I saw a friend of mine shoot his Gemtech G5 (Not G5-T I asked about) and for some reason it sounded quieter than my M4-2000.
If you don’t already know it, you are knocking on the door of a good decade worth of internut dramaticals and bad blood.
But, to attempt to address your question…
Maybe, maybe not. The sound at the shooter is always going to be different than at the spectator. Even if you’re the shooter on both guns, everything else also has to be identical from the barrel length to the ammo being fired. and then you get into the whole suppressor nerd debate about what is quieter. What a machine registers and what your ear hears may not be the same thing.
Noise reduction is the last thing I look at when choosing a can. Start with a known good, established, manufacturer (preferably one that makes more than 100 cans a year in their garage), factor in price, weight, length, OD, mounting system, mounting options (brake, FH, etc.), appearance (if that’s your thing), branding and fanboyism (if that’s your thing), and THEN look at the level of noise reduction. Chances are good that the published numbers are almost identical, and the rest of the criteria is what matters.
When looking at a suppressor noise is the first thing I look at.
Then longevity, then weight, then size.
And, no I actually didn’t know much about the feud between GemTech and AAC fans.
Sorry. I’d still like actual numbers though.
This is the place for that
http://www.silencerresearch.com/
I can’t go on that site. It makes my computer freeze.
Sound numbers on sound meters can be very misleading. The sound meter only measures maximum pressure. It does not tell you anything about tone, frequency, etc. Some people need to re-read Paulson’s first chapter of his first silencer book.
For example, there is one product that always sound meters better than an Ops Inc 16th Model but 100% of people I’ve let shoot that product right next to the Ops all walk away saying the Ops product sounds quieter at the shooter location and down range from the shooter.
Use the sound meter to tell you how close to the magic 140 dB level the suppressor is operating. Use it to look for big differences in dBs. But if the difference is only a couple dB then, well…
Also understand the noise is really dictated by a combination of several variables to include ammo, environmental conditions, host weapon, etc. Heck, if two guys are casually comparing products side by side I’ve witnessed different weight buffers in ARs cause otherwise identical weapons to sound slightly different because of longer dwell time.
Mark
Very true.
I have a Gemtech M496 w/G5 mount which sounds to me quieter but higher pitched to my ears than my AAC M4-2000 Mod 07 but I prefer the tone of the AAC. The AAC meters lower that I’ve seen in tests but I believe it’s the frequency and duration of the sound. Everyone also hears a little differently.
The silencer industry is full of drama, here’s my attempt at straight talk:
AR-15s with suppressors are still fairly loud. The 5.56 is an incredibly loud round in terms of blast and bullet flight noise. The operation of the gun also contributes a fair amount of noise- ejection port noise can make a gun seem loud to the shooter, while observers think it is quieter. Nevermind the physical factors of wind, temperature, humidity, terrain/surroundings, ammo, barrel length, DI vs. piston, etc.
One of the biggest factors is barrel length- a 16" gun might be very comfortable, but go to 10.5" and it’s gonna be loud.
Top of the line cans from leading manufacturers should all sound similar- within a few dB of each other. For extended shooting, I’ve always preferred to use plugs or other light earpro for comfort. SilencerResearch is your best bet for testing results.
The reasons we think the M4-2000 is a better can than the competition goes beyond sound into the materials, mounting system, construction methods, weight, etc. That said, it does also have the edge in [metered] sound reduction.
I guess it doesn’t matter. I already have the AAC can.
Also. I was referring to 6.8 which IMO isn’t a loud round at all.
For 5.56 I have the Ops Inc. 15th Model CQB MBS. Which is quieter than any suppressor I’ve ever shot on a 5.56 rifle.
Even on paper it’s -40dB.
-38 dB dry in my testing (with a friend’s sound meter).
ETA: I now have purchased a meter.
Cool. What meter did you get and what microphones are you using? Testing with meters can be fun.
SL-4013 Sound Meter + Detachable Microphone
30 dB - 130 dB
Should be okay for me for now.
How can that be okay when the sound meter doesn’t even measure in the dB range in which the suppressor operate? Your data is meaningless. Perhaps I misunderstand something.
Are you at least attempting to follow as much of the mil-spec standard for testing regarding microphone placement?
Even when done right sound metering can be misleading. The sound meter measures pressure but leaves out things like tone and frequency.
Something like this:
Microphone: B&K 4938 with 1/2" to 1/4" adaptor
Meter: Brüel & Kjær (B&K) model 2209 Impulse Precision Sound Level Meter
$6,000-ish used, last i saw.
It was working with handgun suppressors from GemTech and AAC. That was what I got it for, not for rifle testing. I know somebody else with a much better set up that I’ll be using for rifle testing.
Though at one time, I was planning on using this for rifles. That idea got shot down quick.
Just as a general observation, before people run off and buy meters ( especially when the suitable ones for gunshot noise measurement are not that common / cheap )
One might want to consider spending $30 on the premium fee on silencerresearch.com and get accurate testing data on suppressors in various calibres.
Yes, the results can vary slightly based on a number of factors, but you can get accurate comparisons between the different brands and models.
Also the charts will list comparison on weight, length etc, so you can view the differences and perhaps base you purchase decision on criteria that suits you.
Best Regards!
Tuukka Jokinen
Ase Utra sound suppressors
Completely right Tuuka,
Buying a sound meter made for impulse sounds is a lot of $$.
Plus, many of the top tier cans nowadays sound similar and are differentiated more by their features, materials, mount system, and construction.
Thanks for all the help guys. 
Much appreciated.