Tag Archives: YHM

The Tiny Terror of the Yankee Hill Machine Phantom 22 suppressor

Product review, Shooting hardware, , , , , , ,

The first time I heard the name Phantom, I assumed like many of you probably did that the name implied a ghostly illusion of anonymity while shooting. Having shot quite a bit of suppressed rifle-fire over the years, and having heard other’s shots from various angles and distances gives the name more credence in my mind.
The latest suppressor to join my NFAmily is the Phantom 22 suppressor from Yankee Hill Machine, and another Phantom it surely is.

The Yankee Hill Machine Phantom 22

The aggressive suppressor market is doing an outstanding job of giving end users the great gift of choice, and the Phantom 22 is an excellent example of giving customers what they want.
The Phantom 22 is constructed of both aluminum and stainless steel, the outer tube being made of aluminum and the baffles themselves being machined from stainless steel. The attachment to the host utilizes a stainless steel threaded insert as well for robust mounting and durability. The suppressor uses a threaded end-cap at the muzzle, and the main tube is comprised of two sections that thread together just ahead of the blast chamber. Inside the main-tube is the baffle stack, with indexing tabs to keep them all aligned in the same orientation. The blast chamber also has a stainless steel liner that slips into place at the back of the baffle stack. The short section of the main tube at the rear features all the serial numbers and identifying marks.

The Phantom 22 weighs in at a miniscule four ounces, which is a good two ounces lighter than most twenty-two suppressors on the market. The diameter of 1.1 inches and only five and a half inches long make it not only light but less intrusive into your shooting. The suppressor is rated at 114 decibels (which I assume was with a 22Lr), because the suppressor is also rated for 22 magnum, 17 HMR, and even 5.7×28.
All this at a street price not far from three-hundred dollars makes the Phantom 22 a great option for those looking to get quiet in the rimfire game.

Opening the box

I managed to get my hands on one of the very first production model Phantoms, with a single digit serial number I knew it was at the head of the line. I couldn’t believe how light it was as I lifted it from the box, before I even got it opened I was worried I had been shipped an empty box. But there it was, the beautifully anodized little tube I had been anticipating for some time. After admiring the exterior of the suppressor for a moment I decided to get right into the guts of what makes it so light. The front and rear tube sections are undone by hand without tools, the compression and friction of the assembly keep it quite snug.

Upon removing the rear section of the tube I noticed that the breach of the suppressor has an embossed tool as part of it to be used in loosening the end cap which I also threaded carefully out. The smooth stack of baffles slid smoothly out the front, making one of those soothing metallic slipping sounds. I took a couple of them off the stack, to see exactly how it was that they went together. And at the back of the stack was the blast chamber sleeve. Basically the liner and stack of baffles contain the entirety of the gasses and rimfire debris, the outer tube is simply there to align and hold it together. It was immediately apparent that the idea was to keep all carbon and lead buildup contained inside the blast chamber sleeve. This would keep buildup from locking the assembly together as carbon builds up, which it of course it will, at an impressive rate. So even if you shoot thousands of rounds through this can, and stack the crud deep into it, you will still be able to disassemble it for cleaning.
Another feature that quickly manifest to me was the location of the legal markings, they were all part of the short portion of the main tube at the breach end. This made a lot of sense to me, in the unfortunate event that the can should come loose under fire, and you suffered the dreaded baffle strike, it would be very unlikely to damage the serialized part of the can. This would make repair or part replacement very easy, with something like 85% of the suppressor being easily swapped out for a new part.

Head for the hills!
I couldn’t wait to get the Phantom mounted on a rifle and outside, but it’s first host actually turned out being my Taurus TX 22 pistol. I had shot thousands of rounds through my two TX pistols with various suppressors so I figured it would be a great place to start my comparison. I installed the 1/2-28 thread collar on my pistol, an threaded up the Phantom onto it. Two ounces doesn’t seem like much, but it sure seemed like I could feel a difference between the Phantom and the Dear Air Mask that had been on it last. And it was definitely a noticeable difference from the SiCo can that also frequented the muzzle of my TX’s. There are lighter suppressors sure, but who wants a suppressor that looks like anal beads?

