Testing & Evaluation: May 1998
By Al Paulson
The titanium Genesis family of sound suppressors from the Special Op’s Shop, Inc. were the first muzzle cans designed for the H&K MP5 submachine gun using a spring-loaded snap-on mount system. The example used for the following study has been intensively used and abused for four years, and it is still going strong. The Genesis suppressors represented innovative and robust technology when they were introduced in 1993, and they remain compelling and competitive technology today.
The Special Op’s Shop was established in 1982 by Chuck Good-rich to manufacture pistol and special
purpose ammunition, and the business broadened quickly to encompass a wide range of tactical gear and law-enforcement products. The company began manufacturing sound suppressors with the introduction of a muzzle can which featured a snap-on mount that wrapped around the front sight of an unmodified Ruger Mark II pistol with bull barrel. The line of snap-on submachine gun suppressors began as a collaboration between Tony Marfione and Jim Faranelli of B&B Guns in Hudson, Florida. They were having some problems with both design and manufacturing, so they contacted Goodrich for help. Those improved designs became the foundation for the current product line, and they moved all manufacturing to the Special Op’s Shop in Tennessee. Today, Chuck Goodrich offers a full spectrum of titanium and stainless steel suppressors and integrally suppressed weapons (Special Op’s Shop, Inc, P.O. Box 978, Madisonville, TN 37354; phone 423-442-7180; fax 423-442-6218; URL www.mindspring.com/~opshop/weapons.html). One of the most interesting products to my biases is the new titanium Viper suppressor, which attaches onto a standard AR15/M16 flash hider with a newly patented quick coupler. The most interesting new product under development is a snap-on .308 suppressor, which is slated for introduction in the spring of 1998.
The Genesis family of quick mount suppressors for the MP5 are designed to meet the most diverse operational requirements, and two thread-mount variants are also available for other 9x19mm submachine guns. Some variants are manufactured from titanium while others are made from stainless steel. Any suppressor is available in either a nonreflective bead blast or matte black finish.
The Genesis Model 3005 is a sealed unit fabricated from stainless steel, measuring 9.5 inches (24.1 cm) long and 1.48 inches (3.8 cm) in diameter. The can weighs 24 ounces (680 grams). The unit features Spec Op’s spring-loaded quick mount which allows installing the suppressor onto the three-lug barrel of an MP5.
The mounting process is quite simple. Begin by clearing the weapon. Then simply slip the can over the barrel and push the suppressor toward the receiver until the spring is fully compressed; now twist the suppressor 1/3 turn in a clockwise direction. The spring forces a notched collar forward to capture the barrel lugs and keep the suppressor in place despite intense full-auto fire that could cause a thread-mount suppressor to loosen. The operating spring in the quick mount is very stiff and requires considerable force to compress, so this is a very robust mounting system. Try to pull the suppressor off the barrel and try to twist the can back and forth to ensure than the can is securely fastened. While this is a useful procedure with any quick-mount system, it is particularly important with this system because the mount can be rotated too far (i.e., past the capture notches in the mount). Simply compress the mount spring and try again if proper alignment of the barrel lugs and mount notches has not been achieved. In practice, the mounting/dismounting procedure takes about five seconds.
The Genesis Model 3006 is the same size as the Model 3006, except that it is fabricated from titanium. The weight, therefore, is just 18 ounces (510 grams) including the snap-on mount. Six ounces lighter than its stainless steel sibling, the Model 3006 is also slightly more expensive because of the titanium. Both the Model 3005 and 3006 are designed for applications requiring the maximum possible sound reduction.
A smaller unit is also available for those missions where size is a paramount concern. Well suited for entry teams and the realm of Close Quarter Battle, the Model 3007 is also called the Genesis Tactical Entry Model. I personally like this concept very much. The titanium unit is 7.5 inches (19.1 cm) long and 1.48 inches in diameter, and the can weighs 16 ounces (454 grams) with snap-on mount.
My favorite variant of the Genesis series is the lightest of them all. Weighing just 11.6 ounces (329 grams) with snap-on mount, the Model 3008 is also called the Genesis Elite. The titanium suppressor has a length of 9.5 inches (24.1 cm) but a diameter of only 1.24 inches (3.1 cm). The relatively small diameter of this suppressor has definite advantages when used with some accessories designed for the MP5. While the robust snap-on coupler is standard issue on the Genesis Elite, the suppressor can also be ordered with a cam-lock coupler so the unit will not turn too far when installing the can on a weapon.
The Special Op’s Shop also offers two thread-mount suppressors that can be provided with the following thread pitches: 1/2x28, 1/2x32, 1/2x36, and 9/16x24 TPI. Similar in internal design to the Model 3005, the stainless steel Model 3009 is 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) long and has a diameter of 1.48 inches (3.8 cm). It weighs 20 ounces (567 grams). The titanium variant of this can is the Model 3010, which has the same dimensions but weighs 16 ounces (454 grams).
