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Posted: 9/6/2026 1:03:13 PM EDT
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Is there currently a "go to" suppressor for shotguns (12ga)? Seems like Salvo 12 has been around the longest. LGS had the JK 195 SGX 12 in stock, but not favorable reviews on silencershop.com. I am a YHM and see they have one too : YHM Victra-12 Shotgun Suppressor which has the best reviews overall on silencershop.com at a YHM price too.  For those shotguns with the magazine tube extending past the barrel could you just have the suppressor at the 3 or 9 oclock position instead of the 6??  Reviews seem to indicate - adapters to attach the suppressor have to be purchased separately? - most say it doesn't do much to actually suppress sound. Are there ammo restrictions? Have plenty of bird, buck and slug ammo. Anyone attach one to their semi-auto and found it no longer cycles flawlessly? Is the 12 ga suppressor a novelty item or do you find yourself using it each range trip??? |
TBD
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Attached File I’m currently reviewing the Rex SEG12, running it on the BCA M4 clone. The can is HUB and mounts to a choke adapter with HUB threads. I like the modularity as it allows you to tune the can to where you want it. In full configuration it’s long, heavy, but does make a difference for noise. I often run it in the half config, where it’s definitely not very quiet but does cut down the blast and concussion. Reliability wise, if anything it will improve reliability by letting me run light birdshot with the added backpressure. |
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I have the old Salvo, and it’s goofy as all get out. But I use it around the house blasting squirrels probably more than any other silencer set up. I have it on a Mossberg 500 that I had an 18.5” barrel on. I need to make it into a SBS and send this barrel off to get re cut. With their choke adapter you can run it in any clock position you would want, including 12 if you didn’t want to see anything! As to reliability, it would depend on the gun. I have an old Benelli M1 Super 90 that does not like having that much weight on its end and won’t cycle. So if you have an inertia driven gun, you might need to go with the lighter can or a shorter setup. That’s why I just let mine live on the old pump. I would say that you will enjoy it more on a SBS than a longer barrel. Just for fun I stuck my Salvo on the end of a 26” barrel I have and man that was a long sucker! Also, yes, the choke adapters are sold separately, and just like normal chokes you decide what pattern you want and go with that. I was told that the Salvo’s tended to run about one size larger so plan accordingly. As to suppression, yes, they do cut down on some of the sound. Just not as much as we are used to with smaller calibers. To me it sounds like it just makes the shot sound further away. Kinda hard to explain. |
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Originally Posted By JThompson: Reviews seem to indicate - adapters to attach the suppressor have to be purchased separately? - most say it doesn't do much to actually suppress sound. Most would be correct. They do knock the report down a little, but it isn't remotely like the night-and-day difference with a decent can on a pistol or rifle. I don't actually have any numbers, but based on how they sound, I would be surprised if the reduction for any of them exceeded 15 dB. It's really not even a "takes the edge off" proposition in my experience. One of our good local customers has been asking me to make one for a long time; I have no interest, and I cautioned him that he would likely find them very disappointing. He ended up buying the Rex 12 ga can to put on an SBS, and his remark after first shots was "That doesn't do shit! What a waste of money!" Big holes make it hard to suppress. Big holes + lower pressures make it REALLY hard to suppress. Big holes + low pressure + having to incorporate sub-optimal features & geometry in order to keep shot cups from opening up inside the can make it almost futile. IME, there is a measurable reduction but not a very meaningful one, and they add so much bulk and mass that it's just not worth it, especially on field guns where that screws up your swing. I can build just about anything I can dream up, and I can do it pretty cheap on my own time, yet I still don't mess with shotguns cans. Take that for what it's worth. |
Suppress all the things!