I wasted no time burning through a paycheck’s worth of ammo, a couple mags later I needed to swing by the house to pick up more. Shooting the TX with the Phantom installed was similar to what I was used to, the increased backpressure caused by suppressors was noticeable. Particularly when dumping large quantities of ammo through the gun I could see and feel plenty of gas and debris in my vicinity. (Note: always wear the appropriate safety equipment when shooting)
I will say that with this pistol, you better be wearing glasses when shooting suppressed because you WILL feel stuff hitting you in the face.
I don’t recall how many rounds I’ve put through that pistol/can combination since, but it is no insignificant number. And yes there tends to build up carbon and other crud around the breach and ejection port of the pistol, but not so much as to deter me from keeping them married.

I’m more of a rifle guy than a pistol guy though, so I really wanted to see how it would do on a rifle.
The first rifle I was able to use with the Phantom was a Tikka T1X in 17 HMR, a very smooth little rifle you can read about here shortly. The rifle was fairly heavy for a rimfire, making recoil non-existent. The noise was still there though, the higher velocity of the 17HMR obviously creates quite a bit more racket than a 22Lr. But it was plenty quiet for my ears, shooting with the Phantom in the open country of the Rocky Mountains needed no hearing protection. The cold winter snow seemed to help soak up some of the sound as well. The Tikka saw no decrease in accuracy with the Phantom installed, which I expected to be the case.

Next I threaded the Phantom onto a Ruger RPR 22Lr to give it an additional workout. The Ruger shot outstanding with the Phantom installed, watching all my impacts one-hundred and fifty yards away was beautiful, and the icing on the cake was the thud sound every-time I pulled the trigger. I tried both super-sonic and sub-sonic ammunition through it and the results were outstanding. The anonymity that comes with shooting that quiet can certainly inspire the sensation of a Phantom presence.
Shooting long strings of fire barely heated the Phantom 22 up at all, though that could have something to do with the below freezing temperatures around here.

Score-Card

I’ve shot a few cans, but the other two rimfire cans I have are in the same competitive league as this one, so I think they are a great comparison.
I have to give the Phantom all high marks, it is just as if not quieter than my other cans. And the significant weight reduction cannot be ignored when compared to the others. And the price on the Phantom is hard to beat, if you can find one they are priced around $325 up to near the $400 mark.
The sound is outstanding, and the ease with which you can disassemble and clean this can makes it a perfect suppressor for just about any rimfire need.

The Phantom 22 next to the author’s Spectre II and Mask, both excellent company for comparison.

Conclusion
As usual with YHM cans, this one is an obvious winner in my opinion, at least when compared to those that I’m familiar with. There may be better cans, there may be lighter cans or some other feature that outperforms this one. But I’ll have a hard time justifying to myself looking for a better one with this spectacular little suppressor in my stable, it is an absolute joy to shoot.

-CBM

Yankee Hill Machine R9 :A great first or fifth suppressor

Product review, Shooting hardware, , , , , , , ,

One of the biggest questions when buying a suppressor, is selecting one out of the hundreds of options. I’ve been through a bunch at this point in my life, so let me shed some light on the subject for you. What caliber? what configuration? And so many other questions you’ll be asking yourself. With so many options how can you pick one that is best for your purposes? The right answer is that there are always too many good choices to pick only one, but today we are going to look at the subject as a first time suppressor buyer, and a suppressor that might just cover all your bases.

The YHM R9 mounted direct on a Browning X-bolt 6 Creedmoor

Why the YHM R9?
What makes the YHM R9 a perfect can for an NFA Greenhorn? I’ll get right into it. Todays gun owners come from every walk of life, our modern world has given them overwhelming opportunities for firearms and accessories. That said, there’s a good chance that most firearm enthusiasts looking into a suppressor probably have an Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR) of one kind or another. That rifle is probably chambered in the extremely popular 5.56, or one of the other calibers that are growing in popularity like 300blk, 6.5G, 6 ARC, etc.
The R9 from YHM is ideal for using with any of these calibers, it can suppress large frame cartridges too, like the 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 Winchester. It is rated to suppress pretty much anything under 308 Winchester really, even with limited amounts of full auto. But Wait! There’s more! The R9 is also a perfect fit for a 9mm pistol or carbine, it’s stainless construction is more than enough to retain pressures generated by the cartridge, and other 9mm rifle cartridges like the 350 Legend.

