Will someone more knowledgeable than me please explain why in the world one would put a suppressor on a 50?

First thought:

A 50 has a barrel brake.
It is there to reduce recoil. What happens to it when one puts on a suppressor?
Does one have to remove the brake to add a suppressor?
Seems like to me, removing the brake will seriously hurt the shooter.

Second thought:

I know of no one making 50 ammo that is sub-sonic.
50 ammo usually flies over 2600+ FPS. That isn`t subsonic.
The crack will be heard. Won`t be Hollywood dead quiet.

So why in the world would anyone want to waste money on a 50 suppressor?

Is it a gimmick?

Do those things actually help deaden the sound of the Big Bore?

Maybe as a flash hider, a suppressor would help hide the shooter.

Showing my lack of knowledge here.

I need help on figuring this issue out.

Flash mitigation

I'm only familiar with the Barrett QDL which is designed to mount to the factory brake on the M107A1. Every suppressor will generally have it's own unique mounting system. The suppressor will generally reduce recoil even more than the brake would. .50 BMG suppressors are heavy, you're adding several pounds typically to the rifle. Just that added weight alone will make a noticeable reduction in recoil.

That statement, I can understand.

For me there are a few reasons. The first being to eliminate the punch in the face concussion I get every time I pull the trigger. The blast from a 50 with an effective brake is enough to give a lot of people migraines after a few rounds, including myself. Second would be sound control. I have neighbors on the properties on either side of my range. Dropping the DB allows me to shoot more without being a complete nuisance to some very good and like minded neighbors. Third would be signature reduction via a smaller dust cloud than you get with a brake and flash reduction.

Here's a video of the Rex MG50 that I ordered for my bolt gun. Pretty impressive sound reduction all things considered.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2vh7cSvGrK/?igsh=MWpuem04b21sZWRtNQ==

Same reason you suppress anything. Most centerfire rifles with cans shoot supersonic rounds from what I've seen. There has absolutely been subsonic 50bmg available in the past but I can't imagine it's a big seller. Recoil is the main problem people talk about especially on a bolt action. I'd really like to try the new Thunderbeast it looks like it might be the best overall.

I have still never seen any of them in person. I have a hard time buying something like that without giving it a test run.

There are subsonic 50 BMG loads out there. They are pretty much pointless but they do exist.

Notice how most 50 cans have a brake on the end?

Don't forget living room guy

Dust signature of the muzzle brake is ridiculous.

Of a suppressor helps with that then that alone can be a huge benefit.


Putting a 10x10 tarp on the ground to keep shit from flying everywhere is the bare minimum I will want firing my 50.

I'm not really sure of the physics involved but I got a bunch of high pressure snow in my face holes when I stupidly fired prone with my 99.

Now that is impressive!

I wonder if he was using sub-sonic ammo?

Couldn`t make out in the audio if he stated that or not.

He said it's M33 ball so definitely not subsonic.

My idea of a suppressor is that it keeps the weapon quieter. Down range it wouldn`t make a pop sound coming in.

Train wreck of random thoughts:

Buy a suppressor for shooting sub-sonic ammo. Trajectory results will fall short faster than normal speed ammo.

Sub-sonic ammo is not going to have the same knock-down power at the lower speeds as normal ammo so why put a suppressor on a weapon using normal ammo? The 50 was meant to do major damage at the target.

At that point, one would have an over priced flash suppressor.

Now.............

If the big-bore is used on a "soft tissue target", with subsonic ammo ( And a suppressor )  and the shooter was trying to keep from giving away their position closer in & not make noise, suppressors make sense.

Am I missing something?

I haven`t noticed that nor have I ever held one in my hands.

Thank you for pointing that out to me.

I think you are. Have you been around suppressed centerfire rifles shooting supersonic ammo? It's substantially quieter. One of the main complaints of 50bmg is the blast and concussion which a can effects directly.

I can see that happening with sub-sonic ammo.

I would never try to do that in my house with no suppressor and "full speed ahead" factory rounds.

Thank you for posting that link.

I did that 30 years ago but had hearing protection on. Was running a Steyr-Aug in full auto mode.

Had hearing protection on.

A ridiculously quiet 50 cal with subsonic ammo. Read the video description to see what he loaded.

https://youtu.be/vVCtGtxZyoQ?si=ty6psAyqwUdtim2Y

I know the new manufacturer of this suppressor No brake is needed with the suppressor as you can see in the video and this super old video is just plain old off the shelf surplus ball ammo...

