Federal has just announced a new American Eagle .32 H&R Magnum load featuring an 85-grain Jacketed Soft Point bullet.
.32 H&R Magnum isn’t exactly the most popular cartridge, but there are still plenty of individuals out there who own revolvers chambered for it and they still need good ammo to feed them. That’s compounded by the fact that .327 Federal Magnum revolvers can shoot .32 H&R Magnum as well where it makes for a great reduced-recoil option. Now, shooters have one more choice in the form of Federal’s American Eagle 85-grain JSP load of .32 H&R Magnum.
Packaged in boxes of 50, the new .32 H&R Mag. load features clean-burning powders, Federal primers and brass and an advertised muzzle velocity of 975 fps using a 4-inch test barrel. Designed with practice and target shooting in mind, Federal says that the new load features similar recoil to self-defense and competition loads to facilitate the best training possible.
Chris Laack, Federal Handgun Ammunition Product Manager, said this about the new load:
This new 32 H&R 85-grain JSP load is a perfect target shooting and training load for use with all the new guns from Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Taurus, and more … It provides recoil and velocities similar to those of self-defense, offering a familiar feel and realistic practice.
MSRP is $47.99 per 50-round box and it is currently being delivered to retailers.
If you do low-light handgun training, you may want to take a look at the Strike Industries EMP With LED illuminated Glock baseplates.
Done any low-light training? Competed in a night match? I’ve done both—a bunch of times. Strike Industries now offers an LED-equipped baseplate for your Glock magazines: the EMP with LED. When I saw that, my reaction was, “I’ve gotta try one of those.” Strike Industries was happy to send some and the rep mentioned offhand, “We’ve gotten some flak on these.” I looked into it, and the flak can be summed up as: “Why would I give away my position with a light on my mag?”
I was stunned speechless—and those who know me know how rare that is. Really? Position? Were they not paying attention to the need for safety in training or competition? That’s the intended use of the LED baseplate. Anyone who thinks it’s a tactical tool needs someone to help dress them before they leave the house.
I’ve done night training. Besides not tripping over stuff and keeping the muzzle in a safe direction, I want the instructor and others to know where I am as I try to soak up the lesson. If that means wearing a set of glow-in-the-dark Mickey Mouse ears, fine. I’m there to learn. The same goes with a competition. I want to win, but I want to go home in one piece, with no extra holes. So, again, knowing everyone knows where I am at all times matters to me.
And then there’s the matter of magazines. Yes, Glock magazines (what Strike makes right now) are inexpensive, but they aren’t quite disposable. Everyone at the match has spent time getting their eyes night-adjusted (or using NODs). At the end of each stage isn’t the time to fire up a thousand-lumen tactical light to find dropped magazines.
The Strike web page also mentions using the EMP with LED as a low-level light, navigation aid, finding things in the dark, etc. Me? Not so much. I have other lights—ones that don’t have bullets attached to them—to use for searching or finding the keyhole in the lock. Just training and competition for the EMP with LED, thank you.
Simply swap your existing baseplate for the Strike, and you’re good to go. Be sure and assemble properly, as the battery only works one way.
Each EMP with LED adds length to the magazine, but doesn’t add capacity. It holds a 2032 battery (included—thank you Strike), and it’s kinda sorta water-resistant. I take that to mean it’ll stand up to the rain, at least as much as you’ll put up with in training or competition. Don’t expect to go swimming with it. Seawater is a specified no-no. The extra length makes it easier to pry a mag out of the pistol if it hesitates to drop, but the extra ounce and a half should induce most magazines to fall freely.
I’m knee-deep in snow right now, so I have no idea how well it holds up to being dropped on gravel. But the LED is recessed into the mag extension, so it looks pretty well protected. I suspect it’d take a peculiar set of circumstances to result in your LED getting whacked just right and thus quitting.
To repeat: This isn’t the baseplate you’d select heading out the door to fight the good fight or whatever. It’s what you select to train for the fight or the match you intend to win, in a safe and orderly fashion.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
If you want to find the best 5.56 NATO suppressor, you need a lot of ammo, cameras, and a few people willing to risk bodily harm. RECOIL has all of that and more, and put it to good use testing a host of suppressors at CANCON South Carolina 2024!
We take a look at the history of the National Firearms Act, making and apprehending criminals through tax laws since 1934.
A hand-processed, paper-intensive, firearm background check system that costs Americans millions of dollars annually to implement is no doubt an archaic way of doing business today. But few, if any, people have ever suggested that government processes are the model of efficiency. Unfortunately, while change may be on the horizon, it’ll take much effort and many years to see improvement for the simple reason that far too many people still agree with the following statement:
“A sawed-off shotgun is one of the most dangerous and deadly weapons. A machine gun, of course, ought never to be in the hands of any private individual. There is not the slightest excuse for it, not the least in the world, and we must, if we are going to be successful in this effort to suppress crime in America, take these machine guns out of the hands of the criminal class.” Testimony of Attorney General Homer Stille Cummings as recorded in National Firearms Act: Hearings on H.R. 9066 Before the H. Comm. On Ways & Means, 73rd Cong 1 (1934) [NFA Hearing].
“Predatory criminals.” “A very serious national emergency.” “The armed underworld.” These dramatic emotion-provoking descriptions uttered by Attorney General Cummings in 1934 during the first few minutes of his Congressional testimony were designed to sway Congress into passing national gun control through America’s tax code. As the spokesperson for the Department of Justice, his focus on addressing crime by restricting and inconveniencing law-abiding Americans hardly differed from the gun-control rhetoric disgorged by today’s anti-gun politicians. In his effort to “sell it,” Cummings blatantly declared that law-abiding Americans needed to endure the inconvenience of the law to allow the government to deal with criminals.
Without any substantiation, Cummings told his audience that twice as many people existed in the armed underworld as there were in the Army and the Navy combined. His proposed gun-control law imposed a mostly unaffordable tax on importers and manufacturers of firearms, dealers, machine guns and most other firearms. Firearms excluded from the law were “ordinary shotguns or rifles.” It also created a national registration system that would easily allow the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of anyone in possession of a firearm without the proper paperwork.
One difference between Cummings and modern gun-control advocates is that Cummings admitted that a ban on any particular firearms, including machine guns, would be unconstitutional. But, he claimed, Congress could tax firearms instead. He urged Congress to impose a 100-percent tax on machine guns. And that is, of course, ultimately what they did.
The National Firearms Act (NFA) imposes a $200 tax on machine guns and other firearms (with a $5 tax on items classified as “any other weapons”). In 1934, when the NFA passed, this $200 tax was equal to the average cost of a machine gun. To set the stage for how much an imposition the tax was on Americans, keep in mind that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1934, the average person earned $1,524 per year. Also for comparison’s sake, the average house in 1934 cost $5,970, and a Studebaker truck cost $625. This 100-percent tax was extremely prohibitive for the average American, equivalent to over $3,600 today, according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator.
But what caused the most concern from this initial draft of the NFA for Second Amendment supporters wasn’t the misplaced blame on sawed-off shotguns and machine guns or the 100-percent tax. The bigger problem faced by Constitution-loving Americans was that the bill proposed a tax on, and a national registry for, the ordinary pistol and revolver.
The initial NFA bill, H.R. 9066, defined “firearm” as “a pistol, revolver, shotgun having a barrel less than 16 inches in length, or any other firearm capable of being concealed on the person, a muffler or silencer therefor, or a machine gun.”
By including pistols and revolvers, the NFA followed the trend of the time. Gone were the days of the 1700s and 1800s when the law required Americans to be armed. In the 1920s, other bills had already been proposed to restrict pistols from crossing state lines. Ironically, the argument in favor of one of these pistol-restricting bills was that homeowners could instead keep a “sawed-off shotgun,” which, according to Senator John K. Shields, a Democrat from Tennessee, was “far more deadly and surer than the pistol.”
More handgun-restricting bills followed Senator Shields’s failed attempt. In 1930, several bills were proposed to restrict interstate commerce in pistols, revolvers, machine guns and shotguns or rifles that had their barrels sawed off or shortened (without specifying a length). Firearms: Hearing on H.R. 2569, H.R. 3665, H.R. 6606, H.R. 6607, H.R. 8633, and H.R. 11325 Before a Subcommittee of the H. Comm. On Interstate & Foreign Commerce, 71st Cong. 1-3, 7 (1930).
Clearly, H.R. 9066’s focus on pistols and revolvers was nothing new to Congress. But to date, the prior bills had failed. The old saying that laws are like sausages (no one should see them being made) held true in the makings of the NFA. The NRA and other opponents to the bill ultimately relented by accepting the tax on and registration of firearms, if pistols and revolvers were removed from the bill’s mandates. The compromised, restrictive NFA that gun owners live with today does very little, if anything, to deter crime, fails miserably as a revenue raiser, and costs Americans millions of dollars annually to implement.
Keep in mind that the central idea of the initial draft of the NFA was to skirt the Constitution and Congress’s inability to enact a federal ban of firearms, and instead use Congress’s revenue-raising power and its power to regulate interstate commerce to tax and register almost all firearms (except non-concealable rifles and shotguns). This end-run around the limitation on Congress’s power and the Constitution was admitted repeatedly during the hearing.
It’s interesting to note that H.R. 9066’s original definition of “firearm” failed to include items that ultimately wound up in the NFA as enacted. For example, the earlier bill didn’t include silencers for firearms not capable of being concealed on the person, such as for rifles or shotguns. It also didn’t include rifles with barrels under a certain length. Unnamed “experts” had purportedly been consulted about what the length of a “sawed-off shotgun” was, and reportedly, the bill was lenient in allowing barrels as short as 16 inches, because 18 or 20 inches was a “better maximum length.”
The current law exemplifies the arbitrariness of what constitutes a “sawed-off” length, as it allows rifle barrels of 16 inches, but shotgun barrels must be 18 inches. H.R. 9066 also had what can only be described as a “FUBAR” definition of “machine gun,” which included both automatic and semi-automatic rifles if their magazines held 12 or more rounds.
Gun Control Then and Now
Not surprisingly, the authors of the initial gun-control bill were similar to today’s usual gun-control suspects—ignorant of firearms, their forms and their functions. The bill was, like many gun control laws, a feel-good, emotional response on behalf of the ignorant to the crime problems of the time.
In the NFA hearing, Karl T. Frederick, president of the NRA, pointed out that the bill’s definition of “machine gun” was “wholly inadequate and unsatisfactory.” As mentioned, the proposed definition deemed a gun that fires automatically or semi-automatically more than 12 shots to be a machine gun. Frederick pointed out the distinguishing feature of a machine gun was not its magazine size, but its function upon a single pull of the trigger. During his testimony, one frustrated Congressman (Woodruff), in addressing Frederick, said “magazine or the clip or whatever they use to hold these cartridges.” If an image of Dianne Feinstein just crossed your mind, take a moment to delete it and read on.
Despite not having any data, statistics or even suggestion that these firearms were used in criminal activity (or that the tax would control the criminals), lawmakers advocated to add additional firearms that would be subject to the tax. For example, later in the bill’s hearing, Republican Harold Knutson from Minnesota suggested adding rifles with a barrel under 18 inches to the bill. There had been no suggestion that shorter rifles were a crime problem. Similarly, the record is completely devoid of any factual data that suppressors were used in criminal activity warranting any type of restriction, and no one bothered to bring this issue up.
