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I am no stranger to Griffin Armament. I recently reviewed one of their scopes, an LPVO in 1-8×24. That scope is well-built and sits atop one of my prized rifles.
The company makes many products… as an example, they sent me a set of AR iron sights and two mounts for a yet-to-ship prism sight. More on those will follow after that sight comes in.
Now that the $200 tax on suppressors is but a tortured dream, every company seems to be selling cans… some are better than others. Griffin Armament is a major player in this game.
So, what I want to write about today is their suppressor line. (Or, as they call them, Silencers. The other shoe drops…).
Seventy-Six
I tried to think of a clever way to say that they make 76 different models of suppressors, but all I came up with was something about “76 trombones leading the big parade”… sorry…. That’s the band director in me coming out.
Griffin makes all those suppressors using two manufacturing methods: additive and conventional. Conventional, I’m familiar with, and I’m becoming more so with additive… substitute “3D printing” for additive.
At any rate, 76 is a heck of a lot of suppressors. They have suppressors for many calibers and many budgets. Calibers include:
- .22 (rimfire)
- 5.56mm
- 7.62 (.30)
- .32 ACP
- .36 (9mm)
- .45
- .46
- 6mm
Materials that these cans are constructed from include:
- 17-4 H900 Stainless Steel
- 7075-T6 Aluminum
- 718 Inconel
- Nickel 625X
A Bit Of Metallurgy
I think a word about some of the above alloys is in order, since a suppressor is only as good as the metal it’s made from.
Stainless steel and aluminum, we’re familiar with. The aluminum here is aircraft-grade, and the 17-4 stainless was originally developed for the aerospace industry, as was Inconel. I’m not schooled on the bottom two alloys, though, so I read the blurb on Griffin Armament’s web page concerning them. It is centered on Nickel 625X but discusses other alloys, as well. I will quote a bit from that page; prepare to geek out…
Nickel 625X is a patent-pending, nickel-based powder superalloy developed specifically for DMLS additive manufacturing processes.
At 1200°F, Nickel 625X™ demonstrates approximately 68% greater strength than additively manufactured (SLM/DMLS) INCONEL® 625, which, to the best of our knowledge, is used in the NGSW suppressors that see service to very high temperatures. It also reduces heat treatment costs by ~93% compared to the vacuum anneal and age processes typically required for superalloys.
Superalloys are inherently dense, so higher-strength options like Nickel 625X™ enable the design of lighter yet equally (or more) durable suppressors. Nickel 625X™ further offers superior corrosion resistance, with a PREN value of approximately 57 – substantially higher than INCONEL® 718 (~30), Haynes® 282® (~33), and INCONEL® 625 (~47). Its hardness also excels at 41 HRC (compared to as-built values of 29 HRC for INCONEL® 625, 33 HRC for INCONEL® 718, and 35 HRC for Haynes® 282®), providing better resistance to erosive wear of suppressor baffles caused by high-velocity gases and particulates.
So, we are looking basically at a next-generation alloy. Suppressors made from 625X tend to last a very long time.
What We Have Here
I was sent two suppressors to try… one for a .22 rimfire, and one for a .30-caliber rifle. Here they are:
Checkmate AM-22
This $371 rimfire can is on the lower end of the price spectrum, but it works very well. It will end up on my new Ruger 10/22’s threaded barrel as soon as it gets here. In the meantime. I stuck it on an unlikely candidate… my Trailblazer Firearms LifeCard.
This little guy fits easily into one of its leather wallets, in your pocket or purse. It folds up and is not much larger than an Altoid box… minus the suppressor, of course.
Wearing the can, the LifeCard becomes a little more unwieldy. But, as my suppressor dealer, Peyton Clark from Lucky Labs Armory discovered, it would make a great little .22 to have with you while you were out running your traps or otherwise in the wild. Stoked with standard-velocity or subsonic ammo, the shot is barely audible and certainly wouldn’t upset nature (or the neighbors).
By the way, if you live in the Hoosier state and are in the market for a suppressor, Peyton should be your first stop. He runs a complete shop, is very knowledgeable, and has good prices. He can fix you up if you’re an Indiana resident. Call him at 812-554-0624.
Features
- Integrated EZ-LOK™ Mounting System
- EZ-LOK™ Barrel Adapter (1/2×28) – included (Click Here to purchase additional barrel adapters)
- Ultra-durable Nickel 625X™ Alloy Construction
- Additive Manufacturing
- Rated up to .223 Rem
What’s in the Box
- CHECKMATE-AM™ Silencer (.22cal)
- EZ-LOK™ Barrel Adapter (1/2×28)
- Griffin Silencer Pouch
- Manual
Ratings & Restrictions
This silencer does not have any barrel length restrictions for .22lr or 5.7×28 cartridges.
