Tag Archives: .223

Heavy on the Varmints: A Custom .223 Varmint Rifle

June 10, 2026blog.223, .223 remington, .223 wylde, custom rifle, remington 700, varmint riflecoldboremiracle

A Man with a Dream

Many years ago, I was a much younger man with more hair and less money. But the burning desire within to have a fine selection of precision rifles was already there. I had just crossed the threshold of understanding that getting exactly what you want, can be done with enough money and effort. And today I am recounting the experience of how one of my all time favorite rifles came into existence. A custom Remington 700 .223 varmint rifle I put together, that has since dominated the rodents of the intermountain west.

It all started when I was on the road working in California of all places, and I laid eyes on fat barreled Kimber bolt action rifle. I didn’t buy it, but was instead inspired to build something better.

My Specifications

I knew that if I was going to go custom, I may as well go all the way. My decisions were affected by a few options, but here is the specs as they ended up:

Action	Remington 700 (1980’s vintage)
Caliber	.223 Wylde chamber (throated for 75gr ELDM)
Barrel	20-inch Krieger Match 1.3-inch straight taper 12 flute
Twist Rate	1 in 7.7 twist
Muzzle Threads	⅝-24 TPI
Magazine	AICS 10-round
Trigger	Trigger Tech Special
Scope Base Rail	EGW 20 MOA
Chassis	GB Rifleworks MARC Sport
Buttstock	FAB Defense RAPS C adjustable

The rifle was originally built as a set of twins, for myself and a friend. I had originally built two very custom stocks for the rifles, carved from wood and using my own improvised aluminum mini-chassis within.

custom rifle, remington 700, heavy varmint, varmint rifle,

The stocks used a DBM System from CDI, that used the AICS magazines which at the time were only available from Accuracy International. I built in a bipod spigot on the front to use Versa Pod bipods because I thought that would be cool.

custom rifle, custom stock, custom chassis, handmade, — some detail of the original stock and mini-chassis I made for this rifle.

I also initially had a few issues with the original Remington extractor, so I had the bolt cut for a Sako extractor which greatly increased the reliability. Of course bolt fluting and an extended bolt-knob were also part of the work.

remington 700, bolt, bolt head, sako extractor, extractor,

A New Chapter

As my tastes changed over time, I ended up putting the rifle into a GB Rifleworks MARC Sport Chassis. And because the rifle gets used for so many different projects, it frequently gets optics swapped out. Originally the rifle had one of the very first Vortex PST 4-16×50 scopes on it, I was on that preorder and ended up with Serial number 0000004 which was kinda cool. Later and for most of its life, the rifle had a Gen 2 Vortex PST 5-15×50 which served perfectly. Currently it has a Discovery OPT 5-25 scope which is big enough to match the attitude of this rifle. Mounted in an Anubis Defense one-piece mount.

wolfpack armory, romulus, suppressor, silencer, 5.56 .223 rem, 3d printed, dmls, radial flow, low backpressure, remington 700, bolt action, chassis, discovery optics, prone shooting on a green field, — Here you can see the Wolfpack Armory Romulus suppressor up front

Accuracy

This rifle has always shot very accurately, and due to its fat girl profile it hardly moves when shooting. The very thick barrel makes a stable platform to launch bullets from. I had always planned on shooting heavy bullets from this rifle, making it not just a varmint gun, but an affordable long-range plinker as well.

Most loads I have made for this rifle typically group under half an inch. Besides the always common 75 ELDM (I bought 3500 of them a couple years back), I’ve also shot hundreds of 80gr ELDM’s, and 80gr Match Kings. And way back in the old days she ate nothing but 75gr A-Max’s.

some of my favorite handloads; 75-grain ELDM bullets over 23-ish grains of AR-Comp

Over the last decade or so, I’ve made some pretty impressive hits with it. Keeping shots on an IPSC target at 1200 yards isn’t a huge challenge on a calm winded day. Taking a chucks head off from 454 yards in a pretty stiff wind is exactly the kind of shot this rifle is famous for. You can see more of the rifle in action in my video Major League Chucker’s 9.

remington 700, custom rifle, 223 remington, marc sport, chassis, suppressed, vortex optics, — Over the last decade, the rifle has seen dozens of different suppressors. Seen here is the **YHM Turbo**

