SSS.6.149 - Otter Creek Labs Titanium and the CZ 452 .22 Bolt-Action
/Otter Creek Labs Titanium on a CZ 452 .22 Bolt Action with 16-in Barrel
The Titanium is designed by Otter Creek Labs. It is a compact and lightweight 22 caliber rimfire silencer, intended to suppress cartridges ranging from .22LR to 5.7x28mm. It is approximately 1.1 inches in diameter and is 5.2 inches long. The silencer tube, mount, end cap, and baffle assembly are constructed entirely of titanium. The silencer is able to be disassembled and may be installed on host weapons threaded 1/2”-28tpi. In this test, an adapter was used to convert the native host weapon threads from 1/2”-20tpi. The silencer weighs 4.1 ounces, as tested. The Titanium can be obtained from Silencer Shop.
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 for public research 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 data production for this Sound Signature Review white paper was funded in part by PEW Science Project PEW-OCL-077-001-23. Therefore, data pertaining to the Titanium in this Sound Signature Review is published with the express written permission of Otter Creek Labs.
This Sound Signature Review contains single-test results using the Otter Creek Labs Titanium mounted to the CZ 452 American bolt-action rifle, chambered in .22LR with a 16-inch barrel. CCI Standard Velocity 40gr ammunition was used in the test.
Section 6.149.1 contains the Otter Creek Labs Titanium test results and analysis.
Section 6.149.2 contains Suppression Rating comparisons with selected .22 rimfire silencers in the subsonic ammunition combustion regime.
Section 6.149.3 contains the review summary and PEW Science laboratory staff technical opinions.
Summary: When paired with the CZ 452 American bolt-action rifle and fired with CCI SV .22 LR ammunition, the Otter Creek Labs Titanium achieved a composite Suppression Rating™ of 91.4 in PEW Science testing.
The subcompact semiautomatic rimfire pistol performance of the Otter Creek Labs Titanium is detailed in Sound Signature Review 6.150, in which it achieved a composite Suppression Rating of 87.6.
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
6.149.1 Otter Creek Labs Titanium Sound Signature Test Results
A summary of the principal Silencer Sound Standard performance metrics of the Otter Creek Labs Titanium is shown in Table 1. The data acquired 1.0 m (39.4 in) left of the muzzle is available for viewing to all. This is a members-only review and includes pressure and impulse waveforms measured at the shooter’s ear. PEW Science thanks you for your support; further testing, research, and development of PEW-SOFT and the Silencer Sound Standard is made possible by members like you!
Table 1. Otter Creek Labs Titanium Sound Metric Summary
6.149.1.1 SOUND SIGNATURES AT THE MUZZLE
Real sound pressure histories from a 5-shot test acquired with PEW-SOFT™ are shown below. The waveforms are not averaged, decimated, or filtered. The data acquisition rate used in all PEW Science laboratory sound signature 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 laboratory testing; the recognized 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 are shown in Figure 1a. A zoomed-in timescale displays the region of peak sound pressure in Figure 1b, for the first three shots. The real sound impulse (momentum transfer potential) histories from the same 5-shot test are shown in Figure 2. Again, full and short timescales are shown.
Fig 1a. Otter Creek Labs Titanium Subsonic .22 LR Bolt Action Muzzle Sound Pressure Signature
Fig 1b. Otter Creek Labs Titanium Subsonic .22 LR Bolt Action Muzzle Sound Pressure Signature, Short Time Window
Figure 2a.Otter Creek Labs Titanium Subsonic .22 LR Bolt Action Muzzle Sound Impulse Signature
Figure 2b. Otter Creek Labs Titanium Subsonic .22 LR Bolt Action Muzzle Sound Impulse Signature
The Otter Creek Labs Titanium is a lightweight and relatively compact rimfire silencer. The Titanium uses a somewhat conventional baffle design, and includes some design features allowing it to achieve high performance with higher input pressures of short barrels. This test report addresses the low-pressure performance of the Titanium; subcompact semiautomatic pistol host weapon performance of the Titanium is addressed in test report 6.150 with the Beretta 21A.
