SSS.6.186 - Sylvan Arms SA30TI and the Savage Model 10 PC .308 (Free Version)
/Sylvan Arms SA30TI on a Savage Model 10 .308 with 20-in Barrel
The SA30TI is designed and manufactured by Sylvan Arms. It is a 30 caliber centerfire rifle silencer, intended to suppress many cartridges with projectiles appropriately sized to travel through the bore, to include 7.62 NATO. It has a 1.44-inch diameter and is 8.8 inches long with the included SAQD mount installed. The integrated QD mount system in the silencer uses coarse ACME threads, a forward taper seal, and a rear ratcheting retention pawl mechanism that interfaces with the muzzle device. The pawl mechanism on the rear of the silencer may be depressed by the user to disengage the lockup and remove the silencer from the mount. The silencer is also available in a direct-thread model, which has a reduced system length of 8.1 inches. The tube of the silencer is constructed from grade 9 titanium; the blast chamber and blast baffle are 17-4 stainless steel with the remainder of the baffles constructed of grade 5 titanium. The silencer weighs 14.4 ounces, and the 5/8-24tpi threaded SAQD mount weighs 4.1 ounces, for a total system weight of 18.5 ounces, as tested. The SA30TI can be obtained from Sylvan Arms.
PEW Science is an independent private testing laboratory and also hosts the world’s only independent public suppressed small arms research cooperative. Testing, data analysis, and reporting is generated with funding provided by PEW Science members. Any test data that is generated with any portion of private funding contains this disclosure. The testing and analysis production for this Sound Signature Review was funded in part by PEW Science Project PEW-Sylvan-106-001-24. Therefore, data pertaining to the SA30TI in this Sound Signature Review is published with the express written permission of Sylvan Arms.
This review contains single test results using the Sylvan Arms SA30TI with the SAQD mount on the Savage Model 10 Precision Carbine rifle, chambered in .308WIN with a 20-inch barrel. Federal XM80 149gr ammunition was used in the test.
Section 6.186.1 contains the Sylvan Arms SA30TI test results and analysis.
Section 6.186.2 contains back pressure and Suppression Rating comparisons with selected .30 rifle silencers possessing a PEW Science Back Pressure Metric, Ω [Pa-1] in Omega Zones 4 and below. An updated Ω metric chart for the full suite of publicly evaluated .30 rifle silencers is also provided in this section. Further information about the Ω metric and Omega Zones can be obtained in PEW Science Research Supplement 6.40 (Public Article).
- Section 6.186.3 contains the review summary and PEW Science laboratory staff technical opinions.
Summary: When paired with the Savage M10 20” .308 and fired with Federal XM80, the Sylvan Arms SA30TI with the SAQD mount achieved a Suppression Rating™ of 33.5 in PEW Science testing.
As with all weapon systems, the user is encouraged to examine both muzzle and ear Suppression Ratings.
Relative Suppression Rating Performance is Summarized in SSS.7 - PEW Science Rankings.
6.186.1 Sylvan Arms SA30TI Sound Signature Test Results
A summary of the principal Silencer Sound Standard performance metrics of the Sylvan Arms SA30TI is shown in Table 1. The data acquired 1.0 m (39.4 in) left of the muzzle is available for viewing to all. The data acquired 0.15 m (6 in) right of the shooter’s ear is only available to membership supporters of PEW Science and the Silencer Sound Standard. You can support public PEW Science testing, research, and development with a membership, here. State-of-the-art public firearm sound signature testing and research conducted by PEW Science is supported by readers like you.
Table 1. Sylvan Arms SA30TI Sound Metric Summary
6.186.1.1 SOUND SIGNATURES AT THE MUZZLE
Real sound pressure histories acquired with PEW-SOFT™ are shown below. The waveforms are not averaged, decimated, or filtered. The data acquisition rate used in all PEW Science testing is 1.0 MS/s (1 MHz). The peaks, shape, and time phasing (when the peaks occur in relation to absolute time and to each other) of these raw waveforms are the most accurate of any firearm silencer testing publicly available. PEW-SOFT data is acquired by PEW Science independent testing; the industry leader in silencer sound research. For more information, please consult the Silencer Sound Standard.
