Since 5.56 is one of the most common calibers of rifles around, there are hundreds of different suppressors available. Due to the military adopting the M4, the civilian AR-15 was not far behind. The AR-15 is the rifle of the modern day, so as a result, the number of available parts and accessories will make your head spin.
When looking to buy a best 5.56 suppressor, there are a few features to keep in mind.
- Noise Reduction. Obviously, the point of a suppressor is to reduce the noise created by your firearm. However, different suppressors offer different levels of noise reduction.
- Durability. What the suppressor is made from and coated with will affect how durable it is. Corrosion resistance and durability become more important dependent on the specific use for the weapon.
- Size. The length and weight of the suppressor are factors to consider, especially if you are going to be carrying the suppressed rifle over any distance.
- Price. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but suppressors are expensive. Factoring in the price when you are looking to buy a suppressor will be important to most people.
As previously mentioned, identifying your specific use for the rifle will help to select which factors are the most important.
If you are hoping to hunt with your suppressed rifle, you need to keep in mind the durability and the weight. Hunting inherently exposes the rifle to the elements, so you need to make sure that the suppressor is resistant to corrosion.
If you are just doing general shooting, noise reduction and price are probably your biggest factors. Identifying your use will go a long way in helping you pick the perfect suppressor.
If you’re searching for the perfect 5.56 suppressor, look no further than this article. We will go over the best 5.56 suppressors based on pros, cons, and pricing. We will make recommendations for each type of weapon user.
Top Five Suppressors
Suppressor | Top Feature | Price |
|---|---|---|
Noise Reduction | ||
Durability | ||
Bang for your buck | ||
Lightweight | ||
Quality |
The SR5 from Advanced Armament is an extremely high quality suppressor. It measures 6.7 inches long, weighs 17.5 ounces, and is made of Inconel 718. What sets this suppressor apart from the pack is the amount of noise reduction it is capable of. Dependent on the specific round and weapon used, you can expect this suppressor to reduce the noise by around 34 decibels. This is without doubt the best on our list, and when paired with a relatively small size, it makes this overall the best 5.56 suppressor.
The other pros, other than the noise reduction, are the fast attach system, the durability, and the accuracy. The fast attach system makes this suppressor a breeze to put on and take off your weapon. It could not be much easier. Even though it is easy to connect the two, the interface between the suppressor and the weapon is nearly seamless, which allows for the weapon to shoot as accurately as ever. As far as durability goes, the Cerakote finish will make this suppressor resistant to the elements. This suppressor is also available at a reasonable price.
The cons of this suppressor are limited mostly to the weight. While it is not the heaviest on this list, it is also not the lightest by any means. While it would work for hunting, there are better options out there.
This would be the best 5.56 suppressor for general shooting and for noise reduction.
Top Features
- Noise reduction. The best in its class. 32-34 decibels of noise reduction is excellent.
- Fast attach system. Easy to learn and use. Install and take off the suppressor in a matter of seconds.
- 90 Tooth Ratchet Taper system. Solid connection between the suppressor and weapon. Suppressor doesn’t shift either way, resulting in accurate shooting.
Next up is the GMT-HALO from Gemtech. Gemtech is well known in the suppressor industry, and they make very high quality products. The GMT-HALO measures 7.2 inches long, weighs 12.2 ounces, and is made from titanium.
The pros of this suppressor are the light weight, durability, and decent sound reduction. Weighing in at only 12.2 ounces, this is the second lightest suppressor on our list. The titanium construction goes a long way in increasing the corrosion resistance of this suppressor, and the Cerakote finish only helps more. In terms of sound reduction, this suppressor reduces the sound by around 30 decibels.
Due to a combination of the durability and the light weight, this is the best 5.56 suppressor for hunting.
The cons of this weapon are mainly the length and the price. It is somewhat expensive, but still reasonably priced for such a high quality piece. Despite the fact that it is really lightweight, this suppressor is also very long. This may be an issue for anyone moving through some brush, as your rifle is more likely to get hung up in brush with a longer suppressor.
Top Features
- Lightweight. One of the lightest on our list, despite having a respectable 30 decibels of sound reduction.
- Durable. Titanium construction paired with a Cerakote finish.
- Quality. Comes along with the Gemtech name.
- Compatible with normal flash hider on standard milspec AR-15.
SilencerCo is another extremely well known suppressor brand. They have been making suppressors for years now, and are well respected in the industry. The Specwar 556 is an overall decent quality suppressor. It measures 7.3 inches long, weighs 19.5 ounces, and is made of stellite and stainless steel. In terms of noise reduction, expect this suppressor to reduce the noise of your rifle by around 25 decibels.
The main pro of this suppressor is the overall bang for your buck. For a reasonable price, you get a solid amount of noise reduction, paired with acceptable durability. All in all, this is a quality product.
