Suppressors

The Maxim Defense CQB Stock: Short and Sweet

The Maxim Defense CQB Stock is a strong, comfortable, durable and compact stock that is made for real-world use. The Maxim CQB Stock weighs in at just 18.59 oz and has a housing made of 7075 Aluminum Alloy where they’ve smartly placed QD mounts. When closed, the stock measures just 5.375″ and extends out to a full 10″, the same as a extended carbine stock.. It has two additional positions at 6.875″ and 8.375″.

You can set-up the stock with a myriad of buffer options to fit your rifle and tune it in. The stock is available in black and FDE.

The Maxim Defense CQB Stock isn’t built to be a safe queen, it’s made for real-world use. With the 4 available extension positions, you can dial in the stock for your body and function.

Installation was easier than expected. Just be sure to not launch your detent and spring for the rear take-down pin when you disassemble!

Once together, I was amazed by the compact size of this unit and the comfort of the adjustment points. I’m a tall fella at 6’6″ with gorilla arms and the Maxim Defense CQB Stock still adjusted out to fit me.

At the range, I had mentally prepared myself for failures on my short barrel suppressed work rifle using the generic buffer and spring and assumed I would have to contact Maxim for different variations of their product to dial it in. I was pleasantly surprised with it, not a single failure after about 200 rounds through it. Obviously it’s going to need some more put down range to put me at ease but I’m on the range next week for rifle training so we’ll push it then. The hex patterned and textured butt plate kept the stock welded in place while ringing my CTS Steel plates.

Overall opinion of this piece of equipment is that it is strong, quality craftsmanship that makes my rifle a better trunk monkey. I’m able to stow it in more compact spaces, deploy in the confines of the front seat of a patrol vehicle without smacking a windshield, and manipulate the rifle in the close quarter confines of the trashiest trailer house. Coupled with the Spikes Tactical Compressor upper, I’ll hopefully still be able to hear if I ever have to use it in the field without my hearing protection on.

Speaking of hearing protection – if you’re in a position to affect change within your agency, work towards getting suppressors on all department rifles. One incident in a confined space with the patrol rifle and you’re looking at a high likelihood of permanent hearing loss.

MSRP for the Maxim Defense CQB Stock is $395.00. Maxim Defense Industries offers a 30-day return policy.

If you’re looking for pistol or rifle training in SW Washington, come join us at Willapa Firearms Training.

Suppressing the AR-15: The Good and Bad

I pulled the trigger on my MK18 with a surefire suppressor mounted and looked back at Jason, an active duty military police officer, “That’s actually still kind of loud” he exclaimed while replacing his Peltor headset onto his ears. And it was. An AR-15 chambered in 5.56 is never particularly quiet due to a variety of factors. However, if you are considering a suppressor for your AR-15 we should be candid about what it entails and what to look for.

There are three main sound sources made by an AR-15 when a round is discharged; the muzzle blast, the sound of the supersonic slug breaking the sound barrier and the mechanical noise of the weapon cycling after each shot. A suppressor aims to quiet the sound of the muzzle blast by trapping the expanding gasses from the end of the muzzle and allowing them to cool and decelerate in a series of chambers. In this way, the decibel level is reduced. However, regardless of this the 5.56×45 is a loud round even when suppressed because the round is breaking the sound barrier which creates a sonic boom.

So how quiet can you expect your AR-15 to be with a suppressor? It’s a hard question to answer and depends on barrel length, ammunition and the suppressor being used. In general, a 16 inch AR-15 firing standard M193 produces a decibel level of around 167 dB give or take depending on environmental conditions. Averaging out a couple of the leading suppressors in the industry you see an average noise level of around 136 db with a suppressor attached. Which is a significant reduction. For comparison’s sake an unsuppressed 22lr rifle typically falls in the 130 dB range.

An AR-15 can be made quieter by firing sub-sonic ammunition however, the AR-15 will not cycle properly. There are several great calibers out there available for the AR-15 platform that allows the use of sub-sonic ammunition along with reliable functioning. Many choose to stick with 5.56×45 for ammo availability, familiarity and commonality among several other weapons that they may own. For the purpose of this article, we will primarily concern ourselves with suppressing the AR-15 in 5.56.

