Over the barrel suppressors

[hardcase]

I saw an article about this in one of my glossy mags. The whole article looked like it was written by the manufacturer.

Any real-world experience?

[John A.]

Yes. I like the one I designed and built.

But it isn't a "new" thing. A lot of Euro cans are REFLEX MODERATORS.

[fishman]

It has pros and cons, I have an over the barrel / integral can on my 450 bushmaster

[John A.]

You think it has a con?

[fishman]

-they're heavier (not much)
-they're more expensive
-they can't fit under some handguards
-they cant always fit over all barrel profiles
-aesthetics
- i'd imagine a longer tube will give off more mirage distortion
-depending on the design, it may not be possible or practical to attach a reflex can to a muzzle device


If the pros more often outweighed these cons, then there would be a lot more reflex cans on the market.

[John A.]

-they're heavier (not much)
-they're more expensive
-they can't fit under some handguards
-they cant always fit over all barrel profiles
-aesthetics
- i'd imagine a longer tube will give off more mirage distortion
-depending on the design, it may not be possible or practical to attach a reflex can to a muzzle device


If the pros more often outweighed these cons, then there would be a lot more reflex cans on the market.

They are a little heavier. Granted there is more material there. And offset by more internal volume to aid in better sound and flash suppression. I think comparing apples to apples, reflex or integrals perform better.

It's possible that they may not fit under some handguards. Though they're not really designed or marketed as "universal" either. As with any other silencer, you would need to make sure it'll fit your application. I don't consider that as a con. Just that they're different and may not be suitable for everything. There are a lot of silencers that won't work on a certain gun. Or under a certain handguard. Or with a certain caliber.

Same with barrel clearance. I've never owned a commercial reflex. I expected many of them would be compatible with barrels up to an inch in diameter since bull barrles are about the largest barrel that you will find. Most being in the .980" neighborhood. The sleeve would also allow use on taper barrels.

aesthetics is a personal observation rather than a functional one. I think some cars are uglier than others.

As for mirage, you can sometimes use a suppressor cover to help reduce it some. Any mirage can throw off a shot just like looking down the highway in the summer time when you're driving and you see the heat coming off of the road and it looks like there are 2 layers of blacktop way out in front of you.

Mirage is caused by heat. If you're getting mirage, slow down. This applies whether you are running a suppressor or not.

[Fulmen]

It's not that complicated.

For any given total length (or weight) they will be (slightly) less effective than a straight front-mounted can. For any given added length (in front of the muzzle) they will be more effective.

[fishman]

Yep. I agree with just about every word, john.

I still stand by my original statement. Reflex cans have pros and cons. I'm not advocating against them. Like I said, I own one.