Some may wonder why I went with such a short barrel. Obviously if it was a 24 or 26-inch barrel it would be even heavier, but also I feel like I get plenty of velocity out of this 20-inch for my needs. Typical velocities from 75 and 80 grain bullets usually hover around 2800fps, which will carve a groundhog in twain even from a great distance. And when shooting lighter 55-grain bullets it is even faster.

the straight bolt handle and the smooth fit make this action feel like a custom

Hunting

As a hunter at heart, the majority of this rifle’s activities involved hunting of some kind. Mainly varmints like prairie dogs and marmots, but we have used them for other hunts as well. Deer sized animals are easily taken with heavy 223 loads like the 75-grain ELDM. Particularly when you have such a sharp shooting rifle and can place the shot perfectly.

remington 700, 223 remington, custom rifle, custom, varmint rifle, pronghorn, antelope, — this doe Pronghorn antelope took a single shot to the goodies from 300 yards

Most of the shots this rifle has been involved in though are small animals. It loves the Hornady 55-grain hollow points, and the 50-grain V-max bullets. The 20-inch barrel still produces more than enough velocity to get that pop that varmint hunters crave. From the dry plains of Wyoming terrorizing dogtowns, to the alpine Rocky Mountain high’s taking squirrels, marmots and coyotes.

two Vets Tripods, no name v2, inverted, tripod, shooting tripod, carbon fiber, rubber feet, remingont 700, 223 remington, vortex viper , YHM Turbo, — using the Arca interface, the rifle sits neatly on my **Two Vets Tripod**

Compatibility

One of the best parts about this rifle is its compatibility. Being a Remington 700 action, I can use the huge aftermarket support. And the chassis allows me to use all my favorite Arca and M-Lok accessories. I usually run either a Harris bipod up front or an Atlas bipod mounted on the Arca rail. But it also allows me to shoot from a standing position off the tripod, which again is very stable because of the gun’s weight and low recoil.

DiscoveryOpt ED-PRS 5-25X56 Gen 2, Riflescope, discovery optics, remington 700, two vets tripod, anubis defense, suppressor, two vets, tripod, CMMG, zeroed 36 Suppressor, — that is the **CMMG Zeroed 36 suppressor**, mounted via 5/8-24 hub

Again, over the years I’ve run half a dozen different triggers in the rifle. X-Mark, Timney, Trigger Tech, and more. Honestly I haven’t had a complaint about any of them in this rifle. Even the old X-Mark has worked well for me. My little Cartridge Quiver from Hoptic USA fits neatly into this rifle, making for quick followup shots should the magazine run dry.

I had the muzzle threaded 5/8-24, this was because at the time of construction I had but one suppressor and she was a .30. These days its no big deal, as most of my suppressors use the hub system to adapt to whatever mounting system I want. That allows me to put a 5/8-24 breech hub on my 5.56 cans and run them here.

Additionally, when we discussed the chamber, my smith at the time recommended the Wylde chamber. This would make it easy to shoot 223 and 5.56 ammunition, and probably has been better at taking my reloads as well.

remington 700, custom rifle, 223 remington, chassis, discovery opt optics,

Lessons Learned

Having built this rifle well over a decade ago, I’ve had ample time to reflect on it. The only real miss I think, was that chassis like this one weren’t as common or ready back then. While I still like the old custom stock I built for it, I like it better with my chassis. Other than that, I think 2009 me was spot TF on the rest. And I absolutely love this chunky little killer.

I think if I was to redo the project today, I would for sure have to use a different chassis since this one is extinct. I really like KRG chassis, so I’d likely go that way. And I would probably use a Tikka action, or maybe a Howa Mini action.

If you find yourself dreaming about a goofy project like I was once upon a time, chase the dream. There are few things finer than stacking bodies with a custom rifle you built first in your mind.

