Re: Can vs Integral
If you are asking "Which is quieter, a blast can sitting at the end of my barrel or a fully integral design?" Then your answer requires you to know the difference between general subsonic performance and, within an integral (not a dedicated) matching/tuning a selected <span style="text-decoration: underline">supersonic</span> round to acheive maximum subsonic speeds through gas tap, thereby insuring all possible power is retained.
Think of an integral centerfire weapon as <span style="text-decoration: underline">dedicated subsonic </span>weapon that SHOULD be constructed around a single <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">supersonic cartridge's </span></span>characteristic and remember that the envelope retains far more heat around the barrel reducing the actual service life of the barrel. IF your building an integral rifle that starts with a subsonic cartridge...why are you tapping gas? Why do you want the weight? Why do you want the barrel heat trapped in the envelope? If your answer is "its shorter" then cut your barrel back (it is already in an integral) and get real.
Don't confuse "integral" with "dedicated". An "integral" can <span style="text-decoration: underline">always starts with a supersonic velocity round</span> and taps gas. If a true "integral" only sounds quiet with subs, you have a poorly designed intergral. A "dedicated" is essentially a blast can permanently mated to the end of a static barrel and must start with a subsonic load to deliver maximum suppression characteristics. Some folks think that by wrapping a blast can all the way back over the barrel to the receiver makes it an "integral", it doesn't, its a "dedicated" balst can. Yes the huge volume can help...a poor blast can design.
An "integral" with a properly tuned tap will provide maximum sub velocity and suppression with a selected <span style="text-decoration: underline">supersonic</span> cartridge.
A "dedicated" with a properly selected <span style="text-decoration: underline">subsonic rounds </span>can provide the same maximum suppression.
A blast can with properly selected <span style="text-decoration: underline">subsonic rounds </span>can provide the same maximum suppression.
In other words, once you are at the maximum subsonic velocity....its all about the blast can.
I can think of no good reason to buy a integral centerfire rifle if one has access to properly matched subsonic loads. Shortened barrel life, higher weight, non swappable, harder to clean out environments, etc. Even if they talk about THOR.
If you wanted maximum blast suppression, you should have picked a different can, even within AAC.
Note to self, applying a "muzzle brake" inside a capture environment has zero brake effect as it is the interaction between the gas jet potential of the captured barrel bore environment and the external "open" atmosphere that IS the thrust redirection principle behind all brakes. Besides, one wants all gas tapped to move forward, not reward, to precharge the blast can component. And no, taking the ARIES design still does not make it an integral. Dohhhh......
