Firearms technology is constantly evolving. Companies that ignore the adage “innovate or die,” rarely remain relevant, if they survive at all.
Suppressor companies, as a subset of the firearms industry, face the same challenge. As suppressors grow more popular, companies must stay on or near the leading edge to compete. On a recent visit to SilencerCo, we saw what that company is doing not only to stay on the edge, but to drive it forward.
We spent time recently with SilencerCo Founder and CEO Jonathan Shults, Public Relations Specialist Shauna Young, and Marketing guys Caleb Gosnell and Cody Wootton. Along the way, we saw how SilencerCo is revamping its production facility and processes, looked at some new products, and did some live fire on the company’s indoor test range.
Changing For the Better
We were a bit surprised when Shults himself conducted the facility tour, but who better to brief us on everything that’s happening? Being an engineer, the focus quickly turned to SilencerCo’s investments in automation.
Tedious jobs like sorting are being phased out. Robots now do that. But before you decry the employee losing his job, that’s not how it works. Not at SilencerCo, anyway.
The robots replace a human doing a mundane job, but that human is now trained to oversee the robot, making certain it’s performing as intended. Shults told us that “By introducing higher levels of automation…we are creating greater efficiency for our company and more enjoyable jobs for our employees.” Shults wants the automation to allow his people “to spend more time on creative and high-level tasks.”
Shults also noted that “Time is time. Time is not money.” When we asked what he meant by that, he responded that “You cannot put a price tag on time. It has so much more value than any amount someone can pay you. These new automations will give that valuable time back to our employees and our company, freeing up the space to focus on growth and innovation.”
Shults stressed that no one has lost their job to a machine at SilencerCo, nor will they. We expect that such investments, coupled with the right motivation, greatly benefit employee morale. And we know that happy employees do superior work. Sounds like a winning formula.
New and Better Products
The new robots and machine tools have given the company the time and incentive to examine how and why top-quality machines perform well. Company engineers have begun building their own machine tools tailored for their products. In the process, they gain insights into how future products can and should be designed to maximize the machines’ capabilities, opening up new innovative avenues.
One of those new products is the Velos Low Back Pressure suppressor designed specifically for the 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington cartridges. Shults told us the Velos LBP is the most durable suppressor SilencerCo has ever built.
When we pressed him on that claim, he enthusiastically told us about the new patented Hoplon Blast Baffle, which deflects debris and is specially designed to extend the suppressor’s life, even on short-barreled rifles and with fully automatic fire.
But that’s not the Velos’ only innovation. The 3D printed Inconel 625 core is fully welded to the 17-4 stainless steel front and rear modules using a unique manufacturing process that we aren’t qualified to describe. Suffice it to say that’s pretty awesome, as we found out when we shot it later that day. Plus, the V-Series Cerakote means the finish will hold up for a long time. But let’s take a look at the specs:
SilencerCo Velos Low Back Pressure Suppressor
- Length: 5.98 inches
- Weight: 15.2 ounces
- Decibels at the Muzzle: 137.1 dB
- Caliber: 5.56 NATO/.223 Remington
- Full Auto Rated
- No Barrel Length Restrictions
- 17-4 Stainless Steel with a 3D Printed Inconel Core
- Finish: V-Series Cerakote (Black)
- Compatible with SilencerCo Charlie Accessories
The Velos LBP suppressor ships with the brand-new Charlie Flash Hider Front Cap, Charlie ASR Mount, ASR Flash Hider in ½ x 28, spanner wrench, and Charlie Tool.
We were able to try out the Velos LBP on several platforms at the indoor range. It was a real pleasure to shoot. Being indoors, we used ear pro, but it was still noticeably quiet. It almost seems wimpy to say it tamed the recoil a bit, being it was 5.56, but it did. And the gas was reduced too, as one would expect from the name. When we coupled it with the SilencerCo Gas Defeating Charging Handle, there seemed to be no gas at all.
The Velos was fun all around but, unsurprisingly, we enjoyed the FightLite Industries Dual Feed AR the most. Seriously, what’s not to like about that combo? That the range time was the highlight of the day should not shock anyone either. It was a good time. If you’re looking for a dedicated suppressor for your AR-15, you might want to give the Velos LBP a hard look.
The Dogs
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the good boys and girls that we saw around the SilencerCo facility. Seriously. The company encourages their employees to bring their dogs to work. Talk about a morale booster.
They weren’t on the range, for obvious reasons, but we saw them in the offices, hallways, and even the production floor, which isn’t particularly loud. It just made everything better. Shults said, enthusiastically, that “Our dogs are really part of our team!
Doing Everything at Home
By “at home,” we mean that SilencerCo sources almost all their materials from the United States and is “working toward having everything 100 percent sourced in America,” according to Shults. “We want our business to support Americans on all levels: through the products that we sell and through the methods these products are made.”
