How well does a Saiga 223 take a suppressor?

[Crosshair 1]

I am ordering a TAC-16 suppressor and I am now looking for a gun to put it on. (Sorry FBMG, local dealer wanted to go through the manufacturer for the suppressor.) I have several possible choices and I want to hear your input.

 

Savage bolt action. (I love that trigger.)

NEF Ultra Varmit in .223 (Nice long 24 inch barrel to help suppression.)

Mini-14 (Semi-auto and reliable.)

Saiga 223 (Same as Mini, but cheaper.)

 

I don't know which of the semi guns would be more quiet with a supressor and I wonder if I should go with the bolt/single shot for better accuracy. The NEF is cheaper than the Savage and has the advantage of having interchangeable barrels while the Savage has a higher ROF for quicker follow up shots.

 

So what do you all think???

[Vermiform 26]

I think I would love to see some pics if you do it. That would look sooo sexy on a saiga.

[BobAsh 582]

Don't care for a bolt-action gun, myself. But I'm not a hunter, either.

 

Are you going to load your own ammo? The supersonic nature of the (factory) .223 round will make it hard to suppress.

[SpicyMchaggis 0]

Even varmint loads of .223 are still going to be hard to suppress. I've shot an SAR-3 with a suppressor and it went from deafening, to slightly deafening. Just have to make the decision, penetration or volume?

 

Whatever you decide, let's see some pics.

[Crosshair 1]

I plan on handloading, though I would also use factory ammo. From what I can find, longer barrels really do help with suppression because the suppressor has cooler gas at a lower pressure to suppress. I did some experiments with reduced 223 loads years ago and found that a 55 grain bullet at about 2100 FPS out of a 22" barrel is really quiet compared to a regular 223 and is almost ear safe while retaining good balistics. That rifle had a 1-12" twist and I had trouble with bullet stability. Thus a 1-9" is a must for me.