Back in April of 2024 I went to a hush-hush military event that was all about enhancing lethality for special operations forces. This was a range event with live fire demonstrations from all sorts of different companies ranging from small guys to the largest household-name military contractors in the world. We’re talking armed drones, missiles, breaching charges, gatling guns, advanced mortar technology, insane optics systems, and way, way more.
I saw the absolute craziest stuff there…the cutting edge of lethal military technology. The sorts of things that couldn’t show up on that Future Weapons TV show for another few years (if that great show was still on the air).
One of the things I saw was the MFMD — Multi-Function Muzzle Device — from Strategic Sciences, and it left a huge impression on me. I was very, very impressed.
Looking more like an artifact from the movie Stargate than something that attaches to your firearm, the truly revolutionary MFMD is a flash hider, suppressor, and muzzle brake all in one. It’s a high-flow, baffleless design that controls and redirects muzzle gases rather than containing or capturing them.
The MFMD nearly completely eliminates any addition of backpressure into the firearm system while at the same time eliminating flash as completely as anything available.
Many of the MFMD units are modular and are available as just the MD (muzzle device) or as an MD plus SD (suppressor device) or SDX (suppressor device extended). The SD or SDX can be added quite quickly to the business end of the MD. Yes, in the case of an MD+SD(X) MFMD model, both units are considered silencers (two serial numbers, two registrations).
All models attain sub-140 dB performance on their intended host firearm(s). Generally speaking, an MD model is designed to be as short as it can be while just meeting this sound volume level threshold. Then the addition of an SD(X) increases sound suppression even further.
In no world did I think it was possible to run a suppressor that adds only 0.62 inches to the length of my rifle. That’s insane.
At that military event I heard a handful of different rifles fired with an MFMD attached, from 5.56 to 338 Norma Magnum. I was floored by the suppression performance. Some of those magnum sniper calibers sounded like 300 Blackouts. Truly incredible stuff.
The good new is, at least some models of Strategic Sciences MFMDs are about to be available on the civilian market. Like I said up top, though, you may want to hide your wallet. The least expensive models in the lineup (5.56 and 300 BLK) will start at $1,799, and they go up fairly quickly from there to a bunch of MFMDs between $3,000 and $4,000. Then a couple of ’em get dangerously close to and even exceed $10,000.
Worse yet, we have a loaner on the way for review. Keep an eye out for that video and article in the near future, though if my experience from that event is any hint of what Dan and I will experience with this thing on the range, it just might be the worst news all of our wallets have had in years.
Or… you could just do this for $249.00 and get 30 dB reduction [the Strategic Sciences does 23 dB on 5.56)
ht* tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjB4MSDZI-A
That company states 148 dB on a 16-inch AR-15 and I’m not sure I even believe that. The SS is under 140 (like 137) in its shortest configuration with DoD-level testing that I trust as valid, then it goes down fairly rapidly from there with the addition of an SD or SDX module. I’m telling you, in person these things were QUIET. It was freaky. We’ll be testing a 300 Blackout one fairly soon though and maybe another model after that. I’ll ping the company in the video you linked and see if we can borrow one of those little guys.
I’m sure it is quiet.
Look at > ht* tps://www.advantagearms.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=175×2
180dB – 150dB = 30 dB reduction < that 30dB reduction is what I was talking about.
Yeah, I'd like to see what the one from Advantage Arms really does though. As soon as you can get one, if they will oblige…
Yeah I just don’t think their numbers mean anything (which is the case with most companies doing their own testing, because the dB meters capable of providing semi-accurate data start at like $15k). I’m fairly sure an 11.5-inch AR should be around 165-168 dB at the standard 1 meter off to the side of the muzzle, not 180. I would not put any stock into the idea that their suppressor delivers a 30 dB reduction, either. That would be one of the largest 5.56 dB reductions in the entire industry and they ain’t getting it out of that shorty little thing. They even state it isn’t hearing safe. I bet they’re going from 165 to like 150…if they’re lucky haha
Because of the resources and .gov laboratory stuff that went into the Strategic Sciences development (and they offer DoD-level testing as a paid, 3rd party service) I’m pretty confident of their numbers being accurate. Their testing on an 11.5-inch AR says 162.3 dB at the shooter’s ear. Dropping to 139 from a muzzle device that adds 0.6 inches to the firearm length is insane. 135 and change with the SD added makes it about as quiet as the leading 5.56 suppressors on the market but it’s still shorter. I think some of why they sounded so quiet in person is how insanely low backpressure they are and they really focus the gas and such forward downrange. Plus a lot of company numbers are total B.S. (intentional or otherwise) and just simply cannot be used for comparison to reality. Just cuz company X says 135 dB and company Y says 128 dB does *not* mean company Y’s suppressor is quieter.
I generally wouldn’t trust dB numbers outside of the annual Silencer Summit testing numbers and the PEW Science results. There are a couple companies that I trust for accurate data, like Strategic Sciences, but I can count them on one hand.
Yes, the MD alone is a silencer so if you do MD + SD(X) then you’re talking two silencer serial numbers, registrations, etc. At least there’s no more tax!
just to clarify…. is “just the MD (muzzle device)” alone NFA?
Its is pricey though. So I don’t think we will be seeing them in great numbers on ranges.