Unsuppressed, i can dump a mag with my 107 and have a pretty decent headache.

With the Barrett can, I can shoot all day. Only issue I have is the gas blowback.

Definitely reduces some recoil and the sound signature.

Are you just copying me now

I too have a 107 with the Barrett can.  I am very impressed with the suppression.  I don't have issues with the blowback.
Going to shooting events, I have taken the suppressor off and get complaints telling me to put the Barrett away but when I put the can on the RSO are good with it.
So before I bought the Barrett can, I called them and asked for any pointers and was told that their is a significant increase in recoil and I should shoot it prone first to get a feel for it.
I did that and it was very noticeably sharper recoil.  I let one guy shoot it and he didn't listen my scope busted him right above the eye and he was bleeding all of the place.
I don't know why but it seems like the recoil has decreased or maybe I'm just used to it as now I shoot with the can from a bench fine.

Only subsonic ammo on the can through mine. The full strength ammo through the Steyr I fired was louder though.

The can is quiet using 22 LR ammo and sounds like an air-gun.

Louder pop with full strength loads.

It is the concussion for me, but I can't put one on my M821a1. I want to get an M99 and  can at some point. It is not the best to fire for sure.

Same reason I want a can on an 11.5" AR. Braked SBR's SUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK.

Saw a shit load of those come across my work station the last few days.

Never fired a rifle with that short of a barrel.

Is the blast that bad?

I have a 10.5 with a Surefire brake on it. It is worse than my barret if I don't put the can on. Indoors people would just ask you to leave. Fire it in a home defense situation and I have no doubt about sudden, severe and permanent hearing loss.

barrel that short no can then noveske or similar. Blast that noise forward at least.

plenty of people will be along to say I'm crazy, but they are abusive with a good brake on them.

There are numerous reasons you may want to use a .50 suppressor in civilian land. Many of those have been mentioned, not the least of which is noise reduction. But you should remember the round you are using also matters.

There is a reason that when we went from the M82a1 to the M107a1 one requirement was to support a suppressor. Ask any of the Marines from a LAR  bat why. In fact if memory serves me correctly, before we even got the 107's there were "upgrades" that allowed the M82's to be fired suppressed. But I would check with someone like @50cal to verify that. YMMV

Sure. Same reason you put a suppressor on anything. It makes it quieter, even if still "loud", as 50BMG is. But it's still less observable over distance. If someone can hear and triangulate on a gunshot, they can fire back at it. Suppressors screw with that ability, or at least diminishes it. For a military client, that "sonic camouflage" is important.

For any shooter, that huge overpressure wave that makes you feel like you got donkey-kicked in the head after a long shooting session is mitigated somewhat. Everything to minimize that concussion is a step in the right direction. Even if it doesn't sound like a pellet gun, it's got to help.




A lot of suppressors increase recoil (or more accurately "decrease recoil less than a dedicated brake"). Sometimes to the point where it might damage the host firearm, or damage the shooter. Worst-case, we're talking detached retinas, sore shoulders, feeling concussed, etc. So you need a suppressor that either has a brake built into it, or tuned to the gun with weight and recoil impulse. The Barrett M107 is an example of a gun that was great, but never designed to handle a silencer. So it often breaks the charging handle and other things if the can isn't designed for it.
See: this military evaluation of 50BMG suppressors. (My suppressor was one of the cans tested in the mix. Small, but too recoily. Sold a handful to the USAF for bomb disposal though.)



Yeah, generally, unless the brake has retention features built into it so it *is* the mount for a dedicated suppressor.



No silencers, other than perhaps .22lr rifles, are "Hollywood dead quiet". But they're still amazingly effective sound, flash, and dust signature-cutters and very useful.

Subsonic ammo is great for plinking, but totally inappropriate for long distance hunting and other endeavors needing ballistic results on target. Doesn't mean attempts to suppress loud noise levels are useless. This is like saying "earmuffs don't totally silence things, so why wear them at all?"



Yes, but we're all students in this journey called life. :D

The only real upgrades, weren't upgrades. It was just removal of a few parts to lessen the recoil and keep the rifle from beating itself to pieces.
The older 82a1's, you removed the accelerator rod and the accelerator.  The use of the suppressor acted as the accelerator.  The accelerator rod assists the accelerator in opening the action during recoil and supplements primary extraction.

The 107 was the same way. But the 107a1 has the newer twist lock style brake to attach the can where the older rifles needed the brake removed.

Qdl on long 107a1 works well

The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.