The way I see it, it is pretty damn likely that your apprentice level prospective suppressor purchaser would benefit greatly with an R9. One could swap it back and forth from various rifles, and install a booster and run it on their Glock as well.

The R9 is ideal for the Desert Tech MDRX and its assorted calibers

Adaptation
YHM is one of many manufacturers that has embraced the uniformity of threads. The threaded rear end of the R9 can be fitted with a direct thread cap (1/2-28 or 5/8-24), or it can fit a Nielsen booster assembly and run with one of various piston manufacturers. It doesn’t end there, it can also use YHM’s Phantom QD system, which allows rapid swapping of the suppressor from various YHM muzzle devices. Further still, the can uses the same threads as other major manufacturers like Dead Air and SilencerCo, so you could also install those devices. I have all three options for my R9, I have both thread caps that I use when shooting the R9 on my precision guns, and I also have the QD mount so I can swap it back and forth on my carbines as well. I run a Rugged suppressors piston inside my Nielson Booster assembly, which makes my Canik TP9 quiet and smooth as ever I could ask.
The R9 is only threaded on the breach end, the rest of it’s construction is solid baffles welded together making it simple and no non-sense. The provided tools allow the user to tighten down the various assorted mounting options, and perhaps more importantly disassemble them after being used.

Shooting with the YHM R9
The very first shots I fired through the R9 were with my pistol. It was the first mounting adaptor in my possession so I went straight to the range to try it out.
The R9 tamed all the sounds produced by my pistol, adding of course its due weight and a bit of added backpressure. But the heavier muzzle sure made the pistol smooth and even more controllable. Shooting the pistol in closed quarters was very tolerable, the sound reduction was everything I’d hoped for, and the function was flawless.

The R9 seen mounted direct on my SRS M2 6mm GT

Shortly thereafter I received the 5/8-24 direct thread adaptor, and the R9 went straight to my SRS M2 chambered in 6mm GT. It stayed there for quite some time, hundreds of rounds sent through the R9 from fifty to seventeen-hundred yards. The accuracy of the rifle was if anything enhanced by the presence of the R9, this is typical in my experience. Cartridges like the 6mm GT were easily suppressed by the R9, making precision even more pleasant.

The QD mount for the R9 is perfect for running the suppressor back and forth between rifles. I ran the Phantom flash hider on my 308 carbine threaded 5/8-24. and on my 5.56 chambered carbine I use the Phantom Turbo 556 muzzle brake. This made it easy to swap the R9 back and forth between the two rifles, both of which sounded great when suppressed with the R9. With the gas turned down a notch on both rifles, they functioned perfectly without gassing me out at the breach.

Carbines like this 350 Legend are a perfect host

First or Fifth?
Ya, I said first or fifth. The reason I put it that way is because even though I have a dozen or so cans at any given time, the R9 is still an excellent addition to my collection. It is very useful on better than half of my gun collection, and with an MSRP of only $494.00 it is pretty economical compared to many other cans.
I’m at a point in life where I seldom go places without a rifle, and much of the time I have two or three rifles. Having an additional suppressor that will fit most of my rifles makes it an easy choice for me.

Conclusion
If my positivity is hasn’t been obvious enough about my feelings about this little suppressor, let me make it clear; I think this is the perfect suppressor for a first time NFA victim. It has everything most people need, multi-caliber, adaptable, tough as nails, and all at a very reasonable price. If I had to say something about the R9 that I dislike, you’d really have to force it out of me. The only issue I’ve ever had was keeping the thread caps tight, this was almost certainly due to me not tightening them on using the supplied tools as I’m a lazy ass. But I wouldn’t put that at the feet of the boys over at YHM.

So there you have it, the R9 is nearly a flawless purchase in my opinion. Short from needing magnum capabilities or a bunch of machine guns you need to suppress, this is an excellent suppressor for your typical firearms consumer. Best get yourself one.

