Why the Hybrid 46M is the Best Multi-Caliber Suppressor
David Higginbotham
When my friends find out I have an affinity for suppressors, they inevitably ask for some advice.
“What’s the best suppressor?” Or, “If you could only have one, which silencer would you buy?”
My answers are almost always rooted in long-winded diatribes about calibers, weight, and alloys most folks have never heard of. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, I tend to point them to the SilencerCo Hybrid 46M: a multi-caliber, configurable design that can do just about anything.
What Makes the Hybrid 46M So Versatile?
There are three elements to this answer: caliber, modular design, and availability of accessories.
What Does the "46" Mean?
The first, caliber, is key. The Hybrid 46M can accommodate some hefty chunks of lead. With its .46” bore, you can shoot multiple calibers including.450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM, .45-70 Govt, .338 LM and up to .460 Weatherby Magnum. On the handgun or PCC side, .45 Auto and 10MM are fair game.
As with most suppressor designs, you can move down in size, too. The 46M has interchangeable end caps for .30 caliber rounds.
If versatility is key and you want one silencer to do multiple jobs, this is a solid option.
What Does the "M" Mean?
Modular. That one is fairly simple. Why you might want one suppressor that can be set up in two different sizes may be more complicated.
In its short form, the Hybrid 46M comes in at 5.78”. This is an ideal length for handguns. It is also a more compact option for those times when length matters. If you carry a gun when hunting, extra length can be cumbersome. Or if you want to run a short barreled rifle, you would want to preserve that compact design.
The shorter version is lighter, too — which is so obvious that I feel silly typing it. The length and weight go hand-in-hand, and for all the same reasons. In its full configuration, the Hybrid 46M weighs 14.9oz. Shortened, it comes in at just 12.2oz.
If you want even more noise suppression, the long version is ideal. When shooting at distance, hunting wide open spaces, or hitting the range, I like the ability to add the second section onto the first. The longer version comes in at 7.72”.
How Do You Mount the Hybrid 46M?
Any way you want. This, for me, is crucial for a suppressor I intend to move between guns. This is a shape-shifting suppressor. While there’s no reason you shouldn’t consider the 46M as a dedicated silencer for your tricked out Henry .45-70, I tend to move it about. And that’s where the Charlie ASR mounts come in really handy.
SilencerCo’s Active Spring Retention system mounts on a muzzle device attached to the barrel and uses a twist-lock on the mount itself, which threads onto the silencer. It sounds more complicated than it is.
The ASR muzzle devices and brakes let you put a fully functional muzzle device on a threaded barrel, where it will act as a comp or brake, perhaps, or simply as thread protection, even when the silencer isn’t attached. Then, when you are ready to suppress the gun, the 46M twists on and locks solidly in place.
This prevents you from having the direct-thread conundrum. Direct-thread options are super clean, highly reliable, and easy. But if you are moving between a 1911 and a .308, you may have to swap out the mounts. With numerous thread pitches and diameters out there, keeping track of them isn’t always easy.
Direct thread mounts for the 46M are available, but you’ll want a charlie piston mount and a piston or two for pistols, and brakes for some calibers. The Charlie mounts have many options, which is ideal for a suppressor meant to fill so many roles.
How Does the 46M Perform?
I’ve run this one suppressor on a Ruger .223 American Rifle, on the Ruger SFAR in .308, and on a Henry .45-70, and it has worked exactly as expected with each platform.
I’ve been waxing poetic about the suppressor’s versatility. I picked this can up more than a year ago to use with a .45-70 and recently found some subsonic ammo. As I tend to geek out about these things, I couldn’t wait to run it suppressed.
The full configuration, combined with the subsonic ammo, and the closed action of a lever gun makes this a ridiculously quiet round. That 410 grain bullet is no joke. It flies a bit slow, which means you have limited range (at 300 yards, it has already dropped more than 8 feet), but it is still impressive.