Chasing Those Decibels

Some try to buy suppressors based soley on the decibel level produced. However, there are several other things to consider when it comes to sound. Tone is the relative pitch and strength of the sound that the suppressor produces. I’ve found that tone can make a suppressor with a higher decibel level sound quieter. The Surefire SOCOM556 RC gives on average a decibel level of 139 dB. This is louder than many competitors on the market however I’ve found the tone to be deep and pleasing. If you have the chance listen to different suppressors at local matches or shoots. If this is not possible, try searching on many of the dedicated suppressor forums that dot the internet. Many people will be able to comment on the tone of a certain suppressor and whether they like it or not. Understand that it is the internet however.

Daniel Defense MK18 with Surefire SOCOM556-RC suppressor mounted.

Length and Weight

Size matters. Add a 6-inch suppressor to the end of your 16-inch barrel and you now have a 20 inch plus barrel. Although these suppressors typically weigh in at 1 pound, it is a pound at the very end of your rifle and that weight will quickly add up. The shorter your suppressor becomes the less effective it becomes at sound suppression. The lighter it becomes the less it can handle heat. There are trade-offs to made everywhere. You need to determine what type of shooting you’re going to be doing and precisely what you need from your suppressor.

Gas blowback

A suppressor traps a lot of gas. It also increases the dwell time at your gas port. All of this leads to an excess amount of gas coming your way and exiting around the charging handle to sting your eyes. There are several fixes available. An adjustable gas block will allow you to adjust the amount of gas being tapped off from the barrel thus eliminating much of the excess gas. Gemtech makes a suppressed bolt carrier group which can vent the excess gas out the side of the carrier. Finally, there is charging handles that are made to deal with excess gas from suppressors or conversely you can use Permatex RTV (a silicon sealant) to close the gap between the charging handle and the upper receiver to disallow the excess gas from reaching your face. Some suppressor manufacturers add an expansion chamber or an internal venting system to help reduce back pressure and when used in combination with the above products can make for a pleasurable shooting experience.

Them suppressors get hot

Each successive shot is going to raise the temperature of the suppressor fairly quickly. There are a variety of factors that come into play but some information puts that number at around 7-10 degrees Fahrenheit each round fired. A 30 round magazine would then increase the temperature by over 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Suppressors can get hot enough during a course of fire that if you transition to your sidearm and let your rifle hang down and it touches your pants, it could burn a hole straight through them. Many companies tell you to limit your strings of fire. If my memory serves me correct several different suppressor manuals state that strings of fire of over 90 rounds should not be attempted. If you use a suppressor, I’d recommend a good pair of heat resistant gloves. If your aim is long-range shooting be aware that as the suppressor gets hot those waves of heat will rise and could distort the view of your target through the optic. This can be mitigated to some extent by the use of a suppressor cover.

A good mount is vital. Also, automotive anti-seize on the threads helps quite a bit as well.

Mount it

One of the often overlooked aspects of a suppressor is the mount. Why is a mount important? It could be the difference between a good day of shooting or a terrible day in which a poorly aligned suppressor leads to a 5.56 slug striking a suppressor baffle or the endcap of the silencer. It could also be the difference between your suppressor freezing hard to your muzzle device or coming off easily. There are many mounting options out there. Make sure you do your research and pick one which has a reputation for strength and ease of use. A quick word of advice, no matter how good the mount is I would advise putting a small amount of automotive anti-seize lubricant on the threads or lock up location.

Increased bolt carrier velocity

If you don’t manage your excess gas you’re going to have an increase in the velocity of the bolt carrier group. Many individuals control this by added a heavier buffer to their rifle in order to slow it down. A popular option is to utilize the Vltor A5 recoil system which in a nutshell uses a rifle length spring along with a special buffer. On most rifles, the standard weight buffer (A5H0) will work fine, although you can toy with a slightly heavier buffer in order to fine tune your rifle. On over-gassed rifles, such as the Daniel Defense Mk18, I’ve opted for a specialty heavyweight 6.8 oz buffer to calm the vicious speed that occurs when a suppressor is mounted to an already over-gassed system.