-CBM

Yankee Hill Machine Nitro N20

Product review, Shooting hardware, , ,

You could definitely say that I am a fan of Yankee Hill Machine, my very first suppressor was a YHM, and my most recent purchase is beginning to show a trend. My experience with YHM suppressors has always been a simple no-nonsense one, but much like some others in the industry, the good people at YHM are evolving their products. This is welcome news for all of us who endure the tiring infringement by authoritative acronyms from the federal government.

Yankee Hill Machine

Yankee Hill Machine has been in the business since the 1950’s, a family business that has grown over the last seventy years. The Graham Brothers have recently broadened the different offerings from YHM, as well as spun off another brand of bolt-action rifle accessories called Graham Brothers Rifleworks. 

The Nitro N20

The Nitro N20 is a next generation suppressor as far as I can tell, it is following a brilliant trend in the suppressor industry. The Nitro is a modular suppressor, meaning it can be adapted to whatever host you might install it. The back end of the Nitro features the same common threads from other suppressor manufacturers, allowing the user to use an assortment of mounting configurations. The YHM offerings include a direct thread cap in popular thread pitches like 1/2-28 or 5/8-24. You can also install a Nielsen Booster to run on your semi-auto pistol , or one of the Phantom QD muzzle break devices that YHM offers. 

In addition to its diverse mounting options, the Nitro also has a detachable forward segment, allowing the user to run it in a long and quieter composition, or it can be removed to run the host shorter, lighter, and with maximum maneuverability.

The internal bore of the Nitro is cut for 9mm, and its all titanium construction makes it very light at ten ounces. The length of the suppressor is as much as 7.5 inches without removing the front portion, I found it to be more than adequate on pistol calibers without the front segment. The suppressor is rated for up to 308 Winchester rifle cartridges, which makes it an extremely versatile suppressor. It could be used with a QD break on your AR15, or it could go on your 9mm pistol using the booster and piston, or you could direct thread it to your 308 precision rifle. I have done all three and more! The front end cap is even designed to allow the use of suppressor wipes if you should choose to use them.

Unboxing the Nitro N20

My first impressions upon opening the box were how unbelievably light this suppressor felt in the hand. Its simple design and titanium construction make it as light if not lighter than most pistol cans, and it can be used on a rifle as well. The suppressor came with some paperwork and the tools required to disassemble it, I tossed them into my tool kit, and packed everything up for a range trip.

I opted for direct thread caps in two thread pitches because I planned on using this can on my hunting rifles due to its weight. But I also wanted to run it on my pistols, so I also got the booster and a Rugged piston. I was happy to find out that there are a multitude of manufacturers that make compatible pistons and other accessories for this and other suppressors. It may be the best idea yet, for all these suppressor companies to use standardized thread pitches so that end users can accommodate the mounting solutions that best fit their needs.

Nitro Rangetime

I literally could not wait to shoot the Nitro, having brought everything needed to test it out I went directly into the range after opening the box. I installed the booster and piston, and mounted the Nitro to my Canik TP9. After a couple test shots to ensure everything was inline, I started dumping rounds through the pistol. Both sub-sonic and super went through the Nitro, and boy could you tell the difference. Both types of ammo were very quiet, but I decided to remove the front section of the Nitro to see how much of a difference it made. To my surprise it was just as quiet in the shorter configuration, so I left it thus and continued banging away. Several trips into the field with the Nitro mounted to my pistol gave outstanding results, and I was in love immediately.  

I’d be lying if I told you I was already satisfied, I am a rifle junkie at heart, so I had to see how the Nitro performed on an assortment of rifles that I had in store. Most importantly, was my 257 Blackjack, which is my lightweight hunting rifle. The lightweight of the Nitro was a perfect match for this short action wildcat, with its carbon wrapped barrel and chassis. I also ran the Nitro on my 308 carbine and 6.5CM bolt gun, where it worked flawlessly and with hushed results. The Nitro is not full-auto rated, which is fine with me. But I don’t think I’d want to leave it on a carbine if shot duration is expected to be heavy. For pistols and bolt action rifles I think the Nitro is absolutely ideal, and it would be fine on a semi-auto as well, provided you have the self control to not cook it. 

