Today’s article was brought to you on behalf of the American Suppressor Association.
Listen — we like the occasional screamer, but it’s not always appropriate (or even conducive to good health). That’s why we like cans. Today we’ll talk about Q’s Half Nelson. Because, after all, violently loud isn’t always a Good Thing. Mad Duo
Grunts: conducive.
Review: The Q Half Nelson
It’s a short, squat, no-holds-barred .308 performer.
Mike the Mook
And in this cornerrrrrr, from Q’s Seacoast Wrestling Association, we have Kevin Brittingham’s, Half Nelson!
The Q Half Nelson is an all titanium full auto-rated direct thread rifle suppressor less than 7″ long and weighing a hair over 12 oz. This is a well-performing, cutting-edge silencer. We see this particular can as having two potential missions:
- For long-range precision rifle shooter who wants to keep things quiet while minimizing any shift in his or her POI.
- For folks who shoot .300 BO and want a rifle can that can deal with the supers as well as the subs.
Note: if you want to get your hands on one, you gotta go through Silencershop. They have the initial distribution for Q*.
So, as you may recall, earlier this year, we took a look at the El Camino rimfire can. While we liked it, we wanted to test out something bigger (that’s what she seems to always say). Thankfully the guys at Silencer Shop know we have a fondness for .30 caliber rifles and sent us a Half Nelson to test out so we could get a review out as soon as possible.
These cans may not yet be on the website, so check back often or subscribe to Silencershop’s email list to stay current
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When we took the can out of the box we were immediately impressed with its light weight and construction. There are those unimpressed with bonus loot and additional fripperies, but if you’re a fan of swag there are all kinds of goodies in the box. For instance, the silencer pouch was pretty cool, as was the soft pouch depicting Q’s Seacoast Wrestling Association’s Masked “Half Nelson”. Does this have anything to do with the function or durability of the can? No, but it’s a nice touch and one we’re not ashamed to say we appreciate.
Q’s Half Nelson is a direct thread and makes use of a tapered mount for consistent and tight lockup on the tapered or squared shoulders of your rifle barrel. Brittingham and Ethan Lessard (who followed Brittingham from SIG as Q’s Vice President of Engineering) designed the Half Nelson (and the slightly longer by maybe 2″ Full Nelson) in order to improve long-range accuracy by reducing the shift in point of impact (POI).
We saw this in the SIG line of tubeless rifle silencers (some of which relied on direct thread) with a taper mount when Brittingham was at SIG. We think this product from Q might be even a bit more refined, but longer, more arduous testing would be needed to validate.
The Half Nelson is thicker than most .30 caliber rifle cans at 1.75″. It definitely has a shorter length than most at 6.85″, but the larger internal volume of the can makes up for that by reducing external sound signature.
We ran the Half Nelson on a Remington 700 chambered in .308 Winchester and on a .300 Blackout pistol with an 8″ barrel.
Obviously, the short barrel, open ejection port, etc. made the pistol “sound” louder than the 21″ barreled bolt action rifle even if it metered quieter (126 subsonic .300 BO and 136 for supersonic .300 BO) than the .308. Despite the thicker body of the Half Nelson, we expected it to be loud on the .308 bolt gun. Due to the 20″ bbl and it being a completely closed action, all the noise was well contained. Factory metering claims it is 140 decibels in this configuration, but it definitely sounded a bit quieter to us.
We saw no shift in point of aim with the Remington and very little, if any, with the .300 Blackout pistol. This is a dual benefit of the tapered mount and 12-ounce weight of the can.
This is a direct thread suppressor intended for dedicated use on a rifle in .30 caliber, up to .300 Winchester Magnum, with a thread pattern of 5/8 x 24″. While it will cover your 6.5 calibers, 7.62 calibers and, of course, .300 Blackout: If they are threaded in this pattern, you cannot drop them down to a 5.56 rifle unless the barrel has that thread pattern as well. There are no QD mounts, flash hiders, muzzle brakes or other adapters to give you versatility.
If you are looking for one can to fit on your entire collection of rifles, then this is not for you.
The Half Nelson is a completely sealed unit that cannot be disassembled for cleaning. We see this as a non-issue for a high-performance rifle can that is more or less “self-cleaning”. Should you feel the need to clean it because you think you may be prone to copper fouling, you can always soak it in copper solvent or clean it with an ultrasonic. However, stay away from any steel cleaning tools for cleaning this silencer, as they may damage the baffles.
Back to that two-fold mission:
- Use by the long range precision rifle shooter who wants to keep things quiet while minimizing any shift in his or her POI.
- Use by folks who shoot .300 BO and want a rifle can that can deal with the supers as well as the subs.
The second point is important, as many shooters of .300 subs like to use a pistol can for that purpose. Most shooters of supers had to go with a longer and heavier rifle silencer. While the Half Nelson may not be as cheap as a pistol suppressor, it is more versatile without the extra weight and length.
At less than 7″, this is one to leave on your rifle. Should you run it under a hand guard and need to loosen it, the front end is designed for removal via an SAE 7/8 in. wrench. The rear of the can is sized for a 3/4 in. wrench.
Rifle cans of this quality typically cost more money, but whatever Q is doing, they are doing it right to keep the cost down for the consumer. We think it’s a bargain at an MSRP of $868.
Bargain, you say? Yes, because street prices are very often much lower.
SPECS
- CALIBER – 7.62 NATO/300 Blk/300 WM
- DIAMETER – 1.75″
- LENGTH – 6.85″
- WEIGHT – 12.2 OZ
- ATTACHMENT – DIRECT-THREAD 5/8-24″
- MATERIAL – 100% TITANIUM
- COATING – PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition)
- MSRP: $868.00
Breach Bang Clear supports the American Suppressor Association. You should, too.
*That exclusive should hold true for any bonuses, giveaways, tax credits or any other spiffs of that nature.
You can learn more about Q right here, and remember: Only Hitmen and Serial Killers Need Silencers…right? Derp.
Mike the Mook
Follow the American Suppressor Association on Instagram, @americansuppressor.
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About the Author
Mike “the Mook” Searson is a veteran writer who began his career in firearms at the Camp Pendleton School for Destructive Boys at age 17. He has worked in the firearms industry his entire life, writing about guns and knives for numerous publications and consulting with the film industry on weapons while at the same time working as gunsmith and ballistician. Though seemingly a surly curmudgeon shy a few chromosomes at first meeting, Searson is actually far less of a dick and at least a little smarter than most of the Mad Duo’s minions. He is rightfully considered to be not just good company, but actually fit for polite company as well (though he has never forgotten his roots as a rifleman trained to kill people and break things, and if you look closely you’ll see his knuckles are still quite scabbed over from dragging the ground). You can learn more about him on his website or follow him on Twitter, @MikeSearson.
These are really Mike’s feet. He can type with those toes. We’re not even kidding.
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