Suppressor Science: Pistons

[@Britishshooter]

Anybody else amazed by the amount of movement in frame of the Glock near the muzzle at 5.56 mins?

[@patjoslin4087]

Holy shit that is crazy. I never knew that was supposed to happen?

[@max3835]

This is why polymer frames Glocks and other such pistols are much more durable than alloy framed pistols. Alloy frames can experience stress fracture after several thousand rounds.

[@castloader1715]

Yes, that surprised me too

[@christopherfruth5744]

Yes!!

[@angrybiker1]

I noticed that too almost looks like it’s coming apart!

[@octavianyoung5843]

That was probably one of the most professional fun videos I’ve ever seen with just the right mix of humour thrown in. Very informative and easy to understand.

[@SilencerCo]

Thanks for stopping by and checking it out!

[@sinankeskin3398]

@@SilencerCo hi What is your healthy way with piston or without piston?

[@qx4n9e1xp]

I had no idea wtf a piston was, or why I had to buy it, but now, I understand. The slow-mo really helped! Thanks guys!

[@SilencerCo]

Of course! Thanks for stopping by and checking it out!

[@mbolu349]

HUGE help! I’m very new to the suppressor community and had no idea why I needed a booster/piston assembly for my handgun. My first instinct was that the guy at the store was just selling me crap I didn’t really need, but who am I to question the guy that deals with these things every day? Now I fully understand the physics behind WHY I need it. Thanks so much!! Now I just need to learn how to be more patient with the ATF’s approval process! 😂😂

[@gle3105]

Wow! The bottom frame movement at the rail upon cycling. Incredible video.

[@bdog3869]

The slow motion capability of the high speed camera and your explanation just saved me from making a mistake in my order of a suppressor. And your explanation was enjoyable. Thanks a bunch.

[@SavageOutlaw17]

Now I understand this so much better! I can more confidently choose the proper equipment I’ll need when I get my first suppressor soon.

[@NickTanner1]

Thank you for this excellent explanation. This is exactly the information I was looking for to understand the additional parts I needed.

[@dolphinprincessrox2]

Thank you for making a helpful video describing not only why you have a piston, but the actual physics of why. This has really helped me understand suppressors as a whole. Thanks again.

[@SilencerCo]

Happy help! Thanks for stopping by and checking out the video.

[@Paladin1873]

I tell people the booster/Nielsen device/piston allows the suppressor to float momentarily, freeing its mass from the barrel and slide just long enough for them to unlock properly and cycle the action.

[@SilencerCo]

That's a very accurate summary.

[@bikefreek]

@@SilencerCo Its actually not, from a physics standpoint the pressure in the can is driving the barrel to the rear adding force to help the pistol cycle. It does not simply "decouple". Using terminology like "float" and decouple" denotes a passivity to what's going on. The pressure generated in the can and against the inside of the case actively push the can and barrel/slide away from each other aiding in cycling. That's why terminology such as "piston" and "booster" are used. Everyone assumes because the piston doesnt have a surface to act on that gas pressure isnt at play here. the reality is once screwed onto the barrel the breach face/case become the surface the gas pressure acts on. Boosters effectively turn a recoil impulse operated system into a gas operated one.

[@relevation0]

@@bikefreek and that is how you complicate a simple summary 😂

[@bradskis81]

@@bikefreek Well then by that logic, you shouldn’t need the booster assembly at all. In fact, it should cycle better without the piston assembly then. If it’s the pressure in the can exerting force rearward against the casing and breech face, forcing the slide rearward, you’d have more pressure to assure cycling. But that’s not the case. It does in fact, de-couple the system. Kind of like a suspension strut on a car where the barrel/ piston would be the wheel and the car, the slide. The wheel is free to move independently from the car in one axis momentarily but also structurally supported in different axis. After the round leaves the muzzle, both the the slide and barrel move rearward together momentarily until they separate and the slide continues on its own while the barrel remains. Without a piston the force of the gasses rearward against the shell casing would have to move the weight of the barrel, suppressor and slide all rearward until it hit the locking block, then there would have to be enough momentum left in the slide to travel rearwards fully to properly cycle the next round. Some is also dissipated into the frame via the barrel hitting the locking block. On typical handgun cartridges, there’s just not enough initial force created to force all that mass rearward and have enough left over for the slide itself to continue fully rearward. I suppose if you had a hot enough round to create enough rearward force initially, it might work, but at the expense of lots of wear and tear on the other parts. It would be like driving a vehicle with no suspension and the wheel hubs directly mounted to the frame. It’s pretty much like a suspension for your barrel.