-CBM

Like custom projects? Check out this one

Wolfpack Armory Romulus 5.56 Suppressor: Cutting the Edge

June 3, 2026Product review, suppressors.223, 3d print, 5.56, romulus, silencer, suppressor, wolfpack armorycoldboremiracle

Suppressor Propagation

I’ve said it many times; 2026 has become the year of the suppressor. An unprecedented flow of new suppressors have poured into the market, so many that it might be tough to choose among them. If you are looking to get into a suppressor, I’ve made some suggestions here. But today we are talking about a specific suppressor, set apart by new technology and design. This new unit is the Wolfpack Armory Romulus 5.56 Suppressor, a printed inconel suppressor.

wolfpack armory, romulus, suppressor, silencer, 5.56 .223 rem, 3d printed, dmls, radial flow, low backpressure, box, packaging

The Romulus uses a radial flow design to reduce the flow of expanding gases, and venting them at a controlled rate. This design focuses on reducing the signature of a rifle both in sound and flash. As an aspiring silencer raconteur, I jumped at the opportunity to get deep in the baffles of this suppressor. And if you enjoy such a voyage, I invite you to follow along.

here you can see the curious texture resulting from the printing process

Divine Lineage

In perhaps a nod to their own design, the Romulus suppressor is named after the founder of ancient Rome, son of Mars, the god of war. In our modern world, the Romulus suppressor offers what some might consider divine design. The radial flow design is made possible only through modern metal printing (DMLS) technology. This design allows control of gas flow through the suppressor, and optimizing such to improve its report reduction.

wolfpack armory, romulus, suppressor, silencer, inconel, dmls, 3d printed, — You can faintly see the lines from the DMLS process

Manufacturing the Romulus from inconel makes it incredibly robust. Inconel is often used in suppressors due to its tough resistance to both heat and erosion. This allows the Romulus to take incredible abuse, and surely aids with its full-auto rating. Even using short barreled rifles wont break the Romulus’ lifetime warranty. The folks at Wolfpack Armory stand firmly behind this and other products they make.

Some video of the Romulus handling full-auto from an 11.5-inch 5.56

Romulus Specifications

Caliber	5.56 Nato
Weight	14.2 Ounces (without mounting hub)
Length	6- inches
Diameter	1.6-inches
Material	718 Inconel
Minimum Barrel length	None
Warranty	Lifetime
Finish	Cerakote (C Series)
Hub Compatible	Yes- compatible with 1.375″x24 mounting hubs

With a build sheet like this, you can imagine that the Romulus was built for what has become known as a heavy use or fighting rifle. A 5.56 carbine as used by many in both civilian and military for both defense and duty purposes. The Romulus offers a compact size that is ready to be abused. And by incorporating the industry-wide hub mounting system, there are dozens of ways to affix the can to your host. The Romulus comes with its own Night Howler Plan B mount threaded 1/2-28 for mounting. You can also order the Romulus in either black or FDE C series Cerakote.

the included Night Howler Plan B pattern muzzle device

Lets Get it Hot!!

To test the Romulus, I gathered a small collection of rifles. A traditional sized AR I put together, with a 16-inch barrel, and another short barrel rifle built from a Desert Tech Quattro-15 using a 6.5-inch CMMG Dissent upper.

desert tech, quattro 15, ar15, sbr, cmmg, dissent, eotech, vudu, EFLX, red dot, wolfpack armory, romulus, suppressor, silencer, inconel, dmls, 3d printed, — one of the test rifles, kitted out with an Eotech VUDU 1-8

Additionally I would use the Romulus on one of my favorite rifles, my Desert Tech WLVRN. With both a 20-inch 5.56 barrel and a 22-inch 6 ARC barrel that I made for it. DISCLAIMER: I tested the 6mm ARC at my own risk after carefully measuring clearances. WolfPack Armory made no guarantee or recommendation that it would work safely.

first shots fired through the Romulus on my 6mm ARC WLVRN

And for fun I would also use the full-auto version called the Sabertooth with an 11.5-inch 5.56 barrel. With this variety of rifles, I could get a good feel for how the Romulus would work with most 5.56 carbines.

this is the 11.5-inch full-auto Desert Tech Sabertooth 5.56, seen here with the **Elcan Specter**

Sound Suppression

One of the very first things you notice when shooting with the Romulus is the difference in sound and tone. Most traditional suppressors have a higher pitch, a sound you can reproduce by pursing your lips and nearly whistle while reducing pressure. This is a sound we are all used to hearing when shooting suppressed, but the Romulus is built different. That texture you see in the front of the muzzle face, is not just for looks. It is a porous end cap. The Romulus internals route gas pressure through various channels, bringing them together at the muzzle. I speculate that the combination of gas flows interfere with each other reducing a singular flow.

