Dead Air delivers a purpose-built suppressor for defense professionals and civilians running 5.56 NATO-chambered rifles. Meet the Dead Air CT5P (Patrol).
by Rob Reaser
I have long hewed to the philosophy that less is more. I don’t like complications, especially when it comes to firearms. As out of step as I may be with the whiz-bang, high-speed and low-drag gadget crowd, I stand unashamed in my preference for bare-bones MILSPEC-style ARs. Stripped down to the essentials, these carbines are light, maneuverable, dependable, and in an open-sight configuration, they maintain marksmanship skills. Plus, they are just plain fun to shoot.
When Dead Air Silencers announced earlier this year that the company was introducing a new suppressor developed specifically for law enforcement patrol carbines called the CT5P, I couldn’t restrain a quick fist pump.
You see, I’ve become quite enamored with the use of suppressors on pretty much every rifle I can stick them on. Being able to work the range without ear pro is something that, once you taste it, you never want to go back. I just wasn’t sure about incorporating a suppressor onto my beloved M4 clones, but the more I investigated Dead Air’s CT5P, the more I thought, “Yeah, this might be okay.”
The idea behind the CT5P was to develop a suppressor tailored for law enforcement patrol rifles. That established several design objectives of particular concern to defense professionals. The suppressor needed to be as light as possible to minimize fatigue, as short as possible to allow easy ingress/egress from a patrol vehicle, minimize sound pulse to protect hearing and reduce the “white noise” of engagement in close quarters, eclipse muzzle flash in dark environments, and keep backpressure to a minimum. And all of this tuned specifically for carbines chambered in 5.56 NATO without impacting the cycle-of-operation.
Dead Air offers the CT5P in three configurations. The shortest and lightest variant threads directly to the rifle’s muzzle. No adapter or HUB interface is required. This model (top) is available in either 1/2-28 or 5/8-24 thread and is the most compact of an already compact suppressor series. It’s perfect for agencies that don’t need to move suppressors from one platform to another.
The other two variants come with Dead Air’s Xeno (middle) or KeyMo (bottom) mounting system.
For our testing, I selected the Xeno mount system to use with the included Xeno three-prong flash hider adapter. I just removed the original flash hider I had installed during the rifle build and slipped on the Xeno mount. I used a couple of peel washers to ensure proper timing.
What I like about the Xeno system is that I can run Xeno-mount suppressors across multiple rifles fitted with a Xeno adapter. If, for some reason, I need to run the gun unsuppressed, the Xeno unit works perfectly fine as a standalone component.
The CT5P has a 6mm bore diameter. While this unit is optimized for use on 5.56 NATO-chambered rifles, it also accommodates 6mm ARC. Furthermore, the suppressor is full-auto rated and there are no minimum barrel length restrictions, making it ideal for SBR or pistol platforms as well.
All CT5P variants are available in black or flat dark earth high-temp Cerakote finish.
Removing the front cap reveals the CT5P’s internal architecture. As you can see, the suppressor utilizes additive manufacturing construction made from Haynes 282. This 3D printing process is the heart Dead Air’s Compact Triskelion baffle design and Gas Management System. It’s the same technology found in the company’s heralded Lasarus 6 and Sandman X suppressors. The result is a finely-tuned suppressor that combines a low noise signature and tone with excellent backpressure management.
I spent a long day with the CT5P fronting my old-school AR and enjoyed every minute. Burning through who knows how many rounds of M193 ammo, the rifle cycled predictably with every pull of the trigger and there was absolutely no need to don muffs (hoorah!). And while I didn’t get to pull the gun in and out of a patrol vehicle, the added length and extra 14.3-oz. weight proved to be marginal trade-offs for the premium sound suppression.
The Dead Air CT5P is, as designed, an ideal solution for patrol rifles, and is equally suited for any AR — old school or high-speed gizmo — destined for personal/home defense or range work.
