Silencer Saturday #419: Reflex Resurgence

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday, brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the new Victra 20-gauge shotgun suppressor. This week, what's old is new again. Reflex suppressors are making a comeback. Let's take a look back and take a survey of the new things coming in this space.

Silencer Saturday @ TFB:

• Silencer Saturday #418: Lawsuit And Legislation Update
• Silencer Saturday #417: What's New In Subsonic Ammo
• Silencer Saturday #416: Recovering From SHOT Show
• Silencer Saturday #415: How To Choose Your First Suppressor
•  Silencer Saturday #414: AAC Legacy Suppressors Return (...kind of)

Most suppressors mount on the muzzle, but some take things a little further. Reflex suppressors fit back over the barrel and are consequently sometimes called “over the barrel” suppressors as well. The portion behind the muzzle is generally not as “effective per inch” as the portion in front of the muzzle, but this free real estate is still an opportunity. It typically acts as an additional expansion area off the blast baffle.

The Ops Inc. silencers, now known as Allen Engineering, are one of the most famous reflex designs. The OPS 5th (now AEM 5) silencer was famously used on the Mark 12. It threads onto a threaded muzzle device and sits on a spatial collar behind the muzzle device. Otter Creek also makes a version of the AEM5, known as the OCM5.

SHOT Show 2026 was dubbed The Year Of The Silencer for good reason. With free tax stamps, the market is booming, and seemingly everyone with the machining capability to make silencers is doing so. A surprising number of these new models have reflexed designs.

New Options

Dead Air's Nomad Ti OTB is the highest profile reflex can released at SHOT Show 2026. The Nomad family already contains a wide range of silencers intended primarily for bolt-action rifle use. Different sizes, bore diameters, and materials are available, so whether you want a lightweight titanium hunting silencer or something to quiet down your 338 Edge, there is probably already a Nomad that fits the bill.

The Ti OTB (Over The Barrel) is a .30 caliber silencer that adds 4.6 inches beyond the muzzle. It is a 3D-printed can with a Xeno mount machined in. This keeps weight down compared to alternate mounting systems like HUB threads at the cost of a little adaptability. Dead Air rates the Ti OTB for 5.56 on a 12.5-inch barrel and .300 RUM (if you can even find ammo for one) or 7mm Backcountry down to 16 inches. Retail price on the Nomad Ti OTB is $1099, with an included Xeno muzzle device.

Lyman's new lineup of Sonicore suppressors includes two reflexed models. The   Paradox Overbarrel is the more hunting-oriented model, while the Rekker Overbarrel is designed for AR use. These models stand out for their price point. They use aluminum and steel construction, and the MSRP is only $299. The Rekker OB adds about 6.4 inches beyond the muzzle, and the Paradox OB is shorter at about 4.9 inches added. Both are rated up to .308 Winchester on the 30-caliber models.

Otter Creek also has some updates coming to their OCM5, which we mentioned earlier. The new OCM6 has a lower backpressure baffle system taken from their more recent designs. It also has a bore that accepts 6mm projectiles, so the 6mm ARC crowd can build Mk12 resto-mod guns in that chambering. Full details on this silencer are forthcoming, but Pew Science testing is available now.

We should also mention the PTR USDA (Universal SD Adapter) system, even though it may not be a true reflex setup. It is a different take on the MP-5SD concept. The barrel is ported like the original, but the suppressor mounts to a “pre-suppressor” that is a HUB-threaded blast chamber on the barrel. Adding a HUB-threaded silencer completes the setup and provides a bonus early silencer in the bleed-off stage.

PTR incorporates the USDA on the 9SDM-A and 9SDM-B. Both of those guns are three-stamp setups. The gun itself is an SBR, the USDA is a silencer, and the actual primary silencer also needs its own stamp as well. But in the era of free tax stamps, why not?

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DEALERS: If you want your link to buy YHM suppressors included in future Silencer Saturday posts, email:   silencers@thefirearmblog.com