Criminals Will Still Get the Guns
At the initial NFA Hearing, Adjt. General Milton A. Reckord, who was also vice president of the NRA, got directly to the point that the DOJ wasn’t approaching the crime problem properly.
Reckord compared the law to the Volstead Act: “The honest citizens are not going to be bothered with such restrictions. They won’t obey the law, and you are going to legislate 15 million sportsmen into criminals; you are going to make criminals of them with the stroke of the President’s pen.”
Both Major General Reckord and NRA President Frederick pointed out that any knowledgeable person knew that the criminals would still get guns, despite the new law. In fact, the famous gangster, John Dillinger, who was repeatedly mentioned during the hearing as a primary example for why the law was needed, stole his guns. Reckord and Frederick suggested that the correct solution would be for the government to focus on punishing criminals with guns.
Gangsters like John Dillinger were mentioned by name at the NFA hearings as a method of justifying its necessity.
The bottom line is that no one, not even the Attorney General, expected the criminals to comply. In agreeing that the criminals would not obey the law, Cummings argued that the bill was designed to make it easy to convict criminals for their noncompliance with the tax code—if a suspect has a machine gun and no paperwork, they could be prosecuted. He cited the arrest, prosecution and conviction of Al Capone as an example of a known, violent and slippery criminal who was apprehended because of the income tax law that he violated. The attorney general’s goal, and his logic, was that this new tax law would similarly help law enforcement apprehend the John Dillingers of the time for violating the tax code rather than any of their violent criminal activity.
Many of the arguments against the NFA were similar to the arguments made by Second Amendment supporters today: Gun control doesn’t affect criminals. Automobiles cause more deaths than firearms. Handgun owners with concealed-carry permits are law-abiding citizens, and crime will increase if you take guns away from them. Frederick also made the point that police forces in rural communities are inadequate, and the law would prevent people in smaller communities from obtaining weapons needed for self-defense. Those in favor of the new law replied that people don’t need pistols for self-defense, just rifles or shotguns, and the Committee Chairman claimed that he had “never heard” of anyone needing a pistol for self-defense.
Frederick pointedly stated that, “I do not think we should burn down the barn in order to destroy the rats. I am in favor of some more skillful method of getting the rats without destroying the barn.” He reiterated that gun-control laws don’t reach the “crook” at all, just the honest man. To support his position, and to combat the suggestion that people don’t use firearms lawfully for self-protection, Frederick had compiled and provided newspaper articles on law-abiding citizens using firearms in self-defense. His arguments, of course, had factual support, unlike the purely emotional arguments in favor of the bill.
What About the Second Amendment?
Not everyone was willing to accept an end-run around the Second Amendment to apprehend violent criminals for non-violent behavior. Some even saw the danger of criminalizing law-abiding Americans who simply didn’t have the correct paperwork. Rep. David J. Lewis of Maryland commented on what was to him a blatant attempt to violate the Second Amendment. He stated that he “never quite understood how the [gun control] laws of the various States have been reconciled with the provision in our Constitution denying the privilege to the legislature to take away the right to carry arms.” Cummings responded to Lewis that, “We are dealing with another power, namely, the power of taxation and of regulation under the interstate commerce clause. You see, if we made a statute absolutely forbidding any human being to have a machine gun, you might say there is some constitutional question involved. But when you say ‘We will tax the machine gun’ and when you say that ‘the absence of a license without payment of the tax has been made indicates that a crime has been perpetrated,’ you are easily within the law.” Cummings’s logic was simple: No prohibition of firearms was proposed, just regulation and criminal prosecution for those who did not comply.
Dealers and Manufacturers
The proposed law would not tax only the purchasers (transferees) of the NFA-defined firearms, but the dealers and manufacturers as well. One congressman put on the record that he would like to put pawn-brokers and dealers in used firearms (“those people,” in his words) out of business, if he could. Interestingly, W.B. Ryan, president of Auto Ordnance Co., manufacturer of the Thompson submachine guns, spoke in support of the NFA.
Merchants and law-abiding citizens continue to bear the burden of outdated, costly and unnecessary legislation.
When NRA President Frederick spoke to the issue of taxing dealers, he pointed out that an annual dealer tax of $200 would eliminate 95 percent of the dealers in pistols. Similarly, the proposed $5,000 tax on manufacturers was much too high for any smaller companies to pay.
Modern NFA
After the initial hearing on H.R. 9066, a modified version of the NFA was proposed in June of 1934, H.B. 9741. This is the bill that was ultimately passed and enacted as the National Firearms Act. Representative Robert Lee Doughton, a Democrat from North Carolina, introduced this bill. It passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Roosevelt all in the same month. It was, as suggested in the final hearing by Rep. Doughton, a law that was supposed to no longer put the citizenry at the “mercy of the gangsters, racketeers and professional criminals.”
He touted that the bill no longer affected pistols and revolvers, so that “law-abiding citizens who feel that a pistol or a revolver is essential in his home for the protection of himself and his family should not be classed with criminals, racketeers and gangsters, should not be compelled to register his firearms and have his fingerprints taken and be placed in the same class with gangsters, racketeers, and those who are known as criminals.” Congressional Record, 73rd Congress, June 13, 1934, 11400.
Due to the rise in crime that Prohibition and the Great Depression created, the laws to deal with their collateral damage quickly followed. Although the Volstead Act was repealed in 1933, the NFA was enacted in 1934.
The NFA, as enacted, defined “firearm” as “a shotgun or rifle having a barrel of less than 18 inches in length, or any other weapon, except a pistol or revolver, from which a shot is discharged by an explosive if such weapon is capable of being concealed on the person, or a machine gun, and includes a muffler or silencer for any firearm whether or not such firearm is included within the foregoing definition.” Since 1934, this definition has been revised and expanded through additional laws, such as the Firearm Owners Protection Act, as well as through the ATF’s interpretations of the statute (such as the ongoing “Sig Brace” conundrum). Suffice it to say that the NFA’s definition of firearm is a living, breathing beast that has not yet been slain.
Why are these particular firearms subject to the tax code and registration? Because in the eyes of the 73rd Congress, they were the firearms used by the criminals whom law enforcement were somehow unable to apprehend any other way.
Although the current NFA remains a gun control law written in a tax code (found in Title 26, United States Code section 5801 et. seq., which is the Internal Revenue Code and enforced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, formerly under the Department of the Treasury, but now overseen by the Department of Justice), it carries hefty criminal penalties. As intended, the law allows the apprehension and prosecution of those who don’t pay the tax or who otherwise fail to comply with the registration (paperwork) requirements. As predicted by Major General Reckord, it’s a pitfall for unsuspecting gun owners who can easily and unknowingly violate the NFA and commit an accidental felony.
While this “tax code” was touted as a law that wouldn’t place law-abiding Americans in the same class as criminals, it in fact does. Given our modern technology and the later passage of the Gun Control Act (which requires modern, computerized background checks), we should continue the effort to eliminate this costly and unnecessary piece of legislation.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2025 suppressor special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
A quick look at the speedy but moody .17 Remington.
The .17 Remington was introduced in 1971 as a new chambering for Remington’s 700 series bolt-action rifles. The case is based on the .223 Remington necked-down to .17 caliber, with the shoulder moved back .087 inch to lengthen the neck while retaining the same shoulder angle. The .17 Remington is similar but not identical to the .17-223 wildcat developed about 1965.
Experiments with .17-caliber rifles go back to 1944, when P.O. Ackley, the well-known gunsmith and experimenter, developed the .17 Ackley Bee based on necking down the Improved .218 Bee case. There are a number of other .17-caliber wildcat cartridges made by necking down .22-caliber centerfire cases, such as the .221 Remington Fireball, .222 Remington and more. Remington, New Ultra Light Arms, Wichita and Sako offer rifles in this chambering.
General Comments
The .17 Remington has had a steady, though unspectacular, sales record since its introduction. Its greatest drawback is that it is a special-purpose cartridge suited almost exclusively for varmint shooting. For the sportsman who wants a rifle only for that purpose, this is not a disadvantage, but those requiring a rifle for both varmint and deer hunting would be better served with some other cartridge.
With the 25-grain hollow-point bullet loaded by Remington and similar bullets available for handloading by Hornady, the .17 Remington must be rated as a short-range varmint cartridge. On the other hand, it has certain advantages, such as minimal recoil and ricochet probability, and a very flat trajectory due to the high initial velocity of over 4,000 fps.
Disadvantages of the chambering include rapid barrel fouling, extreme sensitivity to slight charge weight variation and limited component availability. Factory-loaded ammunition is available from Remington and in the Nosler Varmageddon line. Moly-plated bullets and cleaner-burning powders can eliminate the rapid fouling problem.
.17 Remington Loading Data and Factory Ballistics
Bullet (grains/type)
Powder
Grains
Velocity
Energy
Source
25 HP
IMR4064
22.5
3,800
801
Hornady
25 HP
IMR4320
24.7
4,000
888
Hornady
25 HP
IMR4895
23.8
3,900
845
Hornady
25 HP
IMR3031
21.6
3,800
801
Hornady
25 HP
N135
22.8
4,040
906
Vihtavuori
20 AccuTip
FL
–
4,250
802
Remington 29162
25 HP
FL
–
4,040
906
Remington 28460
Note: Remington cases and Remington No. 7½ primers used in all loads.
Attaching a suppressor to a barrel shouldn’t be complicated, but it often is. Here we give an overview of the most common types of suppressor mounts.
Do you think I need to go with a QD- or a HUB-style mount on my suppressor? What about direct-thread, is that even a thing anymore?”
Chances are good that, if you know little about silencers or have stepped away for a few years, that previous sentence sounded like absolute gibberish. However, it’s not something uncommon to hear when you’re around a group who knows their stuff when it comes to mounting a can to the barrel of a firearm.
For better or worse, there are many ways you can attach a suppressor to a firearm. Each one has its pluses and minuses … and those considerations should play an important role when it comes to your decision making.
Direct-Thread Attachment
At one time, the most common method of suppressor attachment was directly threading a can to a barrel. Just like the name suggests, you have a threaded barrel that accepts the female threads of the suppressor you want to attach. If your only exposure to silencers has been through movies and television shows, this is probably the method you have seen on screen.
Barrel threads allow for a direct-thread method of suppressor mounting, but some obscure threads—such as this M96 Swedish Mauser in M25x55—might require an adapter.
However, the thread pattern can vary, depending upon the barrel diameter and caliber of the firearm in question. At one time, it was a potluck among thread patterns, as factory-threaded barrels were a rarity on most firearms from the inception of the National Firearms Act in 1934.
Perhaps the introduction of the AR-15 rifles in 1960, with their ½x28-inch thread pattern, made this more popular as silencer developers pursued military contracts.
The benefits of a direct-thread mounting system allow easy installation and removal via the common threads. Often, with precision type shooting, this is a desirable method, as the silencer indexes on the muzzle in the exact same position every time it’s reattached.
Direct-thread attachment is also usually the cheapest method, as the QD and HUB systems that we’ll look at next feature the added expense of purchasing mounts and adapters that are fairly costly for what they are.