[@bikefreek]

@@bradskis81 The pressure in the can cant push the breach to the rear without a booster... think of it this way, The case, barrel and booster "piston" are the piston and piston rod of a pneumatic cylinder. The can is outer tube. When the gasses pressurize the inside of the barrel and can the barrel is forced rearwards.... that force aides cycling. Why do you think terms like "piston" and booster" are used for them? It is NOT a passive system to simply allow the gun to cycle. It actively adds force to drive the slide and barrel back.

[@dluap75]

You guys make great videos.

[@SilencerCo]

We appreciate you stopping by and checking it out!

[@BarnDoor-won5ve]

I just learned something new today. Had no idea there was a difference between rifle and pistol suppressors. So essentially it sorta free floats-ish the can around the barrel so the can remains stationary so the barrel can cam and tilt like and move it's supposed to for timing's sake.👍🏻

[@SilencerCo]

Pistol suppressors use a piston that allows for properly cycling. The piston has a spring on it that engages during recoil allowing the barrel/piston to move independently from the suppressor itself.

[@alvintarrer6914]

in depth view of mechanics of the silencer, additional interchangeable parts. awsome view

[@guyurbina2839]

Thanks for explaining the piston, that helps me a lot understanding the need for one.

[@TheKCaryer]

Hello from Pasco County, FL. Thank you for the excellent educational video. Well done.

[@XrayMike17plus1]

LOL, good mix of fun and facts. Love how high-speed photography captures what would otherwise just be 'theory'.

[@700HpVette]

"Here is a NON-NFA Maxim pistol"-BRRRRRRTTTTTT

[@Glocktard]

700HpVette, ya he just slips that in there like it’s no big deal. Omg that needs to be mine.

[@VanillaGorilla0351]

Non-NFA MAXIM .........must.......have

[@BrianJacobson]

Product announcement video disguised as an educational video.

[@mrmactknife]

I don't understand how a suppressed, full auto pistol can be a non-nfa item? Or am I just missing the point of a joke?

[@VanillaGorilla0351]

@@mrmactknife "prototype" allows it in the same vein as the G18. It won't ever be sold in the U.S. but the semi auto version will. I'm sure it's a joke designed to invoke these questions sprinkled with jealousy....it worked.

[@baddadjokes9330]

This was really well produced. Thanks for the information.

[@brettsmith3703]

I want to see a full video on that full auto maxim nine

[@DVEarley1995]

Where can I get one, ha ha. Probable out of my price range

[@whogg0521]

GREAT video. I had no idea of these parts before buying my Suppressors. Even with that, I was struggling to understand how it worked. This was fantastic!

[@chetoflep]

Outstanding informational. This cleared up some questions I had about an Omega 9k with pistol and PDW configurations.

[@ingodwetrust76]

OMG the running to weigh the slide was hilarious! Love that part😆

[@DVEarley1995]

I'd be interested in see a video explaining why some pistols will run with a suppressor out of the box no problem (like my CZ P10c) and others will not (Like my Sig P320c, had to buy fancy expensive recoil spring kit). Sound interesting to you. You guys make really interesting and good videos. Keep it up

[@rondobrondo]

Because the CZ P10C is actually a good gun. It has a heavier slide and heavier spring and so it can handle a lot of suppressors that are a lil heavier than average

[@Mark-bj4um]

Nice job, guys. Thanks for the hi speed video. Beautifully explained. Now I understand.

[@shannondavis6571]

How cool! Man, I love the slow motion video! The first time I’ve been able to actually see the bullet leave the barrel of a gun. The Maxim 9 is badass too.

[@SilencerCo]

Thanks for watching!

[@invictus3598]

Excellent video with a great explanation and technical demonstration on a suppressor's functionality. Thank you!

