Suppressors

Rugged Suppressors

The Surge continues

Every week someone brings a new suppressor manufacturer to my attention, which is how I learned about Rugged Suppressors. A friend showed me their product, and it appeared to be well constructed, but that’s just skin deep. Beauty is important in this game, but substance makes it worthwhile. Some suppressors have it, and some have it in droves. Rugged Suppressors’ Surge 762 is the total package.

Surge 762 Specs

Cartridge: 7.62mm to .300 RUM
Weight: 17.5 oz., 21.5 oz.
Overall Length: 7.5 in., 9 in. 
Diameter: 1.5 in
Sound level: 134-138.4 dB
Attachment Type: Fast-attach
Finish: Cerakote
MRSP: $1,300
Manufacturer: Rugged Suppressors

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The Rugged Surge is a solid suppressor with performance and looks that are equally matched. (Photo courtesy of “Shooting Times”)

The Surge 762 is one of those products that just feels right from the moment you pick it up. It feels crafted, not manufactured. The weight tells you what it’s all about: It’s dense, with internals that are rooted deep. You want to peer inside to see what you’re missing, but first you want to take it and abuse it a little. If you’re a shooter who wants one can to do it all, from mag dumps to long-range precision work, this may be the suppressor for you.

The Company

Hailing from South Carolina, Rugged was started by Henry Graham and Michael Derdziak in 2014. They’ve grown rapidly in popularity, rising to the top of many suppressor fans’ wish lists. If you look at their mission statement, it’s easy to see why: “‘Half-assing it’ is not in our vocabulary.” And that is exactly what they mean. It’s refreshing to pick up a product that reflects that sentiment. Rugged also offers an Unconditional Lifetime Warranty.

(Photo courtesy of “Shooting Times”)

Suppressed Freedom

The Surge 762 offers quite a bit in the way of technology, most notably Rugged’s ADAPT Modular technology. ADAPT allows the operator to choose between a 9-inch or 7½-inch version. It features an extra baffle section that can be removed to shorten the suppressor. Simply take off the front cap with the supplied tool, unscrew the 2-inch section and replace the front cap. You can run the Surge without worrying about breaking it – or, as stated on their website, dropping it off a mountain. They’ll fix it. If there is something common among most firearms enthusiasts, it’s the disgust we feel when one of our goodies breaks. This is why so many shooters have Safe Queens that miss out on shooting and training opportunities. The Surge 762 is meant to be used; it gives the shooter the power to experience the full extent of this activity. Suppressed shooting is experiential and visceral. Shooting small groups is procedural and calculated. The Surge enables us to do both.

Build

Rugged uses 17-4 PH stainless steel to make the expansion chamber and the mount. While some manufacturers would use 17-4 PH throughout the entire suppressor, Rugged uses Stellite core for its baffles. Stellite is used in machine gun LMG barrels and withstands heat far better than stainless steel and Inconel, which are commonly used. This construction gives the Surge its excellent warranty, and it gives Rugged serious bragging rights.

In a world full of excellent suppressor attachment methods, the Surge’s Dual Taper Locking System is one of the best. The Surge is affixed by threading it over one of their muzzle devices or flash hiders and tightening it, then securing it with the locking ring. It’s dead-nuts solid. It’s not going to loosen, period. Fix it and forget it.

Rugged Suppressors offers a muzzlebrake and flash hider for attaching their suppressors. (Photo courtesy of “Shooting Times”)

Testing

When we hear about a suppressor this tough, we tend to think that something must have been sacrificed in the way of accuracy. We placed the Surge 762 on a DoubleStar STAR10-B in an effort to calm our fears. We were worried for no reason. The Surge made the accurate DoubleStar shoot even better. Is it simple harmonics or something else? We don’t know, but the DoubleStar with Winchester 168-grain HPBT shot consistently at 2 inches for three strings of fire, achieving two 2.03-inch groups and one 2.13-inch group. Consistent? Yes. Adding the Surge 762 shrunk the average group size to .94 inch. Maybe we’re doing something wrong. Point of impact (POI) shifted significantly, though, at 3.2 inches low and half an inch right.

Performance Surge 762

POI Shift: Yes. 3.2 inches down, 5 inches right.
Tested Average Noise Reduction: -23.64 dB
Testing Conditions: 87 degrees, 64 percent relative humidity, 869 feet. Accuracy results are the average of three, five-shot groups at 100 yards.

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So, what else can you do to test a suppressor that is so, um, rugged? You could bang it into things and use it as a hammer. We chose to shrink it to its 7-inch form and attach it to a fully automatic MK18. A few mag dumps satisfied our curiosity about its strength. It smoked a lot and got crazy hot. We even wet the suppressor for some cool smoky effects. The Surge 762 can take whatever shooters can dish out.

Rugged suppressors feature one of the most secure attachments in the industry with their Quick Detach Dual Taper Locking System. (Photo courtesy of “Shooting Times”)

Lasting Impressions

If you want a multi-caliber option that will keep giving and giving or taking and taking, the Surge 762 is it. The 5.56mm end caps are available, if you desire. Outside of the POI shift, which should be tested with multiple firearms and ammunition, we couldn’t find anything concerning about this suppressor. Rugged’s no-nonsense approach to design and build, as well as their generous warranty, makes the Surge 762 an easy choice.