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Worth it to me using subsonic 20gage ammo. Pretty quiet and fun to shoot Attached File Attached File |
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Originally Posted By ECCO_Machine: Most would be correct. They do knock the report down a little, but it isn't remotely like the night-and-day difference with a decent can on a pistol or rifle. I don't actually have any numbers, but based on how they sound, I would be surprised if the reduction for any of them exceeded 15 dB. It's really not even a "takes the edge off" proposition in my experience. One of our good local customers has been asking me to make one for a long time; I have no interest, and I cautioned him that he would likely find them very disappointing. He ended up buying the Rex 12 ga can to put on an SBS, and his remark after first shots was "That doesn't do shit! What a waste of money!" Big holes make it hard to suppress. Big holes + lower pressures make it REALLY hard to suppress. Big holes + low pressure + having to incorporate sub-optimal features & geometry in order to keep shot cups from opening up inside the can make it almost futile. IME, there is a measurable reduction but not a very meaningful one, and they add so much bulk and mass that it's just not worth it, especially on field guns where that screws up your swing. I can build just about anything I can dream up, and I can do it pretty cheap on my own time, yet I still don't mess with shotguns cans. Take that for what it's worth. Try making a .410 suppressor. Remington makes a load of #9 shot at 650 fps. Sounds like throwing a handful of rocks into the brush. On a 12" SBS the Handgun .410 ammo and the 5 pellet OOO buckshot are subsonic and very quiet. |
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I have posted a similar replies before to this question. I use my Salvo quite a bit and like it enough that I plan to buy a second one in the near future and build another dedicated host gun for it. That said there are some significant aspects with the Salvo design that you have to address to use it effectively and comfortably. It should be obvious....but the Salvo is big and you need to use it in it full sized config to get the most out of it. I have all the Salvo rod kits for my unit but just leave it in the full size config all the time. Its a fairly large suppressor and trying to put it on the end of a standard length hunting shotgun with a 24"+ long barrel is an exercise in futility with that much weight ~2ft out from the original center of gravity. If you are buying a Salvo its basically a requirement that you are going to need to build some custom SBS (with choke inserts) to get the barrel length down to 10" to 12" so the whole barrel+silencer combo is no more than ~24" long with the full size Salvo attached. The other option would be to find a bullpup style shotgun you can live with. The other issue is you can't shoot it with normal 12G ammo if you want it to suppress well. Virtually every box of 12G at your local sporting good store is going to be supersonic and the supersonic crack from a 9 x 30 caliber pellets with traditional buckshot or hundreds of supersonic bb size pellets with bird shot is going to be really loud just from the supersonic crack of the shot column. It would be similar to shooting nine individual suppressed 9mm handguns with supersonic ammo all at the exact same time loud from a supersonic crack perspective. If you want it to be quiet you have to use subsonic ammo. I personally use Federal 12G TopGun Subsonic as it works really well. My Rem V3 SBS being a gas operated semi-auto action and the Salvo acting as a muzzle break plus its extra weight make it an extremely soft recoiling setup as well for really quick follow shots. Virtually everybody I have ever let shoot my Salvo with 12G subs is surprised at how well it suppresses and soft recoiling this combo is. Usually the first comment after shooting it is something along the lines of "the internet says these are supposed to be terrible but this thing is awesome" That said you are going to have to be realistic and its not going to be suppressed 22lr quiet either as there is a practical limit given the gas volume and bore size. However, the Salvo with Fed Top Shot subs I can dove hunt all afternoon without ear pro no problems. If your plan involves sticking it on a traditional full length shotgun and running regular supersonic 12G through it, I personally wouldn't bother getting one. If you want to commit to building out the right host gun, using the right ammo, and accept its not going to be 22LR quiet they can be a really great addition to a collection of suppressed firearms. Just my nickel's worth anyway.  |
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I have a Salvo 12 that I use on my 14" Mossberg Shockwave and Remington 11-87 SBS. Besides the stock 12" configuration, I do also have the 10" and 8" rod kit. Shooting 00 buck in 10" configuration still sounds like a shotgun, just attenuated. There's no concussive blast, and you can shoot thru a whole tube with no ear pro and not hurt your ears or get tinnitus later. It's still loud; you're not going to let a round loose in the backyard of your subdivision without getting attention. But it's about as loud as a .22 unsuppressed pistol. Just boomier. 10" seems to be the best balance between size and suppression. 12" is noticeably "quieter", and 8" is pointless, IMO. I have some subsonic birdshot, and to me, it's really not that much quieter. Is it worth getting? That's subjective, but I like mine. I don't shoot it very often, but that's probably more so that I don't shoot shotgun much. But if I had to do it all over again, I'd buy it again. Salvo 12 in action |
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For SBS, are you having to modify the gas system? (Google says you need too.  )Instead of buying a new shotgun, would it be possible to buy the shorter barrel for an existing one and Form 1 it? If going semi-auto, is the remington 1100 preferred? What about pump? Just pick up anything affordable? I am a Mossberg fan.
