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Posted: 5/26/2014 2:15:01 PM EDT
Range day with Surefire 7.62 mm SOCOM Suppressor.
Just 6 ¼ inch long and 1 ½ inches wide. Glad I got a relatively short can. Balances nicely on a 20 inch HB AR and handy on a 16 inch. Probably effects balance on a 20 inch HB bolt gun the most. 
Louder than I had hoped, but then it is a small can. Probably still OSHA safe to shoot without ear protection (140 db) as advertised, or close to it. It is a multi-caliber can, thirty caliber baffles that can also be mounted on a 556 or 6.8mm with appropriate muzzle brake or flash hider. Easy on/off all three rifles. One hand with the Silencer Shop oven mitt. The back pressure of the can creates a longer dwell time for recoil that is noticeable in the 13 pound .308. More of a sustained push than a recoil impulse. Longer dwell time requires you to maintain good bench rest technique off the bag or bipod. (I ended up using the sling when shooting off the bipod). Very smooth recoil and you can maintain a good sight picture during recoil. 
The heavy barrel AR sounds like an air rifle if you wear soft plugs. Short barrel AR handles nicely. 
16 inch Bushmaster was only rifle that was finicky about ammunition. The can doubled group size of American Eagle 55 grain (from 1.25 to 2.3 inches). 3 X ACOG actually can do 1.25-1.5 inches ES if you shoot at 2 inch orange targ dots. Much better with IMI Green Tip which opened up to 1 x 2 inches from about 1.25. No change of windage or elevation though with the green tip. 55 grain was 1 inch low and 1 inch right with can on. Happy coincidence is I can shoot 55 without can and be on target and switch to green tip with can and only be one inch low, or re-zero for green tip period. A very experienced tactical rifle instructor I respect suggested I hold the Bushmaster more firmly against my shoulder and that would help tighten up my groups with the suppressor. HB AR with 20 inch barrel shot 1 ¼ low and 1 inch left with can and 53 grain VMAX, my night time coyote gun. It was actually a bit more accurate with the can than without. (5-6 shots twice into ¾ inch). I have the day optic on now and will try some different ammo combinations but I hate to give up the 53 grain VMAX which is over 3400 fps and makes range estimation so easy. The Remington tactical 40-X had no change in windage or elevation with my fast 168 grain reload (2900 fps), and was ¾ inch high with no windage change using Black Hills 175 BTHP at about 2620 fps. The 40-X is an accurate rifle, and the can increased group size no more than ¼ inch. SSA 175’s showed no change of impact. My NFA dealer put a dab of anti-seize compound on the smooth inside mounting collar of the Surefire. And it kept it pretty darn clean and it came right off and on. It has consistency of hand lotion and does not stain your hands or clothes like other products Ive used. Called Lock-Cease 20/20. You can see a little bit of the white Lok cease residue on the brake in this picture. 
More later. |
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You bushmaster groups are likely opening up because of follow-through or unlocking. Bushmasters are over-gassed low end guns, in order to not get calls to their CS dept, they overgass the shit out of them so they "always run". Add a can and you have a cyclic rate and peak bolt velocity far too high. You also have the gun unlocking early. You could spend a lifetime with heavy buffers, springs, etc. I'd recommend finding a way to actually reduce gas in the system.
Added recoil and unlocking under pressure are messing you as the shooter up. If you put that gun in a mechanical rest, I bet the groups are about the same with or without the can. Almost certainly shooter error (don't take offense). Also... Perspective is screwing with me, that can looks in your photos like the 762Mini. My fullsize is tan and my guns have shorter barrels so maybe that's why it looks off to me. |
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Quoted:
New, Yes it is a SOCOM 762 Mini. After cleaning both AR's I am probably going to install an adjustible gas block! Will be interesting to see if that reduces the Bushmaster groups. It is surprisingly accurate without the can. Thanks for tip. Right on. Yea, no one where in your post did you say mini, so I was sort of confused as I could have sworn it was. Follow-through is a hell of an issue for people with precision gas guns, I've seen really good shooters struggle when moving back and forth between bolt and gas. You can look into disabling the gas system to test before hand. |
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My HB AR built by Accuracy Speaks in Mesa, is a 3/4 inch or less rifle with almost any decent ammo, and it handled the can just fine. Actually tightened up Super Performance groups. It is heavy though and has an A2 stock while the Bushmaster is alot lighter and has the telescoping carbine stock. (Come to think of it it also has a Colt M16 A2 LMG bolt buffer).
I may have just been holding the Carbine kind of girly. Im not sure the Bushmaster is over gassed as Ive shot 53 grain V max and some very hot handloads through it and not got either pierced primers or ejection slot marks. It has a Geiselle trigger and Bravo Company bolt, plus free floated hand guard and a relatively rigid fluted barrel. Standard buffer though. I was shooting off the collapsed pistol grip rather than the hand guard and that may have been an issue with the longer dwell time with the can? Not a problem without it however. Pretty funny when you need to have good bench rest technique with a 16 inch carbine and a 3 X ACOG! Promotes good habits I guess. |
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