TL:DR - need help building form 1 for a short barrel 44 magnum

I recently put together a T/C contender as a graduation/birthday gift to myself. I put it together as a pistol to hunt with, so I went with a 14" SSK 44 magnum barrel. I have an Obsidian 45 that I was going to use with it, however, Rugged says the Obsidian is not rated for it a 14" barrel.

I really don't want to do a form 4 for a commercial can since I want to use my T/C by November for deer season. This leads me to do a form 1 to have it on hand by hunting season. As it happens, a few years ago I bought an 8" Maverick Precision talon tube with the intention of doing a form 1 to suppress a 35 Whelen but didn't since that rifle wasn't very accurate. I sold the tube to a friend that now uses it as a thread protector until his form 4 cans get back. I'm 99% sure that I could get that tube back from him.

Assuming that I can get the tube, what internals and spacing would be recommended? I primarily intended on shooting supersonics, but I'd like to load up some subs just for the giggle factor.

Thank you for reading such a long post, and I appreciate the help and the advice.

I can't help you with your dilemma, sorry. Subbing for the answers.

That 1.5" ID will be about perfect for .44 magnum I would think.  

This is what I like, and seems to be the popular form1.org formula at the moment: -  ~2.5 - 2.75" BC, a Dino blast baffle if they come back in stock, 8 or so Super Dupers stacked progressively, I really like a radial or two at the distal end, and about .5" of distal space.

You'll get a bit of FRP with subs with the big BC, but that should be stellar with full house loads.  It looks like 1.497 Super Dupers are on sale right now at $28 per.

You should ask them if their rating applies to supersonic or if it's ok If you're shooting subsonic. Subsonic with a lighter bullet will be significantly less pressure.

If you make a progressive design, that mimics what others have made for 308 rifles, you'll do well. Just shorten the blast chamber to ~1.5" and don't space smaller than ~7/16".
You can cut the blast spacer into 2pcs. Both go together for supers and, when you want to run subs, take a piece away to shorten it. That piece will go behind the last baffle, against the end cap.


Subs will be fine. However, he said supers are his primary.

You can Eform a form 4 now and supposedly will have it before Nov. This just started at Chrismas so nobody knows the wait yet, ATF claims 90 days.

E file a F4 can. November should be easy

Also, any feedback on the SSK barrel? I just ordered my first SSK

I would buy something like This, engrave it, and send it to ecco machine after your form 1 is approved.  He will build whatever style silencer you want on it and you’d get better performance.  Than a flimsy generic solvent trap kit.

That would require Ecco to lengthen it, if you want anything w/ real performance, and that would be illegal.

What barrel length is the obsidian rated for?

Not sure what the Rugged can is rated for but just for comparison, Sico says the Octane 45HD is rated for 44mag with a minimum 16 inch barrel.

YMMV

16" for 44Mag
Though 6 for special, perhaps that a consideration for OPs dilemma?

https://ruggedsuppressors.com/suppressor-guide-cat/caliber-ratings/

Interesting. This is one of those times I’d love to see a ton of data on actual pressures with different loads and barrel lengths. Blows my mind there’s still concerning pressure that far down the barrel even with a substantially bigger higher pressure round.

It's not just pressure. With a shorter barrel, you have hotter gases and unburned powder causing premature wear.
This would put usage outside the design parameters.

Like I said I understand 44 is a beast I just have trouble with the fact the a 45acp at 4" or full auto is less damaging than the 44 is at 14". Then it says it's belt fed rated and belt fed heat and damage is extreme even with pistol rounds.

I'd really like to see the differences between several loads of 44 mag in 14" and 16" barrel.

The only real data I have at the moment is some chrono data using Winchester 240 gr jsp. At 10ft I was getting 1746 fps out of my 14" barrel.

I haven't put it on paper, just did a quick and dirty zero on a steel target at 25 yards. I've got some hornady 240 xtps to try out at some point. I've also got dies on the way so I can start handloading.