Sweet!

Got off track a little in a Dead Air thread, so I'm going to move a couple questions into this thread. I did make it down to visit Rugged this past Monday. I'll give some real generic feedback due to a signed NDA. I went down with Scott from Tar Heel State Firearms and got to meet Henry and Mike at the shop. Got to see the welding station, all kinds of parts in various stages, the CNC machine that does most of the labor, even the "paint booth" and oven they use for the Cerakote process.

Super nice guys making a great product. Similar to the Dead Air situation, this is a start-up company run by known entities. Very different from your average start-up. With the little bit of shooting we did, plus the fact I had nothing to compare it to, I can't give a whole lot of info on performance...other than it sounded real good. But, I think we all agree that the top dozen or so cans are going to sound similar. You're paying for the difference in weight, length and features. Like with the Saker and its MAAD system, the modularity of the Surge is a differentiator in the market. The last inch and a half or so of the can screws off, then you move the end cap from that piece to what's left of the tube, and there you have the 5.56-length version of the can. I can only assume 5.56 end caps are coming soon...as are a couple other mounting options, as I believe the 7.62 brake is the only one available right now. They're hoping for other parts to be available close to the time F4s are being approved.

On a side note, I'm excited to try their finishing process on my F1 cans sometime in the next couple weeks. We even made a tentative plan for me to make a return trip on a day they could break out the dB meter and shoot my cans (and maybe some others brands I'd bring) against the Surge...really hoping that works out.



I know they didn't have a single complete can left in the shop, other than a handful that were in the oven after being Cerakoted. They have the one distributor for now that said he'd basically take everything they could make. I'd think you could buy one, as they should be to some dealers by now.

You summed up the mounting design. Not much more that I can add. I didn't ask specifics on their torture test, so I don't know about the springs that push the lever arms. I do know they have a no questions asked lifetime warranty on anything. It's even designed where the portion of the outer tube (just so happens to be the piece with the S/N) can be cut out and the baffle stack replaced should you have some type of catastrophic failure.


300BLK in semi and FA. They were shooting handloads that were right at the borderline of supersonic. Two week ago, the weather allowed them to stay subsonic, but the day I was there most of them cracked. Also shot it on a .30 bolt...though I have no idea what it was and didn't ask. Scott thought it was a Savage, but doesn't really matter. The interesting part was the ~8oz trigger pull...definitely wasn't ready for the first one.

The can itself was the demo unit they'd been using. Great design, great lockup on the brake.

Oh yeah, and to address something from early on in the thread, dealers will be able to sell them for whatever they want. There will be a MAP, but once the dealer pays for the can, they're welcome to make (or lose) as much money on a sale as the business wants. Henry just doesn't want all the internet commandos to get caught up in the "this place is $5 less, but this one has free shipping" situation where you're sitting on your couch arguing over a couple bucks on a price match, and the quality/features/performance of the can should be the selling points. (That's all my very loose interpretation of the discussion we had when we asked him about MAP).

Awesome
Did he actually say "internet commandos"?

Absolutely not. That was my "loose interpretation" based on some of the posts here.

Rugged has their first testing video up:

I've shot that rifle.

Has about an 8oz pull. Scared the crap out of me on the first shot.

Numbers are not that different from anything else. Not knocking the can, just saying its in line with everything else. Well, as far as sound goes anyway.

Modularity is cool for those that think they need it. Truth is that it will probably stay in one configuration or the other.

Lots of good suppressors coming out this year, something for everybody.  

Someone get that man a hog saddle.

Ha.  Truth.

I honestly think we are reaching the limits as far as suppression in a reasonable package goes. I really doubt we will see anything much quieter than what is out there right now.

I do somewhat agree on the modularity, however I think it does have a place. A 9 inch can is absurdly long on pretty much any semi automatic rifle, especially a 300 BLK. The 7.5 inch length is much better for this and will probably perform nearly as well as the 9 inch configuration with 300 BLK.

I would be much more interested in this if it had a shorter configuration. Changing it between 9" and 6.5" would put it at the top of my list, but with the current 9" / 7.5" configuration, I'm most interested in the Sandman S for my next can.

Good insight. I kinda agree.

 
Agreed. We are splitting hairs. I'd go with something that fits your budget from a reputable company and a mount system that you like.


I'll always welcome more options though. It's truly a great time to be a suppressor customer.  

The only other major difference I could envision is larger and larger ODs.
A fat Ti can weight the same as a steel can should be noticeably quieter, right?

Maybe. However, the difference may not be as significant as you might think. I remember a similar discussion on SilencerTalk at one point and the prevailing belief was that you very quickly get to a point of diminishing returns when it comes to suppressor diameter.

I recall that thread as well.  I'm anxiously awaiting the Sig cans as not only do they ditch the tube but they are larger diameter as well.  

Still happy with my specwar. Still kicking butt and taking names

Was surprised at the pricing in shops.  Looking forward to a test but the price is too high for me.

What prices were you seeing?  None of my local shops have them.

I can't help but feel the same way.  When the accessory cost more than the host, the purchase is hard to swallow.  On top of that, it seems a little ridiculous when there is a competitor that does the same thing (within reason) for a lower price.  I may just be looking past a feature that covers the price differential these cans offer because it not something that is useful to me.

My local dealer:

http://hansohnbrothers.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_69&product_id=312

You mean Griffin, right?

Dealers cannot advertise below MAP. Call them...

 

Yeah I wouldn't worry about the advertised prices at this point. Ever wonder why you have to create an account to see some prices on Silencer Shop's website?

¿Que?  I mean every other company that produces a similar product at a lower price.  I've  never handled a Griffin can.  Maybe them as well.

I understand how MAP works.  But if MSRP is $1300, I'm not getting the can for $800.