On longer barrel host weapons, such as the bolt-action rifle used in this test, the Otter Creek Labs Titanium is competitive with typical high-performance silencers such as the Rugged Oculus (6.1). There are several notable performance attributes of the Titanium observed in the measured test data:
Extremely consistent precursor flow and primary jet development, both in amplitude and phase (Fig. 1b).
Immediate pressure throttling, post-jet, to relatively low amplitude (Fig. 1).
Consistent gas momentum transfer potential at maximum flow, with only minimal first-round-pop (FRP) divergence (Fig. 2).
PEW Science Research Note 1: An interesting consequence of the Titanium’s baffle design is high-pressure efficiency without significant compromise in low-pressure performance. Like the aforementioned low-pressure-optimized Rugged Oculus, the Otter Creek Labs Titanium uses traditional baffle geometry with a curved cone component. However, the proportion of frontal baffle surface area and curvature in the Titanium is greater; this geometric change, coupled with it’s two notches and deeper overall throat and extra baffle, allow the Titanium to almost mimic the gas dynamics of the Oculus on this host weapon, while exceeding the performance of the Oculus on shorter barrels (higher pressure scenarios). As high performance with low-pressure bolt-actions is relatively commonplace, a silencer design that is able to excel with higher pressures and still compete in the lower pressure regime is notable.
PEW Science Research Note 2: The Otter Creek Labs Titanium exhibits measurable FRP on this host weapon platform, but the severity differential between the signatures of FRP and subsequent shots is minimal. It is postulated that some bystanders may be able to discern a differential, but the risk profile variation to bystanders is extremely minimal, in accordance with PEW Science analysis.
PEW Science Research Note 3: At high Suppression Rating performance potentials (at approximately 80 and greater), blast wave shape factors become of even greater importance for performance differentiation between systems. As wave rise times, phase transitions, and respective durations shift, timing of pressure application and momentum transfer shifts accordingly. These load application changes drive different system response (both of the inner ear and other responding systems, in general). Silencers like the Mercy Firearms Pluto (6.146) produce strikingly different blast load shape characteristics in their signatures than traditional designs like the Otter Creek Labs Titanium and the Rugged Oculus. Distal exit aperture shapes and stagnation relief zone differences in the three designs are largely responsible for the load shape differentials. Similar differentials occur with the Resilient Suppressors Jessie’s Girl (6.125), albeit with different resonance components which are mass-driven. Resonance response influence is discussed in several analytical test reports, including the CAT SR Bolt-Action .22LR report (6.140). In summary, because the signatures generated in the suppression of “long-barrel” bolt-action rimfire systems are of such low amplitude, seemingly small design changes become more influential to performance.
PEW Science Research Note 4: The Otter Creek Labs Titanium is not a “low backpressure” system. However, during the time regime of subsonic .22LR ammunition system combustion, the generated blast pressures are low enough such that performance may not be significantly compromised with the Titanium. This performance trait is examined in article 6.150 with the Otter Creek Labs Titanium on a rimfire pistol.
The rimfire silencer performance Rankings are now expanding; the Otter Creek Labs Titanium joins the Mercy Firearms Pluto, the CAT SR, the Resilient Suppressors Jessie’s Girl, and the Rugged Oculus in both its configurations in the current published dataset. In addition to bolt-action rifle evaluation, some of these silencers have also been evaluated on the subcompact semiautomatic Beretta 21A rimfire pistol. Additional evaluations in the rimfire ammunition combustion regime by PEW Science are forthcoming. Consult the PEW Science Rankings Section for the complete public testing and analysis library.
PEW Science Research Note 5: Users should note that performance of rimfire silencers on long and short barrels may be significantly different, even with subsonic ammunition, depending on silencer design.