- Full-Auto Rated
- 22-250 & .223 Rem – 16″ Minimum Sporting Use Only (20 rounds, then allow to cool to ambient temperature)
Available Maintenance Items
- EZ LOK BARREL ADAPTERS
- High Temp 2300 degree Anti-Seize
- Alignment Rods (to verify proper installation)
If you are shooting a .17 or a .22 rimfire, or even a .223, the Checkmate should work well for you.
I also received an Explorr 300 Taper Mount AM suppressor.
As I am finding out, as I start on my suppressor journey, some are easier to attach to barrels than others. I am learning about them, and still don’t know what I’ll need to attach Can A to Gun B. The nice part is, with this suppressor, you get what you need right in the box. It includes a 5/8×24 mount.
Made of Nickel 625X, this can is lightweight and durable. I mounted it on a Ruger Scout .308 bolt rifle. It is designed for both bolt and gas gun use, unlike many models.
Features
- Integrated Taper Mount
- ECO-FLOW™ Baffle Stack
- Additive Manufactured Core
- Ultra-Durable Nickel 625X™ Alloy Construction
- Printed Core Laser-Welded to Machined Rear for Warranty Serviceability
- Integrated Flash Hider End Cap
- Highly Accurate with Minimal POI Shift and Minimal Weight
- Perpetual Lifetime Warranty™
What’s in the Box
- EXPLORR® .300 Taper Mount AM Silencer (.30cal)
- Taper Mount EZ-Brake™ Muzzle Device (5/8×24 – .30cal)
- Branded Griffin Silencer Pouch
Ratings & Restrictions
EXPLORR® Suppressors do not have minimum barrel length restrictions or constraints for rifle calibers. While longer barrels promote longer service life, there are no barrel length restrictions with this suppressor! EXPLORR® Suppressors are rated up to .300WM.
AVAILABLE MAINTENANCE ITEMS:
- Mount Adapter Driver
- Cleaning Brushes
- ST-3 Thread Sealant
- High Temp 2300 degree Anti-Seize
- Alignment Rods (to verify proper installation)
Decibel Reductions
I like to pretend that I’m a scientist sometimes… even have the lab coat. (Not really…)
I was curious about measurable noise reduction, so I grabbed my trusty noise measurement device – my iPhone – and opened one of the decibel apps I’d installed. It is not exactly sound-meter quality, but it will give us an idea of how much sound is reduced.
To review, decibels measure sound intensity on a logarithmic, not linear, scale. So, a 10-dB raise is not just ten times more, it’s a hundred times more.
Here’s a quick reference chart of everyday sounds and their dB levels…
- 0 The softest sound a person can hear with normal hearing.
- 10 normal breathing.
- 20 whispering at 5 feet.
- 30 soft whisper.
- 50 rainfall.
- 60 normal conversation.
- 110 shouting in ear.
- 120 thunder.
Science class is over. Now, for the cans…
I placed the Checkmate on my LifeCard single-shot .22. I did this for two reasons. First, the gun is novel… check my linked review for details. Secondly, the barrel is extremely short, and shorter barrels are usually louder barrels. I thought the can would have its work cut out for it. I didn’t even use subsonic ammo… just ordinary standard-velocity Fiocchi Range Dynamics, rated at 1050 fps. (As I mentioned above, I will be receiving a threaded barrel from Ruger for the 10/22 I just reviewed, and will do an update.)
For the Explorr 300, I attached it to my Ruger Scout .308. Again, this rifle uses a shorter-than-normal barrel for the caliber, so I thought that might be a good test. I shot some Black Hills 155-grain ELD Match ammo, the first Black Hills box I grabbed.
For the Checkmate, I got these averages:
Non-Suppressed Noise Level: 106.4 dB
Suppressed: 83.6 dB
And, for the Explorr 300:
Non-Suppressed Noise Level: 117.8 dB
Suppressed: 103.6 dB
The .22 showed an average reduction of 22.8 dB, while the .308 averaged 14.2 dB. The LifeCard exhibited a quiet “pop”, about like a soft pellet gun, while the Ruger sounded about like a .22 Magnum fired from a 6-inch revolver. My brother-in-law was shooting the LifeCard, and after the first shot, his eyes got big… he couldn’t believe how quiet it was.
That’s enough noise suppression to warrant the purchase of a suppressor. I wear hearing aids, in part due to my age, but also due to the fact that I shot a lot of guns and listened to a lot of loud music in my misspent youth. The nice part about these suppressors is that my hearing, or what’s left of it, will be protected. I still recommend wearing hearing protectors, but that’s your call.
Summary
Griffin Armament produces a whole lot of shooting-related items. I mentioned earlier, a scope, a prism sight, and open AR sights, and we looked at a couple of their suppressors. If you are looking to add a can to your pistol or rifle, you might want to give them a look. With the elimination of the $200 tax on suppressors, it seems that everybody and their brother is making them. Please be sure that you’re getting your money’s worth… with Griffin, that’s not an issue. These cans will last, no doubt.
Read the full article here