Hand threading a silencer on or off a direct thread mount can be rather time consuming, but it’s a small price to pay.
Drawbacks to the direct-thread method include the threat that the threads can have the potential to strip or cross and become misaligned. This is usually only seen with older machinery cutting the barrel threads at the factory, or by a gunsmith, and the lathe or dies are not completely within specifications.
Another potential issue with this attachment system was that a shooter could place an incorrect caliber silencer on the wrong firearm. Calibers such as .22 LR, 5.56 NATO and 9mm Luger, for example, all share a common thread pattern of ½x28. To their credit, Colt briefly threaded the 9mm versions of the AR-15/M16 in ½x36 to bypass this issue.
The only other issue of concern here can be that some shooters find direct-thread mounting to be time consuming while attaching, depending upon the length of the threads. Some of us like to think of them as a basic—but somewhat universal—solution, depending on the thread pattern and what it fits.
The QD Mount
When suppressors and “modern sporting rifles” made their big comeback in the early 2000s, there was an issue regarding the direct-thread style of attaching a can to a rifle. Many of these rifles had timed flash suppressors or muzzle brakes installed that had to be removed and typically installed again after the silencer was no longer in use. Additionally, many shooters in this niche would move one suppressor around to different rifles that shared the same thread pattern.
A QD device uses coarse threads on the rear of the suppressor, and, in this instance, it engages by means of a ratchet system.
The easiest way to solve this issue was to use a muzzle device that had external threads, so the suppressor would quickly attach to the device threads as opposed to the barrel threads.
These types of silencers would oftentimes use an additional method of retention, such as a ratchet or a latch to secure the silencer, as opposed to just a few coarse threads.
A rather unique solution was developed by Heckler & Koch for use on the MP-5, known as the Tri-Lug. For this mount, the barrel of the MP5 had three fins, or lugs, which allowed a suppressor with a female corresponding part to close over and secure to it, by giving the silencer a quick twist under spring tension. Attachment and detachment could be accomplished in a few seconds. The biggest pitfall to this type of system was regular, ongoing maintenance of the spring.
An unexpected bonus for shooters using the QD mounting system was that certain suppressors of a larger caliber could be used on smaller caliber rifles … if there was a common external size to the mounts. So, a .30-caliber silencer intended for .308 Winchester could be paired with a rifle chambered in 5.56 NATO with common-sized QD mounts. This was a huge value for shooters, who could now move one silencer among a score of different rifles, so long as they invested in that system.
Another worthwhile mention here, particularly if investing in an older model that may be discounted, is to opt for the muzzle brake version of the mount as opposed to a flash hider—especially if the baffles are made of something expensive, like Inconel or titanium—and you’re pairing it to a rifle that shoots full auto or has a short barrel. The brake, being made of steel, will act as a shield to the muzzle blast. This is what’s known as a sacrificial baffle, as it takes the brunt of that initial blast and reduces wear on the first baffle in the can.
The primary issue with any of the QD methods was that there was no uniformity across the board for silencer manufacturers. In certain cases, the mount had as much time and input into development of the mounting system as they did with the silencer itself.
With certain QD mounts, there was the issue of the suppressor not correctly indexing to the same point consistently, especially if it was a ratcheting type. This would often shift the shooter’s point of impact.
Around a decade ago, while working with a major silencer distributor, a question was asked: “Why don’t all these manufacturers just use a common mounting system?” After all, when you’re testing different silencers on different rifles and pistols and the mounts need to be timed or glued in with Rocksett or Loctite with different degrees of torque, it can seem like a large investment of time to change out these systems. This carries over if you’re a dedicated shooter with multiple silencers by different manufacturers.
The answer was, “I don’t think we’ll ever see that in our lifetimes.”
HUB (Hybrid Universal Base)
But, things started to change around 2014.
The HUB adapter makes mounting different silencers very easy … and it’s quickly becoming an industry standard.
That was the year SilencerCo came out with a suppressor known as the Omega 300, built around a base called the Bravo Mount. The Omega 300’s Bravo Mount used a 1.375×24-inch thread pattern. A year later, the company unveiled the Hybrid 46 with the same thread design … and the Hybrid 46 was key to what would happen next.
This HUB Adapter threads onto an existing barrel in ⅝x24, allowing the shooter to mount a can with a compatible HUB endcap.
The Hybrid 46 was the most universal silencer available when it was launched. It could handle almost any rifle caliber, from 5.56 NATO to .308 Winchester—as well as .45-diameter calibers, like .45-70 and .458 SOCCOM. A different base with a piston allowed it to work on centerfire handgun cartridges, too, such as 9mm and .45 ACP. It could be said that the Hybrid 46 not only handled all these different calibers, but it handled them all well.
And this was how the HUB-style mounting system was born. The Hybrid Universal Base (HUB) promotes similar can dimensions and a 1⅜x24-inch thread pattern. Because its capabilities were so prolific, many other suppressor manufacturers were eager to adapt to the system.
Dead Air’s KeyMo adapters allow your host firearm to be equipped with a HUB-compatible suppressor.
The HUB gives shooters the ability to match almost any suppressor to a firearm without being married to any manufacturer for the sake of a $100 mount on every rifle … and then having to change mounts with the purchase of a new silencer. It’s the first true plug-and-play method for most silencers on the market today.
Future Trends
With the acceptance of the HUB and the dominance of direct-thread suppressors, along with the bulk of QD mount-dedicated silencers in the wild, it’s difficult to predict any future advancements, apart from simple improvements on the HUB. If any change might be implemented on a broad scale, it would need to come from firearm manufacturers en masse.
For example, changing barrel threads on rifles from a right-hand pitch to a left-hand pitch might be better as a base-mounting solution, since the adapter would not come loose with the silencer during removal.
The Sierra 5 is one of Dead Air’s finest silencers and can be mounted using HUB or KeyMo.
There’s currently a clip-on design made in Austria, known as the Limex MKD44, designed for the Glock 44 model in .22 LR. This suppressor attaches to the Picatinny rail of the pistol, has a huge internal volume, and seems to be very effective at noise reduction. It could resolve issues with aftermarket thread barrels that might not be concentric. Plus, it could eliminate the need for suppressor-height sights if its development was picked up in the United States by a good manufacturer.
Apart from those potential rumblings, the next stage of can-mounting innovation might possibly have to wait until the time when our laser sights can silently poke holes in things … or we can set phasers to stun.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2025 suppressor special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
More On Suppressors:
The Suppressor: How They're Made, How They Work, And How To Buy One
We hit the range to test out two Weatherby Model 307 rifles, the Alpine CT and the Adventure SD, to see which one is best.
Roy E. Weatherby started his firearms company in 1945. He was a handloader and rifle shooter, who enjoyed creating his own cartridges. Weatherby built their first rifles on Mauser, Springfield and Winchester actions, and chambered them for high-velocity magnum rifle cartridges Roy developed and championed throughout his lifetime. These and later Weatherby rifles built on the famous Mark V action (1958) were gorgeously stocked with fancy wood and pronounced Monte Carlo combs and grips.
But that was a long time ago, and during the next half-century, things changed. Weatherby still offers the elegant Mark V rifle, but the wants of modern hunters—combined with modern manufacturing techniques—have evolved.
Two of the newest rifles from Weatherby offer a stark comparison of the company’s history. One is a throwback to the type of rifle that made Weatherby famous, while the other is a rendition of what’s currently trending with modern hunters. Weatherby builds both new rifles on a new action they call the Model 307. The number designation is the telephone area code for Sheridan, Wyoming, where Weatherby is now located.
The 307 Action
This 307 is the first new action from Weatherby in a half-century. It consists of a fully cylindrical carbon steel receiver, purposely designed to accommodate the vast array of stocks, triggers, rails, mounts and magazines currently manufactured for compatibility with the Remington 700 action. But even though the 307 action shares this compatibility, it’s not a Remington 700 action. There are several notable differences.
You can buy a Model 307 action from Weatherby and build your own rifle using a wide array of aftermarket stocks.
For starters, the bolt release on the 307 action is located just above the stock line on the left side of the action, and it’s a toggling button. The bolt can also be field stripped without any tools, and in place of the often-criticized Remington extractor, there’s a M16-style extractor. The top of the receiver/action is drilled for scope base installation and utilizes 8×40 screws. All Model 307 rifles come with a TriggerTech trigger, with an extremely short over-travel that’s user adjustable down to 2.5 pounds.
Though the Model 307 Weatherby action is very similar to a Remington Model 700 action, the Model 307 bolt has an M16-style extractor.
Other common features include a two-position safety, threaded muzzles that come with Weatherby’s radially ported Accubrake, and the ability to work with various bottom metals and AICS detachable box magazines. Some Model 307 rifles come from the factory with detachable magazines. Weatherby even offers the 307 action by itself ($749) for those who want to build their own rifle. Currently, Weatherby is offering nine different rifles on the 307 action, and we examined two that were starkly different.
Model 307 Alpine CT
Specs
Length: 43.5 to 48 inches Weight: 6.0 to 6.3 pounds Barrel: 22 inches, plus 2 inches with muzzle brake Action: Weatherby 307 Trigger: TriggerTech Field Trigger Capacity: 2+1, 3+1, or 4+1 depending on chambering Finish: Chocolate Brown Cerakote Stock: Exposed carbon fiber with WYO brown and backpack brushed sponge pattern accents Available Chamberings: .240 WBY MAG, .243 Winchester, .257 WBY MAG, .280 Ackley Improved, .300 WBY MAG, .300 Winchester, .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor (tested), 6.5 PRC, 6.5 WBY RPM, 6.5-.300 WBY MAG, .300 PRC, 7mm Backcountry, 7mm PRC Price: $2,249
Pros
Very accurate
Modern-style ergonomic stock
Lighter than the Adventure SD
Cons
Comb height and length-of-pull are not adjustable
With its 24-ounce Peak 44 Bastion stock and its BSF 416R stainless-steel, carbon-fiber sleeved and tensioned barrel, the Alpine CT is a perfect example of the type of rifle modern hunters are screaming for.
The reasonably high comb with its negative drop allowed for a good cheek weld with proper eye alignment with the scope, but it also helped mitigate recoil on the face.
The stock’s comb is high, but with a negative drop it manages recoil very comfortably, and the nearly vertical pistol grip is very comfortable when shooting from a support like sandbags or a tripod or bipod. The muzzle is threaded at 5/8×24, and it comes with an Accubrake installed. Barrel length is cartridge dependent and ranges from 20 to 26 inches, with finished rifle weights coming in at between 6 to 6.3 pounds. A TriggerTech adjustable trigger is standard, as is a hinged floor plate.
Though the Model 307 action is compatible with detachable magazines and matching bottom metal, the Alpine CT has a hinged floor plate, which makes it very comfortable to carry the rifle at the balance point.
Unlike many modern precision bolt-action hunting rifles, the Alpine CT doesn’t feed from a detachable magazine. This might be a detractor to some, but it makes carrying the rifle in the field with one hand at the balance point much easier.
The Alpine CT Weatherby 307 rifle was a tack-driver with the Federal Fusion 140-grain load.
