Advanced Armament Corporation

Advanced Armament Corporation

Type	Private
Industry	Defense
Founded	1994
Headquarters	Huntsville, AL
Products	Firearms, weapons, sound suppressors
Website	http://www.advanced-armament.com/

Advanced Armament Corporation or AAC is an American company that develops and manufactures firearm silencers (suppressors), muzzle devices and related accessories. It is now based at 1816 Remington Circle, Huntsville, AL 35824^[1]

History

Kevin Brittingham founded Advanced Armament Corporation in 1994 to manufacture sound suppressors, having previously been a distributor for GEMTECH, another silencer manufacturer.^[2] Under Brittingham's direction, AAC grew to be one of the largest silencer manufacturers in the U.S., including a number of small military contracts. Of note, one of AAC's chief silencer designers is Robert Silvers, creator of the PhotoMosaic. In 2009, Brittingham sold the company to Remington Arms. Robert Silvers remained at the company as a leader of research and development.^[3] In early 2015 AAC moved locations from Lawrenceville, GA to a new, larger, state of the art facility located in Huntsville, AL.

Products

AAC has been responsible for numerous innovations with regard to sound suppressor development, among them interchangeable pistons to allow suppressors to be exchanged among firearms with different barrel thread patterns, fast-attach rifle silencers, and the use of lightweight alloys such as titanium. The company produces numerous "lifestyle" products related to AAC and/or the NFA firearms community, including T-shirts, stickers, etc.

AAC's silencer lineup includes models suitable for virtually every firearm caliber between .22 Long Rifle and .50 BMG. Rimfire models include the Mercury, Avaitor2, and Element2. Centerfire pistol caliber silencers include the Ti-Rant series and Illusion9 the only true eccentric designed silencer to utilize factory sights as well as allowing the use of rail mounted accessories on the host firearm, both of which use an interchangeable piston system in their Nielsen device. Centerfire rifle suppressors include the M4-2000 (used by numerous military units including the Navy SEALs), SR series as well as the Cyclone (for .30 caliber precision rifles), and others.^[4]

The company's Titan-QD Fast-Attach suppressor is used on the US Army's M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle and the Remington MSR (Modular Sniper Rifle).^[5][6] The suppressor eliminates 98 percent of muzzle flash, 60 percent of recoil, and reduces sound by 32 decibels.^[7]

Rimfire silencers

• Element: The Element is a "thread-on" silencer for handguns and rifles chambered in .17 HMR, .22 LR, and .22 WMR.^[8]
• Mercury: The Mercury is a "thread-on" silencer for handguns and rifles chambered in .17 HMR, .22 LR, and .22 WMR. It replaced the Element model.
• Pilot 2: The Pilot 2 is a "thread-on" silencer for handguns and rifles chambered in .22 LR that is user serviceable.^[9]
• Prodigy: The Prodigy is a "thread-on" silencer for handguns and rifles chambered in .22 LR that is user serviceable and uses a “mono-core” design.^[10]

Integrally suppressed rimfire firearms (discontinued)

• Dragonfly: The Dragonfly is an integrally suppressed Ruger MK II pistol.^[11]
• Phoenix: The Phoenix is an integrally suppressed Ruger 10/22 rifle.^[12]

Pistol Silencers

• AAC Evolution is a pistol silencer designed for use with either 9×19mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP caliber pistols. It was dropped from production and replaced by the Ti-Rant series.
• Illusion9 is a eccentric designed silencer to utilize factory sights as well as allowing the use of rail mounted accessories on the host firearm
• Ti-Rant is a pistol silencer designed for use with either 9mm or .45 ACP caliber pistols that is made from Titanium. Short versions were manufactured using an "S" suffix in the model names and a modular 45 caliber silencer known as the Ti-Rant 45M has replaced the standard and short versions of the 45 silencer.^[13]

Rifle Silencers

• M4-2000 designed for use with firearms chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO/.223 Remington.

Muzzle devices

In 2011, AAC was awarded a $14,201,731 contract for the muzzle brakes that they produce known as the "Brakeout". This contract was procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce and Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division.^[14]

.300 AAC Blackout

The .300 AAC Blackout cartridge was created by Advanced Armament Corporation in cooperation with Remington Defense, under the direction of AAC's President Kevin Brittingham. The round is very similar to the .300 Whisper cartridge created years earlier by SSK Industries, but AAC submitted the cartridge for SAAMI standardization and allows any manufacturer to use the specifications. This has led to far wider adoption than the .300 Whisper, which is proprietary to SSK. This round has the same overall length and width as the popular 5.56×45mm NATO round, except it fires a 30 caliber bullet allowing for much better barrier penetration and terminal ballistics. These dimensions allow the 300 AAC Blackout to be used in existing magazines designed for M16 or AR-15 rifles. Because the rim of the cartridge is identical, the same bolt and carrier can be used between calibers.^[15] The only part that needs to be changed to convert an existing AR-15 chambered in 5.56×45mm to one chambered in 300 BLK is the barrel.

Advanced Armament Corporation builds a number of rifles and receivers for this caliber including the MPW and the AAC Honey Badger PDW.

American Silencer Association

AAC has been instrumental in forming the American Silencer Association (ASA), a nonprofit trade association "to further the pursuit of education, public relations, legislation, hunting applications and military applications for the silencer industry".^[16] Additionally AAC partners with the National Rifle Association in grassroots lobbying efforts to educate voters about firearms legislation.^[17]

References

1. http://www.advanced-armament.com/Contact-Us_ep_49-1.html
2. "SIG SAUER Announces New Positions". Shooting Industry  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . May 1, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
3. "Freedom Group, Inc. Forms Office of the Chief Executive Officer". Defense & Aerospace Week  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . October 6, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
4. Brandon Webb; Glen Doherty (2010). The 21st-Century Sniper: A Complete Practical Guide. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-61608-001-3.
5. "Hanna Announces Remington Receives $80 Million Contract". Staes News Service  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . March 8, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
6. Gourley, Scott R. (March 1, 2011). "XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle". Army Times  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved July 2, 2014.
7. Army's XM2010 sniper rifle gets full fielding - Armytimes.com, 25 April 2011
8. Leghorn, Nick (2011). "Silencer Review: AAC Element". The Truth About Guns.
9. Leghorn, Nick (2011). "Silencer Review: AAC EPilot 2". The Truth About Guns.
10. Leghorn, Nick (2011). "Silencer Review: AAC Prodigy". The Truth About Guns.
11. Paulson, Al (2003). "The AAC Dragonfly .22LR Pistol". Las Vegas: Small Arms Review.
12. Paulson, Al (2002). "AAC Phoenix Silenced .22 Rifles". Las Vegas: Small Arms Review.
13. Markel, Paul (July 20, 2012). "The Quiet Continues: Suppressed Pistols".
14. "Advanced Armament Corp Awarded Contract for Family of Muzzle Brakes". Info-Prod Research (Middle East)  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . September 16, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
15. "300 AAC Blackout, New Caliber, New Mission". Military Times.
16. "Association Represents Silencers". Shooting Industry – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . August 1, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
17. Girardot, Frank (November 5, 2012). "Frank Girardot: It's Time to Get One of Those "I Voted" Stickers". Whittier Daily News  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved July 2, 2014.

External links

• AAC Website