Trying to decide what to get for a suppressed rifle/carbine

[Ridgerunner665]

I keep going round and round over whether to do it with 22LR, 9mm, or 300 Blackout.

Kind of a ranch rifle kind of thing...dispatching raccoons, foxes, coyotes, etc.

9mm seems a reasonable choice, but most of them aren't terribly accurate at 100 yards.... and don't much like the idea of polymer receivers (more specifically, attaching the barrel to them, on rifles).

22LR.... weak at 100 yards.

300 Blackout... it'd be a new round for me, I have plenty of 9mm and 22 ammo...300 BLK can be accurate at 100 yards, powerful enough even with subsonic ammo.

Then it comes down to platform...I like the idea of an AR, I have a couple in 5.56... but I also like the idea of bolt gun (costs less e.g. Ruger American).

Also... the Ruger 9mm PC carbine, its interesting, but a little heavy for what it is... and again, not really accurate at 100 yards from the videos I've watched.

So, here I am... just thinking out loud, looking for help deciding.

 

[Armored farmer]

My vote for 300BO in an AR platform. Your AR mags will work, easy light mount for nocturnal critters, good cartridge for suppressor, easy scope mounting, accessories galore for AR platform.
Let's face it, nothing will beat an AR for follow-ups, multiple targets, or ruggedness.

 

[MikeInOr]

How much $$$$ are you thinking you want to spend on a new suppressor host?

300 BLK would be the obvious choice except for the cost of ammo. A new rifle and a new suppressor, you are going to want to shoot it and the cost of ammo is going to add up quickly. Very quickly if you don't reload. Do you reload? A 16" barrel with a suppressor mounted is going to be long and kind of ungainly. I think you would be better off with a shorter barrel which would mean a SBR stamp. If you have the money I would go for a Sig MCS Rattler Canebrake. Since the Rattler is a short piston AR style carbine it will have a lot less gas blowback into your face. It also comes with an adjustable gas port with a setting just for suppressors which means no messing around getting and AR to shoot reliably with and without a suppressor attached.



My Ruger PC carbine is a great rifle and ready for a suppressor (threaded barrel) but I haven't shot mine much after I purchased a Ruger PC charger. Thanks to the ATFs free registration of braces my PC Charger wears a folding stock now. If you are going to spend $200 for a suppressor registration you might as well spend another $200 for a SBR registration. The only (slightly) down side of the PC carbine, PC Charger and most 9mm carbines is that they are blow back operated and not as smooth shooting as a gas operated rifle / carbine. I am not saying the recoil is anything to be concerned with there is just an annoying clack as the bolt hits the inside of the receiver at the end of the stroke. There are gas operated 9mm carbines which shoot smoother but they quite a bit more expensive. Both my PC Carbine and PC Charger can match my 10/22 for accuracy at 100 yards. I think I paid ~$250 for the binary trigger on my PC Charger... just in case I have a lot of ammo I need to dispose of quickly!

.22lr is going to be the cheapest to shoot. Will probably be the lightest weight carbine and also lethal on critters to 50 yards.

Compact package with 16" light weight barrel (no SBR stamp needed) and really compact and light for carrying around.

 

[Anchorite]

300BO for the win. You’ll thank all us enablers later.

 

[BreechFace]

If you are talking suppressed I would go with 300 Blackout.

If thinking AR, not a bad route to go is to buy a 10" barrel 300 BLK and the other items to complete the upper receiver and send them over to @MachIVshooter and have him pin and weld one of his 30 cal cans on the end of the barrel and build out your upper for you. Just make sure to buy a handguard that will accommodate going over his 30 cal can dimension.

Then buy a complete lower receiver and wait 9-10 months for your upper to get out of NFA jail and you have a very nice compact carbine and you don't have to mess with pistol braces because it's pinned and welded passed 16".

~~or~~

You could go the bolt action route and go with a Ruger American 300 Blackout and purchase a suppressor to thread on the end of it. You'll be longer than the above AR and not semi, but would be a handy package.

 

[MikeInOr]

If you are talking suppressed I would go with 300 Blackout.

If thinking AR, not a bad route to go is to buy a 10" barrel 300 BLK and the other items to complete the upper receiver and send them over to @MachIVshooter and have him pin and weld one of his 30 cal cans on the end of the barrel and build out your upper for you. Just make sure to buy a handguard that will accommodate going over his 30 cal can dimension.

Then buy a complete lower receiver and wait 9-10 months for your upper to get out of NFA jail and you have a very nice compact carbine and you don't have to mess with pistol braces because it's pinned and welded passed 16".

~~or~~

You could go the bolt action route and go with a Ruger American 300 Blackout and purchase a suppressor to thread on the end of it. You'll be longer than the above AR and not semi, but would be a handy package.