The primary sound signature pressure histories for all 5 shots with the Sylvan Arms SA30TI are shown in Figure 1a. The sound signatures of Shot 1, Shot 2, and Shot 3 are shown in Figure 1b, in early time. The real sound impulse (momentum transfer potential) histories from the same 5-shot test are shown in Figure 2a. In Figure 2b, a shorter timescale is shown comparing the impulse of Shot 1 to that of Shot 2 and Shot 3.
Fig 1a. Sylvan Arms SA30TI Bolt Action Rifle Muzzle Sound Pressure Signature
Fig 1b. Sylvan Arms SA30TI Bolt Action Rifle Muzzle Sound Pressure Signature, Short Time Window
Figure 2a. Sylvan Arms SA30TI Bolt Action Rifle Muzzle Sound Impulse Signature
Figure 2b. Sylvan Arms SA30TI Bolt Action Rifle Muzzle Sound Impulse Signature, Short Time Window
The Sylvan Arms SA30TI is a full-size centerfire rifle silencer and classified as conventional design in the PEW Science research taxonomy. The silencer uses an outer tube that houses curved cone baffles that are both notched and stepped. The outer diameter of the silencer is relatively small, at 1.44 inches. This dimension, along with the type of baffles-in-tube construction, result in somewhat limited expansion volume. However, the baffle geometry is relatively efficient for the diameter.
PEW Science Research Note 1: The measured blast overpressure propagation from the silencer, in the free field, is displayed in Figure 1. The corresponding external blast momentum accumulation in the impulse regime is displayed in Figure 2. Three primary observations are noted:
Primary blowdown is relatively expedient (Fig. 1a).
Clear delineation between initial jet coupling and primary jetting is present (Fig. 1b).
The rate of impulse accumulation to maximum is relatively high (Fig. 2a).
In many modern conventional designs, pressure stagnation is somewhat relieved or minimized with larger volumetric cavities. As the SA30TI is of relatively small diameter and also possesses no venting or ancillary flow paths, there is little stagnation relief available during the time regime of primary muzzle jetting into the silencer. This results in the observed phenomena in (1) and (3) despite the early-time external observation in (2). Distal flow rate is observed to increase and this occurs independently of early-time flow rate, inside the silencer. This is a case demonstrating a drop in Omega Metric without the alpha parameter being influenced. Effective back pressure of the system on sensitive reciprocating host weapons will be somewhat higher than some other silencers in the same Omega Zone (ref. Section 6.186.2).
PEW Science Research Note 2: The same behavior characterized above is also responsible for the type of first-round-pop (FRP) observed in both pressure space and impulse space from the SA30TI. Ancillary combustion, due to the presence of oxidizer in the air prior to the first shot, propagates expediently through the entire stack, at an elevated rate. The FRP divergence noted in Fig. 2b occurs at an accumulation rate that is much faster than subsequent shots.
PEW Science Research Note 3: Finally, there is another observed characteristic of the silencer that results from the above behavior. As the shot string continues post-FRP, momentum propagation is shown to nominally increase. The internal volumetric cavities of the silencer are all directly accessible from the primary bore axis; the injection of muzzle blast byproducts into this already heated volume drops efficiency throughout the string. Heat does dissipate, but the limited expansion volumes, along with the somewhat limited thermal mass of the system, contribute to this nominal, but observable, increased momentum accumulation in later shots. The accumulation is shown to stabilize in Shot 4 and the signature severity, to bystanders, remains approximately half that of FRP, throughout the shot string.
All of the behavior characterized above is congruent with that observed in the semiautomatic 5.56x45mm NATO evaluation of the shorter Sylvan Arms SA223TIS silencer on the 14.5-in mid-length gas M4A1 rifle (6.187). Although the two silencers have different lengths and bore diameters, and the 7.62 NATO and 5.56 NATO combustion regimes are different, the two silencer designs are similar and the resulting blast propagation output behaviors are also similar.
