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Suppressors New To Suppressors, persuade me away from AAC.

powderBurnz

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 30, 2005
775
14
Florida
I just got my trust setup. I just got a 51t for my rem700AACSD and I just got another 51t perm'd on my 556/ar15. However I have not yet thrown down cash for a 762SDN6. And I am reading and hearing about how inconsistent these are and how nasty the mounting is. Is this all just biased here say or should I really consider a different can? I am starting to to like what I see about the Griffin Armament Recce7. Your ideas?
 
Consider a different can. I would stay away from AAC completely. I own the M42000 and SDN6. Cans are good but the mounts are garbage. That's not an opinion, its a fact. I don't care what anyone says. Why buy something flawed when there are other better and cheaper options available? Check out the Specwar 7.62 for QD, or TBAC 30p1 for direct thread.
 
The cans they make are really great, hard use/heavy duty cans but as mentioned above the mounts sucks. AAC knows it but why they haven't or have taken this long to address it is a another can of worms.

If looking for an extremely quiet precision can the AAC Cyclone is hard to beat for the price and I highly recommend it. Its only downside is weight (compared to alot of titanium cans) but its extra weight is not that much more noticeable IMHO.
 
The mount is fine for semi auto rifles where you are not concerned with tiny group size. I love my M4-2000 on my AR's. For precision work there are better cans.
 
Ultimately i want to be able to use this on my 308 bolt gun shooting steel out to 1000 m or thereabouts and still be able to throw it on my ar15 and use it for carbine comps. Am i asking too much from one can?
 
I have written on numerous AAC question threads and I will keep it short this time as to not got over already walked ground...if you get an AAC with a 51T you have a certain percentage of a chance that everything will work out great; however, you also have a percentage of a chance that things will not work out well and you will forever regret your purchase. My first suppressor was a AAC M4/2000 with a 51T and I wished I would have asked more questions and now I am stuck with an AR suppressor and not a very good one at that for various reasons. I like Thunderbeast - I am not saying it is the best, because that can be debatable as I have not seen all the suppressors available, but I do know that it works and is effective. I have two 30P's and work awesome on my tactical rigs.
 
Ive got an SDN-6 and I think 5 mounts currently. 1 locks up tight, 4 have a little "wiggle" and seem to be about a half notch from locking up tight which is an easy fix if you want to take 15 minutes to do it to each mount. Most people, it seems, would rather bitch about it on the internet vs. taking the time to fix the issue. Dont get me wrong, I dont think anybody should have to "fix" this issue and AAC should have fixed it themselves, but overall its an easy fix to "match" your mounts to your can. We think nothing of sending factory Remington 700 actions out to be trued and spending 200-300 bucks on that. Shouldnt Remington have "gotten it right" from the factory?

On my mounts that "wiggle", including the mount on my Rem700 AAC-SD, I havent really noticed a degradation in accuracy. My Rem 700 still shoots sub MOA groups even with a slight wiggle. I also have very small POI shift on that gun, just a little to the left, but nothing bad. Shoots great on my MWS and both of my SBR uppers. Im guessing it will also shoot great on the SPR I am getting ready to build. I will probably take the time this spring to match all of my mounts to my can.

Now the SDN-6 is not designed as a precision can per say, but IMO it does a good enough job that its hard to blame the can if I yank a shot. When the SDN-6 was released I believe it was the only can that you could buy 1/2x28 mounts for, 5/8x24 mounts, etc... making it a multi caliber rifle can with a manufacturer that supported that use. Now there are multiple options for this after all of these other manufacturers saw how fast the SDN-6's were selling and people wanted that capability.
 
^^^ Couldn't agree more with rjacobs. I have an M4-2000/51T, MK13-SD/90T, and a Titan QD/90T. Ensuring tight lock up is a matter of very light maintenance to the mount and ratchet mechanism on the can.