The resulting sound is different than the subdued whistle sound you can make with your mouth. It sounds much more like a blow snake hissing from under a hay stack, a lower pitch that sounds more diffused. It is a very pleasant sound both on the 5.56 rifles I used for a host, as well as on my 6mm ARC.

Recoil Reduction

Obviously for those that shoot, the 5.56 cartridge isn’t exactly a heavy recoiling cartridge. And as with almost every other suppressor I’ve used, the Romulus reduces felt recoil of the diminutive cartridge. Even shooting heavier loads like 77 and 75 grain ammunition, the recoil was minimal, allowing excellent target picture and follow up shots.

A closer look at the muzzle end of the Romulus

During testing with my 6mm ARC, I shot both 105 and 109 grain loads. And again, the recoil impulse on the rifle was very mild. Just as the gas blending muzzle diffuses pressure reducing noise, it also seems to diffuse the spike in the curve of gas released at the muzzle. Making a softer push into your shoulder.

Gas Blowback

But does it gas me out? I can hear you guys out there asking the question. One of the most commonly cited benefits of controlled flow suppressors is a reduction in back pressure. When the very first “flow-thru” suppressors came out, I was suspicious of their claims of no back pressure. And in my experience that suspicion has been warranted, because some of the different ones I have tried will make your eyes water as bad as a baffle-strike.

after swapping barrels in my WLVRN, shooting the 20-inch 5.56 barrel

The Romulus, as you can see in some of my pictures does cause some breech-farts. But not enough to give you pink eye. As you might imagine, the bullpups made it a little more noticeable since the port is closer to your face. But the overall impression wasn’t bad at all in my opinion. Having shot all these rifles with traditional baffle cans and a few flow-thru style cans, I can tell you the Romulus is better. At no point during my shooting (besides during full-auto mag dumps) did I even notice the gas enough to care.

there was no need to adjust the gas settings on any of the rifles

Two of the host rifles featured an adjustable gas system, and both of them worked on their normal unsuppressed setting without excessive bolt carrier speed. Additionally, short barreled rifles put off quite a bit of fire, even when suppressed. The Romulus did an excellent job at getting rid of flash, even on the 11 and 6-inch barrels.

Modularity

It wasn’t that long ago that suppressors lacked any modularity at all. By adding the hub compatible blast chamber to the Romulus, it allows you to use any kind of mounting system you choose. This is nice for those who have a large collection of any one system, be it from SiCo, Huxwrx, Q or otherwise. I also like that the Romulus is narrow enough that it can be easily tucked under a handguard if thats your style.

wolfpack armory, romulus, suppressor, silencer, 5.56 .223 rem, 3d printed, dmls, radial flow, low backpressure, desert tech, SBRTH, sabertooth, machine gun, MAWL, full-auto

Value

Perusing through dedicated 5.56 cans you can see a broad selection even among the printed cans. Comparing the Romulus to others like the SiCo Velos 556K, the Dead Air Lazarus 6, or the Huxwrx Flow 556 there is hardly enough difference in price to matter.

Wolfpack Armory’s lifetime warranty adds a great deal of value to this can. Especially considering some of the internet murmurings about 3D-printed suppressors having no warranty other than a discount on a replacement.

wolfpack armory, romulus, suppressor, silencer, 5.56 .223 rem, 3d printed, dmls, radial flow, low backpressure, AR15, quattro 15, vector optics,

Pros and Cons

Pros

Excellent suppression and tone
Inconel construction for increased durability
Full-Auto rated
Hub compatible
Controlled flow design
Lifetime Warranty
No barrel restrictions
No need for gas system tuning
Plan B mount and tools included
Ladies love a man with class

Cons

Might be hard to get ahold of? Maybe?

My Conclusion

I’ve shot through a fair number of reduced back pressure 5.56 suppressors, enough to know that the Romulus is certainly as good as if not better than any of them. With its no BS warranty and bulletproof construction, I don’t know why you’d need look elsewhere. Especially if you are an SBR enthusiast. But like everything in life its all about preference.