PEW Science Research Note 4: The closest performance competitor to the Sylvan Arms SA30TI on the 308 bolt-action rifle, in muzzle (bystander) suppression performance is the Rugged Suppressors Radiant (6.12) in its long configuration. The SA30TI has nominally higher risk reduction than the Radiant at the operator’s head, as reflected in the comparison of the shooter’s ear Suppression Ratings of the two silencers. The reader is encouraged to examine the sortable and filterable table in the Rankings Section of the Silencer Sound Standard. Similar performance to the Sylvan Arms SA30TI is also observed to occur with the short configuration of the Rugged Suppressors Surge (6.22), and short configuration of the Silencer Central Banish 30 (6.74). The Sylvan Arms SA30TI outperforms the Surefire SOCOM762-MINI2 (6.106), Dead Air Sandman-S (6.11), and Liberty Precision Machine Anthem-K (6.80) on this host weapon. The SA30TI also outperforms the Q Trash Panda (6.4).
It is important to note that although the SA30TI is smaller in diameter than some of the silencer listed above, it is longer. There are silencers that use more advanced technologies, which allow them to exhibit pure holistic suppression performance on this host weapon that is similar to that of the longer SA30TI, but in much smaller design envelopes. Such silencers include the CGS Hyperion K (6.28) and the CAT DD (6.159). It should also be noted that both the Hyperion K and CAT DD are not only smaller than the Sylvan Arms silencer, but lower back pressure. This is, again, a consequence of their technologies. Those two silencers are classified as hybrid designs in the PEW Science research taxonomy.
As typically indicated, first-round sound signatures always differ from subsequent shots, as the atmosphere within the silencer changes. The FRP phenomenon cannot always be shown by viewing only the peak sound pressure. This is one of the reasons why The Silencer Sound Standard requires examining multiple sound signature metrics. Ammunition consistency can play a role in the determination of FRP, however, the close examination of measured pressure and impulse waveforms typically excludes ammunition from the possible factors influencing true FRP, due to the relative consistency of most high quality factory ammunition.
PEW Science has made a concerted effort to characterize the FRP phenomenon with true physiological human inner-ear response analyses. Additional PEW Science Member Research Supplements containing this information are released periodically.
The Sylvan Arms SA30TI shooter’s ear suppression performance is examined in the full Member Version of this report.
Performance comparisons with other systems are provided below.
6.186.2 Relative Suppression Rating and Back Pressure Comparisons (.30 Rifle Silencers)
The Sylvan Arms SA30TI suppressor is intended to offer competitive sound signature suppression across the pressure field, without regard to system backpressure. PEW Science has developed an empirical relation to quantify the back pressure (flow restriction) of silencers. Figure 5 and Figure 6 show supersonic suppression and back pressure comparisons between selected 7.62mm (30 caliber) rifle silencers shown in public PEW Science Sound Signature Reviews, as of the date of this review publication. The results shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 are calculated from real test data acquired with PEW-SOFT. Please note the following:
The PEW Science Back Pressure Metric, Ω [Pa-1], may be generated for any silencer and suppressed weapon system using any suitable raw external overpressure signature data acquired 1.0 m left of the silencer end cap. PEW Science highly recommends data acquisition in accordance with The Silencer Sound Standard.
Omega Zones are presented in Table 2, below, which are intended to provide guidance to weapons developers, silencer designers, and end-users, with regard to flow restriction characteristics of different silencer designs. It is very important to note that silencers possessing a relatively high Ω can still provide functional use on weapon systems. Some weapon systems are more sensitive to Ω than others.
It is important to note that a silencer’s Omega Zone can shift when using a mounting scheme that differs from that used in the testing referenced in the published PEW Science Sound Signature Reviews. This phenomenon occurs due to some silencer mounting schemes significantly influencing flow restriction with some silencer designs.
The theoretical lower limit of flow restriction, or so-called "zero back pressure" would be represented by the unsupressed state, Ω = 0 [Pa-1].
PEW Science acknowledges that other dynamic events occur within a suppressed weapon system that can also influence weapon function. Therefore, PEW Science acknowledges that Ω is not the sole parameter one must consider for total supppressed weapon system operation. However, PEW Science postulates that the Ω metric influence can be significant. Note that weapon system influence is also a function of early-time wave propagation factors which may be measured inside the system, in close proximity to the muzzle orifice. These factors include the so-called PEW Science Alpha parameter; a subject of internal research.
The Back Pressure Metric relations are most easily viewed on a logarithmic scale (See Figure 6).