[@jeffh6686]

well done. thanks for the great explanation on how it all works

[@miraclemax08]

sure is nice to get this information that's backed up with video evidence from an authoritative source - this video pretty much answers all the questions I had about "that other thing" I'd need to get besides the silencer itself

[@ralphietwoshoes]

Interesting video would be either showing the differences in how the back pressure of a suppressor impacts a Direct Impingement rifle vs that of a piston system, or subguns(roller delayed blowback vs blowback). Or maybe even just a larger video surrounding blowback, and how you test it when developing a new suppressor.

[@SilencerCo]

Great topic. We will add this to the growing list!

[@clintmullins8670]

@@SilencerCo 👍

[@JonFrederiksen-m3s]

Good info and excellent with the slo mo. I'd like to the difference between dry and wet firing.

[@easbreid9879]

7:35, I need that in my life

[@AlexanderMachiavelli]

PHENOMENAL VIDEO AND WHAT A JOB THAT WOULD BE TO DO EVERYDAY!

[@jonkegley6274]

Love this series of videos...

[@synonyx]

Best video ever explaining why pistons are important.

[@johnhosstx]

First, your videos demonstrating the mechanics are awesome!!! So many people/companies make claims about products and even if they show how they collected data, none compare to your videos. Great job guys! Now, how about expanding some of your videos to include: a) what happens on fixed barrels, b) with and without boosters, c) PDW/PCC guns, d) DI and gas piston guns? I know you must have a ton of high speed video collected. You probably have a fortune invested in that equipment. Again, great job! PS. I own a couple of your products but maybe did not appreciate the work until now.

[@rondobrondo]

Did you get an answer for this? I'm wondering the same thing, because I wanna know if I can run my piston suppressor that has no options for fixed mounts (currently) on a 9mm carbine with fixed barrel. Logically, based on what I can tell about the physics of it, it's completely fine and probably wouldn't make any real difference or cause any problems at all unless I was firing full auto or something.

[@xochj]

That was super helpful! Thank you for your work!

[@nac4965]

great video! great explanation of why it's important to use a piston on a floating barrel pistol. it looks like the bullet has far cleared the suppressor muzzle before the slide action happens- have you ever seen a baffle strike when adding a fixed suppressor on a floating barrel (sans piston)?

[@supamastafly]

5:59 didn't know polylower where this much sturdy!!!

[@tuckit5833]

Fantastic information Very interesting...the science involved..interesting

[@mmpiforall5913]

At 5:50 flex in the glock polymer frame at the front is surprising! Also shooter holds gun so low in hand he could get 'slide bite'!

[@devilwahalo]

Bro, I came to the comments to say this, and I was going to put that exact time stamp. I can't believe how much it flexes

[@33legion]

Excellent, excellent video. Very informative.

[@Andrew-FKF]

You could see at @6:00 that the guide rod HITS the piston. Does this cause wear? do you need to upgrade to a metal guide rod due to this??!

[@FeralRabbit]

Thanks for the education!!! Very cool.

[@floridamike75]

Neat Prototype! And Reddot on the front, interesting, I like it!!

[@samuelcabe3372]

Good ol Glock frame-flexx... gotta love it.

[@EEDad401]

Outstanding explanation and video!

[@JK-br9lh]

Great videos . The physics make sense for a booster

[@jeffreystroman2811]

Excellent video, thank you for the education. Please can you do a video on the types of approach to managing the gases, cross flow, phase cancellation, turbulence and theory behind the "mouse hole" and "dater hole" with respect to cross flow. I'll be waiting patiently putting off chores until I see the video.

[@TomGun]

When will the non nfa be out?

[@Roger500Magnum]

Thank you for posting this.

[@SAvoltage]

Ive always known why you use "pistons" but this helped understand why. Good video.

[@liedebunker1253]

Excellent analysis! Thank you!

[@x_727pm5]

Great video! Thank you.

[@bf8606]

Perfectly explained. Thanks

[@stephaniek5433]

Great video- answered so many questions

[@jimddksntbs12539]

I wonder what the test results would be like if you install a heavier or lighter recoil spring ?

[@wozboat]

I just bought a Taurus G3 tactical, it came with a lighter spring and it didn't help. I also reload my own bullets. I tried going up to max powder and heavier bullets (147gr) to get more recoil. That didn't work either. I'm now waiting for my piston to come in the mail to go on my Hybrid 46, so my pistol will work.