That said, I was extremely impressed with the 10 minutes I had with the QDC line of cans from Knights Armament. You'd do well to take a looksie at the KAC 762-QDC and MAMS brake combo. That'll be my next suppressor purchase.
 
That said, I was extremely impressed with the 10 minutes I had with the QDC line of cans from Knights Armament. You'd do well to take a looksie at the KAC 762-QDC and MAMS brake combo. That'll be my next suppressor purchase.

Any idea of the price on the KAC 762-QDC, it looks interesting.
 
The problem with the internet is that it magnifies extremes, good or bad. The only people who will be motivated to talk about AAC a lot on an internet forum are those who are highly satisfied, and those who are highly dissatisfied.

Consider that AAC has sold a metric fuckton of QD silencers in the last 10 years. Then consider that the absolute number of people who have personally reported problems with their mount on forums is what... 20? 50? Out of tens of thousands of cans?

Are there better mounting systems than 51T? Yes, definitely. Does 51T "suck"? Not really. The vast majority of users do not have problems with it. The problem has been magnified by internet loudmouths and AAC's somewhat-flippant responses to the problem. Surefire's earlier-generation mounts were terrible, prone to carbon locking and tooth wear. Far worse than AAC's IMO. But back then no one really heard about it because Surefire's market share was much smaller.

Personally, if I had already invested in 51T mounts, I would have no significant worries about buying an SDN-6. Besides, it'll be quieter than most anything else in its class.
 
AAC makes a good can, however there are plenty of other choices out there as well that I like as much or more. My only gripe is their QD system, I just wish it were a little better. I tend to like a lot of the Thunder Beast and SilencerCo/SWR products. You can't necessarily go wrong with a can from AAC if you can get one at a fair price.
 
My m42k wiggles...has no affect on accuracy in 4 different rifles.

Also, the wiggle goes away with carbon buildup...but you have to actually shoot it to get there.
 
I own 4 AAC cans. 2 of them are threaded 22 cans and I like them, Tirant 45 and a 18T 7.62SD.

My element - they redesigned the end cap a year after i bought it. why wasnt it designed right the first time?

7.62sd - they redesigned the mount to a 51t 3 months after i bought it. why was that needed?

The tirant im pretty happy with but the octane HD has SS baffles and i wish my tirant had those.


My feedback is, they rush things to market with not enough testing. they redesign constantly which makes your can outdated and you feel like it was substandard to start with. In hindisght i wish i had an Octane HD pistol can and a TBAC 7.62 can. do your research ahead of time.

CJG
 
Some points:

1. There was nothing "wrong" with the Element endcap. It was removable to allow disassembly but it was unscrewing inside some peoples' AR handguards (again, it was designed to unscrew). They incorporated peoples' whining when they designed the Element 2, which has a non-removable rear endcap to avoid this problem. Then prior customers whined that they wanted the new endcap, so AAC started an upgrade program. To me this sounds like two nice responses to user feedback, not a forced redesign of a faulty product.

2. The 762-SD was already several years old design-wise at the time you bought it. They upgraded it to the 51T mount because customers asked for it. You were unfortunate in that you bought the can right before the upgrade, but that is hardly AAC's fault. It's like buying a car in August 2013 and then claiming Ford screwed you when the 2014 models come out in September.

3. The tirant was never advertised as having SS baffles (other than the blast baffle). If you bought it and are disappointed with this fact, again, that's on you. There is really nothing wrong with aluminum baffles in a centerfire handgun silencer; indeed, that is still the industry standard, even for the Octane (the HD baffles being a pricier upgrade).

Again, there are plenty of things wrong with AAC. But you just sound like you're whining about the grass being greener. Every silencer will eventually be obsolete as better technology comes along. Personally I'd rather know the company building my silencers is responsive to user feedback and always updates their designs to stay at the cutting edge of suppressor design, than sticking with older technology just to prevent me from feeling like my new can is now "outdated."
 