The company is also as vertically integrated as it can be, doing all the manufacturing work in-house, the only suppressor company to do so. Shults told us that was important to him because it brings jobs to the people of Utah while giving the company “the ability to control our products and thereby ensures that customers are receiving the very best that we can produce.”
Those attitudes aren’t just lip service. Both times we’ve visited SilencerCo we’ve noticed the huge American flag hanging prominently above the production floor. Monthly “all hands” meetings are held under the flags, with each meeting opening with the Pledge of Allegiance.” Good stuff.
Quality Service
Shults also emphasized the importance of customer service. After all, a company that doesn’t support its products and its customers won’t stay around long. The SilencerCo warranty department is also in-house and Shults says they usually turn warranty work around in 48 hours. He takes his company’s warranty so seriously that he laughingly told us that SilencerCo would even “fix stupid once.” We liked that.
Of course, in a perfect world, warranties would be unnecessary and we’ve heard folks disparage companies who offer them by saying they shouldn’t have to do so. But that’s just unrealistic and such bombastic comments aren’t helpful. The fact that good companies support their products is encouraging.
Looking Ahead
Shults’ enthusiasm for SilencerCo’s direction is contagious. But it wasn’t just him. The other folks we interacted with had the same energy. The employees on the production floor were focused and quite friendly when we asked them questions. Now, you could say that was because the boss was right there with us, but we should note that the boss was on an easy first name basis with everyone too. That’s a good sign.
That SilencerCo’s efforts to improve the experience and skills of their workers is a good thing seems unarguable. Happy employees take pride in their work and everyone benefits, including the end user of SilencerCo products.
A firearms instructor once told us to buy and use products from companies “who give a damn about their customers.” It looks like Shults is fostering that kind of environment at SilencerCo. The company started fifteen years ago in a garage. Now it’s an industry leader. They must be doing something right.
William “Bucky” Lawson is a self-described “typical Appalachian-American gun enthusiast.” He is a military historian specializing in World War II and has written a few things, as he says, “here and there.”
This article originally appeared at Breach Bang Clear and is reprinted here with permission.
Decibels at the Muzzle: 137.1 dB?
Is that referring to the rifle muzzle or the suppressor exit?
“noticeably quiet” by how much compared to….? Whats the suppressor reduction in dB? The SilencerCo web site doesn’t give it for the Velos LBP (Low Back-Pressure) suppressor. The SilencerCo web site also doesn’t give a “Decibels at the Muzzle:’ thing, where does this come from?
Those who fail to obsolete their current best offering by advancement, are doomed to obsolescence themselves.
Money is a replenishable resource; Heartbeats….NOT.
Wake me up when suppressors are allowed here in CA for us plebes. Heck, just being allowed to have a threaded barrel would toast my almonds…
If you’re waiting for someone to tell you, you’re obviously not leading the revolution.
The problem is that neither online retailers nor brick-and-mortar LGS will sell them to California residents for fear of CADOJ.
There are other workarounds for other issues, but this one isn’t easily solved.
He means, what actions are you personally doing to see that change happen? As in, are you helping to finance legal challenges?
I Haz a Question,
Wake ME up when suppressors do not require a $200 tax stamp, do not involve an 11-month wait, and cost HALF the price of the rifle where I will install it (rather than costing more than the price of the rifle where I will install it).
After the last three years, it should be obvious that sourcing from within the United States, or at least North America, is more reliable than sourcing from overseas. The more complex a supply chain, the more vulnerable it is to disruption. Combine that with just-in-time parts inventory and you need to fill an inside straight every day to stay in business.
One of the contributions of warranty work is that it shows you where you have problems with your product. That assumes you don’t mindlessly ship out a replacement and throw away the defective item without looking to see why it failed.
Truly a standup company. The comment about “fixing stupid once” is no joke. They fixed my .556 Saker K after a user-induced baffle strike free of charge and without any pushback. They’ve earned my business for life.
Come now, companies spending millions NOT to replace the human labor.
That makes me skeptical of any other claims.
It’s funny how with the implementation of 1.93 risers how our sight picture has changed, along with our stance in small ways. Used to be taught to shoulder the gun entirely. The whole stock. Now with the right amount of stance and grip, you don’t even need to. The less you tilt your head the better.
I mean, I remember using my M16 in the same way, but I also had optics mounted on top of that stupid grab handle thing. So only the small portion of the stock was in the shoulder while clearing. Then enters the m4 and things started fucking.
It would be interesting to see a rifle designed for more modern sight picture and tactical use. I’ve seen odd ones that change how your grip is and so on, but they just don’t work for everything else. Like, they would snag on your gear if you ever had to sling and grab something else etc etc. Amazing how much we’ve changed from basic rifle techniques in the past 10 or so years while still essentially using the same platform from the past 70 years. Yea… do you feel old now? lol.
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