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TBD
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Originally Posted By JThompson: For SBS, are you having to modify the gas system? (Google says you need too. )Instead of buying a new shotgun, would it be possible to buy the shorter barrel for an existing one and Form 1 it? If going semi-auto, is the remington 1100 preferred? What about pump? Just pick up anything affordable? I am a Mossberg fan. This is a complicated question and really depends upon the shotgun model. Certain semi-autos are gas operated and may or may not need their gas system modified to run with a short barrel. In my personal experience shotguns, like the Remington V3 if you cut down a full size gun (depending upon how short you go) will indeed need the gas system adjusted to run without the suppressor attached. However, if you buy the factory short barrel version of the V3, the "TAC-13" or a factory TAC-13 short barrel assembly they will run out of the box with the short barrel as it was factory designed to do so. The TAC-13 is an add a stock situation vs. cut down the barrel proposition. This would be a similar situation with the full size Mossberg 990 or its factory short barrel variant the "990 Aftershock" which was factory designed with a 14" barrel and you would just need to add a stock. There are other factory gas operated SBSs like the Benelli M4 "Entry" or the Genesis Arms Gen-12 that will run just fine with their factory short barrels. Other guns like short barrel 1100s or 1187s the gas system is so far forward that they will absolutely need the gas system adjusted to run if you cut the barrel back significantly. There are also semi-auto inertia driven designs like the Benelli M2 entry or cutting down a field Benelli, Stoeger, or Browning A5 as there is no gas system to adjust but overall weight you add is a consideration on inertia guns. A couple other things to consider when building an SBS for a Salvo. 1. Front sight occlusion. Even with the Salvo offset the way it is, it will still block most standard height shotgun beads, so you will need some sort of taller front sight to clear the suppressor. Not a big deal if you are cutting down a full size gun as you are going to have to replace the sight anyway but if you go with a factory short barrel variant like the Tac-13 or 990 Aftershock the front sight bead is going to be blocked by the suppressor and will need to be replaced or a red dot added. 2. Chokes. The Salvo requires the gun to have removeable chokes. Any gun you cut down isn't going to have removable chokes anymore, even if it did originally. Many shotguns if you cut them down won't have enough barrel wall material thickness in the middle of the barrel where its cut for the choke types that Silencerco sells. For my V3 field that I cut down I had to make a custom Salvo Choke in Tru-Choke pattern that would work with the thinner barrel material along the midsection of the barrel where it was cut. Most of the factory short barrel "other" shotguns are going to not have removable chokes either (Tac-13, Shockwave, Aftershock). There is a similar issue with some factory short barrel "Other" shotguns like the Rem Tac-13 where they also don't have enough barrel wall material at the end of the barrel to thread the factory short barrel for most standard chokes. That said, I believe the Mossberg Aftershock "other" shotgun does has enough barrel material to have somebody internally thread it for Remchokes based off what I have read. The two semi-auto short barrel (~14") stocked shotguns out of the box that also have factory internal chokes that Silencerco makes Salvo chokes for are the Benelli M4 Entry SBS (Benelli Choke) and the Mossberg 990 SPX Class 3 (Accu-Choke). These two factory SBSs should be relatively "plug and play" for a Salvo. The 990 may still have the sights occluded and both are still a bit longer than probably ideal length being 14.5" in barrel length. My personal take, one of the main reasons that the Salvo never really did well from a sales standpoint is that lack of good factory SBS host guns that it could be installed on. |
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Originally Posted By JThompson: Thanks for taking the time to post. Don’t all the shotgun suppressors require the threads for a choke since they require similar adapters? Effectively yes all shotgun suppressors require some method of mounting the suppressor to the host gun. The challenge with shotguns (vs. rifles that use a very fixed set of thread types) is the types of choke systems are numerous, each choke "system" has a different barrel OD requirement and thread pattern, very few folks have access to the dies to internally thread shotgun barrels for chokes, and the number of SBS guns that come with threaded chokes and/or are able to be threaded for choke system types that Silencerco makes is extremely slim. This makes the end customer have to become a quasi-expert in 12G choke patterns and/or a gunsmith to put it all together and that doesn't even touch the potential gas systems issues. Other shotgun manufacturers like Genesis Arms and their Gen-12 worked with a suppressor manufacturer (HUXWRX) to effectively sell a factory package with the Shotgun and the VENTUM 12. As a result Genesis and Hux probably sell circles around Silencerco in the shotgun suppressor space because they have a package that works out of the box. Personally I think the Gen-12 is a not great shotgun based off my personal experience and its also pretty poor ergonomically for traditional shotgun type stuff like clays or bird hunting. However even with this significantly reduced functional utility I understand why the Gen-12/Ventum is appealing package to many folks. |