What good is my suppressor then?

Almost complete reduction of flash for night shooting. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to fire a rifle at night you can appreciate the amount of flash that is made. A suppressor (depending on make and model) will eliminate most of that. This makes shooting with night vision goggles an absolute pleasure as they are not getting washed out constantly by the muzzle blast. It obviously has it’s uses in a tactical environment as well. An enemy unable to pinpoint your location due to the reduced flash could, in some cases, be the difference between life and death.

Further, a suppressor helps reduce felt recoil due to the added weight at the muzzle as well as the reduction in speed of the propellant gasses. I’ve also found that the quiet report and lack of muzzle flash aids in rapid strings of fire or target transition. On average my timed drills are somewhat faster than without a suppressor even though my rifle weighs more and feels unwieldy.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, when a suppressor is paired with ear pro you protect your hearing even better. Hearing damage is cumulative gentlemen, and investing in a suppressor when you’re younger could perhaps help mitigate hearing damage later in life. For those who already engage in shouting matches due to loss of hearing, a suppressor could help preserve what you have left.

What motivates many to buy a suppressor is the combination of noise reduction, muzzle flash reduction, recoil reduction and protection of their hearing long-term. There are drawbacks when suppressing the AR-15 however I strongly feel that the pros outweigh the cons. A suppressor is an investment. Buy once, cry once has never been truer.

SilencerCo Spectre II Suppressor

The .22 LR caliber firearms aren’t very loud to begin with—add a suppressor to that and you’ve got a very quiet shooter that is perfect for plinking or hunting small game. SilencerCo has yet again produced a quality AND affordable suppressor with the Spectre II. With an MSRP of around $400, what’s not to love?

The Spectre features stainless steel construction and a very robust container with a 1/2×28 thread pitch and a tail cap that resembles an RPG fin. This end and tail cap easily unscrew to allow cleaning and routine maintenance; the non-mono-core baffles can then be removed and also replaced if necessary—a very user-friendly design indeed. The baffles press together like they were hand fitted to each other and their smooth finish makes for an easy wipe down after a long day of shooting. Of course, SilencerCo’s warranty system is in full effect: the removable components, baffle strikes and possible unfortunate mishaps are no longer a major concern as the end-user can simply replace the damaged part with ease.

Advertised as being capable of performing at 113 decibels, the suppressor leaves your hearing intact after a pleasant snap rather than an irritating crack; at least that’s the best I can describe the experience. I didn’t feel a significant difference in recoil personally and, not that there was much to begin with, I seriously doubt it altered the rifle’s performance much. I would also like to say that zero malfunctions were experienced throughout the day, so reliability is another pro “box” that can be checked for this one. All in all, the SilencerCo SpectreII suppressor is a fun and affordable way to get into suppressors without breaking the bank.

Zayin Tactical: Rifle Suppressors That Run for $299

Zayin Tactical makes quality suppressors. You can buy one today for $299. How can they do this? There must be a catch. That is the hook in the story. Owner Zack Cross is an Army veteran, a Machinist, a Patriot, and a Constitutionalist. He and his family make cans in America for Americans and they run a very efficient operation.

ALL zTac – Gen1 SUPPRESSORS are $299*

Unconditional Lifetime Warranty 4130 Chromoly Steel – Any Caliber Cerakote Finish
Choice of Graphite Black, OD Green or Coyote Tan
Oscar Mike Hoodie – Free Shipping

Zayin Tactical’s UNCONDITIONAL Lifetime Warranty:

Squished from being run over by a Stryker MGS? No problem.
Teeth marks from a grizzly? Don’t sweat it.
Threads damaged by an overzealous brother-in-law trying to prove himself? No worries.
Accidentally microwaved it instead of your burrito? They’re gonna laugh at you, but you’re covered.

Looking back at great ideas of the past, some have a clear genesis. Denzel Dockery invented the ‘Diver Down’ flag (red diagonal stripe on white) to avoid being chopped to bits by propeller blades as he tried out his homemade SCUBA gear, the plans for which he’d taken from an issue of Popular Mechanics.

