LAS VEGAS -- New from Magpul: an extremely rugged steel-and-polymer suppressor cover designed with the rigors of combat in mind.
The Texas-based company displayed the newly introduced 5.5" cover here at SHOT Show, touting the sophisticated device as a measure that will protect the warfighter from getting burned by a hot suppressor while keeping the suppressor from getting warped by trapped heat.
"We felt that this better suited ... when you're talking about heavy usage in a combat-type situation," Brian Nakayama, an engineer with Magpul, told Military.com. "For people whose lives depend on this sort of thing, it has to be able to withstand a severe amount of abuse, and on top of that, not injure [the warfighter] inadvertently."
With high rates of automatic or semi-automatic fire, a suppressor can heat up fast, reaching temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. During testing with the new cover, Nakayama said he saw the suppressor inside glowing red, while the outer cover remained cool to the touch.
While conventional suppressor covers on the market consist of a sleeve of fabric or some other material, Nakayama said the engineered heat shield design of Magpul's new offering fits the weapon more securely while allowing heat to escape safely.
"If you just cover it you're just holding the heat in there," Nakayama said. "The more heat you hold into a suppressor, the more damage it tends to get. We wanted something that will cool the suppressor. but yet shield you when you try to grab it or it lays against you."
According to the company, the device also reduces the thermal signature of the weapon it's on.
Nakayama said Magpul has received some interest from the military already about the new device, though he wouldn't specify which service branches might pursue it.
The Marine Corps, has supplied selected infantry elements with suppressors over the past year and is eyeing a move to field the devices more across the infantry. Troops with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, which deployed to Norway with the service's legacy SureFire suppressors last year, told Military.com the devices added a great capability, but complained they got dangerously hot after extended use.
The service is currently seeking information about new suppressors, though officials have not publicly cited interest in acquiring covers.
The new Magpul cover retails for $99.95.
-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