Supersonic .45-70 breaks the sound barrier and carries a crack, but the 46M drops that below the hearing safe levels.
Most of the .30 and .40 caliber rounds are suppressed to levels around 130 dB. This is significant. The baffle design and internal space of the 46M allows for above-average noise suppression.
This is part of why I consider the option to be the ideal do-it-all design. If I’m hunting, I am willing to carry a smaller suppressor (or the .46 in its short configuration) to save weight and added length. Even if it bumps up the sound of the report by a couple of decibels, the shorter, the lighter configuration is worth it. On the range, though, a round count can get high. When you need to talk to a spotter, or when you’re teaching someone to shoot, the longer configuration is the way to go.
Is There Point of Impact Shift With the Hybrid 46M?
Impact shift between suppressed and unsuppressed shots is minimal. On the .308, I measured it at less than an inch at 100 yards — and this was after its initial installation. If I zeroed the rifle, moved the suppressor to a different host, then reattached it to the .308, it remained zeroed. I saw more variation in point-of-impact by shifting .308 grain weights than I did with the addition of the suppressor.
As with any addition to a gun, a suppressor changes the dynamic of the whole system. Long distance shooters will be most likely to notice. The added weight may change the barrel’s whip (movement of the muzzle end of the barrel that occurs as the projectile exits).
The additional weight of a suppressor may also alter the recoil pattern of a handgun. Either way, there’s a learning curve present each time you add a new optic, type of ammo, or suppressor — or when you shoot at a new altitude, in a different humidity, in different temperatures…. This is why we practice.
What's the Hybrid 46M Made of?
Enough with the get-out-and-shoot preaching, let’s talk about 17–4 stainless steel, titanium, and Inconel. Stainless is readily available, easy to work, and easy to maintain. From a weight perspective it falls in the middle range of these three. Titanium is very durable for its weight — performing much better than other light metals (like aluminum). And Inconel is a beast.
Inconel is an alloy with a relatively high nickel content. While it isn’t as light as Titanium, it is exceptionally strong and stable at high heats. This is what gives the Hybrid 46M its full-auto rating in both the short and the long configuration. You can run this can until it is glowing and the Inconel will remain stable.
SilencerCo cuts baffles for the 46M from Inconel. As the alloy is highly corrosion resistant, too, it allows for very thin, strong baffles. These heat up quickly, but dissipate that heat just as fast, and the thin profiles cut weight.
By combing the strength of Inconel with the weight reduction of Ti and the reliability of stainless, the Hybrid 46M makes the most of each ingredient without stacking unnecessary expenses.
How Much Does the Hybrid 46M Cost?
MSRP on the 46M is listed at $1,169. The suppressor comes with the following:
- Charlie ASR Mount
- Charlie .30 Cal Front Cap
- Charlie .46 Cal Front Cap
- Charlie Multitool
- Charlie Basic Spanner Wrench
My standard advice — plan ahead and know where you might want to mount the silencer. This will allow you some insight into how much more you might need to spend other Charlie accessories.
As always (or at least for almost a century), you’ll want to allocate an additional $200 for the tax stamp. Wait times, though, are down — so at least there’s that consolation. You don’t have to wait forever anymore.
Conclusions on the 46M
“Can you help me figure out which suppressor I should get?” Yes, possibly.
While I think that this is a fine choice for anyone who wants to suppress a big-bore rifle, the Hybrid 46M really shines for those who want a suppressor that can go anywhere and handle just about any round.
If you only want to suppress 556, I’d say Velos LBP. If you only wanted to suppress a 1911, I’d likely point you to the Osprey 2.0. And if you only wanted a suppressor to mount on a 6.5 Creedmoor bolt action for long stalk hunts in Colorado, the answer is the Scythe Ti.
But for one suppressor that can cover all three, and anything else you’ve got in the safe, the answer is easy. Go for the Hybrid. Go Big. Make the most of the M.
David Higginbotham