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Originally Posted By JThompson: Thanks for taking the time to post. Don’t all the shotgun suppressors require the threads for a choke since they require similar adapters? Some shotguns do have external threads for chokes. Rex Silentium has an adapter for the external threads on a Kel-Tec KSG. I also had my .410 externally threaded 11/16-24 because it was easier to find a HUB adapter for that than internal choke tube threads. |
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Originally Posted By ECCO_Machine: Most would be correct. They do knock the report down a little, but it isn't remotely like the night-and-day difference with a decent can on a pistol or rifle. I don't actually have any numbers, but based on how they sound, I would be surprised if the reduction for any of them exceeded 15 dB. It's really not even a "takes the edge off" proposition in my experience. One of our good local customers has been asking me to make one for a long time; I have no interest, and I cautioned him that he would likely find them very disappointing. He ended up buying the Rex 12 ga can to put on an SBS, and his remark after first shots was "That doesn't do shit! What a waste of money!" Big holes make it hard to suppress. Big holes + lower pressures make it REALLY hard to suppress. Big holes + low pressure + having to incorporate sub-optimal features & geometry in order to keep shot cups from opening up inside the can make it almost futile. IME, there is a measurable reduction but not a very meaningful one, and they add so much bulk and mass that it's just not worth it, especially on field guns where that screws up your swing. I can build just about anything I can dream up, and I can do it pretty cheap on my own time, yet I still don't mess with shotguns cans. Take that for what it's worth. Originally Posted By ECCO_Machine: Originally Posted By JThompson: Reviews seem to indicate - adapters to attach the suppressor have to be purchased separately? - most say it doesn't do much to actually suppress sound. Most would be correct. They do knock the report down a little, but it isn't remotely like the night-and-day difference with a decent can on a pistol or rifle. I don't actually have any numbers, but based on how they sound, I would be surprised if the reduction for any of them exceeded 15 dB. It's really not even a "takes the edge off" proposition in my experience. One of our good local customers has been asking me to make one for a long time; I have no interest, and I cautioned him that he would likely find them very disappointing. He ended up buying the Rex 12 ga can to put on an SBS, and his remark after first shots was "That doesn't do shit! What a waste of money!" Big holes make it hard to suppress. Big holes + lower pressures make it REALLY hard to suppress. Big holes + low pressure + having to incorporate sub-optimal features & geometry in order to keep shot cups from opening up inside the can make it almost futile. IME, there is a measurable reduction but not a very meaningful one, and they add so much bulk and mass that it's just not worth it, especially on field guns where that screws up your swing. I can build just about anything I can dream up, and I can do it pretty cheap on my own time, yet I still don't mess with shotguns cans. Take that for what it's worth. Thank you! This is worth quite a bit considering the source! |
 12 Gauge Suppressors Are WAY Better Than I Thought That Inert Haze seems impossibly good for the size. |
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What about this type of shotgun? It would help keep the overall length short and seems to have thread, but not sure if its compatible with available adapters. Attached File |
TBD
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Originally Posted By amphibian: I like my Salvo12. Huge but it is quiet. Let me know if you want me to bring it to SCGAA and you can try it yourself. https://c3junkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/salvo12-ts12.png Thanks for the offer. May just do that. IIRC, I know I tried that shotgun. It has that look you remember. Not sure it was that suppressor though. Plus, it many moons ago.
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TBD
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