Everyone agrees that silencers are awesome, and make the shooting experience way more enjoyable. Even so, silencer ownership is still relatively uncommon in the United States. The number one reason I keep hearing from people as to why they don’t buy one is that the barrier to entry is still way too high for the end result. Silencers are expensive, the wait while the paperwork is processed is a pain in the butt, and at the end you have a can with a limited capability. It seemed like you needed three silencers to cover all the bases, namely a rimfire can, a pistol can, and a rifle can. But what if all of those excuses suddenly disappeared?
As a preface, I just wanted to point out that this is not a typical TTAG review. Here at TTAG we usually reserve judgment until we’ve put a couple hundred rounds through something and tried it out in different conditions. Unfortunately the BATFE here in the U.S. prevents us from getting our hands on silencers for protracted testing unless we go through months of waiting, spend $200 per transfer, and live in certain states. It’s impractical. Luckily I recently had a chance to visit the folks at Liberty Suppressors and test all of their cans under their supervision. While the tests may not be as extensive as a standard review, I feel that they were sufficient to allow me to form an opinion on the product.
Unauthorized EDIT by Jeremy S. — I have owned the original version of the Liberty Mystic since Nov, 2012. I’ve put many thousands of rounds through it to include .223/5.56, 9mm, .22 LR, and .300 BLK. It is absolutely freaking awesome and is as good as it was on day one. I’ve cleaned it in an ultrasonic tank a few times, scrubbed the heck out of the baffles with bore brushes, and shot 5.56 through it at a significantly higher rate of fire than Liberty suggests. It’s quite possibly the quietest 9mm can on the market, and it’s a top performer in most other calibers as well, including .22 LR although obviously it’s a bit larger than needed for that application. It is amazingly cool to have a single can with a few mounts that can go on ~8 different guns that are in my safe right now. That’s a lot of mileage out of your $200 tax stamp! …next up, I’m putting it on an M1894 Nagant revolver…
Liberty Suppressors came out with their Mystic 9mm silencer a while back, and while it was pretty good it wasn’t quite perfect. After some work on the internals and the materials, Liberty is now releasing their Mystic-X silencer. Rather than only being rated for one or two calibers, the Mystic-X is rated for fifty two calibers. And counting.
The concept behind the Mystic-X is that they wanted a silencer that would be perfect for the first time commercial buyer. Unlike the “big boys” that focus on military contracts and then try to sell the end result on the civilian market as well, Liberty’s suppressors are engineered from the ground up to be consumer focused. This specific model is designed to systematically eliminate all of the objections that a first time silencer buyer has, with the end goal of getting them hooked on making all of their guns quiet.
The first hurdle they tackled was getting their silencer to work on a wide array of firearms. The existing Mystic was great for 9mm and other lower calibers, but with the Mystic-X they’ve found a combination of materials and design work that allows them to certify this can for use on an insane number of calibers. Everything from .22lr up through .300 BLK and even subsonic .308 Winchester is now possible with this one silencer.
Part of the reason that the Mystic-X is capable of shooting so many calibers is due to the easy disassembly process. The can strips down into the constituent parts within seconds, allowing you to remove the built-up lead and carbon that accumulates when using rimfire cartridges, but it’s still strong enough to not come apart under pressure. Disassembly is achieved with the help of a special circular wrench (red above) that slots into grooves on the bottom of the can. Once that nut is removed, the sheath slides off and the baffle stack is directly accessible. Easy as pie.
An easily to disassemble silencer is probably one of the most important features that new silencer owners look for, and another barrier to entry that Liberty wanted to smash. The ability to clean and maintain their investment and thereby increase the service lifetime is important for a lot of people, and while some experts scoff at take-apart silencers there’s no doubting that they’re what the public wants. I’ve disassembled my fair share of cans, and Liberty’s Mystic-X is damn near the top of the list in terms of ease of maintenance.
While we have the can apart, let’s talk about the baffle stack. AAC and most of the other big names in silencers still use the old “k baffle” design, stacking identical cups on top of each other (and often welding them in place) to make the baffle stack. Liberty disagrees, and has committed to making every one of their silencers using a monocore design (a solid chunk of milled metal). Not only does it result in a more durable design, but it makes for a much easier to maintain silencer as well. There is one drawback, namely a more pronounced first round “pop” when using the can. Once the oxygen in the can has been exhausted, though, it works just as well as everything else. And they’re working on fixing the first round pop issue as well.