The Wolfpack Armory Romulus 5.56 is certainly worth your consideration if you are shopping for a hard use suppressor. If you see me on the firing line, hit me up and I’ll let you give it a try.

-CBM

Like inconel cans but looking for something more chode? Check out this one

YHM Fat Cat VS. Banish Speed K

December 23, 2024Product review, suppressors.223, 5.56, banish, fat cat, silencer, silencer central, speed k, suppressor, yankee hill machine, YHMcoldboremiracle

Short Cans

As a long-time suppressor enthusiast I rarely see one I don’t want. In the decades since my first suppressor interaction however, I have noticed a few things about short suppressors. For a long time, there were suppressors designed primarily for law enforcement and military use that were very short. This effected their ability to subdue the report of a rifle to my taste. Times are changing however, and today we are looking at two very short and compact suppressors that do exactly what you’d want them to do. We are comparing the YHM Fat Cat VS. Banish Speed K.

Both of these suppressors are very compact, and they both do a good job of subduing rifle noise. So today I wanted to put them up against each other to see which one I would pick if I couldn’t have both. These compact suppressors are designed for use on 5.56 or .223 caliber semi-auto rifles which most of us commonly use. My analysis will be based on various features but most importantly how these can’s stand up to a heavily used carbine or what many have colloquially called a “fighting rifle” or “battle rifle”.

Fat Cat and Banish Speed K Specifications

	YHM Fat Cat	Banish Speed K
Caliber	5.56mm	.223/5.56mm
Weight	13.2oz (with adaptor)	14.1 oz
Length	4.5” (with adaptor)	4”
Diameter	1.94”	2”
Construction Material	17-4 Stainless/ Cobalt 6	Inconel
Decibel Reduction	20dB	20.9dB
Minimum Barrel Length	10” min.	None
Full-Auto Rated	Yes	Yes
Mount Style	Ind. Standard Hub Mount	Ind. Standard Hub Mount
Finish	Black Cerakote	Black Cerakote
Warranty	Limited Lifetime	Limited Lifetime
Baffle Design	Traditional Stacked baffles	Controlled Flow
User Serviceable	No	No
Included Mount	½-28 sRx Mini QD brake	½-28 Direct Thread

These two suppressors are very similar in size and specifications though there are some differences. The biggest differences that I feel are important I’ll point out here; The Banish Speed K is either 3D printed or DMLS fabricated from Inconel. Inconel is a very robust material (nickel chromium alloy) that is very resistant to both heat and abrasion. This makes the Speed K one solid piece of material, which can be very robust. But for those of us who have broken suppressors before, it makes them nearly impossible to repair if needed. The Speed K uses a finned blast chamber and clipped wall baffles to help reduce sound.

The YHM Fat Cat is built in the more traditional fashion, welding together 17-4 Stainless steel. It uses a cobalt 6 blast baffle to help tame the extreme pressure, heat and abrasion coming from the muzzle. Cobalt 6 (cobalt-chromium-tungsten alloy) is also very resistant to heat and erosion. The fat cat uses an interesting funnel shape to increase the volume of the blast chamber, and it appears the design also helps create a turbulent flow to help reduce sound.

YHM Ft Cat suppressor, desert tech Quattro-15

Both suppressors use the industry standard hub mounting system. I can’t tell you how much I like and appreciate the industry moving this direction. It has made mounting your suppressors infinitely easier. You can use whichever mounting system you prefer, whether it be the YHM sRx QD system as provided with the Fat Cat, or something else like the Dead Air KeyMo system, or Plan B from Q. Both suppressors also use a tri-clipped muzzle port, this has become a common feature among many cans.

desert tech WLVRN, eotech Vudu, banish speed k — this combination is an excellent medium range carbine

Host Firearms

To properly test these two suppressors, I put together a small collection of rifles that would give them both a good workout. For pure sound testing, I would run them on my Savage Model 12 chambered in .223. The bolt-action rifle would give the best opportunity to hear the report of both suppressors. I would also use My Desert Tech WLVRN with the 20-inch .223 barrel, the adjustable gas system of the WLVRN would allow me to tune for performance and see how the two cans affected its function.

