Thread: Range Report: NEA 5.56 Micro Can

I noticed Digit at nzar15.com had the NEA 5.56 cans in stock finally, so I made some enquires and he offered to send me one of the micro cans up to evaluate. I had always been interested in one and wanted to know how well it worked.

First impressions
This is a tiny can for a center fire rifle.

Light weight for an all steel unit. The overall finish was neat and clean, the machining looked well done and the finish looks and feels robust. I’m not sure what the coating actually is, it feels like some kind of paint, perhaps it is nitride. The NEA website isn’t exactly forthcoming with information on the units. I was however immediately sceptical of its ability as a sound suppressor. The end is actually machined in a star pattern with what appears to be a an attempt to vector gasses at a 45 degree angle to the bore, I am guessing to serve as somewhat of a compensator.

There appears to be two or three expansion chambers in the small unit. Not much in there to trap hot gasses. Digit tells me that they were designed to drop the noise signature by 16db, and also to eliminate muzzle flash in an entry weapon, for safety reasons during meth lab raids… Overall I get the impression that NEA has attempted to make an allround muzzle device – incorporating a suppressor, linear compensator and flash suppressor into the same unit, in a package that will not significantly increase the front weight and length of a rifle. Another use I can see is using it as a gas trap for short barrelled rifles, which may suffer from reliability issues due to decreased dwell time in the gas system (much like the Noveske KX3 and trumpet brake on an AKSU-74).
This can also appears to be designed to use a crush washer, otherwise there is a small gap between the can and barrel. It would probably be fine to use without, but it may rotate and come loose under sustained fire. We don’t like baffle strikes now do we.


Testing
I have limited means (read no scientific equipment), so the test and comparisons were entirely subjective. The test platform was my 16” Colt LE6940 upper, shooting a handload consisting of a 77gr Nosler Custom Competition, in front of 22.4gr of ADI BM2.


I compared the NEA can to my DPT muzzle can. This in an inexpensive alloy can, which performs well for the money, but to my ears, is not totally hearing safe. I have added some comparison videos. The quality isn’t good, take it for what it’s worth.







I found that the NEA can was definitely louder than the DPT, not by much though, but absolutely not safe to unprotected ears up close. I still found the suppression to be greater than what I expected. I didn’t run it wet, I don’t know if you can or whether it will make a difference. It also does noticeably reduce muzzle flip, it acts quite well as a brake. I did an extended string of rounds off the bench on a paper target and the muzzle sat fairly level. My ejection patterned changed from a consistent 5 o’clock with no can to 3-30, indicating that it does not over gas my rifle a lot, unlike all other regular cans. The can never came loose at all, but in fairness it didn’t get that much of a work out either.

Conclusion
I think that this would be more appropriately marketed as a “muzzle device”, not a dedicated suppressor, lest somebody buy it and shoot it a lot without muffs on. It is more of a linear brake/flash hider that also reduces sound signature. I feel that the suppression of sound would be much more if NEA had made it with an enclosed end and more baffles.

Pros
Light weight, but still all steel – can take sustained fire
Reduces muzzle rise
Adds barely any noticeable length to your rifle
Will reduce sound signature for those around the shooter

Cons
Not hearing safe to the shooter, or anybody immediately next to them
Most of the features appear to be a compromise to make all of them work together, in my opinion it would have been better to focus on doing one thing well – sound suppression, other benefits like braking and flash suppression are inherent to sound suppressors anyway.

Beavis

Cool little write up there. More reveiws would be quite nice to see on the forum

Nice write up Beavis, was good to be able to be there to see the testing of those suppressors being done.

Nice writeup Beavis, good practical review