Form 1 Suppressor

[Shads]

Getting ready for a Form 1 but my question is, can a suppressor be too big? If weight and size isn't an issue, is bigger better? Or will it have adverse affects? Being my first can, it will be for a .458 Socom AR-15 so I can shoot all my smaller calibers through it. I hear they are tough to suppress is why I ask. Thanks in advance

 

[57fairlane]

Length > Diameter regardless if its Form 1 or not.

I have zero experience suppressing .458 SOCOM. It's not anything we ever made silencers for nor even metered with. Bore diameter also greatly affects the can's performance. It's probably gonna be real mediocre with .223 or even 9mm depending on your lowers and what you want to shoot through it.

Personally, that diameter is so big that I'd build a giant form 1 can for the .458 and not even worry about shooting any other calibers through it besides like .45-70

 

[redtail]

I would say dedicate the 458 can to 45 cal and build it with the correct bore. As far as too long or too wide. More area to cool and slow gas is probably a good thing. However, I am sure at some point the benefit stops. At where that is I have no idea. Silencerco makes a hybrid 46 and markets this way. maybe someone with a hybrid can chime in on the smaller calibers.

I shoot 5.56 in my 30 cal can and it does fine. I shoot 9mm in my 45 can and it works fine but a 5.56 through .46?? I don't know. seems like the bore would allow a lot of gas to pass right through.

 

[Scottja]

I own several store bought cans, a few home made cans, and 1 custom from an SOT. If it's going to be a range toy, I wouldn't worry much about length. If you're going to hunt with it, anything longer than 7" starts getting difficult to maneuver (that's what she said).

You really should limit a 458 can to 45 cal. If you want a do all 5.56 can, use a 30 cal. The suppression you will get on an AR sucks no matter what can you use.

 

[Hood886]

Like others have said, make it as big as you'd like. There will eventually be a point of diminishing returns which will probably happen sooner than you'd think. Ar's are loud, the gas coming from the ejection port is going to be your biggest issue, so go for a very low pressure baffle system with lots of room, a reflex design would probably also help decrease back pressure. If you don't care about length I'd also give it a nice large expansion chamber to help decrease back pressure. With all that said supersonic rounds are still probably gonna sound the same as any normal 556 can. Probably not gonna sound the best on the small calibers but not gonna hurt to shoot it on some.

 

[KingTuna]

Changing the end caps on the hybrid does seem to help when shooting different calibers. I'm not sure if its so much of a noise reduction with the changing caps, its almost like it deepens the tone a bit. I hope that actually makes sense.