SureFire SOCOM556-RC3 Suppressor: Full Review

The SureFire Suppressor Division was established in 2002. Applying science to advance suppressor technology, the first notable achievement was to improve accuracy potential and repeatability. At the time, U.S. Special Operations units were the primary customers of suppressors on carbines, but impact shift when removing and reattaching a suppressor in a combat environment forced troops to leave cans on their muzzles or forfeit the sound-suppression benefits. Suppressors coming loose and changing the point of impact (POI) were concerns, as were the effects of heat during sustained combat. As the temperature rose, a lick of flame extending beyond the muzzle became a target identifier for the enemy. The Suppressor Division set out to eliminate these issues with a Total Signature Reduction (TSR) plan, which resulted in the Fast-Attach mounting system and the SOCOM-556 and -762 series that earned the trust of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

To ensure precise alignment, repeatability, and compatibility with pre-existing muzzle devices, SureFire engineered the SOCOM556-RC3 to maintain use of the Fast-Attach mounting system. (Photo by Mark Fingar)

SureFire SOCOM-series suppressors achieved a reputation for sub-1 MOA impact shifts after reinstallation. This allowed end users to pack their deployment kits in compact loadouts and attach suppressors when needed with the confidence that their shots would be effective against enemy targets. Engineers at SureFire continued to improve on that success as needs for full-auto, belt-fed-rated cans that could offer sound-reduction performance on platforms ranging in caliber between 5.56mm and .50 caliber. Lessons learned from designing and manufacturing suppressors for the military advanced pistol-caliber and commercial products for the division.

gaap-241100-sup-005 — The system features a notch inside the collar to index with the muzzle device. (Photo by Mark Fingar)

During the War on Terror, the U.S. military surveyed the health risks of its combat veterans, including Tier 1 operators who trained in close-quarter environments such as shoot houses. Exposure to toxins during intense training and in combat environments revealed a need for suppressor designs to address backpressure. The U.S. Government opened its labs for suppressor manufacturers to analyze and study flow dynamics and backpressure using a supercomputer loaded with aerospace research software. SureFire was the only company to hire scientists to interpret the data used in the development of its digital-design prototypes. Manufactured prototypes validated the discoveries when shot in a clone of the test-box used by U.S. Special Operations at Crane to measure airborne particulate matter in parts-per-million. When fired, particulate matter can envelop a shooter, especially in an enclosed environment. After lengthy research and significant investment, the SOCOM556-RC3 was found to produce 60-percent less backpressure. While achieving its goals, the RC3 also reduced fouling inside the action and improved recoil control, even with full-auto small arms.

gaap-241100-sup-007 — To mount the SOCOM556-RC3, slide the can over any compatible Fast-Attach mounting device such as the SOCOM 3 Prong flash hider. With the suppressor indexed, rotate the Fast-Attach mounting ring to secure it. To unlock and remove, press the button on the ring and unscrew the collar. SureFire engineering and machining ensure repeatable and precise alignment to the barrel’s bore. (Photo by Mark Fingar)

The mixture of gas, unburnt powder and oxygen typically results in a flash signature that is detectable in darkness, revealing the shooter’s location and providing a target for the enemy to engage. Though a suppressor may produce minimal flash when firing the first round, as it heats up the flash from the muzzle generally becomes increasingly visible. The RC3 nearly eliminates the flash from the first shot to the last.

gaap-241100-sup-008 — To mount the SOCOM556-RC3, slide the can over any compatible Fast-Attach mounting device such as the SOCOM 3 Prong flash hider. With the suppressor indexed, rotate the Fast-Attach mounting ring to secure it. To unlock and remove, press the button on the ring and unscrew the collar. SureFire engineering and machining ensure repeatable and precise alignment to the barrel’s bore. (Photo by Mark Fingar)

The SOCOM556-RC3 remains a Fast-Attach design that is compatible with existing SOCOM Fast-Attach accessories and muzzle devices. When you install an RC3 to a carbine that already has a muzzle device such as a SureFire Warcomp, you’re not simply replacing it, you’re improving its performance. Measuring 6.3 inches in length, it possesses the same compactness as the RC2 and similar sound levels. It weighs 17 ounces. For those who have a carbine and a previous generation SOCOM556 suppressor, upgrading to the RC3 presents the same feel, handling and maneuverability. Finish-wise, SureFire applies a black or tan Cerakote to preserve appearances, but if you’re like the Tier 1 operators who deploy with a SureFire, shooting enough rounds will eventually discolor the surface finish.

