Purpose

Modern Tactical Creations, LLC. (MODTAC) designed the Suppressor Shield (suppressor cover) to address shortcomings in other suppressor cover solutions. The Suppressor Shield provides operators with a solid, recoil proof, safe solution to the danger of extreme suppressor temperatures. The Suppressor Shield is designed with an air-gap stand-off, low thermal transfer materials, and reliable attaching mechanisms. The Suppressor Shield is constructed out of carbon fiber for its strength, light weight, and low thermal transfer rate.

Next generation Suppressor Shields include reduced contact and free-float attachment mechanisms to improve the mounting stability and thermal reduction. Free-float attachments eliminate all thermal conduction from the suppressor to the Suppressor Shield body. At the current stage of development, the reduced contact or free-float attachment Suppressor Shield is a viable step towards a solution to near peer, direct engagement threats.

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Today’s warfighters, law enforcement officers, and shooters face a myriad of challenges on the battlefield, streets, and ranges. The development and use of suppressors has brought with it the need to guard against the extreme temperatures created by their use. Operators must maintain awareness and accomplish their mission all while managing the 1000+°F  produced by the weapon system. The extreme heat presents the threat of burns, equipment damage, and obscured vision. The MODTAC Suppressor Shield provides a buffer between the suppressor and the operator through a unique design that allows the suppressor to cool naturally and minimizes mirage.

Materials

An effective burn mitigation solution requires advanced material selection to both reflect and slow the transfer of heat from the internal surface to the external surface. At the same time, the selected materials must be light weight and durable enough to withstand field use. MODTAC designed a Suppressor Shield out of carbon fiber for its strength, light weight, and low thermal transfer rate. These properties make the Suppressor Shield an effective physical barrier to protect persons and equipment from the high temperatures of a suppressor.

The MODTAC Suppressor Shield is constructed of .095” thick carbon fiber tubing. Carbon fiber provides several benefits in this application including an excellent strength to weight ratio, extremely low heat conductivity, and  almost zero heat expansion. The carbon fiber tubing of the Suppressor Shield exhibits strength properties that are higher than carbon steel, yet it is 40% lighter than aluminum of the same specification, all while maintaining an emissivity rate, near that of asbestos. 

Heat conduction refers to the transfer of energy from areas of high temperature to areas of low temperature. Highly heat conductive materials transfer temperature more easily than materials with low heat conductivity. The Suppressor Shield’s carbon fiber and epoxy resin presents a heat conductivity approximately 40 times less than aluminium and 10 times less than steel. Throughout thermal testing, suppressor temperatures reached 1,000° F while external temperatures of the Suppressor Shield did not exceed an indicated 450° F. While indicated at 450° F, the low thermal transfer rate property of carbon fiber significantly decreases the “felt” temperature of the outer surface.

Design and Production

The MODTAC Suppressor Shield suppressor cover solution is the result of long days on the range and long nights on the battlefield. Suppressor burns to the operator and obscured sight picture are real concerns that must be dealt with. Available options, including suppressor wraps, are inadequate and trap heat inside the suppressor. Over extended periods of use the elevated temperature can cause damage to the weapon and shorten the life of both the suppressor and the barrel.

The Suppressor Shield design targets two problem areas associated with suppressor use: Burn threat to the warfighter and obscured sight picture by mirage. Through innovative design and approach MODTAC created a solution that acts as a physical buffer between the outside surface of the suppressor while redirecting air flow effectively reducing sight picture blocking mirage. The second and third order effects of this design also allows the suppressor to cool naturally which improves weapon up time, reliability and accuracy. 

MODTAC is a veteran owned company based out of Colorado. We strive to provide our brothers and sisters in arms with solutions to improve their effectiveness and make their lives better. We pride ourselves on designing and manufacturing our products in the U.S.A.. MODTAC has the production capability to fulfill small to large batch orders, modify existing products, and create innovative solutions to fit customer’s needs.