Figure 5. Omega Back Pressure Metric And Suppression Rating Comparisons Of .308 Rifle Silencers Using PEW-SOFT Data and Analysis
As stated above, the PEW Science Back Pressure Metric is most easily viewed on a logarithmic scale. The metric is nonlinear; the shape of the trend in the data presented in Figure 6, below, illustrates the potential thresholds of extreme flow rate (approaching the unsuppressed state) and extreme flow restriction (approaching the trapping of the maximum amount of combustion byproducts in a system).
Figure 6. Omega Back Pressure Metric Comparisons Of .308 Rifle Silencers Using PEW-SOFT Data and Analysis
Omega characterizes silencer back pressure. It is important to note that back pressure is not blow back. The back pressure of a silencer is the flow restriction it introduces in a suppressed weapon system. The blow back phenomenon that can occur during the use of a suppressed weapon system is caused by the reciprocating system actuating too early relative to overpressure decay within the weapon system, resulting in exposure of excessive internal system overpressure to atmosphere. Some weapons may be tuned to function well with silencers in a high Omega Zone. Some weapons may require low-Omega silencers due to constraints in their operating system(s). Omega metric technical details can be found in PEW Science Public Research Supplement 6.40.
Table 2. PEW Science Back Pressure Metric Omega Zones And Suppressed Weapon System Functional Descriptions
As stated above, weapon system influence is a function of both Ω and early-time wave propagation factors which may be measured inside the system, in close proximity to the muzzle orifice. These factors include the so-called PEW Science Alpha parameter; a subject of internal research. The Liberty Precision Machine Anthem-S2 QD possesses some blast chamber venting which most likely influences both early time shock reflections near the muzzle and late time momentum accumulation. Due to the overall design of the Anthem-S2 QD its Omega Metric is relatively high.
As previously stated, the closest performance competitor to the Sylvan Arms SA30TI on the 308 bolt-action rifle, in muzzle (bystander) suppression performance is the Rugged Suppressors Radiant (6.12) in its long configuration. The SA30TI has nominally higher risk reduction than the Radiant at the operator’s head, as reflected in the comparison of the shooter’s ear Suppression Ratings of the two silencers. Similar performance to the Sylvan Arms SA30TI is also observed to occur with the short configuration of the Rugged Suppressors Surge (6.22), and short configuration of the Silencer Central Banish 30 (6.74). The Sylvan Arms SA30TI outperforms the Surefire SOCOM762-MINI2 (6.106), Dead Air Sandman-S (6.11), and Liberty Precision Machine Anthem-K (6.80) on this host weapon. The SA30TI also outperforms the Q Trash Panda (6.4).
PEW Science Research Note 6: As previously stated, the effective back pressure of the SA30TI system, on sensitive reciprocating host weapons, will be somewhat higher than some other silencers in the same Omega Zone. For example, the vented configuration of the Otter Creek Labs Infinity 7.62 (6.178) is close to the Sylvan Arms SA30TI in Omega Metric. However the early-time venting in the Infinity produces an alpha parameter that is significantly lower than that of the SA30Ti. The external blast momentum propagation rates of the two silencers may be similar, but the functional influence to reciprocating systems will be significantly different.
PEW Science urges the reader not to misconstrue a low Omega metric with the mirroring of unsuppressed weapon function, nor a high Omega Metric with absolute use prohibition on semi-automatic systems. Each weapon system may experience varying sensitivity to different Omega Zones and users may exhibit varying preference for weapon system function and operability. The Zones are provided by PEW Science to assist the reader with determination of postulated applicability of silencer types, as some users may only have experience with certain silencers. The Omega Metric is one performance indicator; it allows overall flow rate phenomena to be categorized independently from sound signature suppression performance. Note that weapon system influence is also a function of early-time wave propagation factors which may be measured inside the system, in close proximity to the muzzle orifice.
The user is encouraged to be mindful of the degree to which sound signature suppression, and resulting personnel hazards, can vary across designs. Small arm weapon system suppression performance is a spectrum. The PEW Science Suppression Rating and the Silencer Sound Standard help quantify this spectrum for end users and industry, objectively.