Levi Strauss was a busy merchant who sold pair after pair of pants to the rugged miners during the San Francisco gold rush, to replace those literally torn apart at the seams by the sharp rocks in the tunnels and the heavy gold in their pockets. It occurred to him that they needed much sturdier gear, and he was in possession of hundreds of yards of heavy cloth – and Levi’s Jeans (after a couple iterations) was born.

The Start of Zayin Tactical

Regarding the start of Zayin Tactical, Zack Cross’s small arms and suppressor business, it would be harder to trace to a particular event. As a child in the early seventies in Southeast Alaska, his familiarity with guns was just a normal part of daily life. Some afternoons his parents would station him at an upstairs window with instructions to stabilize the rodent population in the surrounding junkyard.

Many mornings he would leave with his .22 and a box of shells and spend the day plinking in the woods, enjoying what was essentially a deep affection for shooting, and admiration for the gun itself. The deer he shot one day at only seven years old (having come upon it by complete surprise) was just a collateral blessing and a bit of a problem – he had to go get his mother to come and help him haul it home.

At seventeen he enlisted in the Army and gained a new understanding of and appreciation for arms and munitions of all types- their construction, strengths and weaknesses, their care and maintenance and different capabilities, memorizing many, many ballistics tables along the way. Despite his ETS from the Army, he never lost his love for firearms.

Fast-forward through the years and careers and we find him working overseas as a government contractor, responsible for in-theater maintenance and repair of Remote Weapon Systems installed on variants of the Stryker platform. During that assignment, he learned more about large caliber weapons – specifically M2’s and Mark19’s; their tolerances – temperature and stress fatigue, and the incredible decibel levels they can generate.

Though it was hard working long hours in an inhospitable place away from his wife and children, the pay was more than adequate, and he was determined to put in his time now in order to get out of debt and finance their dream of buying a piece of property somewhere where they could become independent and self-sustaining- chickens, goats, a garden- the whole nine yards. It was right about this time, on a trip stateside for the birth of his first grandchild, that the trajectory he had been on ran right up against a blast barrier and stopped cold. In his first week back in the states, he was admitted to the ER two times in such excruciating pain that he could barely walk and couldn’t drive at all.

The doctors’ eventual findings: congenitally deformed hips exacerbated by decades of running for physical fitness and finished off by years of deployment. In an instant, everything changed, and he found himself not only at a financial disadvantage, but struggling to figure out what he could possibly do to be productive with a functional diagnosis of “permanently disabled”.

What now? After considering many possibilities and adjusting direction a few times, he enrolled in a machining course at Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington where his daughter was getting her Technical Arts Degree. He obtained his Precision Machinist certification in 2014 (repairing an old Navy lathe for his instructor along the way), and moved back to Alaska in 2015, still looking for a viable way to get back on the path to being independent and able to provide for his family.

An active reader and contributor to several websites and boards that other weapons specialists frequent, he began to see a need for high-quality suppressors in an affordable price range. After some research, he concluded that launching a start-up business on the strength of his ideals as a patriot and defender of the second amendment, his skills as a machinist, and his love for guns was a worthy gambit.

Once he had the target in his sights, it remained for him to figure out all the details that make up a business – name, logo, mission statement, advertising methods, business cards, and the million details that make up a “simple” website. He spent a lot of time wondering how much to share with the world, how transparent to be, how vulnerable? Following the same leading as before, he put all of it out there- why he chose the name Zayin, why he believes small manufacturing is crucial, why he chose suppressors as a business.

He spent hundreds and hundreds of hours staring at laptop trying to make pictures and text stay where they were supposed to, and on the phone arguing with credit card companies, most of whom flat-out wouldn’t do business with him at all because suppressors are still classified as a ‘destructive device’ and regulated by the NFA much in the same way as machine guns and explosives.

Finally, he got everything daisy-chained together and plugged it in. Beyond excited, he began to get feedback that there had been a spike of views to the site, interested searchers clicking around, and then… it slowed to a crawl. After a little investigation, it was discovered that the main company he was depending on for advertising canceled his ad, though they had previously approved it. Again, the reason according to Facebook: his site was associated with weapons.