This was a very precise shooting rifle that easily met Weatherby’s Model 307 sub-MOA guarantee. I did most of the shooting with the suppressor, because I don’t like muzzle brakes, but the DST brake does have some notable features. It’s a directional brake; it needs to fit the barrel in a certain way, so it comes with a lock ring. The brake is also flat-sided, which makes it easy to remove or install with a wrench.
Model 307 Alpine CT 6.5 CM Shooting Results
LOAD
VEL
SD
ENG
PRECISION
Hornady 120-grain CX Outfitter
2,922
14.1
2,275
1.01
Remington 129-grain Core-Lokt Tipped
2,880
12.2
2,376
1.08
Federal 140-grain Fusion
2,727
17.1
2,312
0.63
AVERAGE: 0.91
NOTES: VEL= average muzzle velocity, SD=standard velocity deviation, ENG= average muzzle energy, PRECISION=average for three, five-shot groups fired from a sandbag rest at 100 yards, using a Swarovski Z8i 2-16x50P riflescope set at maximum magnification.
You could argue that what’s missing from the Alpine CT is length-of-pull and comb-height adjustability. While it’s true both are features appreciated by precision long-range shooters, they add weight to a hunting rifle that’s carried a lot more than it’s shot. Other Weatherby Model 307 rifles do come with some stock adjustability, but they’re all noticeably heavier. For the dedicated backcountry hunter, I think this is the best Model 307 rifle of the bunch.
Model 307 Alpine CT Deals
Sportsman's Warehouse
$2,050
Scheels
$2,100
Model 307 Adventure SD
Specs
Length: 44.25 inches Weight: 7.7 pounds Barrel: 26 inches, plus 2 inches with muzzle brake Action: Weatherby 307 Trigger: TriggerTech Field Trigger Capacity: 3+1 Finish: Graphite Black Cerakote Stock: Fancy walnut with rosewood forend, grip cap and maple diamond inlay Available Chamberings: .240 WBY MAG, .243 Winchester, .257 WBY MAG, .270 WBY MAG, .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 WBY MAG, .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 6.5 WBY RPM, 6.5-300 WBY MAG (tested), 7mm Backcountry, 7mm PRC Price: $1,949
Pros
Very accurate
Classic, attractive aesthetics
Cons
Heavier than the Alpine CT
This rifle is a throwback to the early Weatherby rifles with their distinctly exaggerated and beautifully figured wood stocks. The stock on the Adventure SD is crafted from fancy walnut and a rosewood forend and grip cap, with checkering at the wrist and along the forend. The stock has two traditional sling swivel studs in the common locations, it’s fitted with a thick, red recoil pad and has a hinged floor plate.
All metal surfaces have a graphite black Cerakote finish, and the bolt handle knob is round. Barrel length is cartridge dependent and ranges from 22 to 28 inches, including the Accubrake, which can reduce felt recoil by as much as 53 percent. The barrels have fluting and are slim and trim, with ½x28 threading on the muzzle.
The Model 307 Adventure SD has a round bolt handle, and like all Model 307 rifles, it comes with a TriggerTech trigger and two-position safety.
This rifle performed to perfection and balanced very nicely right between my hands. Admittedly, with its 6.5-300 Weatherby chambering and the muzzle brake installed, it was ear-splitting loud. With a suppressor installed, it was almost as long as a Kentucky rifle. However, it shot very well in both configurations from the bench and field positions.
The Weatherby Adventure AD in 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum shot the Weatherby factory 130-grain Swift Scirocco load very well.
Model 307 Adventure SD 6.5-300 WBY Mag. Shooting Results
LOAD
VEL
SD
ENG
PRECISION
Weatherby 127-grain Barnes LRX
3,459
11.6
3,374
1.35
Weatherby 130-grain Swift Scirocco
3,477
12.5
3,221
0.95
AVERAGE: 1.15
NOTES: VEL=average muzzle velocity, SD=standard velocity deviation, ENG=average muzzle energy and PRECISION=average for three, five-shot groups fired from a sandbag rest at 100 yards, using a Swarovski Z8i 2-16x50P riflescope set at maximum magnification.
A brand-new Weatherby Mark V has a suggested retail price of $2,749. It’ll transport you back to the 1960s when that rifle was what established the Weatherby brand. Granted, the Adventure SD might not be quite as elegant as a Mark V, but, without question, it’s a great shooting, head-turning, gorgeous rendition of the classic Weatherby rifle. I appreciate the use of carbon fiber in modern rifle stocks and barrels, and the weight reduction aspect it brings. But it’s difficult to hold and shoot a rifle like the Adventure SD and not imagine carrying it on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for a Rocky Mountain elk or on an African safari.
Model 307 Adventure SD Deals
Sportsman's Warehouse
$ 1,676
Guns.com
$1,591
Picking a Winner
It’s difficult to compare two rifles that are so different when trying to select which one might be best. Left to shooting performance, the Alpine CT edged out the Adventure SD from the bench. However, just as the Adventure SD looks like a classic Weatherby rifle, it was chambered for a high-performance magnum cartridge. The Adventure SD shot well from the bench too, but its magnum recoil couldn’t be ignored. Had it also been a 6.5 Creedmoor, the results might’ve been closer.
As for field shooting, which matters more when it comes to a hunting rifle? I shot more consistently with better balanced Adventure SD from unsupported positions. However, when shooting from a tripod and a bipod, I found the Alpine CT more manageable.
I think what’s more important than which rifle might be the “best” is that Weatherby is now offering a very diverse collection of rifles on a new action, and that you can expect them all to shoot very well. In the end, the question mostly comes down to whether you want a rifle that looks like it just crawled out of the 1960s or if you want a very evolved and modern bolt-action hunting rifle.
I’m a bit torn, but I think I’d have to go with the retro rifle, because there are just too few examples of great shooting rifles like this to choose from these days.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
If you’ve been shooting for a few years, it’s time to get your blood lead levels checked.
I first met Tom in 2011 at the MGM Ironman 3-gun match, a legendary, high round count blast fest in the Idaho desert. We bullshitted between stages, hit it off, and the bromance continues to this day. At the time, he’d just returned from a deployment, and was 230 pounds of tattoos and hate, the archetypal Special Forces senior NCO who’d been blown up twice and shot once, recovering and returning to duty each time.
Evidently, the only thing that could kill Tom … was Tom.
Fast-forward a couple of years and we ran into each other at some firearms industry event or other. He’d lost 60 pounds and was moving like a 90-year-old-man. “What’s wrong with you, dude?” I asked. “That’s the trouble,” he replied. “No one knows.”
If you’ve ever seen someone waste away in front of your eyes, you know what a punch to the gut it can be, and I was pretty sure I was going to be shopping for a new dark suit and black tie in the next couple of months.
Fortunately, at that same Idaho 3-gun match was EJ Redding, who became part of the Tom circle. EJ is a force of nature, a grizzly bear of a man who’s a Montana potato farmer for most of the year, and a state lobbyist in the offseason. Knowing people who have the ear of politicians is occasionally a good thing, and EJ interceded on Tom’s behalf, getting a tame senator to lean on the VA, who wound up sending him to the Mayo Clinic in Cleveland.
It turned out that Tom was dying of heavy metal poisoning. Whether it was through years of running suppressed Mk18s in shoot houses or through exposure on target sites in sandy places, his levels of lead and other heavy metals were off the charts.
It turns out, among shooters, it’s not as uncommon as you’d think.
It’s Seemingly Everywhere
Lead is used in many industries, and while levels of lead contamination in the United States have come way down in the past 50 years, there’s still a risk of encountering contamination outside of the range. Since its use as an anti-knock agent in gasoline was discontinued in 1996, the biggest source of lead compounds in the environment has been removed.
And one upside to being one of the most widely distributed and longest-used poisons is that we have a pretty good handle on symptoms and treatments. Or at least we used to. Because the average citizen nowadays has such limited lead exposure, testing for heavy metals is usually not included in annual physicals … and the medical community has lost the tribal knowledge we used to have regarding heavy metal poisoning.
Unfortunately, symptoms can be varied, diverse and shared with many other causes, which can make diagnosis more difficult, especially if a physician lacks experience in dealing with heavy metals. Chronic lead exposure can lead to fatigue, problems with sleep, headaches and anemia, as well as a lack of concentration, depression, nausea, abdominal pain, lack of appetite, loss of coordination and numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.
Lead concentration is measured in micrograms per deciliter of blood. An ideal concentration would be zero, but the CDC has set the bar for a concerning blood lead level at 10ug/dl—above this and you should get treatment. Most symptoms usually start at around 40ug/dl, and things get worse from there.
Heavy Metal Sources in Ammo
In its solid, metallic form, the risk posed by lead is negligible, unless you’re dumb enough to swallow it. It’s only when it reacts with other elements to form soluble lead salts that it becomes a problem, as these can then enter the bloodstream.
Hydrochloric acid in your stomach will react with metallic lead to produce lead hydrochloride, so make sure you take the usual precautions to minimize exposure when visiting the range. Don’t eat or smoke until you’ve thoroughly washed your hands, and if you’ve spent all day on an indoor range, at least change your outer clothes before returning home. Lead dust will be present on your clothing, and you’ll be exposing your family to it when you walk in the door.
Thirty-five to 40 percent of inhaled lead dust will be deposited in the tiny air sacs of your lungs, with the remainder being exhaled. Of that amount, 95 percent will be absorbed into the bloodstream, and 15 percent of that will be deposited in your bones and organs.
Lead salts are commonly used as priming compounds and hence are present in the propellant gases created every time you press the trigger. If you shoot suppressed, you’re going to be exposed to more gas than uncivilized heathens, so if your eyes are watering after sending a few rounds downrange from your favorite AR, it might be time to think about a better charging handle and an adjustable gas block. Or switching to a piston gun.
Diagnosis And Treatment
So, what do you do if you think you might have been exposed to heavy metals? Get tested, right?
Not so fast.
If you go to your primary care provider and ask them to refer you to be tested, it’s almost a certainty that they’ll sign you up for a regular workplace-type testing protocol, which measures the levels of toxins in your bloodstream.
Once lead gets into your system, it takes some serious doctor-assisted effort to get it out.
“Normal blood level testing for chronic exposure to heavy metals is next to useless,” explained Dr. Yu-Ree Hyun, a naturopathic doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Because your body can’t process and excrete heavy metals very well, they end up being stored in bone, organs and fat tissues. In order to test with any degree of accuracy, you have to knock them out of the tissues and into the bloodstream—we use the same procedure for treatment.”
As this graph indicates, the author’s lead levels are off the charts, due in large part to a lifetime of shooting.
Chelation therapy is a process whereby chemicals are introduced to the body that bind to lead and other heavy metals to form stable compounds, which can then be processed and excreted through either urine or feces. Usually administered through a series of intravenous infusions, it’s similar to chemotherapy in cancer patients and can take the same amount of time, with comparable side effects. In milder cases, oral chelators can be taken. Yes, you’re going to feel like sh!t for the duration of treatment, but it’s better than long-term illness or death.
Tom wound up undergoing chelation therapy for almost 2 years, after testing showed blood lead levels of 3300ug, as well as concentrations of barium, antimony, mercury, thallium and tin, which should have killed a normal human. He has follow-up treatments every 6 months but is back to picking up 500 pounds off the floor and spends the best part of his retirement with his two young kids, teaching them outdoor and survival skills, taking them to wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes, and, yes, shooting.