[@RobertKinne-lh8wn]

Outstanding very informative thank you

[@jeffrystout6222]

Very excellent video, thank-you! I now understand why they are there and what it is they do. (Boosters or Pistons) I know very little about suppressors and the how's and why's so why is it ok to have a .45 caliber suppressor and install a piston with the thread size for a 9mm and shoot 9 through it? Does the suppressor work as well to suppress the sound or not?

[@MrMechudo94]

Thank you so much for this information!

[@EJDoyle-ns4be]

Brilliant. Thanks

[@jsa310]

Excellent video. Now, how to I configure my Omega 9k for a fixed barrel? I have your ASR mount and muzzle break...

[@rkstr9965]

Great slow motion explanation ...

[@kc123photo123]

this was an amazing video!

[@Shadow-ol2ik]

Can't wait for that pistol to hit the market

[@jamesbryan2646]

It's when I really WANT 1 TO

[@TMHonfire102]

I cant believe they discontinued the Octane line that was the best line of silencers for handguns. I hope the still warranty them.

[@SilencerCo]

Not only will we always warranty any product regardless if it gets discontinued or not, but keep your eyes open during shot show.

[@Kurosh389]

It would be great to see the graph Speed versus distance of the slider moved. It would equalize all the three graphs.

[@joshlarkin5022]

Great information.

[@Chris-px2ft]

Hey, cool video you guys nailed it a question I had about going to the fixed barrel! I also sent you guys a e-mail about a month ago asking why my silencer was not silent through my carbine and the answer you gave DID NOT NAIL IT. "1st thing is to try different ammo. JD" a little more detail would have been more helpful!

[@williemaykit7940]

After watching this my question would be, do sub-sonic loads cycle the pistol properly with the silencer installed, or are sub-sonic rounds really only needed for rifle loads? I'm pretty silencer illiterate at the moment. I'm trying to learn more.

[@SilencerCo]

Great question! The vast majority of pistols will cycle just fine when shooting sub sonic ammo through a suppressor. The piston/spring do a very good job of mitigating the extra weight on the barrel. In the event a pistol does not cycle properly a lighter spring can be used on the Guide Rod Assembly.

[@williemaykit7940]

@@SilencerCo thank you!

[@bmssenjoyer]

A video on different baffle profiles and spacing would be interesting.

[@SilencerCo]

Love it.

[@mikeodell5915]

Great video

[@brianwhite6691]

Can you cover what happens if you use a booster setup on a fixed barrel PCC such as a Ruger PCC9 or lever action .357?

[@mrip3078]

This video was an excellent way to show how the piston functions, and how much it affects the slide movement on the graph. I never knew that the piston actually had that much action within the can fitting. Thanks a ton for this. Saved me a lot of headache, I was about to try direct thread on everything. One thing I would like to know, if you run the piston on a fixed barrel, then run the direct thread adapter on the same fixed barrel, same ammo etc, how much difference in dB is there due to the extra volume in the direct thread case?

[@christoney2491]

Very informative. Thank you.

[@jakesnakes5866]

Nice video, I always wondered why pistols need a piston

[@mummel2013]

first video i foulnd, that did exactly what i wanted to see :) thx dude

[@SilencerCo]

Good to hear! Thanks for stopping by and checking it out.

[@garywemmer9342]

Very informative!

[@justkiknit]

look how much that guide rod and frame/rail wiggle in slowmo.. Holy Cow!

[@mikebirky5769]

A very good video, but why isn’t that on the website?? Or even shown on a kiosk at dealers.

[@rahulxsood]

Best video on this subject thank you!!

[@Carolina-Defense-Force]

Nicely done! If u taught this as a class I would sign up lol

[@rikdanielsen1118]

Great video, thanks. Question: if you put a suppressor on a 9mm PCC, do you need the booster?

[@SilencerCo]

You would need to either use a direct thread adapter or replace the spring on the piston with a fixed barrel spacer.

[@Archimedes616]

Answer this for me: The barrel and slide have to move straight back a short distance in tandem as a prerequisite for the pistol to cycle properly, and the dead weight of the silencer could prevent this from happening, correct? It would appear, then, that having just enough room and spring strength to allow the backward-moving barrel to pull the piston back that far while the silencer just hangs there in its own space for a fraction of a second would be all that should be required. So why is the thing engineered to allow the silencer to pull forward against the piston spring as far as it does, and then to snap back? What purpose does that serve?

