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Back when AAC started making silencers, one of the first advertisements they ever did was a comparison between AAC’s latest silencer offering and the top competitor, Surefire. They showed the two cans side by side, and while the Surefire can was completely destroyed after a rough firing schedule, the AAC can was peachy keen*. That one image triggered a massive lawsuit, but no matter how many lawyers Surefire threw at AAC they couldn’t, uh, silence the fact that the ad was 100% true — Surefire’s can didn’t hold up. That was the beginning of AAC’s advertising style, something I refer to as the “F*ck you, we’re awesome” approach. And it looks like Kevin Brittingham is at it again.

In their first video, he comes right out and says it: “We’re not a marketing company making silencers. We’re not a flashlight company making silencers. We’re a gun company making silencers.” It’s an obvious dig at SilencerCo and Surefire respectively, currently two of the leaders in the silencer market. Brittingham makes the claim that their cans are the best on the market, and no doubt he’s out to prove it to everyone he can.

Coming from a company like SIG SAUER, this is definitely a departure from their usual tight-lipped, stuffed shirt approach to marketing. There’s a shiny new polish on the production values, but the content is 100% old school Brittingham. They’re letting Kevin off the leash, and he’s not holding back.

*As pointed out in the comments, the AAC can in the ad was factory fresh, which was the basis of the lawsuit.

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52 COMMENTS

  1. “They showed the two cans side by side after a rough firing schedule, and while the Surefire can was completely destroyed, the AAC can was peachy keen. That one image triggered a massive lawsuit,”

    Ummm yeah Im gonna have to stop you right there mmkay?… The advert in question showed a completely shot out surefire can that had been cut open with a die grinder and re-welded and shot out again, next to a pristine brand new m4-2000 core fresh off the cnc welder before it had even been put into a tube or coated. That crucial distinction that you so cleverly left off is why surefire sued the ever loving sh*t out of AAC.

    What a load of crap… I say this as someone who owns no silencers but was around and paying very close attention during that whole fiasco.

    Quit shilling for your friends and let their product stand up on its own if it really is that good.

    Regards

    • First the ad was preceded by a claim by Surefire that their cans could survive a thousands upon thousands of rounds full auto including 1,500 as fast as you can load the gun full auto. So AAC put it to the test, and made that ad.

      After Surefire sued, AAC filed a counter suit alleging false advertising. AFAIK Surefire dismissed their suit, followed by AAC dismissing their counter suit.

      I would like to note that AAC moved away from Surefire’s welding technique for the exact reason that was in the ad. And that Surefire cans of that era (they’ve gotten better as of late), were very badly made, I handled one Surefire can that had some many shitty drippy welds that it looks like it was made in a high school shop class. I honestly felt bad for the owner shelling out Surefire money for such a badly made can, it certainly didn’t live up to the high levels of QC I expected from Surefire flashlights.

    • Quit shilling for your friends…

      I wouldn’t say that modern day AAC are Leghorn’s “friends.”

      They kicked him out of their booth and publicly called him a “mouth breathing oaf” that worked for “douche about guns.”

    • Not exactly true. The SF can was not cut apart, rewelded and shot again. We shot it. It broke. We then cut it open and took the pic.

  4. While I appreciate the candor and also am definitely interested in what SIG has to offer in the can department, there’s an old saying in the world of marketing – “Number 1 doesn’t talk about Number 2, so why does Number 2 talk about Number 1?”

    Or something like that.

    Full disclosure – I own a Specwar 762 can and have been thoroughly amazed with it’s performance and the service and support of Silencerco.

  5. In the same ad posted here:

    “We’re not a flashlight company making silencers; we’re a gun company making silencers.”

    “Sig Sauer is really an engineering company that makes guns.”

    Kind of a mixed message.

    • “we’re a gun company making silencers”
      who puts their name on cheap Chinese knock off flashlight and optics.

    • The dig at sure fire makes sense but silencerco has been until recently a silencer company that does a lot for silencer rights and a lot of R and D. Even some that they are sharing across the industry from what I’ve heard.

      Of course now they are a silencer company that makes a fun and. A range Finder

  6. OMG! I have to trade in all my AAC and Silencerco cans and go get some Sig cans!! AAAAAHHHH!!!

  7. This does seem a bit like cheer leading. I bet Nick’s neck is getting awesome strong;-)

  9. oooo ahhh, look at that wonderful, beautiful MCX he is using… (hint, hint, hint, hint) 🙂

    • Good question.

      I do know they can make a flash hider that doesn’t sound like someone is ringing the doorbell every time you shoot though.

    • The bigger question is why does any of that matter? Some of the best pistols in the world are made by an ex-sewing machine company. The rifles and pdw’s they make aren’t oo bad either 😉

      Or for that matter a pistol that completely changed the gun culture in America was made by an Austrian who was manufacturing plastic bayonet handles.