The point is there are better options in the QD suppressor market now, that don't have to sacrifice one element for another. I own a couple of AAC QD cans; sure they work, and I have timed the mounts, and I've shot the piss out of them. If you've not seen the specwar or saker mounting systems, check them out. They took what AAC did but then did it right. You can buy an AAC because it's convenient because you have a couple mounts already, and probably have regrets down the road every time you mount your can and never hit that last tooth while knowing you didn't have to put up with an inferior design. And I'm sure the fact you waited 9 months for that 1st gen design, when the 2nd or 3rd gen was out won't bother you. That's like going to trade my iphone 5 in for an iPhone 4. Step forward, not back.
 
Ultimately i want to be able to use this on my 308 bolt gun shooting steel out to 1000 m or thereabouts and still be able to throw it on my ar15 and use it for carbine comps. Am i asking too much from one can?
Probably. A 308 suppressor can do both, just not as well as a platform specific suppressor can perform each of those tasks.

Consider the AE30 suppressor. I chose it for my bolt gun because its reflex design gives it two concentric points of contact. I believe it's huge benefit. Allen Engineering
 
I'm really liking griffins recce7 and rsta more and more. I'm not a big fan of KAC. Surefire is too much $$ in my opinion. Which ever I go with I need to be able to perm the 556 mount on 14.5" bbl. the fact that I have a couple 51Ts already doesn't matter I can sell them and unperm the 556 51T.
 
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Some points:

1. There was nothing "wrong" with the Element endcap. It was removable to allow disassembly but it was unscrewing inside some peoples' AR handguards (again, it was designed to unscrew). They incorporated peoples' whining when they designed the Element 2, which has a non-removable rear endcap to avoid this problem. Then prior customers whined that they wanted the new endcap, so AAC started an upgrade program. To me this sounds like two nice responses to user feedback, not a forced redesign of a faulty product.

I'm a owner of a gen 1 Element and if you don't get the rear cap super tight, it will back off. Has many times on all my hosts. I have to use a vise to hold their tool, channel locks with some rubber I made and hold my left eye a certain way to get it off. My solution, bought 2 SS Sparrow cans...

So yes, a flawed design and the "Gen 2" or "upgrades" came from said design.

I can't speak on their QD cans, I knew not to travel that road.
 
I'm really liking griffins recce7 and rsta more and more. I'm not a big fan of KAC. Surefire is too much $$ in my opinion. Which ever I go with I need to be able to perm the 556 mount on 14.5" bbl. the fact that I have a couple 51Ts already doesn't matter I can sell them and unperm the 556 51T.

KAC and Surefire have a great QD system, the new Silencerco Saker and Specwar look nice also. Check out Templar Tactical, Templar Suppressors, Customer Precision Rifles | Suppressor for Sale, Custom Sniper Rifles, and Long Range Rifles

TBAC doesn't make a QD 556 can but check out their 30BA, Thunder Beast Arms Corporation [TBAC] | Products | 30BA

Honestly, I'd say go for a 30 cal can.
 
powder,

I have an AAC SDN-6 that I wanted to shove up AAC's ass when I first got it because there was too much wiggle for my liking and my POI was a noticeable difference vertically. Thankfully it wasn't horizontal. I use it on my bolt action .308 and 2 ARs. You can sand down the contact area right at the base of the threading on the mount which when just the right amount is removed, the suppressor will "just" grab onto that next tooth and the suppressor will lock up nicely. After a few hundred rounds and some carbon build up, the suppressor will lock up even tighter. Now I don't hate my suppressor because it works very well. My POI changed into tighter groups once the suppressor wore in. I'll go out on a limb here and say that I really don't think there is any luck to finding an SDN-6 can/mount combo that will lock up tightly brand new because the design is simply flawed. Regardless of this problem I would still buy the SDN-6 because it is a very well made suppressor. If you plan on shooting a 300 cartridge I would buy the TBAC 30BA because its magnum rated and the lock up mechanism is better. The Cyclone is definitely an extremely good buy because it's a thread on at a very good price.
 