The Nitro added a few inches to my Blackjack, but it also tamed it down quite nicely. The report was very manageable, it could be that I’m deaf but out in the open country of the mountains I found no need for ear protection. It also helped settle the rifle down upon recoil, making it easier to spot hits, and even helping tighten up the groups a bit.  The Nitro will definitely be on whatever rifle I take into the hunting woods this coming fall.

Nitro Gripes

It cant all be rainbows and sunshine every-time right? Well here are just a couple negatives I might add to the Nitro, but they are indeed minimal for at least this guy.

I found the finish on the Nitro to be not as robust as I expected, I don’t know if its a bake on finish or some other kind of material. But I found to be easier to scratch/chip than I would expect. I imagine YHM is aware of the situation, and since my suppressor is a very early production (single digit serial) I’d imagine they may have already corrected the issue. It’s not a huge deal to me, I frequently redo the Cerakote on my suppressors anyways. The other issue I have with the Nitro isn’t so much a YHM thing as it is a titanium thing. Titanium is easily galled or damaged when threading, and having three threading points on the Nitro make the possibility  of screwing something up more possible. This is of course a very minor concern, and I only mention it so that new owners are aware and avoid damaging it.

Overall Impression

If you cant tell already, I love this suppressor. It is still fairly new to me, but after a few months of good use, I still love almost everything about it. The Nitro fills a great place in the YHM lineup, and would make an excellent addition to any suppressor collection. It is only slightly more expensive on the street than some of its competition, and yet much lighter. 

Yankee Hill Machine continues to build quality products right here in America, and they are keeping a close eye on the market so their product lineup is in line with what people want to buy. I cant wait to get back on the firing line with the Nitro, and I’m excited to see what else the boys in Massachusetts come up with.

-CBM 

Yankee Hill Machine Resonator 30 Cal.

blog, Shooting hardware, , ,

 

A long time ago, on a dry desert plain, the boys and I were shooting at a distant prairie dog town.

We all ran muzzle brakes at the time, because who wants recoil? Spotting your own hits is always handy sure, but muzzle brakes require good hearing protection. This lead to a firing line of yelling back and forth because we were all to cheap to buy electronic hearing protection. It didn’t take me long to see the value of a good suppressor.

unrepentantly stolen from YHM.net

 

My first can (as they are commonly referred to) was a Yankee Hill Machine, it was a YHM Phantom that graced my muzzle. And I still use it frequently to this day.

I never looked back after that, it seemed almost ridiculous to shoot without suppression anymore. It didn’t take long for my shooting buddies to catch on, and soon we were all running quite a spread of suppressors. After multiple begrudging transactions with the ATF, I’ve got cans to outfit everything from rimfires up to forty-fives. I cant seem to get enough of them, like most people, once I shot suppressed I never wanted anything more.

The new Resonator from Yankee Hill Machine just happened to cross my path recently, and much like it’s little brother the Turbo 5.56 I was immediately hooked. The Resonator is a QD mount suppressor, it threads onto a muzzle brake that is attached to the muzzle. It is quickly spun on, and held captive by a spring loaded ratchet to keep it from coming loose under fire. The gas is sealed by a conical shoulder on the brake, keeping carbon buildup away from the threads. The construction of the Resonator is stainless steel and inconel, and again like the smaller Turbo, the simple structure makes the can both light and cost effective.

The muzzle brake comes with the Resonator, but there are an assortment of brakes and thread pitches available from YHM allowing you to purchase extras to fit any applicable hosts.

I started out shooting the Resonator on a Desert Tech SRS A1 Covert, the rifle was currently setup with a 308 barrel. But I could have dropped in a 300WM barrel as well, the Resonator is rated for up to 300RUM.
Suppressors almost always add a point of impact shift, its almost impossible to add weight and length to the barrel without doing so. The Resonator was no different, I re-zeroed the rifle, which was now hitting several inches high at 100yds after installing the YHM. Shooting the sixteen inch 308 was much more pleasant with a suppressor on the end, and as usual the rifle seamed to shoot better suppressed. The added weight of the can, and the buffering of the report I feel are both beneficial to accuracy.