Personally I would not want to spend all the money on a suppressor and have it pinned and welded to a single upper. I would want to be able to move the silencer to a different firearm if I wanted to. I would also want to be able to shoot the firearm un-suppressed if I wanted to. I would reccomend a short barrel for a suppressor host but I would highly reccomend just paying the extra $200 for a SBR stamp.

I don't know much about suppressors but I believe there are some multi-caliber suppressors? 9mm suppressors that you can also put a .30 cal front cap on????

 

[Masonlaw1]

Top is 300 BLK AR with Sig can. Bottom is RAR in 300 BLK. Interchangeable mags and can. Love them both, hunted with both.

 

[greyling22]

I have all the things suppressed, and for me, I want QUIEt. And semi auto ar and 9mm carbines are loud. Lots of action noise. Stay subsonic, stay away from semi autos. 22 is the most fun, but not good for any kind of hunting anything larger than a rabbit. Blackout is an option, but honestly pretty marginal as a hunting round. Especially subsonic. But of your options, I'd get a 9mm can that can handle 300bo, and a 16" bolt action rifle of your choice.

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

I keep going round and round over whether to do it with 22LR, 9mm, or 300 Blackout.

Kind of a ranch rifle kind of thing...dispatching raccoons, foxes, coyotes, etc.

9mm seems a reasonable choice, but most of them aren't terribly accurate at 100 yards.... and don't much like the idea of polymer receivers (more specifically, attaching the barrel to them, on rifles).

22LR.... weak at 100 yards.

300 Blackout... it'd be a new round for me, I have plenty of 9mm and 22 ammo...300 BLK can be accurate at 100 yards, powerful enough even with subsonic ammo.

Then it comes down to platform...I like the idea of an AR, I have a couple in 5.56... but I also like the idea of bolt gun (costs less e.g. Ruger American).

Also... the Ruger 9mm PC carbine, its interesting, but a little heavy for what it is... and again, not really accurate at 100 yards from the videos I've watched.

So, here I am... just thinking out loud, looking for help deciding.

A 16in 5.56 1-7 twist rifle gas system like what I recently put together runs great. Shoots very smooth and is relatively quiet with a suppressor on it.

 

[md7]

I’ve got an 18” suppressed 308.

For up close and quiet, Hornady Amax subs are the ticket. There’s probably other subs out there, too.

If you want to stretch its legs, and take deer size game at 300 it’ll do that too, just change your ammo.

Pretty versatile rig.

 

[film495]

don't cans often work up to a certain caliber? like a multi-use? so you could do all three .22 9mm and 300B with the same can on different rifles, or on anything threaded that shoots 9mm or smaller caliber bullets.

 

[BreechFace]

don't cans often work up to a certain caliber? like a multi-use? so you could do all three .22 9mm and 300B with the same can on different rifles, or on anything threaded that shoots 9mm or smaller caliber bullets.

Depends...

Bore size of the suppressor, don't shoot larger bullets than the bore diameter.

Construction of the suppressor, different constructions allow for more pressures, manufacturers will set minimum barrel lengths and cartridge pressures for suppressors.

I don't shoot rimfire through my centerfire suppressors, as most centerfire suppressors are not user serviceable and can lead up from dirty powders and exposed lead bullets of rimfire, centerfire pressures blows a lot of the carbon out of the suppressor.

Now there are modular suppressors that can be shortened or lengthened depending on use, i.e. low pressure pistol rounds shorter configuration, add in length for high pressure rifle calibers.

Also, if you are trying to use a suppressor on a browning style locked breech (typical in most all striker fired handguns) one needs to use a "nielson device" or "booster" on the suppressor to counter the weight of the suppressor on the barrel preventing cycling of the action.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I would choose 5.56 over the others. You want something with velocity on thin skinned varmints. It will have the supersonic crack but the suppressor takes the edge off.

 

[westernrover]

I don't see anything subsonic working great on small targets at 100 yards and beyond. If that's the range, it makes sense to go supersonic and let the suppressor quiet it a bit. 5.56x45

If it's more about "hearing safe" and not longer ranges, rimfire makes sense for the low cost, otherwise something like 45 ACP. If you're not going supersonic, 45 ACP has about the biggest, heaviest bullets of anything non-exotic and it can launch them near the limit out of a longer barrel. If you do an AR instead of a PCC, it would be 450 Bushmaster (same bullets, different case).

300 is the switch-hitter that will shoot subsonics hearing-safe, but can shoot super for longer range. It can't be the best at either.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I think maybe I've decided on the Henry Homesteader... it's got that old "Browning" look to it that simply calls to me... and it takes M&P mags, my carry gun is an M&P 2.0 9mm.

It ticks all the other boxes too...7075 aluminum receiver, suppressor ready, based on video reviews it can be very accurate at 50 yards, I like the barrel profile heavy at the rear but a lot of taper towards the muzzle for better balance, good sights (suppressor height).

Kinda pricey, but a really nice carbine.