I love my SDN-6, use it on a 300 BLK SBR and a 16' POF .308, both shoot like they should, the POF has no problems out to 800 yards. The SDN-6 was never meant to be a precision can. I also have a Cyclone that I have been very pleased with, it was my first silencer and I haven't had a minutes regret from the purchase of it.
 
I have a SDN-6, and run it on two different brakes. Both lock tight, and the suppressor has worked very well. Repeatable .5" drop at 100 yds on .308 SPS Tac.
 
I'm a owner of a gen 1 Element and if you don't get the rear cap super tight, it will back off. Has many times on all my hosts. I have to use a vise to hold their tool, channel locks with some rubber I made and hold my left eye a certain way to get it off. My solution, bought 2 SS Sparrow cans...

So yes, a flawed design and the "Gen 2" or "upgrades" came from said design.

I can't speak on their QD cans, I knew not to travel that road.
That can happen on ANY silencer with a takedown rear cap using standard RH threads to insert on the silencer body. I have a Liberty .22 can that does the same thing. A buddy has had his SWR Spectre rear cap unscrew, and I have heard of it happening on at least 2 other brands of .22 silencer. None of us are crowing about them having a "flawed design."
 
I have an SDN-6. The mount up issues are real. My latch wore out over the course of 2 years and carbon blows by the mount and into the objective of my scope. I would look into another brand.
 
I have an SDN-6. The mount up issues are real. My latch wore out over the course of 2 years and carbon blows by the mount and into the objective of my scope. I would look into another brand.

They had a bad batch of latches a while back. Talk to AAC; they may replace it.
 
I had it replaced. AAC's service was outstanding. They didn't mention anything about bad latches but that doesn't mean it didn't happen, they just didn't explain that to me. I could see it happening though and I get it.

I love the can otherwise. If the mounts were designed like the rest of the can it would be perfect. I'm critical of the way it mounts up because the latch is pinned into a blind hole. It is apparent AAC repaired my can and it looks factory new but from my standpoint the repair is pretty risky for something that requires a $200 tax stamp and 9 months of waiting on my part.For that reason I say go with a different brand.
 
Some points:

3. The tirant was never advertised as having SS baffles (other than the blast baffle). If you bought it and are disappointed with this fact, again, that's on you. There is really nothing wrong with aluminum baffles in a centerfire handgun silencer; indeed, that is still the industry standard, even for the Octane (the HD baffles being a pricier upgrade).

besides the baffles, how about the fact that the finish wore off in the first week of use and i had to send it back to have new finish put on. now that is the result of a product being released without proper QC or proper testing.
 
For shooting distance....... Just get a TBAC 30 cal can and you will never regret it.

I want the TBAC 30 cal for my precision rifle, but i went with the SF SOCOM 762 RC. So far it has been great. I have 500+/- rounds down it between 3 diff guns. I didn't originally go w/ the TBAC because the SF mount is so easy and solid! plus sometimes I shoot often and fast. Here piggy piggy.. :) correct me if I am wrong but the TBAC is a threaded suppressor. I have an AAC Element and after that can I am not a fan of threaded cans. I like things quick, easy and reliable. I got that with the SF SOCOM762 RC. I have 2 more cans on the way. SF SOCOM 556 and a SilencerCo Octane 9 HD. (Only reason I got the Octane is every single time I get a can by the time it gets here I want 1 or 2 more! I knew I would eventually want a 9mm can so I went below the hard-deck. Just my 2 cents

(I want a TBAC 30 and am currently testing SF customer service due to a gunsmith messing up the install of a brake on my 300 Blackout. If they do it right I will most likely get another 762 can from them. I also want SF's new .22 can. Hell who am I kidding, I Want one of everything and two of the things that are great! ;)

Summary:
1. If its on a semi/full-auto get the SF-SOCOM cans. They are above avg for everything but the QD mount is the best IMO.
2. For a bolt rifle get the TBAC 30
3. Get more than 1 at a time and be sure to apply for your SBR while you are at it.
4. E-File!!! My brother-in-law ordered a can late July 13 and is expecting to get his in June 14. Many guys I have talked to have e-filed and received in 3 months. I'm sure that time will get backed up but as of now it has been much faster.
 