The RC3 is a line of low-backpressure suppressors, meaning that it will eventually be offered to support 7.62mm calibers, and others. The benefits of the RC3 extend beyond the sound reduction, flash suppression, controllability, effectiveness, and service life of the host firearm. The mission now requires suppressors to safeguard the health of the operator. SureFire remains the standard, in my opinion.

gaap-241100-sup-013 — Three days training with Matt Pranka of Xray Alpha pushed an RC3-equipped Bravo Company carbine through 1,000 rounds per day.

At the Range

The SOCOM556-RC3 was evaluated during a carbine class taught by Matt Pranka of Xray Alpha. Pranka used a practical approach to training in order to develop foundational skills. Training featured Doubles drills and Practical Accuracy with a carbine, pressure tested against time, downrange results and competition.

“If [you] leave the range and have a fist-size group, all you prove to yourself is that you’re very good at doing what you want to do,” Pranka said. “We have to set conditions where we want to make mistakes; we want to fail. In the practical world, most of your training should be in a push, exploratory world. You’re trying to break foundational skills, fundamentals, in order to fix it. I like using predictive shooting to do this. I’m using historical information about how the gun behaves in recoil as my aiming strategy. If I do my part, if I hold the gun the same every time, I can expect that the dot-tracking pattern is going to be the same.”

The silhouette target featured an aiming point as big as a thumbprint. Out to 20 yards using a Bravo Company Recce equipped with an Aimpoint Micro red dot, my groups measured between 1 and 2 inches. At 30, shooting from an aggressive fighting stance, my groups opened to about 3 to 4 inches. At 50, 5 to 6 inches.

After confirming zero, analyzing fundamentals, we performed Doubles at close range to test our predictive shooting capability. The aiming point disappeared before performing Doubles at 30 yards, 40 yards, Triples at 10 yards with A-zone-only hits, then 20 yards, and four shots in the A-zone at 30 and 40 yards with 85-percent accuracy within 1.2 seconds. A competition between students walking back from 15 to 60 yards in 1½ seconds put the pressure on and forced us to be aggressive.

gaap-241100-sup-003 — (Photo by Mark Fingar)

Pranka wrapped up each day, “How many noticed there was a suppressor attached to our rifles all day?” None. The RC3 may as well have been invisible.

Training stepped up intensity and complexity, including drills to push reloads, distance shooting with an education about zeroes and bullet trajectories at different distances, and techniques to hasten our actions and smooth our performance. Pranka required a lot of mental focus, but having the RC3 attached to the muzzle required no additional considerations. I could hear Pranka’s instructions during the course clearly. I never experienced an impact shift or a need for maintenance to the carbine for three days and roughly for 3,000 rounds of Black Hills 77-grain OTM. If you have experience shooting a suppressed carbine, you’re familiar with the gas and teary eyes that can result from shooting multiple shots. It’s like walking through a cloud, and you know that it’s not really good for you. There was none of that when testing the RC3.

gaap-241100-sup-014 — Six inches long and weighing 17 ounces, the SOCOM556-RC3 presents similar characteristics as the RC2 models. Visually, the RC3 is identifiable by its precision-welded, flared, flow-through muzzle cap. (Photo by Mark Fingar)

Pranka stressed “control, accountability, and performance.” Though he was referring to pushing ourselves to be predictive shooters, the same terms described our hardware. Our focus needs to be on the target, and the awareness of our dot’s relationship to where we want to hit. The RC3 does a better job of making that happen.