In case you were wondering about the meaning of the headline of this article, R53.83, it’s the IDC-10 Diagnosis Code for the heavy metal challenge test. Your physician is probably unaware of it; share it with them and ask to be tested. Unless you take agency for your own health, you’re not going to find out if you’re being poisoned by the activity you love.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2025 suppressor special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
If you want to find the best 5.56 NATO suppressor, you need a lot of ammo, cameras, and a few people willing to risk bodily harm. RECOIL has all of that and more, and put it to good use testing a host of suppressors at CANCON South Carolina 2024!
When you’re not at home, how do Stand Your Ground laws impact your ability to legally defend yourself?
Following last month’s exploration of Castle Doctrine, which examined the right to defend yourself within the sanctity of your home, let’s explore its broader and more controversial counterpart: Stand Your Ground.
Understanding the Foundation
Castle Doctrine provides a clear foundation for self-defense within one’s home. It removes the obligation to retreat when facing a threat inside your home. But what happens when that threat arises outside your home? This is where Stand Your Ground comes into play.
Stand Your Ground laws reinforce the recognition of the right to self-defense to any place where a person is lawfully present. Under these laws, a person has no duty to retreat before using force—even deadly force—if they reasonably believe it’s necessary to prevent the imminent threat of death or grave bodily harm. Unlike Castle Doctrine, which is limited to the home, Stand Your Ground allows individuals to defend themselves in public spaces without first attempting to retreat.
The Legal Framework
The concept of Stand Your Ground isn’t new, as many media outlets often portray. States like Indiana have had some version of Stand Your Ground since at least the late 1800s. In the 1877 case of Runyan v. State, the Indiana Supreme Court opined that, “The weight of modern authority, in our judgment, establishes the doctrine, that, when a person, being without fault and in a place where he has a right to be, is violently assaulted, he may, without retreating, repel force by force …”
Today, over 30 states have adopted some form of Stand Your Ground. Florida’s statute is among the most well-known. It states that a person who is justified in using or threatening to use deadly force “does not have a duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground if the person using or threatening to use the deadly force is not engaged in a criminal activity and is in a place where he or she has a right to be.”
Indiana’s law similarly affirms that a person has no duty to retreat if they reasonably believe that force is necessary to prevent serious bodily injury or a forcible felony. Though, Indiana law does not explicitly use the “Stand Your Ground” terminology.
The Zimmerman Trial and Media Misunderstanding
Despite its long-standing presence in American legal tradition, Stand Your Ground became a media flashpoint during the 2012 trial of George Zimmerman for the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Many media outlets framed the case as a test of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. However, Zimmerman’s defense wasn’t based on Stand Your Ground but on traditional self-defense principles.
Zimmerman claimed that Martin attacked him and pinned him to the ground, preventing any possibility of retreat. Since Stand Your Ground only applies when retreat is possible, it was legally irrelevant in that case. Nevertheless, the media portrayal of Stand Your Ground as a “license to kill” persisted, fueling heated political and racial debate.
The Racial Narrative and Statistical Reality
A common criticism of Stand Your Ground is that it disproportionately benefits White defendants and harms minority victims. However, data from the Tampa Bay Times and the Crime Prevention Research Center challenge this assumption.
In Florida, Black defendants make up 34 percent of those who invoke Stand Your Ground, even though they account for only 16.7 percent of the state’s population. Furthermore, Black defendants invoking Stand Your Ground are acquitted at a higher rate (by 4 percentage points) than defendants. Most cases where a Black defendant successfully invoked Stand Your Ground involved the killing of another Black person.
This data calls into question the racial narrative and suggests that Stand Your Ground isn’t inherently biased—it provides legal protection to anyone, regardless of race, who faces an imminent threat of violence.
Stand Your Ground Legal Protections and Limits
Stand Your Ground, like Castle Doctrine, isn’t an open-ended justification for the use of force. For a claim of self-defense under Stand Your Ground to succeed, the following conditions must typically be met:
The person using force must be lawfully present.
The person must not be the initial aggressor.
The use of force must be reasonable and proportional to the threat faced.
The threat must be immediate and unlawful.
If any of these elements are missing, a Stand Your Ground defense will likely fail.
The Philosophical Debate
While Castle Doctrine is broadly accepted as reasonable, Stand Your Ground is more controversial because it recognizes the right to self-defense in public spaces. Critics argue that it escalates violence and undermines public safety. Supporters counter that it empowers potential victims by not placing the burden on them to retreat, allowing individuals to protect themselves without fear of legal repercussions for failing to escape an attack.
The value of Stand Your Ground is that it reduces the ability of overzealous prosecutors from second-guessing split-second decisions made under life-or-death pressure, and it relieves the innocent potential victim of the burden of attempting to retreat. Jurors, sitting in the calm of a courtroom, might wonder why a defendant didn’t flee. Stand Your Ground removes that element of hindsight, allowing individuals to defend themselves without being punished for failing to find an escape route.
Balancing Freedom and Responsibility
Stand Your Ground is a natural extension of Castle Doctrine, reinforcing the right to self-defense beyond the home. The principle reflects a fundamental belief in personal responsibility and individual autonomy, but it also demands that those who invoke it act reasonably and in accordance with the law.
Understanding these laws and their limitations is crucial for responsible self-defense. The right to protect yourself is fundamental, but with that right comes the responsibility to use force wisely and within the bounds of the law.
Stand Your Ground isn’t a license to kill. It’s a legal safeguard that allows individuals to defend themselves without the obligation to retreat—but only when the circumstances justify it. Like any tool of personal liberty, it must be wielded with care, understanding and respect for the law. Finally, even when the law doesn’t mandate retreat, it’s crucial to remember that the best course of action is to avoid a potentially fatal confrontation whenever it’s possible to do so without endangering yourself.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
If you have to defend yourself, you don't want to be thinking about your trigger press. Here we discuss how to train your trigger finger's muscle memory so you don't have to.
If you go to school to learn how to shoot a defensive handgun, you can pretty much bet the program of instruction will follow a set format. First, they’ll teach you about the different kinds of handguns and the four rules of firearms safety. Then, before the shooting commences, you’ll receive a lecture about sight alignment, sight picture and trigger control. The instructors will most likely summarize this segment with something like the secret to accurate shooting is maintaining a proper sight picture while pressing the trigger.
This is indeed the secret to shooting. If you’re a target shooter, this is how you do it successfully. If you’re shooting to save your life, this is how you stay alive. No matter what you’re shooting, maintaining the proper sight picture throughout the trigger press is the key to getting hits. The problem with this advice is that it suggests maintaining the sight picture and properly pressing the trigger are equally important. And, well, they are. However, it also suggests you need to learn them simultaneously. Let me see if I can explain this problem that’s causing a conundrum.
Regardless of the type of sight your pistol has, if you cannot press the trigger without disturbing that sight picture you’ll miss.
Understanding and learning proper sight alignment and the correct sight picture is the easiest part of shooting. I can demonstrate it to you one time, and you’ll remember it for life. It’s simple: Center the front sight in the rear sight notch so it’s not above or below the top of the rear sight. With the sights so aligned, place the front sight on the spot on the target where you want your bullets to go. Granted, there are some variations, such as with XS Big Dot sights and with a dot in a reflex sight. But the point is, this isn’t rocket science or something you need to study or practice. You see it once, and it’s with you forever.
Sight alignment and sight picture are easy to learn. Even a novice can tell this front sight isn’t centered in the rear notch of the rear sight on this pistol.
On the other hand, the proper trigger press—one that won’t disturb the sight picture—is devilishly difficult to explain and even harder to execute. In fact, you’ll spend the rest of your life trying to master the perfect trigger press, and it’ll never happen. You might get very good at pressing a trigger, but you’ll never be good enough to do it perfectly every time. If complete mastery of the trigger was possible, we’d all be grand masters, deadeye Dicks and on the Olympic shooting team.
One of the things that makes learning the proper trigger press so difficult is trying to learn how to do it while also not disturbing the sight picture. Oh, but you say that’s what we’re supposed to do, right? Ultimately, yes, that’s the goal. The problem is trying to accomplish that two-pronged goal before you know how to correctly execute both aspects of it. Let’s use basketball as an analogy. One of the most important basic skills of basketball is being able to dribble down the court while walking, jogging and running. Walking, jogging and running are easy; dribbling is hard. What’s even harder is dribbling while walking, jogging or running. You must learn to dribble effectively before ever attempting to do it while moving.
The same applies to shooting a handgun. Aligning the sights correctly, with the proper sight picture—just like walking, jogging or running—is easy. Conversely, properly pressing a trigger is difficult, and learning to do it without disturbing the sights is even more difficult—to the nth power more difficult. I’ve seen shooters struggle with only minimal improvement for years while trying to learn how to press the trigger and also keeping the sights aligned and on target. So, what’s the answer?
The shooter has properly aligned these sights, but it’s easy to see the sight picture is too low.
The answer is to practice pulling the trigger and get damned good at it before worrying about the sights. Pressing the trigger is a motor skill, and there are essentially three stages of motor learning. First you must identify and understand the skill you need to learn. Second, you must refine your movements and correct errors. And finally, you must work to make the movement automatic and consistent. Some call this process the establishment of muscle memory, but, of course, muscles don’t have memories. What you’re actually doing is conditioning your brain to drive physical activity without deliberate and conscious thought.
Let’s use another analogy. Playing a song on a guitar is a very complex physical activity. It requires the combination of a variety of chords and notes, executed by various fingers on both hands, and done in rhythm. However, if you already know how to execute the chords, and if you have practiced transitioning between them enough, playing the song is much easier. Your brain says, “This chord now,” and it happens, without the conscious thought of where to place your fingers, and without any consideration of how hard you need to press with each finger.
Some triggers, like double-action revolver triggers, are harder to learn. It requires a lot of dry practice to even approach mastery with one.
Experts on muscle learning suggest it takes anywhere from 3,000 to 50,000 repetitions to establish muscle memory. For the handgun shooter, this means you should conduct at least 3,000 trigger presses before you ever attempt to shoot. Of course, the number of repetitions required will be different for everyone. Fortunately, this is easy to do with dry-fire or dry practice. However, the mistake many make is combining the initial learning of the trigger press with sight alignment during dry practice. Isolating the trigger press and learning to do it, singularly—without moving the handgun—is key.
If you cannot press the trigger correctly you cannot get your hits—period. Mastery of the trigger helps you avoid target panic, where you’re hesitant to press the trigger for fear of moving the sights. It’ll also help you avoid jerking the trigger at the instant you see the sight alignment and sight picture you desire.
You may be wondering why shooting schools don’t teach this method of learning how to manipulate a trigger. The answer is very simple: They don’t have time. Some shooting schools last only two days, and even the weeklong schools have a lot of other stuff they want to teach you, and that you want to learn. It’s incumbent upon you to learn the trigger press beforehand, and with judicious dry practice it’s something you can get very good at on your own.
I know this process works because it’s the method I used to teach my kids to shoot. They all spent many hours pressing the trigger of a laser training gun like the SIRT from Next Level Training before they ever fired a shot. Then, they did the same with the handgun they were going to use. Eventually—just as they did—you must combine the trigger press with proper sight alignment, but it’ll all be much easier if you know how to press a trigger correctly first.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Looking for a new iron or piece of kit to enhance the one you already own? Check out these 7 new bits of guns and gear to grow your firearms wish list.