Undeterred, knowing he had a great idea, product and pricing; he pressed on. These days you can either find him still staring at his CNC or a computer screen, watching for any problems, answering every single email right away, with great care and focus. Despite Facebook refusing to allow advertisement, with hopes of word-of-mouth. He’s looking to attract enough of a share of the vast market to simply get up every morning and do what he has long pictured doing- feeding the goats and then on to the shop and to make beautiful, lasting, worthwhile things.

Zayin Tactical is Southeast Alaska’s first and only premier Small Arm and Suppressor Manufacturer. Aside from producing new designs and improving old ones, they are a fully-functioning machine shop. Offering services from prototyping to gunsmithing, cerakoting, barrel-threading and custom orders to meet your needs! They support local, Veteran-owned businesses and use American-made/sourced materials whenever possible.

Get your very own Zayin Tactical Suppressor HERE. Priced to be the First Suppressor You Buy; Engineered to be the Last

Suppress Your Blast with Surefire

Suppress Your Blast and Add an Inch or Two with Surefire

Suppressing your blast on a short barrelled pistol or rifle can be a challenge. You can meet that challenge with Surefire’s Warden Blast Regulator.

You can also add a couple of inches, and let’s face it, sometimes we need a couple more inches. By adding a Surefire Muzzle Brake and pairing it with the Surefire Warden Blast Regulator you can find those inches.

Save your money for a bit and upgrade later to a suppressor and use the same Muzzle Brake by planning ahead.

The AR pistol that I worked on in this situation needed a couple more inches to keep from doing damage to the handguard. The set-up, as it was, was blasting from the muzzle into the handguard. It would only have been a matter of time before damage was done.

How It’s Done

I started by placing my Geissele Automatics Reaction Rod into my vise.

Once I secured the reaction rod, I slid the AR pistol upper onto the reaction rod and gently removed the existing muzzle brake.

I removed the old muzzle brake with my armorers wrench and set the brake and washer aside. I cleaned the threads of the barrel off with some acetone degreaser and also cleaned the threads of the new brake.

After letting it dry, I clocked the new muzzle brake using the supplied timing wheel chart. I set this brake up a little between “neutral” and for a right-handed shooter.

After finding the perfect amount of shims, I applied some Rocksett to the threads and torqued the new muzzle brake to the barrel.

After getting it timed and torqued I loosened the collar on the Surefire Warden Blast Regulator and slid it on to the Brake, twisted it tight, and it was ready.

I slid the handguard back into place and secured the set screws with some medium strength thread lock.

With it all back together, the Warden Blast Regulator gives the AR Pistol a great look and hopefully a great function!

We hope to get out to the range very soon to try it out and see what kind of a difference it makes. Obviously, this is going to solve the problem the owner had with needing a couple more inches. At least that’s what she said.

The SureFire Warden Blast Regulator should also help with directing any concussive blast out the front of the muzzle instead of out the sides of the muzzle brake, helping protect the hearing of any shooters on either side. It should also help with kicking up less dust when shooting from the prone position. Here in the northwest, it should help with kicking up less mud.

Don’t Just Build It, Train With It

You can find the tools and parts you need to build and shoot the rifle or AR pistol you want at Rainier Arms. When you’re done getting the firearm set-up it’ll be time for some training! Come see us at Willapa Firearms Training for your training needs.

Suppressor Meltdown: How many rounds can one take?

Suppressor durability is an often discussed topic these days. As technology, metallurgy and mounting systems change, so too the rate of ablation on these cans change. The same effect is true of rate-of-fire, with full-auto creating a far more harsh environment within the tube than slower rates of fire.

As companies pour more money into R&D and advanced manufacturing techniques such as orbital laser welding, more and more suppressors are “full auto rated”. As with any consumer device, that isn’t an unlimited guarantee, as we’ll soon see.

The below video from YouTube channel West Coast Armory shows what happens when you attach a Silencerco SWR suppressor to an M249 SAW and attempt to run a 700 round hate burst through it. Get some suppressor meltdown!

-Rex Nanorum

@Rexnanorum