6.149.1.2 SOUND SIGNATURES AT SHOOTER’S EAR
Real sound pressure histories from the same 5-shot test acquired with PEW-SOFT at the shooter’s ear are shown below. Again, 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 primary sound signature pressure histories at the ear for all 5 shots are shown in Figure 3. The primary sound signature history is shown on the left. A zoomed-in timescale is displayed on the right, in the region of peak sound pressure. The real sound impulse (momentum transfer potential) histories at the ear from the same 5-shot test are shown in Figure 4. Full and short timescales are shown.
Figure 3a. Otter Creek Labs Titanium Subsonic .22 LR Bolt Action Ear Sound Pressure Signature
Figure 3b. Otter Creek Labs Titanium Subsonic .22 LR Bolt Action Ear Sound Pressure Signature, Short Time Window
Figure 4a. Otter Creek Labs Titanium Subsonic .22 LR Bolt Action Ear Sound Impulse Signature
Figure 4b. Otter Creek Labs Titanium Subsonic .22 LR Bolt Action Ear Sound Impulse Signature
For a conventional-baffle rimfire silencer in the mass regime and length envelope of the Otter Creek Labs titanium, the silencer produces high performance on this host weapon system for the shooter that is competitive with other tested systems in the Silencer Sound Standard research pedigree.
PEW Science Research Note 6: As discussed in other similar test reports of this host weapon system, the mechanical operation of the trigger and firing assembly, as well as the ignition and deflagration of priming compound in the rimfire case and primary propellant, contribute to an overall externally measured signature, including resonance at high sound-speed through the steel barrel, into the titanium silencer, and produce an overall signature that is non-trivial to the shooter with the Otter Creek Labs Titanium, in addition to external muzzle blast. The muzzle blast suppression components of the Titanium are largely what separates its performance from that of the highest performing systems on this host weapon, in addition to the factors previously addressed in Research Note 3. The signatures measured at the shooter’s position with the Titanium are relatively consistent; the ancillary pressure pulse during system combustion and resonance notwithstanding (~26.7 ms, Fig. 3b). These anomalies from rimfire ammunition combustion are not without precedent and the increased shooter hazard from the Shot 2 event was computed to be minimal in this test.
PEW Science Research Note 7: The Titanium exhibits muzzle blast suppression to the shooter, on this platform, that is significant. This level of performance should be expected from high-performance rimfire silencers on this host weapon, in the current state of practice. As stated above, the components of the signature from internal combustion and resonance do influence the severity of the signature at the shooter’s ear. These measurable phenomena are more noticeable than with heavier silencers, for example. The higher early time impulse accumulation in Figure 4b partially illustrates this phenomenon. This accumulation of wave momentum contains components from system firing mechanism and resonance elements that are coupled in the human shooter perception time regime. This total early time signature is unique to all host firearm and silencer combinations; it is an inherent system property. It is not possible to decouple so-called “action noise” of a suppressed weapon system and compare it between suppressed system tests, in way that is meaningful for the end user. The very nature of the silencer’s mechanical properties are coupled in the total system response; changing the silencer changes the “action noise.”
Whereas FRP from the Titanium is postulated to be somewhat perceptible to bystanders on this host weapon, there is less probability of perceptibility of FRP to the shooter on this system. The FRP to the shooter is, for all intents and purposes, nullified.
PEW Science Research Note 8 (General Rimfire Bolt-Action Rifle System Suppression): If a user desires a Suppression Rating (at the muzzle or shooter’s ear) that is higher than exhibited by the highest performance silencers shown in the Silencer Sound Standard on rimfire bolt-action rifle, it may be prudent for the user to explore different host options, such as rimfire systems with higher mass or impedance mismatches that may contain firing-pin impact noise to a greater degree. Internal material wave propagation may be changed by layering of various materials in a composite structure in a weapon stock, for example. Reduction in signature in such a manner is outside the scope of this article. However, primary mechanical noise limits are the subject of future PEW Science research. Although the PEW Science Suppression Rating Scale is designed for small arms signature damage risk criterion (DRC) applicability, the extreme ends of the scale may be used to quantify such limits, outside the bounds of DRC applicability. It is extremely important to note that mechanical firing system noise (action noise) may change only by changing the mass of an attached silencer, all other things equal, due to dynamic system resonance. This phenomenon is measurable and has been explored in the aforementioned studies.