Part of that disassembly process is removing the adapter at the end of the silencer, a $95 part that can be replaced with any number of alternative threadings and mounts. There are adapters available for everything from boring old 1/2×28 through Uzi and H&K 3-lug mounts, all on the website available for sale. The best results come with direct thread adapters though.
The can is only guaranteed to shoot up to subsonic .308 ammunition, but thanks to the improved internal design it’s capable of much more. “We know people are going to push the limits, so we decided to be conservative with the calibers we listed” says David Saylors, owner of Liberty Suppressors. He told me of one event he went to where they slapped a Mystic-X on the end of a short barreled 7.62×39 AK-47 and loaded up a 75 round drum magazine. Apparently the silencer continued to work flawlessly as the materials heated up, but the can eventually turned cherry red and then the Cerakote finish literally burned off. Not something you’d want to do to your own NFA device, but it’s good to know that the product is capable of much more than “normal usage” will put it through.
So what we have is a silencer that is rated for an insane number of calibers, that is easy to take apart and maintain, and looks damn spiffy to boot. That’s all well and good, but the real question is how well the can works in the real world. To get an answer we flew down to Georgia to meet with the folks from Liberty Suppressors and test out their gear. As for how it went, well, you be the judge.
We tested the four main calibers people will use this can with, namely .22lr on rifles and handguns, 9mm, 300 BLK, and 5.56 NATO. In every case, the result was a shooting experience on par with anything else currently on the market today. Every round was hearing safe, and while the suppression with the larger calibers wasn’t as drastic as with a dedicated silencer it was still sufficient for anything from target shooting to hunting. In other words, it’s a true jack of all trades.
The last hurdle people have for silencers is often the biggest: the price. Cans can be expensive, but Liberty Suppressors prices their products extremely competitively. For example, the Advanced Armament Ti-Rant 9mm (which is a competing 9mm pistol silencer that still uses individual K baffles and is a pain to take apart) is priced at $850. The Liberty Mystic-X, which is rated for an order of magnitude more calibers including supersonic .300 BLK which the Ti-Rant can’t do, is priced at $799. It’s not a huge difference in price, but given the vastly improved utility it’s significant enough to get people to pay attention.
My standard recommendation for people looking to buy their first silencer used to be AAC’s 762-SDN-6. It’s a great rifle can, but the quick attach system wears out quickly and it can’t do rimfire calibers. Having spent some time with the Liberty Mystic-X, I think I’ve found a new go-to recommendation for new can owners. Liberty set out to make a product that would meet and exceed the needs of a first time owner, and I think they blew it out of the water.
Liberty Mystic-X
Length: 8″
Weight: 10.5oz
Diameter: 1.375″
MSRP: $799
Ratings (out of 5):Â
Sound Suppression: * * * *
The first round pop is still a problem, but it’s not a deal breaker. Due to the nature of the silencer’s design it isn’t the ideal can for things like .300 BLK and 5.56, but it does the job well enough.
Build Quality: * * * * *
I’ve got no complaints about the quality of their product. The mounts feel chunky and solid, and the tube itself seems durable enough for years of use in the field.
Ease of Use: * * * * *
Screw on, screw off. Cleaning is a snap too.
Overall Rating: * * * * *
If you’re a first time silencer owner, this is the can to get. Even if you own other silencers, it’s still worth a look as an every-day utility can.
Until the price of those things come down they can just keep em. In Europe they’re cheap and easy to get. So wrong.
I’m tired of this argument about how much better Europe is. Ever tried getting a handgun in Europe? We have the best of both worlds–guns, ammo, and suppressors. The grass ain’t greener over there. It’s like if you owned 50,000 acres of land and you’re complaining because your neighbor has natural manure fertilizer from a pet chicken. Good grief. As somebody who does own a suppressor, I don’t want them to be ubiquitous where anybody can own them. Criminals would put them to nefarious uses just like back in the 20’s and 30’s.
Just like they already do with pistols, right?
Because a criminal can use something nefariously means no one can have them at all?
Gee, why doesn’t that sound familiar?
What’s the matter Dave? Did your wife burn your toast this morning?
Nefarious uses? Do you have a source for that?
Nefarious uses? Somebody has been watching too much 007.
To be honest I wouldn’t want to shoot someone without a suppressor, then again I have sensitive ears.
Back off track though, for nefarious purposes (robbery&murder) I would use a hand grenade and a hammer respectively. Nobody is going to tackle a guy that holds a grenade with the pin pulled, if they did he would drop it, spoon would fall off, fuse would be activated and they would blow themselves up with the BG (you in this case). Hammer because it is easy to hide, easy to get, easy to dispose and because it can kill easily.
