The SAI M60E6 Silencer / suppressor
This silencer / suppressor is made for the US Ordnance M60E6 mashinegun cal. 7,62.
Small arms engagements are chaotic, fast-paced, and very loud. In these situations, the ability to properly employ a crew-served weapon to achieve fire superiority can literally make the difference between life and death. However, crew-served weapons also intrinsically draw more attention from the enemy. They also deafen the weapon's crew. Given these circumstances, the employment of a suppressor on a light or medium machine-gun provides both a tactical and performance advantage.
As the flash and noise signature of the weapon are dramatically reduced, a suppressor allows the crew to remain better concealed, and draw less attention on the battlefield. Additionally, the suppressor not only reduces recoil and muzzle rise, allowing both more accurate cyclic and sustained fire; but the deafening roar of the weapon is also tamed, allowing better operator performance and communication, along with improved situational awareness.
SAI has worked hand-in-hand with a variety of manufacturers and countries' militaries developing suppressors to enhance the performance and lethality of their particular weapon platform. Like the M80 suppressor line, these suppressors are battle proven, as they have passed the ultimate test of a weapon system: troops-in-contact.
Measurements:
Software used for measurements in this documentation is developed using the criteria listed in the NATO Protocol (NATO standard AEP-4785. Edition A, version 1, from August 2016)
The following illustration is from that protocol:
This illustration shows a pressure-time curve of an unsuppressed weapon. The sound components of the projectile’ shock wave, the muzzle and the reflection from the surroundings settles in 0,02 seconds (From 0,4925 seconds to 0,5125 seconds).
The gray-shaded marking on the graph illustrated the part of the sound that can be influenced of a sound suppressor.
In the measurements the US O machine gun is measured without a sound suppressor. Subsequently with a SAI developed sound suppressor bespoke for this model machine gun.
Ammunition from the same batch has been used and the measurements have been carried out under the same weather conditions – On the same day using the same set up and measuring gear.
The interesting part is the effect of the sound suppressor, defined as the measured SPL without a sund suppressor, minus the measured SPL values with a sound suppressor. The difference is the effect of the sound suppressor.
What the shooter hear the most is the range form 500 – 5000Hz. The ear’s perception of a 50% reduction of the sound corresponds to a reduction of 10 dB SPL
- "gennemsnit" means average of measured shots. The graph in not just the measurement of one single gun shot.
- Blue bars are measurements on short barrel
- Orange bar are are measurements on long barrel
Conclusion:
The SAI manufactured bespoke sound suppressor for the US O M60 E6 machine gun seems quite effective, which is seen by the many frequency ranges, where the reduction within the frequency range exceeds 10 dB SPL, meaning that the sound for most frequency ranges is perceived as more than halved.