PEW Science Research Note 9: The signature of a high performance rimfire silencer with subsonic ammunition fired from a bolt-action rifle, at the shooter’s head, is significantly suppressed and may not sound like a “gunshot” to the operator or to bystanders. It is important for operators and bystanders to remain cognizant of the potential hazards of firearm use and the potential lethality of such weapon systems; the operation of such systems, if not in accordance with weapon and silencer manufacturer instructions, may still result in serious injury or death.
6.149.2 Suppression Rating Comparison - Subsonic .22 LR
The Otter Creek Labs Titanium was developed to maximize pure sound signature reduction (PEW Science Suppression Rating) in a relatively small and lightweight envelope, on a variety of platforms. Figure 5 shows a performance comparison of rimfire silencer configurations tested on a bolt-action rifle shown in public PEW Science testing, to date. Suppression Ratings are shown for both the shooter and bystanders.
Figure 5. Suppression Rating Comparisons Of Rimfire Silencers Using PEW-SOFT subsonic .22 LR Bolt-Action Test Data
On longer barrel host weapons, such as the bolt-action rifle used in this test, the Otter Creek Labs Titanium is competitive with typical high-performance silencers such as the Rugged Oculus (6.1). The Titanium exhibits a relatively higher degree of performance efficiency with higher pressure input (see Research Note 1). As high performance with low-pressure bolt-actions is relatively commonplace, a silencer design that is able to excel with higher pressures and still compete in the lower pressure regime is notable.
The Otter Creek Labs Titanium exhibits relatively high performance on this host weapon system that is just as consistent as that of the long configuration of the Rugged Oculus, at approximately 41% of the weight. The Titanium is outperformed by the Mercy Firearms Pluto (6.146), which is smaller and lighter than the Titanium, and optimized for low-pressure performance. The Otter Creek Labs Titanium is also outperformed by the Resilient Suppressors Jessie’s Girl (6.125), nominally, but is lighter than the Jessie’s Girl.
Although the Otter Creek Labs Titanium does not exhibit the suppression performance of the lighter CAT SR (6.140) on this platform, the Titanium’s design is not as advanced. Nonetheless, like the Mercy Firearms Pluto, the Titanium’s performance is notable and the consistency of the Titanium’s performance rivals that of the CAT SR and the long configuration of the Oculus; these four silencer configurations produce the most consistent suppression performance on this host weapon of those tested by PEW Science, to date. For the Otter Creek Labs Titanium to achieve performance consistency such as this, is particularly notable due to its high pressure performance (see article 6.150).
It should be noted that Suppression Ratings in the 90-zone indicate a significantly suppressed signature. At this level of firearm signature suppression, the Suppression Rating scale quantifies signatures that may not present as similar to gunshots, to most observers. Caution is recommended by both system operators and bystanders (see Research Note 10, below).
It is extremely important to note that mechanical firing system noise (action noise) may change only by changing the mass of an attached silencer, all other things equal, due to dynamic system resonance. This phenomenon is measurable and discussed in Research Note 8 and explored in article 6.141 with CAT SR on the Beretta 21A.
PEW Science Research Note 10: The signature of a high performance rimfire silencer with subsonic ammunition fired from a bolt-action rifle, at the shooter’s head, is significantly suppressed and may not sound like a “gunshot” to the operator or to bystanders. It is important for operators and bystanders to remain cognizant of the potential hazards of firearm use and the potential lethality of such weapon systems; the operation of such systems, if not in accordance with weapon and silencer manufacturer instructions, may still result in unintended serious injury or death. 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.
6.149.3 Review Summary: Otter Creek Labs Titanium on a CZ 452 .22 Bolt Action with 16-in Barrel
When paired with the CZ 452 American bolt-action rifle and fired with CCI SV .22 LR ammunition, the Otter Creek Labs Titanium achieved a composite Suppression Rating™ of 91.4 in PEW Science testing.