Quattro 15, trijicon MRO, banish speed k suppressor — this little rifle’s upper half is from **CMMG**, while the lower is from **Desert Tech**

Additionally I would run them both on a couple other AR15 based rifles like most folks would likely use. One of them a 16-inch Aero Precision build and the other a short barreled 5.56 that we’d also run some full auto through the cans.

yhm fat cat suppressor — the Fat Cat was an excellent companion to my **AR-15**

Shooting the YHM Fat Cat and the Banish Speed K

Sound Suppression

Shooting these two suppressors across the host firearms gave a pretty good idea of how they compare. I kept switching them out back and forth to compare.

YHM Fat Cat, desert tech WLVRN, eotech vudu — the **Desert Tech WLVRN** worked great with the Fat Cat and the **Eotech VUDU 1-6**

Both suppressors sounded very hearing safe on the longer rifles. The 16″ Quattro 15 and the 20″ WLVRN were very pleasant to shoot without hearing protection. Of course I have to add the caveat that you should always wear ear protection, even when suppressed.

Backpressure

Almost every suppressor out there adds at least some back-pressure in my experience. And these two were not exempt.

desert tech Quattro 15, eotech vudu, banish speed k suppressor

Finish Reading Here

yankee hill machine suppressor fat cat 5.56 — Both cans worked great with **YHM’s Phantom QD muzzle devices**

YHM Fat Cat, Desert Tech Quattro 15, Trijicon MRO — my little gun used a **Trijicon MRO**

Finish reading about these two suppressors here

YHM Fat Cat Suppressor

November 15, 2024Product review, suppressors.223, 5.56, fat cat, suppressor, yankee hill machine, YHMcoldboremiracle

Preface

I’ve been shooting Yankee Hill Machine (YHM) suppressors for several decades now, and I can say with confidence that it has been a good experience. Suppressors have become an everyday thing for me, I use them on most of my guns. I’ve got a variety of suppressors from various manufacturers, but I keep coming back to YHM for good reasons. Today I am happy to bring you yet another new to me suppressor from the good folks at YHM. That can is the YHM Fat Cat 5.56 suppressor, a compact can designed for hard use on your auto-loading 5.56 rifles.

YHM Fat Cat Specifications

Caliber	5.56mm
Weight	11.2 oz/ 13.2 oz with adaptor
Length	4.25 in/4.50 in with adaptor
Diameter	1.94 in
Material	17-4 Stainless steel/ Cobalt 6
Included Mount	sRx ½-28 QD adaptor
Decibel rating	139 dB
Min Barrel length	10 in
Full Auto-rated	Yes

Compact and Compatible

The YHM Fat Cat is a compact suppressor, a trend that has gained some popularity as the suppressor market has grown. K cans have been around for a long time, and offer shorter overall weapon lengths. But the Fat Cat falls into a different category, a short and fat category. There are a few different options out there that offer short cans with larger diameters, the idea behind them is that the greater diameter of the suppressor aids in its effectiveness.

The Fat Cat from Yankee Hill Machine incorporates many of the companies other features as well. Using the industry standard hub allows you to use whatever mounting system you prefer. The Fat Cat comes with the newer sRx system, which is compact in its own right. But other options can also be used, like the Phantom QD system, or various direct thread options. And thats just some of the YHM mount options, you could also use mounting systems from other manufacturers if you choose.

Construction and Materials

The curious shape of the Fat Cat is due to its interesting blast chamber. The suppressor tapers at the breech end, making the blast baffle detached at its rear. This blast chamber design surely causes a great deal of turbulence as gas tries to escape from the Fat Cat.

yhm fat cat 5.56 suppressor — a view of the blast chamber and cobalt 6 blast baffle

Manufacturing the blast baffle from cobalt 6 was done to increase durability and reduce erosion of the suppressor. Cobalt 6 is an alloy including tungsten and chrome, its resistance to heat and erosion makes it ideal for the Fat Cats blast chamber.

The rest of the suppressors construction consists of 17-4 stainless. This high tensile strength alloy is also resistant to erosion, the entire suppressor is welded together for robust one-piece durability. The finish on the Fat Cat is black Cerakote, which is made to stand up to the heat and action of shooting.