Rugged, reliable and suppressible out of the box, Tanfoglio Tactical Pro checks off all the boxes. Chambered in 9×19, this full-size pistol features a CNC-machined Lothar Walther bull barrel, tactical “X” thread protector and Cerakote OD Green mil-spec finish on its steel “K” frame. Designed for superior control, it boasts ergonomic aluminum grips, extended beavertail and a flared magwell. Best of all, it comes optic-ready with adjustable micrometric sights and enhanced slide serrations. If you’re looking for something tactical and competitive angled, you’ve found your gun. It ships with a 17+1 or 20+1 capacity magazine. MSRP: $1,530
Heckler & Koch VP9A1
Heckler & Koch has taken its striker-fired line into the future with VP9A1, designed specifically for the U.S. market, with enhanced usability and shootability features. Available in full-size (VP9A1 F) and compact (VP9A1 K) variants, the A1 models offer improvements such as a nickel-Teflon coated trigger bar, universal ergonomic grip and modular grip panels with length-of-pull adjustment. The VP9A1 also features ambidextrous controls, a flared magwell and added slide serrations. The VP9A1 K, with its 4-inch barrel and 15-round capacity, is a fantastic carry pistol, while the VP9A1 F is a full-size model ideal for duty, home defense or competition. MSRP: $979
Smith & Wesson CSX E-Series
Quietly, the CSX had earned a spot as a favored concealed carry piece among many armed citizens. Now, the hammer-fired pistol has gotten quite a bit better. Building on the original model, the CSX E-Series offers enhanced features, including a modular grip adapter for a customizable frame size and improved handling. Available in four 9mm configurations, with 3.1-inch or 3.6-inch barrels, the CSX E-Series includes 12-, 15- and 17-round magazines, plus 10-round compliant variants. These optics-ready pistols feature the ClearSight cut to protect the optic lens, an upgraded trigger for a lighter, cleaner break and ambidextrous controls. Smith & Wesson has continued to make the pistol quite a package. MSRP: $699
Military Armament Corporation MAC Duty 9 Double Stack
Are you in the market for a cutting-edge 1911 designed for versatility and performance? If so, shake hands with the MAC Duty 9 Double Stack. Engineered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and built by Tisas, this 9mm pistol features a factory RMR optic cut and universal light rail, making it mission ready. A 5-inch bull barrel with QPQ Tenifer finish ensures reduced recoil and superior accuracy, while the polymer grip module provides a firm yet comfortable hold. Additional highlights include a 4140 hammer-forged steel slide and frame, skeletonized hammer and trigger, fiber-optic front sight, and competition magwell. MSRP: $1,100
Taurus GX2
Affordable yet high-performing, Taurus’ GX2 might be the perfect pistol for first-time shooters—though veterans will more than appreciate it. The 9mm features a 13+1 capacity, sharpshooter barrel, ergonomic polymer frame and MIL-STD-1913 accessory rail. Its striker-fired action, hinged trigger safety and manual safety ensure confident handling. Offering premium features at an entry-level price, the Taurus GX2 is definitely something for those looking for budget-friendly personal protection. MSRP: $310
Henry Lever Action Supreme Rifle
Lever-actions are still getting head turns, and more so if they feed off AR magazines. This is why we expect Henry’s Lever Action Supreme Rifle (LASR) to garner a lot of attention. Available in .223 Rem./5.56 NATO and .300 Blackout, the rifle perfectly blends more than 150 years of Henry’s heritage with modern innovation. Some of the highlights include a quad-bar linkage and slider crank mechanism, a free-floated blued steel barrel and an internal hammer. Built with premium American walnut stocks and aerospace-grade aluminum receivers, it ships with a 10-round Magpul PMAG. MSRP: $1,300
Galco EDC Wallet
Crazy as it might sound, streamlining your wallet goes a long way to making concealed carry easier … and more comfortable. This is where Galco’s EDC Wallet comes in. Combining practicality with elegance in a slim, stylish design, this wallet makes an ideal way to lighten your load. Made from calfskin in bridle leather tan, it features angled slots for your ID, CCW permit and other cards, plus a hidden pocket for cash. A secure flap covers your essentials, while a convenient back slot provides quick access to your most-used card. Perfect for everyday carry, the wallet is a sophisticated way to keep your essentials organized … without bulk. MSRP: $89
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
If you want to suppress a pistol and still hit your mark, you’re probably going to have to rethink your sight situation.
Let’s get this right out in the open: A suppressed pistol for personal protection has limited application. This is, of course, because in most personal protection situations, the ability to comfortably conceal the pistol is paramount … and it becomes exponentially more difficult when you screw a 6-inch can to your pistol’s muzzle.
Suppressors are becoming more popular on pistols, and they’re also becoming much smaller. Still, sights you can see when shooting a suppressed pistol are mandatory.
But handgun suppressors are getting shorter and lighter. The new 9K suppressor from Silencer Central is only 4.1 inches long and weighs less than 3 ounces. Still, it’s unlikely suppressors will get short enough for concealed carry, but for home defense or use with a truck gun, suppressors are becoming more practical.
Something to think about, however, are sights that are compatible with a suppressor.
Though not practical for concealed carry, a pistol equipped with a suppressor is great for recreational shooting and does have value on a home defense or truck gun.
But before we get into compatible sighting options for suppressed pistols, you might be wondering how you can make your pistol suppressor compatible. Unlike with rifles, you cannot just thread your pistol’s barrel, because it’s not long enough. You’ll need to purchase an aftermarket barrel with a threaded muzzle. The good news is that for most modern, polymer-framed, striker-fired pistols, there are drop-in barrels that don’t require fitting by a gunsmith. Once you have your threaded barrel, you can worry about which suppressor you should buy and the suppressor compatible sights to go with it.
Handgun suppressors range in thickness but are generally around 1.30 to 1.40 inches in diameter, thus placing the top of the suppressor at about 0.65-inch above the centerline of the barrel. This distance will vary from pistol to pistol, but the top of the front sight on most handguns is less than 0.70 inch from the centerline of the barrel. This means that, with the suppressor installed, you won’t be able to use your sights.
One solution to this problem is to install suppressor-height sights.
Suppressor-Height Sights
A lot of companies offering aftermarket handgun sights also offer suppressor-height sights, and in some cases, you can install them on your own. For example, with the sights from XS Sights, they offer an affordable and easy-to-use sight pusher tool that allows you to install their sights while working right on your kitchen table. Some manufacturers, like Trijicon, will list the exact dimensions of their sights, and this can help you determine compatibility with your handgun and suppressor. However, generally, with a suppressor that has a diameter of about 1.3 inches, you should find most suppressor-height sights tall enough.
With the XS Sights sight installation tool, you can install XS Sights’ suppressor-height sights on your own.
With some handguns, I prefer suppressor-height sights as opposed to standard sights, because they offer a bolder profile. My Glock 43X doesn’t have a threaded barrel but it’s outfitted with a set of XS Sights R3D 2.0 suppressor-height sights. This is partly because I like them better than the standard factory sights, but also partly because I can still use them when I have a reflex sight installed on the pistol. I prefer to have a backup to battery-powered gadgetry.
Though intended for use with suppressed pistols, suppressor-height sights help provide a co-witnessing sight for reflex sight equipped pistols, with or without a suppressor.
But don’t just assume any set of suppressor-height sights will work with your suppressor and/or allow for co-witnessing with a reflex sight. This is partly because some suppressors might be larger in diameter than others, and it’s also partly because some handguns utilize plates for mounting reflex sights. When in doubt, make a call and get some expert advice from the manufacturer.
There’s another consideration concerning suppressor-height sights: Because these sights are taller, and because they rarely have radiused or smooth edges, they can hang up on clothing when trying to draw from concealment. These sharp edges can also be problematic when you’re manipulating your handgun—racking the slide. I’ve seen sharp-edged sights take hunks of meat out of shooters’ hands.
This pistol has a reflex sight and co-witnessing suppressor-height sights. It’s ready to rock, with or without a suppressor.
Reflex Sights
With many pistols, the simplest way to aim at a target when using a suppressor is with a reflex sight. Most modern handguns that come with a threaded barrel also come with a slide cut to accept a reflex sight. My Sig P322 is a perfect example. If you remove the rear sight plate, you can direct-mount a reflex sight, and the pistol becomes suppressor friendly.
The current popular trend with defensive handguns is the reflex sight. And although it should come as no surprise, shooters are realizing they can shoot more accurately if they aim with a single dot as opposed to having to line up a rear sight and a front sight with the target. This is especially true at distance, where—with practice—reflex sights also allow you to shoot faster. If your pistol is compatible with a reflex sight, it very simply solves the suppressor-sight problem, because the parallax-free dot you aim with is well above the top line of the suppressor.
Reflex sight mounting options vary widely from manufacturer to manufacturer. As mentioned, some utilize a series of mounting plates that correspond to specific reflex sight footprints. Others offer a slide cut that fits a certain reflex sight footprint. The new Ruger RXM pistol has a unique slide cut that you can modify with various pins to work with a variety of reflex sight footprints. The only real standard is that there’s no standard. You’ll need to match the reflex sight and suppressor-height open sights to the handgun and the suppressor you’ll be using.
Wilson Combat equipped this EDC X9 2.0 with a reflex sight and suppressor-height open sights by using their True Zero Handgun Optics System.
Wilson Combat has a unique approach to the reflex sight/suppressor-height sight conundrum. They offer a custom alteration for their handguns to include Glocks and Sig P320s and P365s, called their True Zero Handgun Optics System. With this system, Wilson Combat machines the slide to accept a mounting plate dedicated to a specific reflex sight footprint, and it can also incorporate a suppressor-height rear sight. This greatly simplifies the question of sight height, co-witnessing and suppressor compatibility.
Suppressors can make handgun shooting more fun and less noisy, but it’s not just as simple as screwing a can to your barrel. You gotta have your sights right … or none of those muffled shots you fire will hit where you want them to.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2025 suppressor special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
More On Suppressors:
The Suppressor: How They're Made, How They Work, And How To Buy One
We hit the range with four different rifle suppressors—the MeatEater, Backcountry, Trash Panda and Silent Bandit—to see how they compare.
Throughout time, various trends have left their mark on the history of firearms. While these trends might have various origins, consumers are the driving force. In the 1980s, traditional muzzleloading was popular. In the ’90s, cowboy action shooting was hot. And in the early 2000s, the in-line muzzleloader was all the rage.
About a decade into the new millennium, two things happened to drive current firearm trends. First, Remington and AAC introduced the .300 AAC Blackout cartridge, which jump-started the suppressor craze. And a few years later, the movie American Sniper became the springboard for the current infatuation with long-range shooting. Combined, these two trends make up a large part of the current firearms market.
Suppressor sales are at an all-time high and manufacturers are configuring many new rifles—with shorter barrels and specific cartridges—to better interface with suppressors. Shooters have a decent understanding of rifles and cartridges, but for many, the suppressor is something new.
Here’s a look at four different suppressors that are ideally adapted for pairing with modern centerfire rifles. Together, they offer some insight into construction, serviceability, attachment methods and performance, all of which should help you choose what might be best for you.
