The Illustrious Surefire RC2

I've had the Surefire RC2 suppressor for a while now, and after pushing 10,000 rounds of trash ammo through it, I couldn't be more impressed by its performance. You pay a premium, because of the wonderful military industrial complex, but you're getting one beast of a suppressor - the durability and reliability will exceed your expectations. If you break a Surefire RC2 through normal usage, I'll personally send you some IntelGoons' swag. 

So let's talk about the hosts this was used on - for the majority of the usage, this suppressor has lived on an American Defense Manufacturing UIC MOD2, 13.9" upper. The unfortunate part of this upper is that it utilized a pinned and welded Surefire Warcomp, known for its carbon locking with the RC2. The rest of the rounds were used on an 11.5" LMT CQB upper, and a very small amount on a Noveske SPR, both with Surefire 3 prongs. All three were fantastic, but I'd estimate 90% of the rounds were done on the ADM UIC MOD 2 upper. 

Now that we've done some background, let's talk about the details of the RC2, for the folks that are unfamiliar. 

• Constructed from high-temperature alloy & stainless steel
• The RC2's size is about on par with other suppressors in its class, with a length of 6.4", a diameter of 1.5", and a weight of just over a pound (17 oz., a bit heavier than other 5.56 suppressors). 
• To compare to other common 5.56 suppressors weights...
• HUXWRX Flow 556K: 11.8 oz.
• Rugged Razor 556: 13.4 oz.
• OCL Polonium: 13.5 oz.
• KAC 5.56 QDC/CRS-PRT: 19.2 oz. (oof)
• Sound data wise, the RC2 is pretty average: you'll hear about 134 - 137 dB at the shooter's ear, depending on barrel length.

 As with all 5.56 suppressors, you're not going to make 5.56 hearing safe. The goal of suppressing your 5.56 AR, unlike 300BLK, is taking the edge off, suppressing flash, and reducing your overall signature. The Surefire RC2 is known for doing this very well, first-round flash is reduced to almost nothing from an RC2, and the edge is really taken off when shooting with this suppressor. Comparatively, with a 300BLK AR, you can basically make it hearing safe (though that is still not recommended). Going from shooting unsuppressed AR's for close to ten years, to shooting with an RC2, is a huge step up. You'll notice in the majority of GarandThumb videos, he's rocking a Surefire RC2 - why do we think that is? Because it's a fantastic suppressor. The same reason why it's won so many military contracts, sound signature reduction is an incredible benefit in any weapon platform. 

Now that I covered the hearing portion of this review, and level-set expectations in terms of sound (AKA, it will never be hearing safe), let's have a chat about the mounting system. The mounting system that your suppressor utilizes is very important - having a baffle strike and going through the RMA process, sending back an NFA item for repairs, etc. is something that nobody wants to experience. So, having a VERY NICE mounting system with a tight, no crap lock-up, is a feature that everyone should pay attention to when buying their suppressor. The RC2 utilizes a lock ring, lock ring latch, and an indexing slot to ensure alignment with your muzzle device. There are a few different Surefire muzzle devices that work with the RC2, most notably the Surefire Warcomp, and Surefire 3 and 4 prong devices. The downside to these muzzle devices is they are relatively cost prohibitive, with each selling for around $120-$160 depending on what device, and where you're buying from. Mounting the Surefire RC2 is basically stupid proof, as it slides right onto the muzzle device, you twist it until it seats, and then you twist the locking ring until you hear it lock. It won't attach unless it's in the right spot, so that's why I call it stupid proof. 

Now, for the final section I'll talk about durability. Any suppressor purchase should be considered a lifetime purchase, and for some folks, even something you plan on passing down to your children. With that in mind, your suppressor should be able to handle not only normal range visits, but extreme usage as well; this is where the Surefire RC2 shines. The internet neckbeards will say that this doesn't matter because you're never going to use it that hard, and sound reduction is the most important metric, but I would disagree. I almost always will take a small increase in sound signature for a suppressor that will literally survive an IED. It may be difficult to tell by the blog image picture, but I have beat the crap out of my RC2. I've dropped it, knocked it into barricades, walls, rocks, shot it off when it got carbon locked, and done a fair handful of magdumps. Aesthetically it might not be the most pleasing, because there's some bumps and bruises, but it's still running as good as it was out of the box. 

To summarize, if you're looking for a fantastic, destruction-proof suppressor for your 5.56 AR, the RC2 will serve you well for your entire lifetime. The even better news, is that this blog, unlike most others you will read on the internet, has no financial interest in Surefire RC2's. I paid $1,079 for my Surefire RC2 from a reputable suppressor dealer (plus $200 theft), and have no interest in selling you a suppressor.

I do, however, sell Surefire lights - so if you've read this far, use code "BLOGGERS" for 10% off any Surefire lights at checkout. And as always, if you want to make a recommendation for another blog post/review, use my contact page and I'll tell you if it's feasible, in the works, or something that just isn't possible at the moment.