Suppressors

Doublin' Down

Ballistic Advantage creates twin beauties

Opinion drives design trends, purchasing trends and informational trends. We’ve all heard the saying about opinions — they’re like certain anatomical parts that we all have. It’s dangerous on many levels to inject opinion into anything gun related, especially with the looming danger of being flamed and lambasted through social media. That said, in my opinion, (cough, cough) dedicated-​suppressed firearms are the best way to experience silenced shooting in a semiauto rifle. With that, let the flaming begin. A suppressor-​tuned firearm is one that will afford a longer operational life and one with less maintenance. The increased bore pressures associated with suppressors make firearms cycle harder and faster. It also increases the amount of carbon, unburned powder, and gases that are pushed into the chamber and receiver, as well as down into the magazine and into the shooter’s face. This happens with piston systems as well, although there is no gas tube like that in a direct impingement system. In a piston system, it is simply forced backwards through the barrel. This is always happening at some level, even without a suppressor attached, but is exacerbated with the addition of a suppressor. Dedicated suppression, when done correctly, will return function and fouling to levels near that of unsuppressed shooting. You get a quiet firearm that shoots smoother, cleaner and parts that are less likely to prematurely wear out.

Ballistic Advantage SBR’s Left Hand/Right Hand Specs

Type: Direct impingement semiautomatic
Caliber: .300 BLK
Capacity: 20, 30 rds.
Barrel: 10.3 in., 1:7 in. twist Hanson Performance/Hanson Premium SS
Overall Length: 26 to 29.25 in.
Weight: 6 lbs, 8oz. (lefty)/6 lbs., 15 oz. (righty)
Finish: Matte black (lefty); ocean blue (righty)
Handguard: Geissele 9.5-in. Super Modular MK4; Aero Precision C.O.P.
Grip: BCM Gunfighter Mod 0
Stock: B5 Systems Bravo SOPMOD
Trigger: Geissele SSA

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This .30-caliber can was designed specifically for AR-10s chambered in .308, although it can also be used on bolt rifles and 5.56. You can attach the Bravo 1 to a 5.56 caliber firearm with the 1/2x28 threaded CQC muzzlebrake.

The Dedicated Advantage

The custom lefty was awesome, but the righthanded rifle in Titanium Blue was hard to stop staring at. Regardless of color or ejection side, both guns ran flawlessly in semi- and full auto. (Photo courtesy of “Shooting Times”)

A downside of dedicated suppressed firearms is that they’re not very popular. Years ago, Spike’s Tactical released the Compressor, and they actually had a big jump on everyone. Now Primary Weapons Systems offers a dedicated suppressed .308, and there are a few other options out there as well. Historically, you had to go with a custom builder such as Ballistic Advantage.

Clint Hanson, Master Builder and Director of New Business for Ballistic Advantage, has been creating what I call function-​specific uppers for many years. I am a repeat customer. I call them “function-​specific” because if need be, he will tune a gun to a particular load if that’s what you want. What you get is a firearm that is optimized and efficient in its function.

To showcase Ballistic Advantage’s capabilities, Hanson came up with the idea of building a couple of dedicated suppressed uppers chambered in .300 BLK. I was not about to stifle his creativity, so I obliged. In turn, he produced a couple of beautiful twins — well, sort of.

Lefties, take note: you can have your cake and eat it too. Top-tier components were added to each build, including Giessele SSA triggers and B.A.D. ambi safety levers. At 10.3 inches, the addition of a suppressor keeps overall length manageable while taking advantage of the .300 BLK’s ballistics. (Photo courtesy of “Shooting Times”)

Both feature 10.3-​inch, 1:7-inch twist barrels. The lefty features a Hanson performance line, chrome moly, melonited barrel with nickel-​boron-​coated barrel extension with M4 feed ramps. The right-​hander features a Hanson premium 416 stainless steel barrel with the same barrel extension. Hanson profile barrels have a continuous taper with no right angles, so the harmonics are excellent. The registered SBR lowers that they were mated to are both equipped with BCM Gunfighter Mod 0 grips and B5 Systems Bravo SOPMOD stocks, along with B.A.D. ambidextrous safeties and Geissele SSA triggers. One features an Aero Precision C.O.P (Continuous Optic Platform) upper mated to a forged Aero Precision lower, both in an attractive Blue Titanium H-​185Q colored finish. Yum. This thing is sick. Every time I look at it I think it’s completely awesome … then I look at the left-​hand version. Ok, it’s boring black, but it has a rare, Ballistic Advantage forged lower, 9.5-​inch Geissele Super Modular Rail attached to a Stag left-​hand upper receiver. That’s correct, southpaws. Truly custom, dedicated suppressed shooting. No gas in your face. No “just dealing with it.” As my wife would say, “Love!” I should mention that Aero Precision owns Ballistic Advantage, an acquisition that took place in 2014. You will find Hanson profile barrels on some of its rifles. Incredible builds like these are why I’ve trusted Hanson and Ballistic Advantage with my precious wares for years. If I sound biased, I am … because the products and craftsmanship have continually impressed me.

The righty featured a BA nickel boron coated BCG, while the lefty gets the standard Stag left-handed carrier and bolt. Nickel boron is preferred for easier cleaning. (Photo courtesy of “Shooting Times”)

With suppression as the primary goal, both uppers were tuned to work with the Gemtech GMT-300BLK. The GMT-300BLK was a no brainer; Titanium, full-​auto, with a sound-​reduction rating of 36 to ​39 dB. Gemtech claims a 14 ounce weight that was confirmed to the “T” on my scale. It’s also user-serviceable because of the G-​core, one-piece design. If you want, you can disassemble and clean it or just admire the internals. SilencerCo’s Omega was added to the right-hand version. Its metallic grey finish was stunning with the Titanium Blue rifle. This gun weighed 6 pounds, 1.8 ounces before adding the 13.6-ounce Omega with the Anchor Brake thread to the front of it. Both guns were nearly the same weight with suppressor and no optic/sights or magazine. The lefty was 6 pounds, 8.8 ounces, and the righty was 6 pounds, 15.4 ounces.

Though these guns resemble each other, the accuracy does not. The lefty with the performance barrel preferred heavier loads. A 1.3-inch best group was managed with Gorilla 125-grain Sierra MatchKings. The premium stainless barrel on the right-hand gun lived up to its name by giving a .93 inch group with HPR’s 110-grain TAC-TX and averaging 1.3 inches over five groups. Impressive.

The environment the gun was designed for brought pure elation. The slow, smooth cycling of the firearms was intoxicating. We managed to get a full-auto lower on hand to test subsonic shooting, and these Ballistic Advantage guns chugged along with ultra-smoothness. This is pure joy and sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face. All who shot the gun in full-auto simply laughed and shook their head. No drama, no noise. Awesome.

Challenges can come with suppression, but when all the components come together just right, you forget about any negative experiences. For a moment in time, as the magazine is counting down rounds like grains of sand through the hourglass of fun, you experience some of the best shooting of your life and realize how awesome suppressed shooting can truly be.