Silencer Central Banish Backcountry
Specs
Length: 5.5 inches Diameter: 1.6 inches Weight: 7.8 ounces Caliber: 0.308 Attachment Method: Universal HUB mount Advertised dB Reduction: 30 dB dB Test Average (16-inch barreled .308 Win.): 130.15 Price: $1,099
I have more experience with the Banish Backcountry suppressor than any other. I’ve hunted with it a lot—in North America and in Africa—and I’ve used it to evaluate a lot of rifles. It’s one of the lightest and most compact rifle suppressors available. This is an all-titanium can that’s rated to handle 0.308-caliber cartridges up to the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum. It uses the 1.375×24 universal HUB mount, and you order the mount to match the thread pitch on your rifle’s muzzle. A muzzle brake attachment is optional. The main downside to the Banish Backcountry suppressor is that it’s not serviceable—you cannot take it apart and clean it. It’s what’s known as a “sealed” suppressor.
There are some arguments to support both a serviceable and sealed suppressor. Modern high-power rifle cartridges almost exclusively use jacketed bullets, and this prevents lead fouling. Many also burn most of the gunpowder in the barrel. The pressure is also immense—more than 50,000 psi—and as gases exit the barrel, they shake loose and blow out a lot of debris/fouling inside the can. Sealed suppressors can be lighter, there’s no chance you’ll put them together wrong, and they’re generally stronger. They’re very practical for a hunting rifle because you’ll not use them as much—or with lead bullets—like you might with a target or competition rifle.
The beauty of the Banish Backcountry suppressor is its compactness and service-free ruggedness. It’s very practical for hunting rifle applications. However, if you’re looking for a one-suppressor answer for a bunch of different rifles—especially including dirty shooting rimfires and those that will shoot lead bullets—a serviceable suppressor would be a better option.
Silencer Central MeatEater
Specs
Length: 5.85 inches Diameter: 1.73 inches Weight: 10.3 ounces Caliber: 6.5mm or 0.308 Attachment Method: Universal HUB mount Advertised dB Reduction: 32 dB dB Test Average (16-inch barreled .308 Win.): 131.7/132.3 dB Price: $1,299
The more features a can has, the more it will cost, and the MeatEater suppressor is feature heavy. Silencer Central constructs the MeatEater silencer from titanium, and it has an anchor brake. An anchor brake allows you to choose between—more or less—recoil or sound reduction. For example, if you open the brake, it can reduce recoil by as much as 40 percent. If you close the brake, you get less recoil reeducation but more sound suppression.
By removing and adjusting the anchor brake on the MeatEater can, you can tune sound and recoil suppression to better suit the application.
In my testing, the difference in sound reduction was only between 0.5 and 1.0 decibel (dB). However, the decibel scale is logarithmic as opposed to linear. Linearly, the difference between 131.5 and 132 dB is inconsequential; logarithmically, the difference is more than the numbers suggest.
The MeatEater suppressor is also user-serviceable. By removing the endcap/anchor brake and the HUB mount, you can use a baffle removal tool ($69.99) to take the baffles out of the can and clean them. You can also change the caliber of the hole in the front endcap with a muzzle cap insert, reducing it from 0.308- to 0.264-caliber (6.5mm). If you’re using the MeatEater can on a less than 0.308-caliber rifle, this can help with sound suppression. Also, like the Banish Backcountry, the MeatEater uses the 1.375×24 universal HUB mount.
Some manufacturers offer quick-detach suppressor mounts, but the most common method of attachment is direct thread.
If you’re looking for a suppressor to use for hunting, but one that you can also use on a variety of other rifles for recreational shooting and maybe even competition, the MeatEater could be a great option.
Q Trash Panda
Specs
Length: 6.91 inches Diameter: 1.75 inches Weight: 11.8 ounces Caliber: 0.308 Attachment Method: Proprietary muzzle device Advertised dB Reduction: Hearing safe dB Test Average (16-inch barreled .308 Win.): 132 dB Price: $1,050
Q is an interesting company, and they’re probably best known for their Honey Badger AR-15-style SBR (short-barreled rifle), and their radical bolt-action rifle called the Fix. But the lineage of Q goes back to the .300 Blackout cartridge developed by Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC). Kevin Brittingham founded AAC, and later, Q. In addition to the Honey Badger and the Fix, like AAC, Q also manufactures suppressors. The Trash Panda suppressor is one of Q’s flagship 0.308-caliber cans.
Note the ¾-inch nut on the front of the Trash Panda suppressor to aid in installation and removal.
The Trash Panda is a sealed suppressor rated as hearing safe. It’s made from 100 percent titanium and is a fully laser-welded can without an outer tube. The Trash Panda has a bead-blasted finish and ¾-inch wrench flats on the front and 1-inch wrench flats on the rear, to facilitate easy on and off. It differs from other cans in its attachment method.
The Q Trash Panda direct threads onto the Q Cherry Bomb, and the integral taper provides a secure attachment that will not shoot loose.
The Trash Panda direct threads to Q’s proprietary muzzle device called the Cherry Bomb. The 2-ounce Cherry Bomb has 360-degree porting, which means timing shims are not necessary. It also has an integral ½-inch socket ready nut at the front for installation at 30 to 40 foot-pounds. Cherry Bombs for Q firearms have a taper that precedes the threads, and this taper helps lock the muzzle device in place. (Q offers a specific flat-faced Cherry Bomb for use with non-Q firearms.)
The Q Cherry Bomb is an ingenious little muzzle device that is necessary to mount a Q Trash Panda can to a muzzle.
However, the Cherry Bomb itself has an external integral taper forward of the threads for suppressor attachment. This taper helps lock the can in place to prevent it from shooting loose, carbon buildup on the threads and reduces the rotations necessary for suppressor installation.
The Trash Panda makes a great no-worry/never service can for modern high-pressure rifle cartridges shooting jacketed bullets.
Wilson Combat Silent Bandit
Specs
Length: 5.76 inches (5-baffle) ; 6.41 inches (6-baffle) Diameter: 1.75 inches Weight: 12.1 (5-baffle) ; 13.3 (6-baffle) ounces Caliber: 0.233, 0.277, 0.308, 0.358 Attachment Method: Universal HUB mount w/ Quell K-mount compatibility Advertised dB Reduction: 31 dB dB Test Average (16-inch barreled .308 Win.): 131.8 dB Price: $1,119.95 (5-baffle) ; $1,199.95 (6-baffle)
This is a brand-new suppressor released in early 2025. It’s available in either a five- or six-baffle configuration … and in four calibers. Wilson Combat makes the Silent Bandit out of 100 percent Grade 5 titanium, and it has full circumferential welds, a removable HUB mount and front endcap. The can has a black Armor-Tuff finish, and the K-Mount has a black nitride finish.
If you want to use a non-Q can, like this Wilson Combat Silent Bandit, on a Q firearm, you’ll need a taper to flat adapter. Q firearms have a taper behind the threads to interface with their Cherry Bomb muzzle device.
One thing that sets the Silent Bandit apart is that it’s available in four calibers. You can use all the suppressors here with a smaller diameter cartridge, but using a suppressor that more closely matches the caliber of the cartridge you’re shooting helps maximize noise reduction. The Silent Bandit gives you four options: 0.224-, 0.277-, 0.308- and 0.358-caliber.
For example, if you wanted to suppress 6.5mm or smaller rifle cartridges, you would use the 0.277 Silent Bandit. If you wanted to suppress a .338 Federal or a .350 Legend, you would use the 0.358-caliber version.
The Silent Bandit is compatible with a direct thread, industry standard 1.375 (3/8) x 24 HUB mount, but it comes with Wilson Combat’s Quell K-mount HUB. The Quell K-mount is a flash hider that direct threads and has three benefits. First, it lets you have different K-mounts to match different thread pitches on various rifle muzzles. Second, it reduces the number of revolutions necessary to thread the HUB-equipped suppressor onto the barrel. And finally, with the K-mount attached at between 30 and 50 foot-pounds, it permits you to remove the HUB-mounted suppressor by hand without the K-mount coming off the rifle.
The Silent Bandit comes with a blast chamber/HUB mount spanner wrench and an endcap tool that allows for partial disassembly for cleaning. It makes a great general-purpose suppressor that will work with a broad range of calibers.
The Takeaways
I’ve used all four of these cans on various rifles, and I’d give them all five stars. Granted, their features and ideal applications vary, so a direct comparison is not fair unless you specify the specific reason you want a suppressor.
If I was looking for a dedicated suppressor for a single hunting rifle, of 0.308-caliber or less, I’d go with the Backcountry because of its compactness and lightweight. If I never wanted to worry about my suppressor shooting loose, I’d go with the Trash Panda. The varied caliber options for the Silent Bandit set it apart. And, overall, the MeatEater is the most versatile, but also the most expensive.
As you can see, just as there are various ways to skin a cat, there are multiple ways to make a suppressor. It’s not so much that some ways are better than others, it’s mostly that they are different. You must decide on the differences that best apply to you and your shooting needs.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2025 suppressor special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
More On Suppressors:
The Suppressor: How They're Made, How They Work, And How To Buy One
If you want the best can for the job, you need to consider a suppressor’s materials alongside its baffle design, construction and features.
Suppressors have been slowly and steadily entering the mainstream discussion in hunting, range use and general recreation during the past 15 years or so. The technology from the “golden” days of gun sales during the Obama administration is quite different than what we can now access. Just as thermal optics once costing $20,000 can now be accessed for a fraction of that, suppressors have come a long way in terms of cost, performance and durability.
As something of a suppressor aficionado, I have a good amount of them and determine what they’re going to get used for based on several criteria, as not all cans are created (or printed) equal.
Canned Hunt
Getting into suppressors used to be something of a goose chase: I dove in and had to chase down results. My first suppressor took me almost 2 years to get, the process being clunky and the government websites a bit ’90s in layout and user-friendliness. The timeframe alone was enough to deter many people from wanting to get into the business of suppressors, not to mention the frustrating $200 tax we must pay on each for the ability to exercise our rights.
The bad news, as of this writing, is that the tax is still there; we might see it change, as things are trending in a good direction, but who knows when, if ever, that will be. The good news is that there’s a much more streamlined process to get your suppressors, and it’s even faster now than it’s ever been (my last two cleared in a week). If you go through places like Silencer Shop or Silencer Central, they can help you get everything done in a simple way where you don’t have to hunt around for answers.
As the market has grown, we’ve seen a lot of specialty technology emerging, where in the past most cans were somewhat simple and straightforward in materials and construction. This wasn’t because people weren’t interested in making better ones; it was rather that the process to acquire a suppressor was much more convoluted, and many states hadn’t established their legality for ownership and hunting use.
Simply put, suppressors were just not in demand due to the social and political atmosphere of the times.
But all that has changed. The product variety today is huge, and it’s no longer as simple as buying a suppressor and hoping for the best from a limited pool. You can get a suppressor for just about any end-use today, from .22 LR to 12-gauge, to .50 BMG. We’re at a point where specialization is, in fact, the name of the game, and the more unique the better, at least from the consumer perspective.
If you’re a rimfire fan, you need a rimfire can. Here, the CZ Scout is fitted with a new Vortex optic for 2025 and a SilencerCo Sparrow.
