Suppressors Looking for suppressor suggestions for KT RFB

[ormandj]

I'm wanting to suppress my KT RFB (18" 308 bull-pup, 5/8-24 barrel thread). My goals are (in order of priority):

1) Quiet this rifle down, with my PWS FSC30, it's louder than my friend's braked 338 Lapua Magnum, due to the shorter barrel. I'd love to see the RFB hearing-safe, but I doubt this is possible considering the short barrel and how close the shooter is to the end of it, with the bull-pup configuration. I'm looking to make this rifle as quiet as I can, within reason (see #3).
2) Maintain the short overall length of the rifle. IE: If I could get the same sound reduction from two suppressors, and one was shorter but wider, that would be my preference.
3) Not spend $5000 for 1dB additional reduction. Price does factor in, of course.

There's a company called Ram Lake in Norcross GA (http://ramlake.net) which apparently has made a reflex-type suppressor for an RFB, which adds 5" OAL, but I have no idea about the build quality nor the amount of suppression.

I appreciate any information you can provide me, this will be my first suppressor so I'm trying to do all the research/gain as much knowledge before making a purchase. Thank you!

 

[RollingThunder51]

Re: Looking for suppressor suggestions for KT RFB

Interesting, you have your challenges about right. I own a shoot bullpup in .308 and appreciate your desire to quiet yours down. In some ways I have good news for you, in some ways you are going to have to have realistic expectations about the KT itself.

The good news: In fact, you are going to be able through proper selection of a number of makers, find a can that will deal very effectively with the blast component of sound suppression. In others words, your ability to take the blast down to the point where you will be impressed is very much doable. Having said that, the KT has more "pop" out of the chamber than many and you will hear it...close to your ears. That very same chamber and gas system is going to require a can that has the right back pressure. As your rifle has an adjustable gas system, you have a wider range without thinking about the difficulties of say a bullpup M14/M1A set-up with its requirements to attend to the gas spindle. 18" is fine for a .308 to be suppressed, you should maintain high expectations for performance and buy a quality precision can. If it was me, I would save the semi auto for unsuppressed shooting and make an important immediate change, see below. But for suppressed? On that rifle? I would go to shut off the gas works altogether. Add subsonics and 1. Blast is gone 2. SS Projectile crack is gone 3. Action slap (huge on your rifle and right at your ear) is gone. Very quiet indeed.

With proper ammo selection (subsonic) you can take care of supersonic flight signature as well. This is where can back pressure will come into play as with an adjustable gas system, you may still be able to cycle your KT. I honestly do not know. Test, test, test.

So, blast is a go, and supersonic signature may be a go as well. If the KT allows for you to shut off the gas system (manual feed) you can then take care of the third source of sound, the action noise. Now you have a very quiet rifle good to about 200ish yards. If you need more distance and excellent accuracy, you will not be shooting subsonic .308s.

Cans:

Reflex is out IMO. I personally can think of no good reason why anybody would buy a reflex can in 2011. I understand that some have had superb durability and suppression out of reflex cans, but that comes with some real strings in reflex, and a whole lot more is available to you in single point designs. There is plenty of good reading about reflex here at the hide, all issues thoroughly discussed. I would not be looking at reflex.

Now the rest of the story..In your list of priorities you never mention accuracy. If you think all cans are accurate enough, fine. But if you think all cans are accurate, not by a long shot (no pun intended.)

Forget about short fat cans on a .308. They are not competitive with the very best cans for a host of reasons, also discussed at length on other threads. If accuracy is not a top priority, sound suppression can be good (as opposed to great or even astonishing), if OAL is absolutely the key, then a stubby may work for you. I personally can think of no reason to own one.

P.S. on your PWS its time to take it off and get one of these. It is a perfect application for your rifle.

http://noveskerifleworks.com/cgi-bin/imcart/bigpic.cgi?d=noveskerifleworks.com&i=kx368762_1d.jpg

A number of places sell them. They are made exactly for your rifle's little problem. Accuracy will be as good as your current unit.

Brands:

Well, we all have our favorites at the top end. You need figure out if you need to go QD or thread on as that screws most people up right from the start. Figure that out and you separate the wheat from the chaff and tons of folks will step in and give you brand name recommendations.

You wont be buying Ramlake.

 

[300WSM]

Re: Looking for suppressor suggestions for KT RFB

AAC 762SD fast attach, accurate, quiet, short.