 

[Show Me]

I think maybe I've decided on the Henry Homesteader... it's got that old "Browning" look to it that simply calls to me... and it takes M&P mags, my carry gun is an M&P 2.0 9mm.

It ticks all the other boxes too...7075 aluminum receiver, suppressor ready, based on video reviews it can be very accurate at 50 yards, I like the barrel profile heavy at the rear but a lot of taper towards the muzzle for better balance, good sights (suppressor height).

Kinda pricey, but a really nice carbine.

I'm a stick in the mud but isn't that a lot of money for a fifty yard gun

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I'm a stick in the mud but isn't that a lot of money for a fifty yard gun

Kinda, yes... but the 300 BLK AR that appeals to me is WAY more expensive.

And with 300 BLK bolt guns its either the Ruger which is a little flimsy in places, or really expensive options from semi custom shops like Christensen.

I'm admittedly biased towards nicer guns, my deer rifle is a custom 280 Ackley that was north of $5k after scope and all...my AR's are some of the nicer versions as well...a Baer 1911... etc, etc.

My son had a Ruger American in 7mm-08, it shot well enough, he took deer with it... but neither of us every really "liked" it... it was cheap, and it felt cheap if that makes sense.

It seems there's really no middle of the road priced guns any more... they're either cheap or expensive...I handled a Sig Rattler in 300BLK yesterday, came with a 5.56 upper as well, top quality suppressor, not quite stock (gone through by a very good builder and tweaked a bit here and there)....$4,650 was his asking price.

Wilson Combat has some nice options for $2,400 and up...

They're nice... but a little too nice for what I'm after this time.

 

[Remington1911]

For me if I am going to do all the hassle with the paperwork I will just go "all in". I have not done it yet but have been thinking about it.

For me (history nut) there would be but one choice....semi auto naturally, a "real" one would be too much for me to pay for. It would get me close enough.

XM177

 

[N555]

First silencer?
22lr and done.
If some how you don't have a 22lr or you don't want to silence your 22lr for some reason then get one for something you already have.

 

[MarshallDodge]

Kinda, yes... but the 300 BLK AR that appeals to me is WAY more expensive.

And with 300 BLK bolt guns its either the Ruger which is a little flimsy in places, or really expensive options from semi custom shops like Christensen.

I'm admittedly biased towards nicer guns, my deer rifle is a custom 280 Ackley that was north of $5k after scope and all...my AR's are some of the nicer versions as well...a Baer 1911... etc, etc.

My son had a Ruger American in 7mm-08, it shot well enough, he took deer with it... but neither of us every really "liked" it... it was cheap, and it felt cheap if that makes sense.

It seems there's really no middle of the road priced guns any more... they're either cheap or expensive...I handled a Sig Rattler in 300BLK yesterday, came with a 5.56 upper as well, top quality suppressor, not quite stock (gone through by a very good builder and tweaked a bit here and there)....$4,650 was his asking price.

Wilson Combat has some nice options for $2,400 and up...

They're nice... but a little too nice for what I'm after this time.

All valid concerns.

I see a lot of deals on used ARs right now. There was a 5.56 in the local classifieds that would have cost $1,400 to put together a few years ago. The seller was asking $650 with a low round count.

 

[N555]

For me if I am going to do all the hassle with the paperwork I will just go "all in". I have not done it yet but have been thinking about it.

For me (history nut) there would be but one choice....semi auto naturally, a "real" one would be too much for me to pay for. It would get me close enough.

XM177

I have a form4 xm177 silencer and it's not a very effective silencer.
Any cheap multi chamber 308 rated silencer will be far more effective at quieting down your AR15.

 

[American_Fusilier]

My first (and only) suppressor was a Dead Air Mask HD for .22lr. I would suggest starting out with a 22 can. It's easier to suppress 22s. No boosters needed for pistols, no adjustable gas blocks needed on rifles. 22 cans are cheaper...

Yes, it's limited in hunting applications.

But it's a good way to get your feet wet.

Someday I'd like a 308 can too, but those are pretty pricey.

 

[N555]

Someday I'd like a 308 can too, but those are pretty pricey.

My 30cal was about $400. I it's possible to spend that much on a 22lr can.

 

[adcoch1]

Aside from rimfire, 300 blk is the easy button. Not the best cartridge ever developed, but lots of good info and history on how to use it effectively. And an AR is really cheap. I would also recommend the cva scout 2 for a rifle, single shot with a super trigger, bergara barrel, light and handy so no sbr stamp needed. That's the cheapest, most decent option. When thinking about a suppressed cartridge, keep in mind it's not just escaping gas that makes noise, it's bullet profile and diameter too, and any action noise, which is why a lot of 9mm sub guns are so loud even with good suppressors on them. 300 blk works so well due to the small diameter bullet. And a closed breech 9mm would be too, but nobody commercially produces one...

 

[anothernewb]

Broke down day after thanksgiving and bought the henry X model lever in 357. not exactly a carbine. but looking forward to mounting the can and a red dot on that.