The cons of this suppressor are the weight, length, and overall size. While not the longest or the heaviest suppressor on our list, this is an overall somewhat bulky suppressor. This isn’t the best overall suppressor on our list, but it is overall a high quality suppressor from a reputable company.
This suppressor would be best suited for general shooting.
Top Features
- Fast attach system. Patent-pending Active Spring Retention from SilencerCo makes it easy to attach and detach this suppressor.
- Compatibility. Can be mounted to flash hiders and muzzle brakes alike.
- Full auto tested. Excellent for this price point.
- Bang for your buck. Overall, a high quality suppressor at a decent price.
The SRD556 from Sig Sauer is an excellent small suppressor. While Sig Sauer is relatively new to the suppressor market, their quality has followed over. They make some great quality suppressors, and the SRD556 is another great offering. The suppressor measures 6.4 inches long, weighs 11.5 ounces, and is made of Inconel 718.
The pros of this weapon are the size, weight, and price.
As far as cost goes, this is by far the best 5.56 suppressor for the price.
It would be near impossible to beat this price for a 5.56 suppressor. As you can see, the size of this suppressor is extremely small. It is very light and short, so it is another example of one of the best 5.56 suppressors for hunting. The Inconel 718 construction makes this an adequately durable suppressor for hunting as well.
The main con of this weapon is the noise reduction. As to be expected with this significant of a drop in price, this suppressor does not perform as well as the others in terms of noise reduction. However, for such a small and lightweight suppressor, this will certainly be better than nothing for the hunter and casual shooter alike.
Top Features
- Price. Simply put, this price cannot be beat for a 5.56 suppressor.
- Size. The shortest and lightest suppressor on our list. Great for hunting.
- Durability. Another excellent feature for hunting. Inconel 718 is more than acceptable.
- Direct thread Taper-Lok. Easy to use, but also means the suppressor can be used to make a short barrel over 16 inches, to avoid being classified as a short barreled rifle.
Operators Suppressor Systems (OSS) are extremely unique in that their suppressors are baffleless. The Helix suppressor made by them uses their patented Flow-Through technology to reduce the noise. It measures 6.8 inches long, weighs 20.8 ounces, and is made from a combination of durable materials.
The pros of this suppressor are the fact that there are no baffles, the noise reduction, and the overall quality of the suppressor.
Since there are no baffles, that eliminates the need to have to worry about maintaining your suppressor. Suppressors with baffles require regular cleaning and maintenance to continue functioning optimally. This suppressor will work the same at all times, without maintenance. Another pro to having no baffles is the fact that this suppressor will not heat up as much. In terms of noise reduction, this suppressor performs decently well, resulting in 23 decibels of noise reduction.
The cons of this suppressor are the weight and the price. Since this is new technology, it is extremely expensive. We have a feeling that as this technology is improved, the price will be reduced, the weight will be reduced, and the noise reduction will be increased. For now though, some will struggle to pay that much for not as much noise reduction. The primary selling point of this is the baffleless design.
Top Features
- Baffleless design. Patented Flow-Through technology eliminate the need for time consuming maintenance and cleaning and prevents the suppressor from heating up. This new technology will only improve over time.
- Durability. Resistant to corrosion and the elements.
- Comes with a separate mounting device. The suppressor is direct threaded to this muzzle brake.
Conclusion
As you can see, 5.56 suppressors cover a broad spectrum of suppressors. There are very small suppressors that are mainly for mobile use, large suppressors for enhanced noise reduction, and even some brand new suppressor technology represented on this list.
While you are looking to purchase your suppressor, be sure to consider your primary uses for the rifle.
This will help you narrow down which factors are most important to you from a list that may include: price, quality, noise reduction, length, weight, durability, and any other number of factors.
If you are looking for a suppressor to use on a hunting weapon, you can’t go wrong with the Sig Sauer SRD556 or the Gemtech GMT-HALO. Both of these are lightweight and durable. The Gemtech is slightly longer, but does better in terms of noise reduction. It also may be slightly more durable, as it has a Cerakote finish and is made from titanium. If size is your primary concern, the SRD556 will be your best bet.
If you are just a casual shooter, any suppressor on this list will help to protect your hearing. However, if you are looking for the absolute most noise reduction, the Advanced Armament SR5 is the best bet. If you are a casual shooter, but price is your primary concern, the Sig Sauer SRD556 will once again be your best bet.
While there are hundreds of different suppressors to choose from, this list was just a starting point. We hope that our list of best 5.56 suppressors has helped to take some of the guesswork out of the buying process for you, by identifying some quality suppressors and some factors to consider in a suppressor. While there are plenty to choose from, we feel that these are some of the absolute best.
Hate to bug you, but its 1/2×28 TPI … you list 1/2x38tpi above. It’s cool.
Why can’t you use the list of best 7.62 suppressors for the 5,56?