The SilencerCo Velos LBP 556K has hit the market hard and delivered a suppressor perfectly designed for home defense. The LBP 556K is a shorter, lighter sequel to the LBP, released only a few years ago. SilencerCo’s original LBP series received a lot of love, but some folks thought it was just a hair too long for home defense, especially on 16-inch rifles. SilencerCo responded by trimming the length of the can from 5.98 inches to 4.76 inches. The weight dropped down to 12.4 ounces, but the LBP 556K maintains a high level of durability compared to the original LBP.
To be completely transparent, I am on the SilencerCo pro staff and work with SilencerCo in a few different ways. That said, they do not require me to review this suppressor, do not pay me to review it, and certainly don’t pay me enough to lie. As far as companies go, SilencerCo is very responsive to criticism and works to improve its designs based on consumer feedback. That’s how we got the 556K of the Velos series.
The Velos LBP 556K – What’s In a Name
We’ve covered that the K model is the shorter, lighter version of the regular Velos LBP, so that’s out of the way. Velos is simply the product name, but LBP means something. Specifically, it stands for Low Back Pressure. The Velos LBP series uses a flow-through design that reduces back pressure. Suppressors work by slowing down gas and allowing it to cool. When all that high-pressure gas hits the baffles in a can, it slows down but still has to go somewhere.
Since there’s plenty of room to go backward, that’s what it does. That gas throws dirt and debris into your gun and sometimes in your face. Different guns have different levels of gas blowback, but in semi-auto guns, it’s a standard problem. The Velos LBP uses a flow-through design with a precision additive manufactured baffle stack made from Inconel. The flow-through design allows the gas to flow through the can instead of rearward into your face.
Gas blowing back into your face can be annoying, downright painful, and eye-watering. Besides being uncomfortable, it’s also not good for you to get all that carcinogenic material tossed into your mouth, nose, and eyes. It eventually ends in your lungs, which we all know isn’t good for you. Flow-through suppressors are the future of suppressors.
Breaking Down the Velos LBP 556K
We’ve covered weight, length, and design, but what are we missing? For one, the suppressor has a diameter of 1.73 inches. It’s designed for Charlie and ASR mounts and comes with a Charlie ASR mount. The front of the can features SilencerCo’s latest Flash Hider Front Cap. This reduces muzzle flash from the front of the can, which becomes even more important for short-barreled guns.
The Velos LBP series utilizes a fully welded design. It can’t be taken apart, and it’s not modular. The use of a fully welded design is durability. The Velos LBP 556K has no minimum barrel length and is rated for full auto fire. The average Joe isn’t going to damage the can through normal use. It’s a hard-use suppressor and resigned to take a high round count beating.
To The Range
I strapped the Velos LBP 556K onto my gassiest AR, which is, oddly enough, a homebuilt upper on an old ARES SCR lower. Maybe it’s the weird lower, or perhaps I suck at building uppers. Either way, it’s the gassiest gun I have ever had, and it felt like an excellent way to test the LBP 556K. I strapped on the Charlie ASR mount and locked the suppressor onto the gun.
It threads on the flash hider mount, and there is always something so fun about threading a suppressor onto a rifle. Once threaded onto the mount, you rotate a locking ring. The ring prevents the suppressor from slipping or becoming unthreaded even a little bit. Once the Velos is on the gun, it stays there until you want it off.
I grabbed some Winchester M855 ammo and loaded up a few mags. The 5.56 rounds are hotter and gassier than the tame .223 Remington loads. I clung tight to the gun and got my nose to the charging handle, trying to detect if any gas was leaking from the back of the gun.
I pumped a dozen rounds through the gun and suppressor and could catch a whiff of gas. My eyes remained tear-free, and gas didn’t start choking me up with every third shot. I didn’t even get the mildly irritating slight wave of gas. The flow-through design works exceptionally well, keeping the suppressed rifle comfortable to shoot continuously.
Keeping it Quiet
According to SilencerCo, the noise is cut down to 149.8 dB. A 140 dB is the threshold for pain, so this doesn’t make your rifle hearing safe. It will trim a significant amount of noise from the gunshot, but you need to keep your muffs on.
Making a 5.56 caliber rifle hearing safe isn’t easy. Most ammo in the 5.56 and .223 Rem world is supersonic, and the supersonic crack isn’t hearing-safe. Only a few specialty subsonic 5.56 rounds exist. They are very far from standard and somewhat pointless.
The Velos LBP 556K provides enough sound suppression to make it much safer for you to shoot. In a home defense scenario, you don’t have time to strap on a set of ear pro, so the suppressor still reduces hearing loss.
Suppressors are quite valuable in an indoor range scenario. I always double up on ear protection when I shoot a rifle at an indoor range. With the Velos LBP 556K, I no longer have to. When you combine the suppressor with a set of ear muffs, you get an extremely pleasant shooting environment.
The Velos LBP 556K helps reduce the fear for new shooters. I’m the gun guy in my group of friends and family, and I’m always happy to play host to new shooters. The Velos have become a big part of those events. The noise suppression makes the weapon much more comfortable to shoot and seems to help new shooters feel more comfortable with the gun psychologically.
Beyond the Noise
The Velos 556K doesn’t just trim noise but also helps with control. Muzzle rise and recoil are cut significantly. Suppressors act like muzzle brakes and do a number to reduce felt recoil. The Ares SCR lower also has reduced recoil, so the combination of the two feels almost like a rimfire rifle. Muzzle rise is also cut because you’re strapping a 12-ounce weight to the end of your gun.
This is where we get into the can’s downsides. It’s a hefty can, and the reason it’s hefty is to be durable and tough. It would not stand up to rapid-fire use on a 5.56 rifle with a 10.3-inch barrel if it weren’t well-made and heavy. Weight is a minor issue, but it’s symptomatic of my main issue with the can as a consumer.
It’s very well made, efficient at sound suppression, and even fairly short with low back pressure. That’s all fantastic, but I’m not sure how many end users need this, and it can be tough outside of the military. Most of us aren’t rocking full auto SBRs. The flow through technology is admittedly fantastic, but the high price point and weight might be a turn-off for some.
If you’re the type of guy or gal wanting the best flow-through can on the market, you’d be hard-pressed not to pick up the Velos LBP 556K. A good argument can be made that a suppressor is often an item you keep for a lifetime due to the NFA, so why not get an extremely durable suppressor?
I really like the Velos LBP 556K and think its pros outweigh its cons. What do you think? Let us know below!
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