Picture this: you're driving through an open desert in the summertime on a black, asphalt highway. The temperature is over 100 degrees. In the distance, a mirage forms on the horizon, distorting your view of what lies beyond.
Mirages aren’t just a phenomenon in hot desert environments. They’re also something experienced when shooting suppressed—and they can affect a firearm’s POI.
Optical MiragE
It’s no secret that a fired-through suppressor becomes hot—so hot, in fact, it can burn you if touched. A side effect of this is something called “optical mirage,” when waves of heat rise up from the top of a bare suppressor at the end of a firearm’s barrel. As a result, what is viewed down-range using the reticle of a scope or LPVO can warp, ripple and become distorted. Soon, you’re unable to hit your target, especially if it’s hundreds of meters away.
This is where a suppressor cover comes in. A good suppressor cover can mitigate optical mirage or eliminate it altogether, allowing you to hit your target when it counts. With a good suppressor cover, a POI shift won’t happen either.
A photo of Silencer Central's new line of Elite Cinch suppressor covers. Photo by Ryan Grant.
Preventing burns
Suppressor covers can also prevent accidental burns or melting holes through clothing or gun bags. For example, if your firearm is slung around your body, that hot suppressor can easily graze your pants or clothing, melting holes through them. A suppressor cover can prevent this from happening entirely.
Following hours of shooting, typically you want to pack up your firearm in your favorite bag and load everything in your car to get home. With a suppressor cover attached, you don't have to wait for your suppressor to cool down. You can put your firearm in your bag immediately without melting it and get on the road—not to mention that same cover protects your suppressor's anodization or cerakote from inadvertent dings and scratches.
Suppressor covers can reduce your signature under thermal and night vision devices.
IR & THermal: Reducing Your Signature
A more niche reason to own a suppressor cover is it reduces your visual signature when seen through thermal or night vision devices. Thermal imaging devices view reality through gradations of heat. Therefore, a bare suppressor appears like a white-hot beacon through them, even if it’s hundreds of meters away. The same goes for night vision. Suppressors radiate heat seen in the infrared spectrum, and stand out like a light when viewed through night vision devices. As such, soldiers and operators in theaters of war—where stealth and multi-spectral camouflage is key to remaining undetected—often use suppressor covers for survival. If remaining undetected by specialized night vision or thermal imaging devices is a priority, then a suppressor cover is a critical accessory.
Silencer Central offers a myriad of Silencer Central and Banish suppressor cover options for your suppressor, no matter the dimensions. Their adjustable straps and industrial silica-coated, non-slip design holds tight under recoil, and they're made right here in South Dakota.
View all of your options by clicking here. Be sure to measure the dimensions of your suppressor before buying to ensure a snug fit. And as always, you can contact our customer service department for help finding which suppressor cover is right for you.
Suppressor covers do not make suppressors quieter.
Suppressor covers are typically crafted from Aramid, Kevlar, Nomex, Fiberglass or Cordura nylon.
Measure the length and diameter of your suppressor using calipers or a tape measure. Ensure the suppressor cover you purchase matches these parameters, or is designed specifically for your model of suppressor. Tightly wrap and fasten it down to prevent movement during recoil.
No. In fact, they can positively affect accuracy by reducing optical mirage.
Only a few rounds fired through a bare suppressor can make it too hot to touch, especially when fired in quick succession.
While many suppressors can be used on several different caliber firearms, we have some specific models that can make your shooting more enjoyable. Pick the caliber that you have in mind. If you don’t see your caliber, pick one close to it to see our recommendations.