Suppressors are non-regulated in South Africa and costs about $200-300 for top-end models like Ase Utra, Danish GunTech, etc. Then you get all sorts of crappy “inferior” cheapy models too which are far more common.
Add to that South Africa’s astronomical crime rate.
Add to that the hundreds of METRIC tons of “struggle era” firearms still unaccounted for.
Add to that the mindblowing amount of firearms supposedly “lost” by the military and police here, or stolen from them.
Yet, I’ve yet to hear of a gun-related crime to be committed with a suppressor here.
People that think that suppressors add (significantly) to crime, watch too many movies and are simply looking for just another reason to limit legal firearm ownership.
Stupid question: Do you have any experience with Ase Utra suppressors? Also I am interested in the BR Tuote ones (the T8 Scout and the AK version). I am particularily interested in the .22 LR one.
I am in Norway, and I can get them but nobody has any reviews or comparisons so I have to ask other people.
$1000.00 ($800 +Stamp) for a metal can is ridiculous. The fact that you can purchase them in Europe for far cheaper simply proves that we are paying a premium because of how the Govt. regulates…
You’re assertion is flawed, sir. Equipment/technology that makes firearms safer and more enjoyable is exactly what we need to flood the free market. More acceptance of Suppressors contributes to more mainstream acceptance of firearms and a greater protection of our RKBA.
The NFA is dumb , yes; but you can’t compare some of the cheap aluminum euro cans to something like the mystic. The only premium you are paying over a European is essentially the tax stamp. You might as well compare combloc steel-case ammo to Federal match.
America is producing some outstanding suppressors on a whole. Sig hiring Kevin Brittingham is proof enough.
I just bought a Gemtech 5.56 can for my M4. $600 plus $200 for the tax stamp. It’s always $200 for the stamp, whether it’s for a can or a select fire weapon.
Not all NFA items are a $200 tax stamp. Transfer on an AOW is a $5 tax.
Did you try running it wet for the first shot?
It does work wet, and running a wet can does reduce the first round pop. But for the video and testing, I wanted to see it working dry.
I’ve run mine wet and it works as you’d expect. From behind the gun, though, shooting 9mm or .22 LR, the difference is pretty minimal. On my SP-01 with subsonic 9mm ammo it literally sounds like a spring-powered staple gun. For the shooter it is absolutely no louder than just manually racking the slide. Absolutely ridiculous how quiet it is.
Now, why does the oxygen in the can create that first round pop? I’ve never heard of that before.
My bet is that the pop is due to the deflagration of unburned propellant gases igniting in the chambers. Once you fire the first round, the exhaust gases will displace any oxygen.
Ah, that would make sense. Thanks!
Secondary combustion (oxidation) of unburned constituents, mostly graphite (static electricity dissipation agent) and DNT (burning rate control agent) which are universal smokeless powder coatings. These constituents only oxidize inside suppressor cans and elevate pressures when surplus oxygen is present. Nitrocellulose does not generate enough surplus oxygen to oxidize these surface coatings in a firearm barrel.
But doesn’t gunpowder supply its own oxidizer? Isn’t that why you can shoot a Glock brand Glock underwater?
The oxygen in the baffles allows the powder to burn more than the oxidizer alone.
I assume that’s why running it wet usually helps with the first round pop?
Thanks for the excellent review. If you don’t recommend this one for a 5.56 rifle, which one do you recommend? AAC’s 762-SDN-6?
Actually it’s rated for 5.56 out of a 16in barrel, and there’s a video of Brent from Liberty running a 16in PWS where he states it’s one the best setups he’s run as there was a distinct lack of gas being thrown back in his face.
Liberty has other rifle cans that you might want to look at. I’m starting to agree with the Liberty guys that direct thread is the way to go as opposed to quick attach, so AAC’s cans may be starting to slide off the list.
The 762-SDN-6 is still a great silencer if you want something you can put on multiple different rifle hosts, just be aware of the limitations.
FYI I’ve had a Mystic for almost two years now and love it. I’ve probably put 500 of .223/5.56 through it plus a couple thousand rounds of 9mm, a couple thousand rounds of .22 LR, and a few hundred .300 BLK through it. It absolutely rocks. The quietest 9mm can anywhere and couldn’t be quieter on .22 LR either. 5.56 is comparable to anything else but obviously it’s larger than some dedicated 5.56 cans and you aren’t supposed to shoot at a high rate of fire through it. VERY happy with it.