[@verysmallcats1374]

Practically speaking, there is no difference. The silencer only moves forward like this because as mentioned in the video the internal baffles of the suppressor trap the hot gases exiting the barrel "like wind in a sail" on a sailboat. These gases, moving fast enough to push the bullets out the barrel as quickly as they are, pull the suppressor forward on their own. By allowing this, the spring makes sure the weight of the suppressor doesn't slow down the barrel and slide. Naturally, the suppressor moves forward because the gases push it forward, compressing the spring in the piston more.

[@markletts8802]

Awesome channel...🇬🇧

[@zgu]

are they doing this out in west valley? man i want to visit

[@chemusvandergeek1209]

Fixed barrel 9mm: Walther CCP m2

[@HoosierDynamics]

I need to see this with a full auto Glock. How does it not baffle strike with that much movement if it’s rapid firing. Awesome video

[@jon23211]

extremely helpful thank you

[@charlieghague]

That Maxim is some kind of crazy wizardry.

[@hvyduty1220]

love the video..........................!

[@Salty99]

Are pistons swappable between manufacturers? I've been trying to get a piston from Silencer Central for my Banish 45 can that I ordered back in 11/23. It was supposed to come with one but it never came. Apparently they've been on back order for almost 10 months but it's still listed as available on their website.

[@AJ-ij4cq]

How do you guarantee that the bullet exits the end of the silencer before the barrel/slide unlocks and the barrel tilts upward? Seems like you would get baffle or end cap strikes a lot.

[@wheelstandr]

I keep coming back to this video and trying to find this pistol. Been years and I still cant find one in stock anywhere. Is this still made? I checked your site and it just says out of stock. I swear it said discontinued the last time.

[@mylesharvey6488]

The slide is slowed by the spring also. Is there a ratio to spring weights between the two?

[@BrianJacobson]

When can I buy that unsuppressed Maxim in 45? (I already have an Osprey 45k) Seriously take my money.

[@MrGsteele]

Your graph showed velocity against time, with the velocity on the Y axis and time on the X axis. I think it would be interesting to see a graph of distance (slide distance traveled rearward) over time - i.e. the derivative of velocity, with distance shown on the Y axis, and time on the X axis. That way, the overlay of the 3 curves would indicate the retardation effect on the slide's actual motion, of the additional weight of the silencer, and the reduction of that weight retardation initially, as a result of the decoupling effect of the piston. Or even a slow-motion time-lapse 3 panel video with all 3 firings shown one above the other, so you could see the deceleration and reduced motion attributable to the additional weight, and then mitigated by the decoupling. Geeky, I know, but a picture is worth a thousand words. Interesting video!

[@ExpatriotSilencers]

What is the effect of booster spring rate on the slide velocity? I notice many of the commercial boosters I have tried use very stiff springs.

[@scott27t]

I have the piston add-on. Can I also use it on a 1/2x28 direct thread fixed barrel? Or is the fixed barrel spacer required? What would happen otherwise?

[@eFPronouns]

Anyone else surprised by the amount of flex and movement the muzzle end of the (I'm guessing polymer) frame was making in the slow motion video, pretty much everything past the trigger guard directly underneath the barrel? And that's even with the added reinforcement that i would assume that the built-in pic rail adds to that portion of the frame. Kinda crazy to watch but idk i guess it's polymer maybe that's silly of me to find that so shocking? I only bring this up because i most recently built a Glock 17 from a Polymer 80 frame and when milling out the little area for the front two legs of the enhanced locking block from ROOK Tactical, i went just a hair too deep, leaving a pretty large portion of that whole area directly in front of the trigger guard and underneath the front locking block pin to be nearly hair thin. As a result of this, the frame and slide has been sitting for a few weeks now in my garage and has never been test fired due to my concerns over the frame strength in that area and what might happen if it were to break while being fired. Seeing that in this slow motion video definitely doesn't inspire any more confidence in those fears I've had already...

[@donferguson9374]

Great info but one minute unsaid direct thread is best but then u said spring is better.?