These construction aspects of the Fat Cat are why YHM gives it a full-auto rating. Though it does come with a minimum barrel length requirement, which I suppose is fair. I don’t do a lot of full-auto shooting, so I didn’t expect it would be a huge concern.

Shooting the Yankee Hill Machine Fat Cat 5.56 suppressor

Putting the Fat Cat through testing with the rest of my 5.56 suppressors would give me a good idea of its performance qualities. You can read more about a direct comparison to other suppressors here.

yankee hill machine fat cat 5.56 suppressor, sRx QD hub adaptor 1/2-28 — a better view of the sRx QD adaptor

Using the sRx muzzle device, I could attach the Fat Cat to most of my 5.56 carbines. But I also used the Phantom QD muzzle devices just because I could. It would also allow me to mount the Cat to rifles that used 5/8-24 threaded muzzles (still chambered in 5.56).

savage model 12, yankee hill machine Fat Cat 5.56 suppressor — shooting from a bolt-action rifle allowed for sound evaluation compared to others

I chose to test the Fat Cat on a variety of host firearms, for various reasons. For example, a bolt action Savage model 12 .223 rifle would allow us hear the pure unfettered muzzle report from the suppressor. Various semi-auto rifles and carbines would allow us to see how back-pressure and other function were affected by the suppressor. For that I used a couple different AR15 type rifles I’d put together, and I also used my Desert Tech WLVRN 5.56 rifle. Five different host rifles would give us a good idea of how the Fat Cat does suppressing the noise.

Sound Suppression

I was very pleased with the sound suppression of the Fat Cat. On every 5.56 rifle I used it, the sound reduction was fantastic. I never felt the need to use hearing protection, though I probably should. Those around also mentioned that it was very pleasant shooting even without hearing protection.

Back-pressure

On the semi-auto rifles this suppressor was destined for, there is bound to be some backpressure. On my direct impingement rifles, there was a slight increase in bolt speed. As well as additional gas venting out of the ejection port. This is something I’m used to when shooting suppressed. Comparable cans like the YHM Turbo, SiCo Saker and Sandman K gave very similar results while being longer and I believe heavier as well.

YHM Fat Cat suppressor, desert tech quattro 15

When shooting the Fat Cat on my Desert Tech WLVRN this was less a problem as it uses an adjustable gas valve. This allows you to reduce the gas volume hitting the piston.

Compatibility

I really appreciated the compatibility of the Fat Cat. To be fair it is equalled by the other YHM suppressor family. The sRx QD system that comes with the Fat Cat is outstanding and compact. Additionally I used the Phantom QD mounting system, which seamlessly threaded on to the Fat Cat just as it did my Turbo T3 and Turbo K.

Using the industry standard 1.375 x 24 thread pattern also allow you to use whatever brand mounting system you wish. If you prefer one of the other manufacturer’s mounting system, you can simply spin it on to the back of the Fat Cat and roll.

YHM Fat Cat Pros and Cons

If you look at the YHM Fat Cat as simply a compact suppressor for your 5.56 carbine, then it is really hard for me to come up with anything I’d change. Its pretty light by comparison, its shorter than most 5.56 cans, its compatible with a plethora of mounting systems. There is just nothing to dislike about it. It brings all these features at a pretty moderate price of only $699.

desert tech WLVRN, eotech vudu, yhm fat cat — the Fat Cat aboard my **Desert Tech WLVRN**, as well as the **Eotech Vudu 1-6**

The only way I think you might have issues with the Fat Cat is if you shoot high volumes of full auto. It is rated for such rates of fire, but your bound to get burnt and left penniless after burning up all your ammo.

Final Opinion

As with other 5.56 suppressors from YHM, I found myself tickled with with the Fat Cat. It was a perfect fit for my smaller rifles that I like to EDC. It added minimal length to the firearm, and yet it suppressed the report handily.

yhm Fat Cat suppressor, desert tech quattro 15, eotech vudu

If I needed only one suppressor for all my .223/5.56 needs, I’m quite confident the Fat Cat would be more than enough. Whether it be on one of my .223 bolt guns, or the semi-autos you see here, the YHM Fat Cat is an easy choice for me. Give it a look if you too are broadening your suppressor inventory.