The particular specimen of the Genesis Elite evaluated in this study shows no signs of wear after more than 15,000 +P rounds. It features 17 closely spaced titanium baffles which show no signs of erosion. The snap-on mount spring remains strong and the suppressor still attaches as well to a three-lug MP5 barrel as it did when new. The suppressor tube features a generously knurled surface to facilitate mounting and dismounting the can; this eminently practical if luxurious feature has all but disappeared in the marketplace, and I applaud its incorporation into the Genesis Elite’s design.
Performance
Suppressor performance was determined by measuring sound signatures using the equipment and procedures specified at the end of Chapter 5 in the book Silencer History and Performance ($55 postpaid, Wideworld, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 1827, Conway, AR 72033). The microphone was placed 1.00 meter to the left of the suppressor or muzzle according to U.S. Army testing procedures specified in MIL-STD-1474C. The ambient temperature during the testing was 79°F (26°C), and the speed of sound was 1,138 fps (347 mps). Velocities were measured in feet per second using a P.A.C.T. MKIV timer/chronograph with MKV skyscreens set 24.0 inches apart and the start screen 8.0 feet from the muzzle (P.A.C.T., Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 531525, Grand Prairie, TX 75053, 214-641-0049). At least 10 rounds were fired to obtain an average sound signature or muzzle velocity.
Testing employed a +P subsonic round featuring a 147 grain (9.6 gram) Hornady hollow point in front of 3.7 grains of VihtaVuori Oy N-320 powder. This load is specifically tailored to remain subsonic in the MP5 submachine gun. Most commercial 9x19 subsonic rounds are designed for pistols and, therefore, are frequently transonic or supersonic in the MP5. On the day of the testing, this round produced a muzzle velocity of 958 fps (292 mps) in the unsuppressed MP5 and 967 fps (295 mps) with the Genesis Elite fitted on the submachine gun. These velocities are not significantly different statistically speaking.
The unsuppressed H&K MP5 produced a sound pressure level (SPL) of 155 dB. When fitted with the Genesis Elite, the suppressed sound signature was 130 dB, for a net sound reduction of 25 dB. First-round pop with the suppressor installed was a modest +3.5 decibels.
Since this suppressor had 15,000-rounds worth of baked-on carbon which formed a thin veneer on the can’s internal surfaces, I was curious if the carbon affected system performance. Antares Technologies, Inc. provided sound test data on a new Genesis Elite using testing equipment and procedures also conforming to U.S. Army testing protocols specified in MIL-STD-1474C. This testing used 147 grain FMJ subsonic ammunition loaded with 3.8 grains of WW231 powder, and was conducted at 34°F (1°C). The speed of sound during this phase of testing was 1,138 fps (347 mps). Several contemporary suppressor designs from the Automatic Weapons Company of Boise, Idaho, were tested in addition to the Genesis Elite: the MK-9K and the MINITAC. The former is 8.0 inches (20.3 cm) long, 2.0 inches (5.1 cm) in diameter, and weighs 19.0 ounces (537 grams). The latter is 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) long, 1.38 inches (3.5 cm) in diameter, and weighs 10.3 ounces (292 grams). The comparative results of the sound testing are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
Since the different ammunition used during the two test days produced different unsuppressed sound signatures, the net sound reductions in Table 2 provide a better way to compare the various suppressors than simply using the actual sound pressure levels shown in Table 1. The Genesis Elite produced a net sound reduction of 30 dB on both days, suggesting that 15,000 rounds-worth of carbon buildup does not degrade the efficiency of this suppressor. While the MK-9K is 4 dB quieter than the Genesis Elite, the former has twice the volume and twice the weight of the Genesis Elite. The MINITAC has a similar volume and weight to the Genesis Elite, but the former has a larger diameter and a much greater first-round pop. Based on earlier unpublished data, the Genesis Elite is also quieter than the contemporary TAC-NINE suppressor, which was designed by Doug Olson for AWC Systems Technology and remains one of my favorite submachine gun cans of all time. Clearly, the Genesis Elite belongs on that list of favorites as well.
The Genesis Elite with snap-on mount from the Special Op’s Shop provides plenty of sound suppression for maintaining command and control and for safeguarding the operator from TTS and PTS (temporary and permanent threshold shift; i.e., hearing loss) during dynamic entries and Close Quarter Battle. Furthermore, this level of sound suppression is enough to hide the fact that a shot has been fired when employing subsonic ammunition in many real-world situations. The diminutive Genesis Elite produced a sound signature that was within 3 dB of a factory original MP5 SD integrally suppressed submachine gun. That’s impressive performance from such a small, light suppressor. The titanium Genesis Elite is a quiet, robust suppressor with an unusually secure snap-on mount that together make a suitable system for both the armed professional and the discriminating collector. The Genesis Elite is a world-class performer.
This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V1N8 (May 1998) |
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