I have seen the claim that suppressors reduce recoil. Is this true? I have not noticed this to be the case but I have yet to try anything heavier than 5.56, 6.5 Grendel or 300 Blackout with a can.
I have seen the claim that suppressors reduce recoil. Is this true? I have not noticed this to be the case but I have yet to try anything heavier than 5.56, 6.5 Grendel or 300 Blackout with a can.
I thought most suppressors increase back pressure... which would then seem like it would incease recoil. Unless the suppressor has angled ports specifically to reduce recoil.
They also add weight to the front of the barrel thus reducing barrel flip.
Can anyone comment on if that is correct or am I missing something?
Suppressors work by slowing down the hot gases behind the bullet. It does that using a series of baffles.
The gases impinge on the baffles and lose momentum. This momentum gets passed onto the baffles and hence the suppressor, pushing it forward. This tends to counteract the backward motion of the recoil.
My experience is that yes they do reduce recoil. My understanding is that the mass of the suppressor does counter some of the recoil and muzzle flip. Some of the energy of the muzzle blast is absorbed by the baffles too, which reduces the recoil as well. In a gas operated rifle the additional back pressure just exits the chamber. In a bolt action rifle the chamber is closed so the pressure just exits the barrel after the projectile exits. Again some of this pressure is absorbed by the baffles and dissipated slightly slower.
I think one perceived notion of decreased recoil is the reduction in muzzle blast.
Yes, they mitigate recoil to a degree (how much and why is up for debate), and they typically add a small but observable amount to muzzle velocity. Not to rain on OP’s parade, but neither of those should be the deciding factor in purchasing a suppressor. They are basically the two least significant things a suppressor does. Buy a suppressor because it knocks 10-40 decibels off your sound signature, improves rifle accuracy, makes directionality of fire harder to determine, and ideally has a good handful of flash mitigation.
If I had known that a suppressor (1) decreases recoil, and (2) increases muzzle velocity I would have got one 2 years earlier!!
Also - NO new rifles unless the barrel is threaded. Period.
... Not to rain on OP’s parade, but neither of those should be the deciding factor in purchasing a suppressor. They are basically the two least significant things a suppressor does. Buy a suppressor because it knocks 10-40 decibels off your sound signature....