Superior gas management: How the Gemtech Neutron Direct Thread balances sound, weight, backpressure and price.
As suppressor manufacturers go, few are as long in tooth as Gemtech. Nearly 50 years of banging out hush tubes, the concern is a grand old man in a niche where a couple of years in the game is mature.
The wisdom of Gemtech’s years shows in the innovation it’s brought to market every decade. One of those most certainly is the do-all Neutron 7.62mm. Among the company’s cornerstone devices, the .30-caliber suppressor kicked a toehold as among the most rugged, dependable and versatile suppressors available. Creeping up on a half a decade of service, it has maintained this distinction.
Yet, Gemtech apparently couldn’t leave well enough alone with the Neutron. Thankfully, this isn’t a story of striving for the great getting in the way of the already-proven good. It’s simply a tale of the manufacturer opening its top-notch can to more shooters. Who can complain about that?
Gemtech Neutron 7.62 Direct Thread Specs
Width: 1.64 Inches
Length: 6.6 Inches
Weight: 16.1 Ounces
Caliber: .30 Cal.
Mount Type: 5/8×24 Direct Thread
Color/Finish: Black
Tube Material: Stainless Steel ; Titanium
HUB Compatible?: Yes
MSRP: $710
Pros
- Solid Backpressure Mitigation
- Flash Suppression
- Increased Affordability
Cons
- Hefty
Neutron’s Direct Take
The modification of the Neutron is extremely simple; GemTech has now made it a direct-thread suppressor. For anyone paying even passing attention to this end of the industry, this should come as no surprise. As the market has matured, direct thread has become the standard.
This doesn’t mean Quick Detach (QD) systems are a thing of the past, such as Gemtech’s Elite Tapered Mount—the Neutron’s former attachment method. Far from it.
QD mounts are legion and handy as ever for those who need to mount and dismount their cans quickly. However, with suppressor manufacturers moving to a standardized Hybrid Universal Base (HUB), which serves as a universal mounting interface, it makes more sense to initially offer a can as a direct thread for a host of reasons.
In the case of the Neutron, going this route has positively affected its price and weight.
As a direct thread, the suppressor is a hair over 2 ounces lighter than the EMT version, weighing in at 16.1 ounces. That’s still hefty—it is primarily 17-4PH stainless steel with a little 6AL4V titanium thrown in, after all. Yet, this subtle shaving of weight generally makes it more manageable on a rifle, particularly those with barrels of 16 inches or more. SBRs, the Neutrons’ diet won’t be as notable.
Nice as this is, where shooters really feel the impact on the Neutron’s switch to direct thread is on their wallets. The price of the can has dropped nearly $150 since moving away from the EMT system.
Excellent cost savings, this should go a long way to entice those who use QD mounts, as the savings are the better part of the price of retrofitting the can to your chosen system. Other shooters, it simply makes the dang thing more affordable, pushing it nearly into the budget zone.
Neutron Build
On the surface, the Neutron appears to be your standard welded suppressor. But there are some wrinkles to its design, helping it do its job better than some other options in its class.
Gemtech runs what it calls stepped baffles in the suppressor, concentric steps along each of the can’s six baffles. The steps slow down the expanding gas and reduce pressure, thus dampening the report of a shot. Gimmick or genuine article, the can does a number on the report—particularly for a compact 6.6-inch suppressor.
There are quieter cans on the market, but the full-auto rated Neutron is stalwart enough to make the Stag Pursuit 6.5 Creedmoor and Ruger American Rifle Gen II in 7mm PRC I ran it on comfortable to the naked ear. Plus, it has some aces up its sleeve compared to suppressors that tone down more decibels. In particular, for a can that isn’t a true flow-through system, the Neutron does one heck of a job on backpressure.
Face it, getting gassed after every trigger pull is the downside of shooting suppressed. Yet it was virtually eliminated in the Gemtech can, thanks to an interlocking baffle design that creates chambers and channels directing lingering gases towards the endcap. A series of ports then slowly releases the gases toward the muzzle and not your face.
And don’t start wringing your hands over muzzle flash with this design. The Neutron’s GM-S1 endcap is designed to act as a flash hider, so your position at twilight—not to mention your line of sight—isn’t compromised.
Overall Take On The Neutron
Hitting the sweet spot on suppressors is a dicey proposition. Tweak one to relieve back pressure, and you’ve got a device that has more in common with a brake than a suppressor. Amp up the noise suppression; you’ve got a face full of gas. The Neutron walks a fine line and provides a grand compromise on all these facets.
The Gemtech option held its own in all respects important in suppressors in my testing. It was light enough to remain maneuverable on a hunting rifle. Its sound suppression is solid enough to make even new-wave magnums less taxing. And in all cases, it kept gas at bay. If there were any nits I had to pick, the Neutron is heavier than I’d prefer, but only marginally so.
To be sure, there are lighter and quieter suppressors and ones with less back pressure. But there are a few tying these assets into one tidy package, like the Neutron. And with the switch to exclusively direct thread, the suppressor is open to more shooters.
There’s a reason Gemtech has remained in the suppressor game for so long. The Neutron Direct Thread shows why.
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