The subcompact semiautomatic rimfire pistol performance of the Otter Creek Labs Titanium is detailed in Sound Signature Review 6.150, in which it achieved a composite Suppression Rating of 87.6.
As with all weapon systems, the user is encouraged to examine both muzzle and ear Suppression Ratings.
PEW Science Laboratory Staff Opinion:
The Otter Creek Labs Titanium is a lightweight rimfire silencer that exhibits competitive suppression performance on rifle systems with notable consistency. When used on shorter-barrel rimfire systems, the performance of the Titanium is even more notable. The silencer is able to be disassembled for cleaning, possesses practical wrench-features, and is constructed entirely of titanium. For the size, weight, and performance envelope, the Otter Creek Labs Titanium demonstrates extremely competitive overall performance attributes in the current rimfire suppression state of practice.
An interesting consequence of the Titanium’s baffle design is high-pressure efficiency without significant compromise in low-pressure performance. Like the low-pressure-optimized Rugged Oculus, the Otter Creek Labs Titanium uses traditional baffle geometry with a curved cone component. However, the proportion of frontal baffle surface area and curvature in the Titanium is greater; this geometric change, coupled with it’s two notches and deeper overall throat and extra baffle, allow the Titanium to almost mimic the gas dynamics of the Oculus on this host weapon, while exceeding the performance of the Oculus on shorter barrels (higher pressure scenarios). As high performance with low-pressure bolt-actions is relatively commonplace, a silencer design that is able to excel with higher pressures and still compete in the lower pressure regime is notable.
The Otter Creek Labs Titanium exhibits measurable FRP on this host weapon platform, but the severity differential between the signatures of FRP and subsequent shots is minimal. It is postulated that some bystanders may be able to discern a differential, but the risk profile variation to bystanders is extremely minimal, in accordance with PEW Science analysis.
The Otter Creek Labs Titanium exhibits performance on this host weapon system that is just as consistent as that of the long configuration of the Rugged Oculus, at approximately 41% of the weight. On this host weapon, the Titanium is outperformed by the Mercy Firearms Pluto, which is smaller and lighter than the Titanium, and optimized for low-pressure performance. The Otter Creek Labs Titanium is also outperformed by the Resilient Suppressors Jessie’s Girl on this system, nominally, but is lighter than the Jessie’s Girl. Although the Otter Creek Labs Titanium does not exhibit the suppression performance of the lighter CAT SR on this platform, the Titanium’s design is not as advanced. Nonetheless, like the Mercy Firearms Pluto, the Titanium’s performance is notable because the consistency of the Titanium’s performance rivals that of the CAT SR and the long configuration of the Oculus. These four silencer configurations produce the most consistent suppression performance on this host weapon of those tested by PEW Science, to date.
The Otter Creek Labs Titanium silencer may be disassembled, therefore, it may be cleaned by brush, tumbler, or a variety of methods. Like monolithic titanium silencers, the Otter Creek Labs Titanium may also be cleaned with a variety of chemical solutions, without disassembly.
PEW Science has not evaluated the durability of the Otter Creek Labs Titanium, nor its performance on cartridges other than subsonic .22 LR. It is important for the user to contact the manufacturer to determine the suitability of firing schedules and use cases.
In this review, the Otter Creek Labs Titanium performance metrics depend upon suppressing a subsonic rimfire cartridge on a bolt-action rifle. While the sound signature of such systems can be suppressed to levels that may not sound like a “gunshot” to the operator or to bystanders, PEW Science encourages the reader to remain vigilant with regard to all subsonic rimfire cartridge suppression claims. It is important for operators and bystanders to remain cognizant of the potential hazards of firearm use and the potential lethality of such weapon systems; the operation of such systems, if not in accordance with weapon and silencer manufacturer instructions, may still result in serious injury or death.
The hazard potential of subsonic rimfire rifle use is not insignificant. PEW Science encourages the reader to consider the Suppression Rating when deciding on an appropriate silencer and host weapon combination for their desired use.