Today, a company producing suppressors is competing in a fairly crowded market. Where only a decade ago many of these companies did exist, they were producing products for the aforementioned limited audience, and, as a result, they weren’t really in a mode of innovation. To be competitive today, a can company needs to have either a very specific type of consumer they wish to market to and produce a specialized product, or really hit it hard and make something for everyone to the point where the brand becomes a mainstay for that individual buyer. For instance, SilencerCo suppressors (many of which you see in this article) share a good number of common parts and tools, making it much more feasible for the end-user to maintain and move their cans from gun to gun.
In the case of the SilencerCo Hybrid 46M, it can be converted to work on just about any centerfire firearm that can fire a bullet through its baffles, up to .460 Weatherby Mag. I’ve used this suppressor on .450 Bushmaster, .308, .30-06, 9mm, 10mm, .45 ACP, 6.5 Creedmoor, 5.56 NATO and many, many more. It’s arguably the most versatile suppressor on the current market by ability to convert alone. There are some drawbacks, such as weight, that we’ll get to below.
So, suffice to say, today’s market has you covered.
Modular Melodrama
In general, there’s a physical limit to the amount of things you can ask of a suppressor—given its materials. The same goes for guns, ammunition, optics and just about anything we use to shoot. If you want more performance, it comes at some kind of price. That performance metric is individual and personal in most cases; some want a very specific thing, others a general-purpose item.
When I’m not at the range, I fish. In fact, I probably spend more time in life with a fishing rod in my hand than I do a gun on my hip. I started out with the rod that could catch me the most fish for the buck. It wasn’t until I began to get really serious about my fishing that I started to look at specialized rods for individual tasks. Luckily, I’m married to the daughter of a prolific sportsman, so my ever-growing arsenal of rods and reels is considered the mark of a man and not a person with a spending problem.
While you can, of course, draw a comparison with just about everything in life to fishing, from eternal life to basic meditation, the same concept here exists with suppressors. If you want the purity of fly fishing for smallmouth in a creek, you’ll need something specific. Likewise, if you’re hunting squirrels often and walking a lot, you’ll want something set to that task.
Construction dictates features, and features dictate utility.
The more specialized a suppressor is, the less parts it’ll have as a rule of thumb, and it’ll often be much lighter. The more modular a suppressor, the more parts and the heavier it will be. These are generalities, but there are exceptions. Like rods and reels, you can do a lot with a base setup, but ultimately you’re going to want to meet your actual requirements for use.
The Dedicated Few
Looking at three “dedicated” suppressors here, we have various degrees of specialization in materials, acceptable pressures and end uses.
First in the specialized class is the Q LLC Jumbo Shrimp (yes, that’s the actual name), and it’s a dedicated 6.5mm hunting suppressor. It’s one single piece with no removable parts. As far as suppressors go, it’s very light at 9 ounces, being all titanium, but short and not necessarily very quiet. It’s made as a hunting suppressor for lightweight rifles, and it’s what I would call “hearing safe,” in that it drops a 16-inch 6.5 Creedmoor down to a tolerable noise level … but not as quiet as it could be.
The Jumbo Shrimp is a one-piece can that mounts to a Q thread adapter. Thermal by Armasight.
In this case—making a rifle comfortable and portable is the goal—it does require a Q-style muzzle adapter to use it, so by mere ounces it can be considered a bit more complicated than a direct-thread model. You can use this on other rifles smaller than 6.5mm, such as 5.56 and 6 ARC. The rifle in this feature photography is a Primary Weapon Systems (PWS) 6 ARC build, and the Jumbo Shrimp is very much at home on it.
A PWS 6 ARC build with Vortex Razor, Armasight thermal and Q Jumbo Shrimp.
The SilencerCo Scythe Ti is another field-style suppressor that can handle centerfire calibers from 5.56 NATO to .300 Remington Ultra Mag in any barrel length. Lighter than the Jumbo Shrimp by 2 ounces and also made of titanium, this suppressor lands in the short-but-effective category. What’s notable is that it’s somewhat modular and can be moderately adapted using some other SilencerCo parts, but it’s otherwise meant to be a direct-thread proposition.
The SilencerCo Scythe Ti comes with direct thread installation as opposed to a muzzle device mount.
The general concept of these types of cans is that you’re going to be shooting, but not a ton. In my time with this individual suppressor, I found that it was by far one of the nicest for balance when mounted on a rifle, but not necessarily as quiet as others, and it heats up very quickly, producing a lot of mirage in the optics after a handful of rounds. You will find this on many lightweight setups, not just here. I love this suppressor, and it’s easily one of my favorites. However, if I were shooting a lot—to the point of getting this can smoking—I’d not be using it for the right reasons. This is a precision suppressor ideal for hunting.
Last on my list of specialized suppressors is one that I’ve quite a few rounds through, and it has gulped up a lot of KY Jelly. Yes, you read that right. The Bowers ASP 45 is a dedicated .45 ACP pistol suppressor that has very limited use on some rifles and other handguns. It has one removable part, the Atlas thread adapter, but this part is essentially meant to be mounted on the pistol somewhat permanently. You can consider this a one-piece can like you would the Jumbo Shrimp, considering the can also needs an adapter on its host rifle.
The ASP is a wet suppressor, meaning you need to put an ablative medium in it for best results. Ablatives can be as simple as water, but the better options have a bit more stick to them, such as wire pulling gel, ultrasound jelly and Astroglide or KY Jellies. While your friends may joke about seeing that in your range bag, they won’t be laughing for long.
Since we’re adults here, the adult-oriented gels have a very good viscosity that keeps these suppressors quiet for more rounds than water or thinner gels. Using 230-grain FMJ at the standard 850-fps velocity, a 5-inch 1911 is only about as loud as a paintball gun. This suppressor is extremely quiet, considering how much lead is being launched. The caveat is that this super-light, 5-ounce suppressor, made of only aluminum, is filthy and sprays carbon-laden lube everywhere, including inside the gun and all over slide-mounted optics. I need to clean that pistol after every use. Without ablative, it also heats up very fast, making handling difficult. If you want the most suppression with a full-power handgun, this is a very specialized choice.
Changing It Up
Modular suppressors take on various forms, but they offer the end user the greatest general-use abilities. As mentioned above, the SilencerCo Hybrid 46M is arguably the king of modular cans. It can consume more centerfire calibers than just about anything on the market and is extremely rugged, but it’s somewhat heavy at about 15 ounces—and that’s not great for balance on light rifles. But it works, plain and simple.
The SilencerCo Hybrid 46M.
The weight consideration is notable; it weighs as much as the Jumbo Shrimp and Scythe Ti combined. Its construction is rugged and involves stainless-steel, titanium and inconel. It’s full-auto rated and bleeds heat in a much more controlled way than the rapid mirage of titanium-only cans. The Omega 36M is also featured here and, in fact, shares several modular parts with the 46M, but it has a 9mm-class bore. It’s also one of my favorites for large-frame semi-auto rifles in the .30-caliber class.
The SilencerCo Hybrid 46M with Rearden adapter on a Preferred Barrel Blanks .450 Bushmaster carbon-fiber barrel buildout. Rearden makes a variety of HUB adapters, but the company also has some excellent, subtle thread adapters like this.
Next up is the JK Armament 155 series. I have bores from .22 to .45, and these are very unique in their properties. I have one in titanium, but being that it’s a modular can—each baffle is a single piece—it’s not as light as the welded titanium versions. The other ones I use are constructed of aluminum and are very light and adaptable to various direct-thread and manufacturer-specific mounts. I use Rearden adapters for Q-style mounts on most of my rifles: I’ve found this to be one of the most accurate and repeatable mounts out there.
The JK modular suppressor.
The nice thing about the modular JK cans is that you can use lead bullets—lever gun owners pay attention. Sealed cans should only be used with jacketed bullets, but baffle-based cans like the JK series can be broken down and scrubbed of lead and bullet lube easily. If you like to take hardcast or your own homebrew bullets into the field, this is what you want. These are accurate suppressors for precision work, and I’ve really come to like them for their flexibility.
A special build for medium-range hunting, featuring a Detroit Gun Works barreled action, Foundation stock, Vortex optic and JK suppressor. Accessories by Scope Chaps, Armageddon Gear, SAP and Wiebad cheek pads. Tripod by Two Vets.
A special build for medium-range hunting, featuring a Detroit Gun Works barreled action, Foundation stock, Vortex optic and JK suppressor. Accessories by Scope Chaps, Armageddon Gear, SAP and Wiebad cheek pads. Tripod by Two Vets.
Unique Properties
Additionally, 3D printing is becoming a fixture of the suppressor market. PWS is a market leader in 3D printing technology, producing a variety of modular suppressors from titanium. Not only are they made with this advanced technology, but they’re also able to be disassembled into baffles and accept many standard-mount adapters. This means of manufacture is becoming more common, and the nature of this technology is coming to more shops interested in producing unconventional products.
Shapes that would be almost impossible to machine, or at least prohibitive in cost, can be easily accomplished in the 3D space, allowing for unconventional designs to become reality. This has a huge impact on the thinking we can achieve in terms of internal space inside suppressors, not to mention unexplored means of heat dispersion and gas flow.
We’re only at the beginning of this chapter of suppressor design, a far cry from where we were when suppressors were gaining commercial traction in the early 2010s. And, we’re only just now starting in terms of what can be done with sound suppression. Although things happen slowly in this industry, the next 5 to 10 years will likely look just as foreign to us as the prior 10 years does now.
And it will all be good stuff. I’m excited to see what happens.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2025 suppressor special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
More On Suppressors:
The Suppressor: How They're Made, How They Work, And How To Buy One
A quick look at the new Marshall hunting rifle from Montana Rifle Co.
Last year we took a look at the Montana Rifle Company Junction rifle and the author walked away very impressed. Now, in collaboration with Shoot2Hunt, Rokslide and Unknown Munitions, Montana Rifle Co. is releasing the Marshall hunting rifle.
The Marshall rifle will initially be available at the end of April in .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor, but 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC and 22 Creedmoor models will be released later this year as well. Each rifle will undergo a 10-round 1.5-MOA shooting test as well as a 101-round magazine cycling test before leaving the factory to ensure accuracy and reliability. Some noteworthy features of the Marshall hunting rifle include its Unknown Munitions 3-port muzzle brake, Rokstok Trinity Rail (ARCA/Picatinny/Spartan compatible), Unknown Munitions AICS bottom metal with an ambidextrous mag release and its custom Rokstok carbon stock. Each rifle will also ship with one MDT AICS 3-round flush-fit polymer magazine and one MDT AICS 5-round metal mag.
Montana Rifle Co. said this about the Marshall’s Adaptive Controlled Round Feed feature:
The Adaptive Controlled Round Feed is an industry-leading feature, where hunters can seamlessly alternate between controlled round feed, facilitating magazine-fed ammunition, and push feed, enabling direct single round chamber loading. Recognized as the gold standard in reliability, controlled round feed ensures consistent performance in any hunting scenario. By empowering hunters to adapt their feeding method on the fly, Montana rifles are always ready for any situation in the field leading to increased success and confidence in the hunt.
MSRP for the Montana Rifle Co. Marshall is $3,850 and they're available for pre-order now.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