I am not a fan of threaded cans. I like things quick, easy and reliable.

(I want a TBAC 30 and am currently testing SF customer service due to a gunsmith messing up the install of a brake on my 300 Blackout. If they do it right I will most likely get another 762 can from them.

First, Lets not act like it takes days to install a direct thread mount suppressor. It takes 5 to 7 more seconds to thread one on. QD Reliable? Nothing is more reliable than direct thread.
Second, QD mounts are a marketing ploy to get another 150 bucks per rifle out of you. Companys have done a great job with selling the QD marketing. As long as you have money they will find a way to make sure it parts from your wallet. :)
 
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First, Lets not act like it takes days to install a direct thread mount suppressor. It takes 5 to 7 more seconds to thread one on... :)

You are right but last weekend I had my can on and off 3 different guns. It would get annoying screwing and unscrewing every time. Also there is an issue with heat and buildup. I don't always take a suppressor off when I am done for a number of reasons. I got a suppressor stuck on a gun after cool down. Depending on the design of a can, this is a big issue. For example the element comes apart on both end caps and I have had a hard time getting it off without leaving a piece screwed on to the end of a barrel. Also there is the issue of a messing up the threads... There are many reasons why IMO I prefer a QD mount that is strong and reliable. Of coarse there are ways to prevent issue above, but I like knowing I don't have to take extra care of something. One less thing to worry about. QD mounts are worth every penny to me.
 
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With AAC I would lean more towards their direct threaded options. I run a Ranger II on my ARs and Rem 700. The can is built like a tank, and tanks are heavy. It's a lot of weight on the end of the barrel which changes POI quite a bit. However, this isn't really an issue because once you get the can you wont really shoot without it.

When I started looking for a .30cal can I decided on a GEMTech Sandstorm. I plan to use this on my 300BLK SBR and on my precision 260 Rem, so the lightweight titanium should keep the weight and POI shifts to a minimum. If the funds are available I would highly recommend looking for a lightweight titanium can.
 
You are right but last weekend I had my can on and off 3 different guns. It would get annoying screwing and unscrewing every time. Also there is an issue with heat and buildup. I don't always take a suppressor off when I am done for a number of reasons. I got a suppressor stuck on a gun after cool down. Depending on the design of a can, this is a big issue. For example the element comes apart on both end caps and I have had a hard time getting it off without leaving a piece screwed on to the end of a barrel. Also there is the issue of a messing up the threads... There are many reasons why IMO I prefer a QD mount that is strong and reliable. Of coarse there are ways to prevent issue above, but I like not knowing I don't have to take extra care of something. One less thing to worry about. QD mounts are worth every penny to me.

Yep, just depends on what is important to the end user. That is the great thing about lots of options. I am just glad the guys I hang with have cans. Loud weapons are uncivilized. :)
 
Tight mounts don't handle volume of fire and resulting carbon.
 
Today, I took my M42000 with a 51 tooth mount out to check shift and accuracy. 11.5 BCM upper, green tip, no accuracy change at 100 yards suppressed or not. POI change was down .5 to .75 inch with the can on.

Note...the mount is covered in carbon buildup from 300 plus rounds...wobble is minimal but it still backs off 1 tooth.
 
After a conversation with a fellow hide member. I can persuade you away from AAC and have changed my mind on QD vs screw on. I now think a threaded break is the way to go and my future cans will be bought from here.

http://www.suppressedarmament.com/