Head-to-Head Comparison Creates Drama Between Suppressor Manufacturers
Daniel Xu 06.27.16
Like all other industries, there is plenty of competition among those who manufacture guns and firearm accessories. Many would agree that competition is healthy for any industry, and generally results in high-quality products at more affordable prices for the consumer. However, sometimes this can spill over to social media and other platforms, resulting in a digital boxing match between two manufacturers. Recently, Operators Suppressor Systems (OSS) released a video comparing one of their suppressors with another one manufactured by SureFire, the SOCOM556-RC. In the video, OSS claimed their suppressor with its patented Flow-Through technology easily bested the SOCOM suppressor. OSS also stated that the head-to-head comparison occurred during a “government torture test.”
You can watch the video below:
A few days later, SureFire took issue with the video and the alleged results, saying that the test was actually conducted entirely by OSS staff.
“Recently, a suppressor manufacturer released a video showing what they claimed to be a “government agency test,” in which their suppressor outperformed the SureFire SOCOM556-RC suppressor. In response to this so-called ‘government agency test’ video, SureFire would like to make clear to the public that the test in this competitor’s video was not a test conducted by SOCOM or any other government agency,” SureFire stated in a press release, which was published by Soldier Systems. “The test was conducted in-house by the manufacturer of the competing suppressor, with a few members of the Military and Government in attendance. Additionally, the exact opposite results were obtained in actual SOCOM testing in which the competitor’s suppressor was evaluated alongside a SureFire SOCOM556-RC. In this test, the competitor’s suppressor failed, whereas the SureFire suppressor completed the test without incident or causing malfunctions of the MK18.”
SureFire went on to defend its reputation for building high-quality, dependable suppressors that have a proven track record.
“This video appears to be nothing more than an attempt by the video’s producers to manipulate and mislead the public and potential government end-users,” SureFire stated. “That said, we at SureFire take it as a compliment that a competitor would go to such lengths to attempt to disparage our product.”
This press release prompted a similar statement from OSS, which clarified some details regarding the test and who conducted it. According to OSS, the head-to-head comparison between the two suppressors was part of testing from a U.S. government agency. OSS explained that the test was held at their headquarters in Murray, Utah, and that the handling of the firearms was conducted by OSS staff. However, the trial was supervised by agency personnel and representatives from unspecified branches of the U.S. military. OSS did release the full video of the test for public viewing, but later pulled it down due to security concerns.
“Although only highlighted in the video, the dramatic difference in performance between the OSS suppressor and the baffle suppressor was, in the words of several of the government attendees, ‘Remarkable,'” OSS said in its own press release.
SureFire has not yet responded to this latest statement, but the rivalry between these two companies appears to be far from over. Suppressors are fast becoming a hot-ticket item, but there are still very few large-scale manufacturers in the space. That means plenty of fast-paced competition between those manufacturers that do exist.
