SilencerCo Salvo 12

The SilencerCo Salvo 12 is the shotgun suppressor that defined the category. It is a fully modular, sectioned design that field-assembles in 6, 8, 10, or 12 inch lengths, so the shooter decides where to sit on the sound-versus-length tradeoff without buying multiple cans. At its full 12 inch length it measures 136.8 dB at the muzzle with #7 shot, bringing a 12 gauge under the OSHA hearing-safe threshold; shortening it toward its 6 inch minimum sheds length and weight while the muzzle reading climbs to about 140.6 dB at the shortest setting.

Construction is 7075 aluminum and 17-4 PH stainless steel with an anodized and moly-resin finish, and weight runs from 19.6 ounces in the shortest configuration to 34.4 ounces at full length. The Salvo mounts through SilencerCo's Echo-pattern choke adapters, which thread into Remington, Benelli, Mossberg, and Browning choke patterns, so it fits the majority of common pump and semi-auto hosts rather than a single shotgun.

The Salvo is optimized for wadded shot in 2.75 and 3 inch shells. Velocity is capped at 1,550 fps on barrels 16 inches and longer and 1,350 fps on barrels between 10 and 16 inches, and steel shot should be avoided in tight chokes. It is a shot-focused suppressor rather than a slug optimization, so it is at its best on bird, buck, and home-defense loads. As an NFA item it requires a Form 4 transfer, fingerprints, a background check, and registration; the federal making and transfer tax on suppressors is now zero under current law, and eForm approvals are running on the order of days to a couple of weeks. Suppressor ownership is legal in 42 states, so confirm your state allows it before buying.