Some things are born in a lab, and others are born on the farm. Stealth Project Suppressors began years ago with small-town barnyard tinkering, and has now merged that benefit of true trial-and-error testing with technological manufacturing. The result is a different approach to suppressors that takes aim at more than just the tactical market, and the user feels the advantage.
As more suppressor manufacturers enter the market, we get to watch the invisible hand at work. Where some products and companies produce products for general use, others choose more specific audiences. The devil’s triangle of lightweight, quiet, and affordable (pick two) gives way in areas where the end user is looking for a more specialized piece. Why carry the weight of a full-auto rated can on a bolt-action hunting rifle?
TECHNOLOGY / DESIGN
Outside of video games, the idea of an aluminum core suppressor will raise eyebrows. In order to gain the weight savings, a different take on the interior came into play. As opposed to a baffle design, Stealth Project uses a single-piece core cut into a helical design, effectively turning the entire suppressor into a blast chamber. This provides a different expansion pattern for gas, reducing initial pressure enough that the 7075 aluminum core handles an occasional 30-round 5.56 mag dump.
Aluminum’s greatest weakness is heat, and more than a few suppressors out there bear the telltale marks of burnt-on fingerprints. That being the case, while their Stealth 5.56 does generously handle the abuse of the occasional rapid-fire session, it never tries to go toe-to-toe with belt-fed capable alternatives. Instead, it reminds the shooter with every pull of the trigger, this isn’t just like the other cans.
As gas expands throughout the suppressor, it speeds up through the mid-section, pulling the gas forward and away from the chamber. This makes for a surprisingly little amount of gas blowback on direct impingement rifles. In full auto, the “Accelerated Gas Technology” kept most of the eye-watering blowback almost completely unnoticeable through the first twenty rounds. In semi, we tested the blowback on IWI Tavors, short barrel AR-15’s, and a Galil, with consistent clear-eyed satisfaction across the board.
The team at the range demonstrated that rifles equipped with their cans didn’t know they were suppressed. When using an adjustable gas block, lighter settings normally designed for suppressors would cause the rifle to short stroke, and the team advised leaving any rifles tuned as if running loud. Truly a set-it and forget-it option, which for those looking at suppressing anything without an adjustable gas system, such as the Tavor, or Ruger Mini-14, this this is a good option.
Keeping their different users in mind, Stealth Project is clear about their two separate lines, one of aluminum core, direct thread suppressors, and another made out of titanium, with options for direct thread or quick detach. Geared towards hunters, the aluminum series comes in .22 rimfire, 5.56 NATO, .308, and their Magnum with a bore calibrated for .338 Lapua. Weighing in at 7.4 oz for the 5.56, and 12 oz for the .308, mounted to a lightweight bolt-action, the setup spoke for itself. With respectable sound suppression, recoil reduction, and generous weight savings, they are beginning to find themselves out in the wilds of the American west, reaching all the way up to Alaska.
Designed to withstand more aggressive, high rate-of-fire use, one of the greatest features of the titanium lineup is the modularity of mounting devices. Sorting out suppressor options means also considering their mounting method, and likely what proprietary muzzle devices one will be limited to. Recognizing this, the QD models can be made compatible through adapters with Dead Air Key-mo, SilencerCo ASR, Plan B, Area 419 and others, provided they have a diameter of 1.5 inches and are threaded in 1.375×24 TPI.
The QD model ships with a proprietary taper mount coupler. Their flash hider and three-port muzzle break are sold separately, an option to be appreciated. At the range we swapped out a proprietary coupler for a Dead Air KeyMo adapter, with no change in performance. With a Sandman-S already waiting in purgatory, the Stealth-Ti QD 5.56 could augment choices between 5.56 and .308.
We’ve all seen how suppressors age. New, sleek, and matte out of the box, their Cerakote boldly endures the heat of repeated use, but pretty soon the lines begin to show. Discoloration is normal for most suppressors. Stealth Project’s QD line, however, is putting out something new. Available in Nickel-Boron, and not the same NiB seen on many bolt carriers, but a matte gray finish, the testing so far has shown promise at retaining color, corrosion resistance, and coating integrity over time.
First Verdict
An introduction of a suppressor cannot be complete without mention of the decibel range and first-shot flash, right? Not this time. Their stat sheets are comparable to big names like SilencerCo, and both behind the gun experience and range testimonies agree that there’s no gimmick here. All Stealth Project suppressors can be disassembled by the user if desired.
The suppressor market boom is not over, and as more and more Americans seek to protect their hearing, so follows more new ideas and sub-markets. Stealth Project certainly aims to fill the niche of hunters who are more interested in keeping their platform light weight instead of having the ability to rapidly dump rounds at the range. At the same time, the helical design shows its true colors when dealing with gas blowback as well as compatibility with less manipulatable gas systems. With the original design dating back to 2003, don’t let Stealth Project fool you into thinking it’s just the new kid on the block.
The best place to order from Stealth Project is from their website, and products are beginning to show up in brick-and-mortar stores across the United States.
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