a direct thread adapter to replace the booster piston assembly, you can use that. You can still use a piston (with the correct barrel thread), as long as you replace the piston spring with a fixed barrel spacer.

Rugged sells both for the Obsidian. Most other silencer manufacturers also sell them for their pistol cans.

^ Ah, that makes sense, thanks. Definitely something to be aware of when purchasing.

quote:

Originally posted by Dwill104:

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Do I need a piston for mounting on a rifle barrel?

No. If the can you buy has, or can be fitted with, a direct thread adapter to replace the booster piston assembly, you can use that. You can still use a piston (with the correct barrel thread), as long as you replace the piston spring with a fixed barrel spacer.

Rugged sells both for the Obsidian. Most other silencer manufacturers also sell them for their pistol cans.

I am a complete neophyte when it comes to cans, but I have .22 and 9mm pistol cans that I just screw directly onto the threaded barrel. I am interested in picking up a 9mm PCC can - probably the YHM R9 I have read about recently in these threads and a .223/5.56 can for an AR - jury is still out on which one. I have 1/2x28 threaded barrels on both. I do not intend to be swapping these to other rifles -I only have one PCC and one AR with threaded barrels - so I understood I could just thread them directly onto the barrels without mounts. Am I wrong about that? I don't understand the comments about using a spacer or using/modifying a piston. Is there something more I would need to do for these rifle cans?

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Originally posted by kho:

quote:

Originally posted by Dwill104:

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Do I need a piston for mounting on a rifle barrel?

No. If the can you buy has, or can be fitted with, a direct thread adapter to replace the booster piston assembly, you can use that. You can still use a piston (with the correct barrel thread), as long as you replace the piston spring with a fixed barrel spacer.

Rugged sells both for the Obsidian. Most other silencer manufacturers also sell them for their pistol cans.

I am a complete neophyte when it comes to cans, but I have .22 and 9mm pistol cans that I just screw directly onto the threaded barrel. I am interested in picking up a 9mm PCC can - probably the YHM R9 I have read about recently in these threads and a .223/5.56 can for an AR - jury is still out on which one. I have 1/2x28 threaded barrels on both. I do not intend to be swapping these to other rifles -I only have one PCC and one AR with threaded barrels - so I understood I could just thread them directly onto the barrels without mounts. Am I wrong about that? I don't understand the comments about using a spacer or using/modifying a piston. Is there something more I would need to do for these rifle cans?

Suppressors used on tilt barrel pistols generally need a booster piston to function properly. Since the recoil spring weight on a tilt barrel semiauto pistol is set just for the weight of the barrel and slide, screwing on a suppressor adds weight which tends to make ejection and feeding unreliable. The booster piston and spring basically counteract the weight of the suppressor during firing, and allow the gun to function like it would without the suppressor. For a fixed barrel gun, you don’t want the spring action, so you either swap the piston assembly for a direct thread adapter, or you can keep the piston in the suppressor, and replace the spring with a fixed barrel spacer, which locks the piston in place and keeps it from moving.

Ahhhh. OK, I get that now. Appreciate you indulging what was a really basic question.

Dwill104 describes the issue very comprehensively. But what one needs to do about it depends completely on what the suppressor model you are buying ships with. And there is no rhyme or reason about that. Some come with a fixed mount and assuming it has the threads you need (1/2x28 normally for a PCC) you are done. But many ship with a booster so if you are running it on a fixed barrel gun you need to make sure you can get either the spacer or a fixed mount. And sometimes the cost of getting the correct end situation can be meaningful. So it matters to consider that in your initial purchase assessment. On the Obsidian 9 the fixed mount is $90 for example.

If one were to purchase the three-lug adapter and muzzle device(s), would that typically include everything necessary to mount the suppressor to a fixed rifle barrel, or would you still need to purchase a fixed barrel spacer?

no additional parts on an obsidian all you need is the correct 3 lug adapter no other parts. You didn't say caliber but that's assuming 9mm HK style 3 lug or alternatively a B&T style .45 3 lug.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
If one were to purchase the three-lug adapter and muzzle device(s), would that typically include everything necessary to mount the suppressor to a fixed rifle barrel, or would you still need to purchase a fixed barrel spacer?

The fixed barrel spacer is only needed if you use a piston to attach the suppressor to the barrel AND the barrel is fixed. The 3 lug adapter completely replaces the piston assembly. You remove the piston assembly, and replace it with the 3 lug adapter.