Suppressor "Pew" Ratings: Length/Volume VS Suppression

[rybe390]

Hey folks,

I've posted this over on reddit as well, but figured some might find this info valuable. TLDR: Added a few metrics to PewScience data to help compare suppressor performance of similar size categories.

I've been looking at getting a few new suppressors as of late, and have been looking into the PewScience rankings to get a baseline of how suppressor may perform, as well as other manufacturer data.

The one thing I don't like about PewScience is that there is no indication of how large a suppressor is when looking at the overall ranking. I had a hunch that the best ranking suppressors up top would be long and wide boys with high overall volume, and the worst would be K cans. I also wanted to compared .30 cal cans performance on 5.56.

So, I added a few thing to Jay's data on my own spreadsheet, to help compare apples to apples. I added weight, length, and diameter to the data, as well as an overall volume metric to compare suppressors of similar size categories to the overall pew rating. I then just did a quick calculation of volume/pew ranking, to give "Pew per volume". It's a rough baseline that I'm not sure is linear with how Jay's pew ranking works, but it gives an overall estimation of efficiency of a suppressor based on its overall volume. I also added a few of my suppressors/one's I'm eyeballing to get volume measurements, and see where they might stack in terms of suppression. I didn't add all suppressors to this list, but I added most of them. I plan to keep somewhat up to date and add more suppressors that haven't been "pew'd" just to get an idea of volume.

My takeaways: Overall volume has a massive impact on pew ranking and is likely somewhat linear, ish. Some suppressors do great for the size(liberty anthem series in particular), some larger suppressors might sound great but aren't performing as they should. 5.56 suppressors offer a lot of suppression for package they are in. 7.62 suppressors on 5.56 perform relatively same at the ear, and the degradation of performance might be due to bolt gun vs gas gun metrics. And finally, some of the suppressors that I'm looking at but had overall "worse" pew rankings, are actually performing quite well for the size range they're in and overall volume offered.

Link to google doc:
Additional resource from reddit I found helpful comparing length and performance:

 

[HaydenLane]

This is cool. I know several people have asked Jay to similar metrics. One thing I would point out is that diameter probably doesn’t matter to most, as all major .30 cal and down cans are 1.5-1.75”. Length and weight are what most are concerned with, diameter isn’t a factor unless you want to stuff something under a handguard.

 

[maker]

you have to wonder why guys can't figure out that they need to test AR's with the bolt held shut and compare the db ratings to what they get when they let the bolt cycle?

 

[tucaz]

you have to wonder why guys can't figure out that they need to test AR's with the bolt held shut and compare the db ratings to what they get when they let the bolt cycle?

funny you say that because i notice a huge difference in sound when i close the gas valve on my LWRC M6 DMR upper and its a single shot. atleast from the shooter perspective.

i never did understand all the hand wringing over cans on super sonic rounds. you’ve never “quiet”.

 

[maker]

you want to be heard to only 1/2 mile or instead, 3/4 mile? Id say thats a legit concern.

 

[carbonbased]

you want to be heard to only 1/2 mile or instead, 3/4 mile? Id say thats a legit concern.

Just add more copper mesh

 

[Cascade Hemi]

you have to wonder why guys can't figure out that they need to test AR's with the bolt held shut and compare the db ratings to what they get when they let the bolt cycle?

Because, in general, AR's are fired auto, not manually operated. Multi mic systems now give muzzle, shooter's right ear, and shooter's left ear. You don't need to shut off the gas unless you strictly want data for a bolt action.

Pew Science is for N00bs and small companies that need marketing street cred. As if I need some sing-song dickslap to tell me my opinion in a 75,000 word soup essay. Who has time for that nonsense.

 

[tucaz]

you want to be heard to only 1/2 mile or instead, 3/4 mile? Id say thats a legit concern.

thats not a valid statement

here’s one for ya….i have a 762 krink with an old aac can, its not a quiet set up.

my buddy walked off in the opposite direction about 200 yards to shoot at something there (open desert area)

i was shooting the krink. asked him what it sounded like. he said like someone slamming a door shut.

again, way too much thought goes into this for semi auto sonic ammo.