357 Magnum Suppressed Rifle
On November 18, 2007 I tested a New England Firearms Handi Rifle chambered in 357 Magnum with four 9MM silencers. The weapons barrel has been shortened to 16.1 inches and threaded to accept the silencers using the 1/2X28 TPI threading. In this review we tested some hand loaded 180 grain jacketed hollow points. The weapon is 31.5 inches long and weighs 6lbs 10 ounces. Here are some pictures of the weapon.
Ammunition Tested
The ammunition tested was 180 grain jacketed hollow points. These should prove devastating on deer and coyotes. Each shot, both suppressed and unsuppressed were recorded with a chronograph. Sometimes the chronograph gives me errors, so not every shot in every case is collected.
Test Results
The tests were conducted using the B&K 2209 sound meter with a B&K 4136 microphone calibrated with the B&K 4220 Pistonphone. Calibration was checked after the tests to verify there were no shifts in calibration during the tests. All equipment has been certified and tested so that it can be traced back to the N.I.S.T standards. Click HERE for the equipment certification sheets. The meter and weapon are also placed in accordance with Mil-Std 1474D protocol. I first fired 5 shots to establish the unsuppressed level and then fired 10 shots with the silencer attached with each of the four silencers. The ammunition was at the same temperature as the outside air. The weather conditions were mostly cloudy with the temperature during the testing period ranged from 66.9 and 68 degrees. Humidity ranged between 74-76% and the barometer was steady at 1019Mbs. Elevation was 1,000 feet above sea level.
The Silencers Tested
For this test, I tested two 1.25 OD silencers and two 1.375OD silencers. The SRT Matrix M9, the AAC Evolution 9, the HTG Cycle 9 and the SWR Trident 9 were tested each with 10 shots. Accuracy was tested at 50 yards. I would like to note that the accuracy tests were more of an afterthought than a bench rest, sandbagged accuracy test. I was by no means trying to make every shot 100% perfect and was using a red dot sight. The accuracy tests still reveal some very interesting data.
The SRT Matrix M9 was the shortest, lightest, and smallest silencer in this test. The SRT Matrix M9 weighs only 5.7 ounces and measures 6.375 inches long. This silencer requires no fixed barrel spacer or thread mounts as the other silencer do.
The AAC Evolution 9 is shown here next to a fixed barrel spacer that is available for this silencer. It allows the silencer to be used on AR15 carbines, fixed barrel pistols and weapons like the Handi rifle. The Evolution 9 weighs 9.7 ounces with the fixed barrel spacer and measures 7.5 inches in length.
The HTG Cycle 9 can be utilized with a fixed barrel spacer much as the AAC Evolution 9. The spacer replaces the spring for use with fixed barrel weapons. The HTG Cycle 9 weighs 11.25 ounces and is 7.75 inches long.
The SWR Trident 9 has a new thread mount that replaces the older style model. The newer mount is heavier and in knurled for easy swapping of mounting options. The old mount required use of a separate tool to change out the mounts. The older mount also meters over 4dB louder than the newer mount on this weapon. The SWR Trident 9 weighs 11.20 ounces and is 7.5 inches long with the thread mount.
Accuracy Testing
I tested accuracy as well as velocity and sound pressure levels. I would like to again note that the accuracy tests were not done perfectly. I only threw this in as an afterthought and I got some very interesting results. The tests were done at 50 yards and I got the targets from www.mytargets.com. They are printed on a standard piece of paper. Here are the targets:
5 Shots Unsuppressed
SRT Matrix M9
AAC Evolution 9
HTG Cycle 9
SWR Trident 9
The SRT Matrix M9 and the SWR Trident 9 did very well. With the exclusion of two flyers (bad shooting on my part) the HTG Cycle 9 produced the tightest groups. The AAC Evolution 9 performed poorly in this test. Most of the rounds missed the target. I have no explanation for this at this time, since I have not worked on accuracy issues yet. These tests do show an obvious point of impact change when the silencer is attached and therefore one should sight the weapon in with the suppressor attached and use that zero rather than the unsuppressed zero.
| Suppressor | Unsuppressed | Suppressed | FPS | Net Reduction |
| SRT Matrix M9 | 152.9 | 128.05 | 1032.9 | 24.85 |
| AAC Evolution 9 | 152.9 | 127.85 | 992.91 | 25.05 |
| HTG Cycle 9 | 152.9 | 132.28 | 1006.5 | 20.62 |
| SWR Trident 9 | 152.9 | 124.19 | 994.17 | 28.71 |
Summary and Conclusions
Two really good silencers emerge from this test when all things are considered. If you want the quietest silencer coupled with excellent accuracy, the SWR Trident 9 is the winner. However, if you are willing to give up some sound reduction for size and weight (important when carrying a rifle all day) the SRT Matrix M9 is the best choice. I think that this little weapon would make a great close range deer rifle.
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