6.186.3 Review Summary: Sylvan Arms SA30TI on a Savage Model 10 .308 with 20-in Barrel
When paired with the Savage M10 20” .308 and fired with Federal XM80, the Sylvan Arms SA30TI with the SAQD mount achieved a Suppression Rating™ of 33.5 in PEW Science testing.
As with all weapon systems, the user is encouraged to examine both muzzle and ear Suppression Ratings.
PEW Science Laboratory Staff Opinion:
The Sylvan Arms SA30TI is a full-size multicaliber rifle silencer that possesses a robust mounting system and a lighter weight than some competing designs. Its conventional baffle technology provides suppression performance that competes with models using similar technologies, as expected, and exceeds the performance of some designs. For use on short barrel rifles, the primarily titanium SA30TI possesses a stainless steel blast chamber and blast baffle, adding some resiliency. The included taper mount with ratcheting retention securely seals; a direct-thread version of the silencer is also available.
The Sylvan Arms SA30TI is classified as conventional design in the PEW Science research taxonomy. The silencer uses an outer tube that houses curved cone baffles that are both notched and stepped. The outer diameter of the silencer is relatively small, at 1.44 inches. This dimension, along with the type of baffles-in-tube construction, result in somewhat limited expansion volume. However, the baffle geometry is relatively efficient for the diameter. The behavior of the SA30TI characterized in this report is congruent with that observed in the semiautomatic 5.56x45mm NATO evaluation of the shorter Sylvan Arms SA223TIS silencer on the 14.5-in mid-length gas M4A1 rifle. Although the two silencers have different lengths and bore diameters, and the 7.62 NATO and 5.56 NATO combustion regimes are different, the two silencer designs are similar and the resulting blast propagation output behaviors are also similar.
The closest performance competitor to the Sylvan Arms SA30TI on the 308 bolt-action rifle, in muzzle (bystander) suppression performance is the Rugged Suppressors Radiant in its long configuration. The SA30TI has nominally higher risk reduction than the Radiant at the operator’s head, as reflected in the comparison of the shooter’s ear Suppression Ratings of the two silencers. The reader is encouraged to examine the sortable and filterable table in the Rankings Section of the Silencer Sound Standard. Similar performance to the Sylvan Arms SA30TI is also observed to occur with the short configuration of the Rugged Suppressors Surge, and short configuration of the Silencer Central Banish 30. The Sylvan Arms SA30TI outperforms the Surefire SOCOM762-MINI2, Dead Air Sandman-S, and Liberty Precision Machine Anthem-K on this host weapon. The SA30TI also outperforms the Q Trash Panda. It is important to note that although the SA30TI is smaller in diameter than some of the silencer listed above, it is longer. There are silencers that use more advanced technologies, which allow them to exhibit pure holistic suppression performance on this host weapon that is similar to that of the longer SA30TI, but in much smaller design envelopes. Such silencers include the CGS Hyperion K and the CAT DD. It should also be noted that both the Hyperion K and CAT DD are not only smaller than the Sylvan Arms silencer, but lower back pressure. This is, again, a consequence of their technologies. Those two silencers are classified as hybrid designs in the PEW Science research taxonomy.
The included mount provides very secure lockup. In PEW Science testing, the gas seal also functioned well. The coarse ACME mount threads are robust and are postulated to be durable both in mount installation/removal as well as when the silencer is not installed on the mount and the host weapon is being used in the field. This may be attractive to some users, as some fine-thread mounting schemes may become more easily damaged from errant drops and impacts, rendering subsequent silencer mounting impossible. Removal of the silencer from the mount necessitates the depression of the latch pawl; this secondary retention feature may also be attractive to some users. In the event the user desires a different mounting system, the silencer is also offered in a direct-thread model.
In this review, the Sylvan Arms SA30TI performance metrics depend upon suppressing a supersonic centerfire rifle cartridge; no easy task. PEW Science encourages the reader to remain vigilant with regard to all supersonic centerfire rifle suppression claims. The gas volume and combustion products created by the firing of the supersonic .308WIN cartridge are significant; the measured pressure and impulse magnitudes, and their durations, illustrate this fact.
The hearing damage potential of supersonic centerfire rifle use is significant. PEW Science encourages the reader to consider the Suppression Rating when deciding on an appropriate silencer and host weapon combination for their desired use.
