The Sound of Silence

[dflicker]

This video clip was posted a few days ago by Leitner-Wise Rifle Company on their AR15.com industry forum: http://media.putfile.com/LWRC2

It shows four of their guns being fired, the last being a suppressed, 16" AR15 in 300 Fireball (7.62x35). Notice the pounding the shooters are taking firing the LW.499. Then you see Jesse G. (VP Engineering/Technology) firing the 7.62x35 for the first time, and looking around at the observers to confirm that the gun even went off. Can't wait for mine to be finished.

David

[fizassist]

I can see the advantage of the piston for cycling & cleanliness, but isn't it louder in theory than a direct impingement upper? I would think hotter (louder) gas would get vented at the piston gas block than in the impingement upper.

[pug]

The reaction is interesting and I am sure you will have a lot of fun with yours. There is usually no question to the shooter of a suppressed semi or fully automatic weapon that it has gone off. The suppressor does nothing to quiet the pressure dump when the breach opens to extract the fired round and in fact increases it in a lot of suppressor designs. There is usually a lot of noise at the shooters ear but it is the level of noise at the ears of those standing by that count. Now closed breach guns are a different story. With a long barrel and a high spl reduction suppressor they are quiet all the way around and the firing pin striking is the loudest sound you hear.

[dflicker]

Originally Posted by fizassist

I can see the advantage of the piston for cycling & cleanliness, but isn't it louder in theory than a direct impingement upper? I would think hotter (louder) gas would get vented at the piston gas block than in the impingement upper.

This would seem to make sense, but someone on the LW forum mentioned recently that a test by silencertests.com showed the LW gun to be 1 dB quieter than the impingement gun. I will try to find the link and post it.

David

[Artful]

You mean this one...
http://www.silencertests.com/silence...opic.php?t=949

rsilvers Site Admin
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 2:43 pm
Post subject: Gas piston vs. conventional uppers

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Today I tested a Colt 16 inch AR15 upper compared to a LW and POF upper.

AAC M4-2000

POF was 3.2 dB louder than the Colt
LW was 1.5 dB quieter than the Colt.

Gemtech M4-02

POF was 1.8 dB louder than the Colt.
LW was 2.1 dB quieter than the Colt.

So, surprise surprise! The LW is even quieter than a direct-gas system and was 4.7dB quieter than the POF with an M4-2000 and 3.9 dB quieter than the POF with an M4-02.


Thank you to those who sent their uppers. I did not test them for gas blowback, but it has to be less than direct gas.

As it turns out the POF which Robert was borrowing but didn't have manual for or training on has a reversable piston and we didn't get results for either direction of the piston installation which does make a difference.

But that helps ya I hope.