Yankee Hill Machine is a powerhouse in modern sound suppressor design. A third-generation family-owned business, YHM produces a wide array of rifle, pistol, and rimfire cans. Their newest offering is something altogether different. The Victra-12 is a modular, expandable sound suppressor for a 12-gauge shotgun.
Sound suppressors for firearms have been around ever since Hiram Percy Maxim got busy back in 1902. However, suppressing a scattergun is a fairly recent thing. The YHM Victra-12 rides the cutting edge of that tech.
A Proper Host
I have no idea how the Turks figured out how to make advanced combat shotguns so inexpensively. The TBP-12 as imported by SDS Arms is a bullpup, polymer-framed, gas-operated, magazine-fed beast of a tactical scattergun with plenty of bells and whistles. I found it to be reliable, compact, powerful, and slick. Despite all of that cool-guy stuff, the TBP-12 sports an MSRP of only $319. That’s frankly unbelievable.
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The right-sided charging handle reciprocates with the action, and the gun ejects out the right. Left-handed shooters are just screwed, but they should be used to that by now. The TBP-12 has a 3-inch chamber and comes with nice polymer flip-up sights. The muzzle is threaded for Benelli/Mobil choke tubes. That becomes pertinent later.
The barrel is 18.5 inches long, but the bullpup architecture keeps the overall length to a compact 28.5 inches. The TBP-12 weighs 7 pounds 11 ounces, but feels lighter as the center of gravity rides close to the pistol grip. The gun comes with a detachable 5-round magazine, but 10 and 20-rounders are available.
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Victra-12 Particulars
The Victra-12 is comprised of the coolest individual baffle modules held together by a pair of structural rods. By using optional rods, the can may be configured into either a 6, 8, 10, or 12-inch unit. Changing the length is a user-level chore. There’s nothing to it.
The Victra-12 is made from 7075-T6 aluminum and 17-4 pH stainless steel, but shotshells are really violent. Tiny little 7.5-inch barrels need to stick with 2.75-inch loads. For 3-inch shells, the barrel needs to be at least ten inches. 16-inch tubes and above are cleared for use with 3.5-inch fodder.
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The design of the Victra-12 is fascinating. In addition to all of that lovely modularity, the can incorporates built-in, interchangeable chokes. The suppressor ships with an Improved Cylinder choke, but Modified and Full chokes are in the pipeline as well. The Victra-12 is full-auto rated should you happen to have a 12-gauge machinegun handy.
The Victra-12 mounts using the threaded choke mounts on the host shotgun. All the major players are covered. If your scattergun is threaded for interchangeable chokes, it will host the Victra-12 sound suppressor.
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Suppressed Shotgun Synergy
Mating up the Victra-12 on the TBP-12 bullpup shotgun host was no great chore. The Victra-12 is an eccentric design. That means the bore axis is offset from the can. This allows the necessary volume for effective suppression without hopelessly occluding the host gun’s sights or optics. Once you have the mount cinched down nicely, the suppressor can be indexed to put the fat bit on the bottom. You then simply tighten a jam nut using the included tool to lock the can in place. None of that is hard. We tested the full 12-inch unit.
Full disclosure, I’ve always been a pretty skinny guy. I’ve pumped a zillion rounds through 12-gauge shotguns over the decades but have seldom much enjoyed it. Even a well-designed 12-bore can be fairly brutal on the sending end, particularly when stoked with serious slug or buckshot loads. However, this rig really is different.
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The combination of the gas-operated action of the TBP-12, the extra mass from the Victra-12, and the fact that the suppressor acts like one big, honking muzzle brake all conspires to effectively mitigate the shotgun’s recoil impulse. It’s not a .22 rimfire, but it’s no longer a shoulder-bruising monster, either. The synergistic combination of the Victra sound suppressor and the TBP-12 host makes scattergunning fun.
How Does It Run?
Reliability was, if anything, enhanced by the addition of the suppressor. Most all autoloading shotties run well with full-power slugs and buckshot. However, the TBP-12 comes with interchangeable gas pistons for heavy and light loads. Properly configured, this beast ran like a scalded ape with basic low-brass birdshot as well. We had zero malfunctions during our time together on the range.
The safety is a pivoting lever under your right thumb. The magazine release is on the right and kind of hard to reach. However, the bolt catch is on the left and quite handy. You won’t run this thing as fast as you might your favorite M4, but it’s still spunky.
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The perceived noise from a gunshot is a terribly subjective thing that is driven by a variety of factors. The larger the exit pupil, the more racket can escape. At 0.73 inch, 12-gauge is about as big a hole as you will find on a man-portable firearm. However, the Victra-12 still does a fine job of mitigating the chaos.
The 6-inch version of the Victra-12 weighs 13.5 ounces and produces an average sound pressure of 141 dB at the shooter’s ear. The 12-inch version tips the scales at 25 ounces and chills things down to 135 dB. Anything above 70 dB can damage hearing over time. 100 dB getsuncomfortable. However, an unsuppressed 12-gauge runs about 160 dB. As the decibel scale is logarithmic, small increases in sound pressure can make a big difference in perceived noise.
You wouldn’t want to spent too much time exposed to the effects of a 12-gauge whether it is suppressed or not. However, the addition of the Victra-12 changes the character of the gunshot. With the can in place, the report becomes more of a thump and less of a crack. The end result makes you a more neighborly shooter and enhances control of the weapon.
So, What’s It Really Good For?
Slapping the Victra-12 onto your favorite hunting shotgun will transform your time spent in the field chasing birds. The end result is hugely more placid than the host gun left otherwise naked. All that hardware will affect your swing, but the noise diminution is refreshing.
The combination of the Victra-12 and the TBP-12 makes for an epic home defense package. You will not find a more powerful weapon that does not include a tripod and impact fuse. At typical CQB ranges, a 12-gauge shotgun means not having to say you’re sorry in all of the world’s recognized languages. The addition of the Victra-12 helps preserve your capacity to communicate with both responding Law Enforcement and terrified friendlies during a home invasion.
Additionally, the perceived effects from a gunshot are a function of exposure. 12-gauge rounds are reliably supersonic. Fire a weapon that pushes a supersonic projectile out in the open over a long distance, and it can seem terribly loud. That same exercise at across-the room ranges flirts with comfortable. You can test this at the range by firing a round at a distant target and then repeating the exercise into a nearby berm. The difference between these two scenarios can be quite stark.
The MSRP for the Victra-12 is $959.95. However, the TBP-12 host is just dirt cheap. What you get for all of that hassle and investment is the most placid 12-gauge shooting experience that is humanly possible. It will indeed spoil you to noisy scatterguns.
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