Aero Precision Lahar-30 Suppressor: Full Review

It’s a lot tougher than you’d think to come up with an inexpensive suppressor that does almost everything well. Sound suppression, durability and weight all usually rank high on the list of a shooter’s priorities, but modularity has become more important recently. Aero Precision took a look at what today’s suppressor customer wants and applied its engineering and manufacturing capabilities to develop the Lahar-30. The Lahar-30 is a single suppressor for the most shooting applications possible.

There are a lot of first-time suppressor buyers in the market. Following a few gun-buying panics since 2008, we know that it’s not uncommon for many first-time gun buyers to take a more active role in firearms ownership after the initial plunge. If a run on the gun shops brings in 10 million new customers, it’s likely that 1 to 2 million will realize what they’ve been missing and become repeat customers. These customers have embraced suppressors and the benefits they offer.

The Aero Precision Lahar-30 is made from 17-4 stainless steel and Inconel. It has no minimum barrel-length restrictions and is full-auto rated with a lifetime warranty. It is complete with 1 3/8×24 mounting interface, so it can be attached by direct-thread mounting or with a quick-detach system. (Photo by Mark Fingar)

Putting a suppressor on a firearm is the best enhancement to a firearm that makes shooting a gun more fun. Much of the unpleasantness of firing a gun results when hot burning gas under high pressure exits the muzzle. The concussive blast is like recoil on the brain, and the reason why most shooters close their eyes, however briefly, when the gun fires. A suppressor traps this blast and helps eliminate the problem. I always shoot suppressed when introducing new shooters to firearms or when kids are involved.

Another advantage of suppressor use is how it changes the felt recoil of the firearm. The best description I can come up with is that it takes a sharp jab to the shoulder and turns it into a soft push.

gaad-sup-aero-precision-lahar-30-02-1200x800 — The Lahar-30 is a tubeless, laser-welded design. Durability was achieved through a stainless blast chamber and Inconel blast baffle. (Photo by Mark Fingar)

Knowing this, Aero Precision set out to make a general-use suppressor that appeals to most shooters. The goal was to create a suppressor that works well on both a bolt-action rifles and AR-15s, even if the shooter was using a full-auto variant or a short-barreled magnum bolt-action. This meant Aero Precision had to get serious about material selection.

Full-auto firearms place an extreme amount of stress on the first baffle inside the suppressor. It’s known as the “blast baffle.” The blast baffle faces the highest pressure and, when that pressure is combined with the heat, unburned powder and particulate that leaves the muzzle, the result is akin to sand-blasting. The shorter the barrel, the worse the erosion that occurs. Also, the more powder in the cartridge case, the worse the erosion.

The solution varies based on the manufacturer’s goals. It’s 17-4 stainless steel is the most economical material, offering excellent strength-to-weight. However, 17-4 stainless will erode faster than an exotic material such as Inconel. Inconel is more expensive and weighs about the same as 17-4, but few materials are better for heat and erosion resistance. The Lahar-30 is an entry-level suppressor that’s good for a wide range of uses, yet Aero Precision still found room in the budget for an Inconel blast baffle and made the remaining baffles from 17-4. This combination allows the Lahar-30 to carry a full-auto rating — and no barrel length restrictions — as well as a cartridge rating up to .300 Winchester Magnum.

gaad-sup-aero-precision-lahar-30-07-1200x800 — The Lahar-30 is rated for full-auto fire and has no minimum barrel length. Cartridges up to .300 Win. Mag. (tested) can be suppressed, giving the Lahar-30 a broad range of utility. (Photo by Mark Fingar)

Sleeved or Tubeless?

The Lahar-30 is part of the latest generation of suppressors featuring a tubeless design. Suppressors used to be primarily made of stacked baffles welded together and inserted within a one-piece tube, which are then welded together. This approach is great for strength and durability, but putting a baffle stack inside a tube reduces a tube’s internal volume. Internal volume of a suppressor is a key factor in determining how well sound is suppressed. Tubeless suppressors can offer the same external dimensions as a tubed model, but the baffles can be slightly larger because they don’t have to fit inside a tube. Hence, internal volume is increased and better sound suppression is produced.

Can a tubeless suppressor be made as durable as a tubed suppressor? The short answer is yes. Aero Precision spent 18 months engineering and testing the Lahar-30 to make certain that durability was prioritized the same as sound suppression and value. The first hurdle was getting the weld between the Inconel blast baffle and the first 17-4 stainless steel baffle correct. Welding two different materials is no small feat. Time and energy was spent making sure it was right. After doing due diligence, a lot of money was invested in creating the right welding cell for this task. Aero Precision verifies quality through live-fire testing and micro-analysis of the welds in its lab.

gaad-sup-aero-precision-lahar-30-05-1200x800 — Standard 1 3/8-24 threads allow the Lahar-30 to be directly attached to many threaded barrels chambered in .30 caliber or less. (Photo by Mark Fingar)

Talking about getting welds right and making a durable suppressor is fine, but the proof is in the testing. The Suppressed Upper Receiver Group (SURG) testing protocol came from the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). A single SURG cycle consists of 240 rounds (i.e., eight magazines from an M4/M16) fired at the following rate: One magazine at one round per second; one magazine at two rounds per second; another magazine at one round per second; one magazine firing three to five-round bursts; another magazine at one round per second; another magazine at two rounds per second; another magazine at one round per second; and a final magazine fired in one continuous burst. A suppressor needs to fire six cycles of the SURG test, while being allowed to cool to ambient temperature between cycles in order to pass. The Lahar-30 was tested to and successfully passed eight cycles. Aero Precision did not test beyond eight cycles. Aero Precision Product Development Specialist Kirk Foreman said, “That means it works just fine on everything but a 1,000-round burst from a belt-fed machine gun.”

gaad-sup-aero-precision-lahar-30-06-1200x800 — The endcap is also a flashhider, reducing the signature of each shot. The Lahar-30 is also available as a short (K) and long (L) model. (Photo by Mark Fingar)

The Lahar-30 comes with a removable front cap and end cap. The front cap that’s included with the suppressor is the flash hider, which is preferred for maximum signature reduction. The end cap is threaded 13⁄8×24, or “HUB”; a 5⁄8×24 direct-thread end-cap comes installed on the Lahar-30. The HUB system is common to almost all suppressor manufacturers, so there is a variety of muzzle devices that will fit onto the Lahar-30.

At the Range

Aero Precision does not suggest a decibel-reduction rating for the Lahar-30, but the time spent at the range proved that it is as quiet as most suppressors. Suppressors have become so competitive that it’s hard to tell the sound difference from one to the other without expensive instrumentation.

I’d be comfortable using the Lahar-30 for any purpose. Where suppressors distinguish themselves is features and price. The only penalty that comes with the Lahar-30 is its 15-ounce weight. It’s within a few ounces of less-durable titanium suppressors that offer similar sound performance and features, so the choice comes down to how much the consumer desires durability versus weight and expense. Most shooters would be best served with the Lahar-30, in my opinion.