      The point? Let your abilities be judged by your product.

  12. I’ll buy one when I don’t have to register it and pay the tax and wait for it. Which means I’ll never get one because Republicans will not repeal NFA.

  13. I was a SIG fan up until I got my P320. Now – I love my P320 but I can’t get the main benefit of it – i.e. the caliber conversion kits. Barely can get different grip sizes (but I did finally get one after a year). Can’t get a new recoil spring for it to have as a spare, and I’m sure that’s not covered under warranty so.. eventually I’ll just be out of luck I suppose. My point is they are great at advertising things but good luck actually getting anything from them.

    • Sig is shipping the conversion kits pretty regularly. On the two groups I am a member of I see announcements that they got the kit, or a shipping notice almost everyday. There will be a wait, but it will ship is a month or two.

      Same with most of the rest of the spare parts. And other companies are no different try ordering recoil spring from Smith and Wesson, the last time I did it for my M&Ps in 2010 it was almost 9 months later when it showed up at my door (of course I ordered 10 of them so I haven’t had to place another order).

  14. If only I had one of these sig employees manufacture my rifle, I wouldn’t have problems due to workmanship.

  15. Great vid. Those are some outstanding cuts, edits, videography, and the quotes from all the Sig employees definitely came across as sincere, direct, professionals who know their technical stuff and proud of product.

    Actually, reminds me of TTAG. I dont care if they get a little prickly or generate some pushback.
    Better that, than smarmy smooth PR types careful to be so PC. I dont trust those people to tell the truth.

    Nick is a writer. A young guy finding his voice.
    As I recall the legendary Jack O’Connor pissed off a few people with his opinions about the Win 70 in .270.
    Kinda like Nick and Remington.
    http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2013/06/good-old-gun-writers

  17. Looks like Sig is going to be advancing suppressor technology. It’s great to see another company investing in research and development. I’m curious about the “no-tube” construction and new direct-thread mounting system. Can the no-tube suppressors be taken apart for cleaning? Well, in any case at least they have the potential to be lighter and dissipate heat more quickly. It looks like that direct-thread mounting system requires a proprietary barrel. If it actually works well (takes many, many shots to unthread and come loose) and is lighter and works as well as using a muzzle break to quick-detach (which has the benefit of acting as a replaceable “sacrificial baffle”, then maybe it could become very popular. If it does work really well hopefully Sig will allow other companies to produce compatible aftermarket barrels. I’m hoping that it’s the best of both worlds: the light weight of direct-thread, without needing to be constantly tightened like a direct-thread.

    However I am loathe to give up Silencerco’s anchor brakes and modular design.

    Looking forward to Dead Air Armament. (But needs anchor brakes.)

  18. For a company taking shots at Silencerco for having great marketing, they sure have a pretty video themselves.

    Also you better work hard because of you don’t beat a so-called flashlight company or a so-called marketing company in the silencer game you might feel pretty stupid.

  19. Why Sig? Very good question becaus I want you guys to be awesome. I have friends that work there. But my experiences with at least 3 new Sig firearms has left me asking, Why Sig?

    The video production quality is good but the message just rubs me the wrong way. Based on my recent experiences with (admittedly non silencer) Sig products boasting that they are the best, most advanced, and the category winner before the product is released rings hollow for me. It certainly doesn’t make it so and the proof is in the pudding.

    FWIW, I have an engineering background but now work in Sales & Marketing. Using the engineers and marketing manager who designed the product to tell you how great it is as marketing material is juvenile at best. It’s OK for an internal launch package or in promotional pieces but tells me that Sig needs to get some real professionals in their marketing and sales organization. The best sales person you can have is a user or customer that is willing to promote the product FOR FREE with real experience. I am not talking about industry blog fanboi who gets lots of free trigger time with tuned up pre-release product, junkets, and free swag. I’d love to see a real operator and the occasional SOFG vouch for your stuff. Sig has a number of current and former SF/SEAL and SWAT operators running around to get an opinion I would think.

    BTW, the young guy shooting in the video is an excellent instructor at the academy. The Sig training facility and instructors are top notch professionals and I highly recommend attending if you get a chance. No matter how long you’ve been shooting you will learn something and have fun while doing it.

  20. SIG is doing with “AAC” what Remington should have done in the first place. Expanding their brand, products, and expertise. It’s completely dumbfounding how Remington handled the AAC acquisition!

  21. Silencers have been around for a very long time. It is a mature technology. I have no problem buying one made by a flashlight company like surefire. Id buy one from nintendo if its a good product.

  23. Funny story, a friend of mine with a bunch of Sig pistols gets a job at SilencerCo.
    Now they won’t talk to him when he has needs. You know, as a customer.
    Funny

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