Also worth noting, the review here makes it sound like the original Mystic wasn’t rated for many calibers, but it was. All of the same calibers and the same exceptions as the Mystic-X. The X is supposed to be ever so slightly stronger inside while also being slightly lighter, but the original was rated for .300 BLK full auto (in supersonic and sub), 9mm full auto, 5.56 from a 16″ barrel, 7.62×39, .308 and other normally full-power rifle calibers as long as they’re subsonic, etc etc. Nothing changed about the accepted caliber list as far as I can tell.
Thanks for clarifying that.
For me, the price is no problem, although 800 bucks seems a lot for what is basically a muffler. The waiting time is the problem. I live in a retirement community, and we don’t even buy green bananas.
I hear you. Just turned 61 and found this as my new hobby. Waiting time is so unnecessary.
to clarify about the recommendation request for a 5.56: It is for a16 inch LaRue obr with suppressor. The review above mentions a loud first fire, and I’d prefer not to have that and price is a secondary condition to quality and function. thanks in advance for your suggestion(s).
First round pop is generally a function of the suppressor’s total interior volume and, secondarily, its ability to prevent new oxygen from getting into it after you’ve purged it by firing off a shot. There are some very small 5.56 cans with bores barely larger than 5.56mm so they ‘sweep’ the bullet more effectively. You’ll get less FRP in a case like this, for both reasons. BUT… you might find that every single shot is still louder than a larger can. Even the FRP in a larger can could be quieter than the normal (purged) volume of a small can. And then it should get even quieter from there. You’ll want to compare dB stats for various models.
In my couple years of experience with the Liberty Mystic, I have not found FRP to be very noticeable. In some cases I can tell the difference but I haven’t found it to be particularly pronounced, and in some cases I can’t tell.
Plus, if it’s a really big deal for you, you can always run the suppressor wet by putting a little bit of water in there or ultrasound gel or whatever. That makes it even quieter than running it dry and typically eliminates FRP completely.
I should also mention that I don’t actually think a 5.56-specific can is a particularly good choice for a first suppressor. Everyone who I have seen shoot an AR-15 with a suppressor on it for the first time was SHOCKED how loud it is. Even the best cans on the market don’t make it quiet. Even on an AR-15 like my piston one where you can turn off the gas system so the action stays shut the entire time. The bullet going supersonic is freaking loud. Take out ALL of the gunshot noise and you still have a really, really loud CRACK!!! as the supersonic projectile travels downrange. Basically, at my local NFA dealer I’ve seen a few different folks lamenting their decision to go 5.56 can first because they didn’t realize it wouldn’t be quiet. They all still shoot with ear protection. It isn’t the “suppressor experience” they thought they were signing up for. This is where the Mystic really, really excels. For a single wait period and single $200 tax stamp you can get one of the quietest cans on the market for nearly every single caliber it’s rated for.
…if you do get a 5.56 can, don’t forget that you can thread it on a .22 LR with a fixed barrel and with subsonic .22s it should sound like snapping your fingers…
thanks very much for your reply. I appreciate that helpful info as I consider the direction to take and your recommendations founded on experience are taken seriously.
I can’t wait for that happy time when my state will make it legal to actually own a suppressor.
I hate Delaware sometimes. For a lot of other gun laws it isn’t bad, but this one is horrible.
What the hell?
It does 9mm, and lots of other calibers, but not .45???? Well, that sucks. Wonder why? if it supported .45, I’d probably order one.
Physically it can’t be used on anything with a projectile larger than 9mm in diameter because that’s what its bore is sized for. It is technically a 9mm can that’s just overbuilt.
Why not make the bore large enough to clear a .45 projectile? No actual idea. Random guessing would be that it was too hard to make baffles sturdy enough to handle high pressure cartridges without making the entire suppressor awkwardly large and heavy for use on pistols. And/or maybe that larger diameter bore allows too much gas to get through when shooting smaller calibers like 9mm and .30 cal stuff and .223, etc. Considering there’s a >9mm hole down the middle of the current Mystic, it’s surprisingly quiet on .22 LR, .300 BLK, 5.56, etc. Maybe that wouldn’t be the case if the hole was >.45″ and significantly more gas, pressure, and noise would go right out the front of the can.
I’d definitely still like a can that I can use on a .45 ACP pistol or carbine and also use on a .44 Magnum carbine. I’m interested in doing that and loading up extremely heavy, subsonic .44 Mag rounds. You could put a lot of energy on target with 330 grain or heavier projectiles at 1,050 fps.
