RCC M48 Sound Moderator

I am a bit of a stickler for a good sound moderator and have always been fascinated by noise reduction on any type of rifle. You would think noise reduction would be at the top of the list when it comes to attributes, but if the mod weighs a tonne, then it’s not practical, so it’s important to balance Db reduction, weight, longevity, ease of cleaning, and good looks.

I prefer muzzle-mounted cans over the ‘reflex’ types, as I tend to use short barrels on my rifles. This is why the new RCC M48 sound moderator from Highland Outdoors really caught my eye. It’s a large, aluminium-bodied can with a changeable muzzle thread section. Also, the modular design shows segments, so the length can be altered.

Spec

Made in Sweden, the new RCC range includes the Hunter and the M48 on test. The M48 weighs 375-grams, measures 150mm in length, and shows an outside diameter of 48mm. The thread options are: 1/2x20” UNF, 1/2x28” UNEF, 5/8”x24 UNEF, M14x1, M15x1, M16x1, M17x1, and M18x1.

As previously mentioned, the M48 has a segmented or modular design with individual baffles. These can be unscrewed and built up as a baffle stack in line. This .30 cal version has four individual segments which unscrew with a simple twist. The front is an end cap that measures 40mm in length, with the second segment having a frontal section of twin recessed and raised walled baffles, plus a rear section that forms the next baffle’s expansion chamber. It is 65mm long. This continues rearward with a second baffle of the same design/length and then a last baffle stack, which is shorter at 50mm. The final segment is just an expansion chamber with milled-out chambers for noise capture, and RCC has cleverly used this last section to house a replaceable stainless steel threaded insert. This means the shooter can change this for another thread so the moderator can be fitted to another rifle with a different thread size. Also, six stainless steel gauze strips are provided. You can wrap these into the twin recessed baffle stack areas to afford additional noise or hot expanding gas retardation.

Conclusions

Overall, it works. The noise reduction is very good for a short muzzle can and although each segment has an O ring to seal the unit, spares and lube are provided, and I had no problems in the tests. I fitted them to two Hardy rifles in 6.5CM and was very impressed with the noise reduction and lack of zero change when fitted and refitted after cleaning. A good mod at a sensible price and well worth a look.