Building with an AR15 pistol upper so you can enjoy the benefits of a reduced footprint that offers better concealability, paired with greater firepower?
Not bad - but here’s a tip: you might want to suppress that upper. Here are some of the best arguments as to why.
Benefits of Suppressors
Often (somewhat erroneously) called a silencer, or even a can, a suppressor is a muzzle device with internal vanes and baffles that captures and redirects gasses expanding at the muzzle, with the primary benefit of substantially reducing volume and muzzle pop.
But that’s not all they do. Let’s take a quick look at some of the benefits of suppression, not just for AR pistols but for short barrel rifles as well.
● Save your hearing
A suppressor can reduce the volume of a gunshot by around 20 to 35 decibels. This is effectively the same as if you were wearing high-quality earmuffs. Exposure to as little as a single unsuppressed gunshot can permanently damage your hearing. Moreover, AR pistols are renowned for how loud they are and how much muzzle pop they produce. Suppressing an AR pistol upper will improve safety, comfort, and enjoyment while shooting.
● Reduce recoil and muzzle flip
While pretty much everyone knows a “silencer” can make a gun less loud (that’s the reason for that common name, remember) it’s not as well known that a suppressor can also substantially reduce recoil. These things are like compensators, but in reality they are even better. The thing is, a suppressor can reduce recoil by as much or more than a comparable muzzle brake or compensator, but they also reduce muzzle pop, unlike comps and brakes, which increase it considerably. This reduces recoil, which makes it easier to control an AR pistol (a big deal, with which an AR pistol brace can also help, see below). Equally as important is the fact that a suppressor will also cut down on muzzle jump, which makes it easier to keep your sights trained on target between shots, for faster, more accurate follow-ups.
● Minimize muzzle flash
While both compensators and suppressors will cut recoil, only a suppressor will cut muzzle flash. In some cases, a compensator (or a muzzle brake) will make it worse by redirecting gasses upward so that they actively obstruct the sight picture. However, a suppressor will trap gasses at the muzzle, reducing or even completely eliminating muzzle flash. The benefit to you is you keep a clearer sight picture unobstructed by the muzzle flash, so you can shoot more accurately. This is the cool thing about suppressors - they offer all of the benefits of flash hiders and muzzle brakes while also reducing muzzle pop. They offer the benefits of basically all muzzle devices in one single package.
● More power
While a suppressor (especially a threaded one) is not technically a barrel extension, it kind of performs as though it is. Specifically, since suppressors increase chamber pressure because they trap gasses, they can add a boost of power to your rounds. This is something with which AR pistol uppers struggle, since they have such short barrels. By tacking on a suppressor, you can somewhat mimic the effect of having a few more inches of barrel. You get extra FPS and power, reaping more of the benefits of the rifle cartridges with which these platforms are mostly paired. Just be aware that with that extra pressure comes extra wear, tear, and fouling. You will need to clean a suppressed AR pistol upper more frequently and the bolt carrier group’s gas rings will not last as long.
● Potentially improved accuracy
It’s not that a suppressor will inherently improve the accuracy of an AR pistol. In fact it will not. But because it will significantly reduce recoil and muzzle flash, you will likely find that you can shoot more accurately, more easily. So in effect, even though it won’t make the platform more accurate, it will make it easier for you to become more accurate with the platform, and that effect is basically the same.
Know Before You Buy
There are two things you should know about suppressors before you get one for your AR pistol upper. One is that you need to know your muzzle’s thread configuration if you’re getting a threaded model. They need to be compatible.
The other is that suppressors are classed as NFA items, which means you will need to do some additional paperwork and pay for a tax stamp for each purchase.
Here for an AR Pistol Brace?
One other thing you can do to improve handling, control and accuracy of an AR pistol is get an AR pistol brace. These short stabilizing braces (or fins) attach to your forearm and make it easier to fire the platform one-handed. Like a suppressor, they can reduce recoil and improve control. We offer a wide selection of AR pistol braces in addition to assembled uppers. Shop them here and contact us if you have any questions before buying.