I also tried the Resonator on a Desert Tech MDR, a short stroke piston 308 auto-loader. The Resonator worked great on the rifle, keeping recoil and noise down to a reasonable level. And the YHM 4302 brake did an OK job at mitigating the recoil all by itself. Any time you put a can on a gas operated semi auto, you’ll find more gas coming out of the rifle, turning the gas settings down on the rifle made it quite tolerable.

Many times I went back and forth from rifle to rifle, letting it cool down to keep from burning myself, I couldn’t find anything about the Resonator to complain about. Sure, you can always say they should be lighter, that’s a given. But the Resonator 30 at 16 ounces is still quite light considering the price point of its competitors. I suppose if I had one request to the folks at YHM, it could be a direct thread option of the resonator. That would probably make a few precision rifle shooters happy, and maybe dip the price point a little further, who knows…

The Resonator is a great option I think for anyone looking to get into the class III market. It would work great on any AR variant, small or large frame. It works great as a companion to a precision rifle too, the price point of the Resonator makes it ideal as a first can, or as another one to add to your NFA collection. Go to YHM.net for more info.

 

-CBM

And of course, here is a video:

Yankee Hill Machine Turbo 5.56

Product review, Shooting hardware, , , , , , ,

Introduction

It was SHOT Show 2017 And I found myself wandering through the many booths, filled with eye candy and toys. Being a dedicated poser, I knew I had to find something to upgrade my humble arsenal in the upcoming year. With all the places I could have found that something, who would of thought it would have only been steps away.

The Yankee Hill Machine booth is ripe with all kinds of black little goodies. Everything from AR15 parts, suppressors, to complete rifles. My first visit to the NFA club came via YHM, the first suppressor I bought was a YHM Phantom. My experience with it has always been a good one, which has led me to take a peek at some of their new products.

The new YHM Turbo 5.56 caught my eye, since I didn’t have a 5.56 can and I was in desperate need of a reason to build a host. Much to my favor, the Desert Tech MDR beat me to it, and made a perfect host for the Turbo. Click Here If you’d like to know more about the MDR.

The Turbo was made to fill a void in the rapidly expanding suppressor market. It’s stainless steel construction and design keep the cost down, opening ownership to a whole new crowd. It uses an inconel blast baffle, and a QD muzzle brake. With a size, price, and weight advantage it stands to leave much of the competition holding their forms at the door. The street price is under 500$, which is well below average when compared to other brands.
YHM has often been considered a economic choice in sound suppression, but I wanted to see if it would stand up to the cans I was used to.
The QD ratcheting teeth on the Turbo

The 1/2-28 threaded brake that comes with the Turbo, I found it very effective as a brake, and very quick to attach the Turbo to.

I tested the Turbo on two different guns, the aforementioned MDR, and also on a 10.5 inch AR15 pistol. Both guns ran perfect with the Turbo installed, there was a noticeable abundance of gas exiting the receivers of both rifles. That was no surprise to anyone, a host firearm with an adjustable gas system would easily take care of that. The excess gas coming into the receiver, did cause a little bit of extra crud build up in the rifles. But again, that is hard to avoid without cutting back on the gas volume.

Both myself and my brother were impressed with how quiet the Turbo made both of these rifles, well into the range of safe for ears. At least for my deaf ears anyways.
I wanted to see if the suppressor affected the rifle in other ways, so I fired a few groups with the Turbo installed. I was very impressed as the Turbo almost seemed to enhance accuracy, or maybe it was just the increased weight and stability. Either way, the Turbo made no harmful effect to accuracy, as the rifle shot proverbial “lights out”.

Turbo 556 Specifications:
Weight:………………………….13.5oz
Diameter:………………………1.562”
Length:…………………………….6.5”
Construction:…………………17-4 Ph SS / Inconel
Mount:…………………………..Q.D. Muzzle Brake
Decibel Rating:……………….134 dB

Conclusion

Rapid fire, on and off, gun to gun, the Turbo seemed to keep up with whatever we needed it to. The only problem I had at all with the can seemed to be self inflicted. I may Have overtightened it at one point, which caused the brake to come off with it one time. Requiring some excess work to get it apart, but that was my fault.
My initial impressions of this suppressor is that Yankee Hill knocked it out of the park. If you are in the market for a QD 556 can that won’t leave you broke, I don’t think you could go wrong with the Turbo 556.

-CBM