The answer is obvious….anything larger than 9mm is unneeded.
Why not get one anyway AND pick up a .45 can like the Liberty Miranda or Silencerco Octane? The mystic is a 9mm can that plays a multi-caliber role. Seriously, buy one and you won’t be nitpicking.
Devil’s advocate: the Mystic-X is not really a very good rifle can. Using the “buy another” logic, you’d be better off skipping the Mystic-X entirely and just buying a 45cal pistol can and a 7.62 rifle can. Yeah, you wouldn’t be covering rimfire very well, but rimfire suppressors are cheap anyways.
Now, if it could handle _ALL_ my pistol and rimfire needs, at least that would be a selling point. Any rifle usage would be a bonus.
This looks like a good kit for me to start with. I think I’ll start my trust next month and then save up for a can next year. My favorite range can hold my can until the paperwork comes back so I can use it as needed. I really don’t want a million cans laying around so being able to swap between calibers would be nice. I of course would want a couple more in the future for weapons where they won’t be coming off except for cleaning.
IMO a suppressor should suppress sound. Not just a little, but a LOT!
SO I haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet.
When they develop a can that kills 80 to 85% of the noise then maybe …
Why haven’t they done that. It’s easy, no one does anything that doesn’t have a big return. It’s easy to get rich just mimicking the tried and true. It’s hard to get rich as an innovator. But if you develop something that actually works, then the rewards will be commensurate. So lets get some real engineers on this issue and make yourselves some real money!
It may even work in other applications.
They have. This one will do that on subsonic 9mm, .22 LR, and other calibers. Particularly from behind the gun, the sound of the gunshot in those instance is literally not louder than the sound of racking the action. You have to realize that there’s a decent volume level involved in just slamming the slide of a pistol rearward and then forward back into battery. 147 grain 9mm through my Mystic is no louder than that.
From behind my bolt action .22 LR it is not louder than dry firing. It’s ridiculous. The thump of the .22 LR hitting a tree or water 50 yards downrange is significantly louder than the shot itself.
There’s also a lot that’s outside of the suppressor’s control. For instance, a semi-automatic firearm has an action that opens, and plenty of pressure, gas, and noise will escape through that. Even if the suppressor was so very effective that NO sound came out the other end of it, you’d still have loud noise coming out of the action. Plus the action itself. Plus the bullet flying downrange. If it’s a supersonic projectile, it makes a sonic boom. Any dB rating you see for a suppressor that isn’t shooting subsonic ammo is going to be including a whole ton of volume just from the sonic boom. It’s really freaking loud and there’s nothing a suppressor can do about that.
Giving percentages to dB reductions is difficult. Percentages are linear and the dB scale is logarithmic. Suppressed 9mm is often 124 dB. Unsuppressed maybe 164 dB. That difference of 40 dB makes the unsuppressed sound 10,000 times louder than the suppressed sound. It’s really hard to intuit when you look at dB numbers. You may see one thing rated at 160 and one rated at 170 and think they’re really close (160 to 170 is a 6.25% increase on raw numbers) but it’s ten times louder (aka 1,000% louder).
It sounds like SOMEONE has never shot a .22 with a good suppressor before. I have a PWS action with a Thompson Machine Operative and the hammer is as loud or louder than the shot report. You can try and make it quieter, sure, but you it wouldn’t make much of a difference.
I suggest you find out when Liberty is doing a demo shoot near you. Try out their toys and have fun. The .300 BLK/Whisper/Fireball/Silversstealsstuff/300-221 offerings Liberty has (Leonidas and Mjolnir) will make you giggle.
Demos are fun. And Brent (see guy in picture above) and David are good people.
They are good folks. A demo made me reallocate funds set aside for an SBR build to get a Leo. That thing is too cool and I love integrals.
Sense of entitlement much??
“Everyone agrees that silencers are awesome, and make the shooting experience way more enjoyable.”
Nope. I hate cans. They are too hot, gases back in your face, and they really aren’t quiet enough to make them worth a damn IMHO. I like noises. Lots of noises and loud ones.
Maybe this post should have been a yin-yang review with the Loudener
http://snakehoundmachine.com/2013/07/22/i-give-you-the-loudener/
What is your rankings for a .300 blackout suppressor?
I also want a can for a 9mm pistol, but it isn’t my top priority.
I’m not opposed buying two to accomplish what I need, but having 2-in-1 is nice.
Would the fix for the first round pop most likely mean buying a new can, or just an upgrade?
Thanks,
Jake
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