USA – -(Ammoland.com)- One of the most versatile rifle rounds on the market today is the 300 blackout.
This cartridge was born from the 300 Whisper developed by JD Jones in the late 1980s.
Initially it was very popular with hunters and shooters but now is making some inroads with the US military spec-ops community. So when Stag Arms wanted to send their latest rifle for testing we had to ask for their version in 300 Blackout
Stag Arms is known for producing left-handed AR pattern rifles. Our Stag Arms 300 Blackout Carbine version was of course, right handed Stag Arms 15 Model 2 Carbine. The build quality is quite decent; we were expecting an entry-level rifle but this one was just a little bit nicer than that. The front sight was a fix post type which is the author’s personal favorite. The rear sight though was an adjustable back up iron sight similar to an ARMS Inc.
The top of the receiver sports a T-numbered Picatinny rail and the collapsible stock was a typical M-4 type. The trigger on the Stag Arms 300 Blackout Carbine broke clean like a standard Milspec trigger should.
History of the 300 Blackout
JD Jones, owner of SSK Industries, develop this dual-purpose round to have a supersonic and subsonic loading similar to that of the AK-47 in supersonic and a 9mm 147 grain subsonic load.
There were two flaws in that plan: one is that he kept all the materials proprietary, the other was that the 1993 Federal Assault Weapon Ban made it illegal to have a threaded barrel on a rifle or pistol. As that was the main way to attach a silencer the subsonic loading kind of died on the vine.
The supersonic loading on the other hand was still viable as it gave 7.62 x 39 performance in a round that could fit in a standard AR15 magazine with no modifications and use the same bolt.
Sometime after the crime bill sunset in 2004 Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC) picked up the round and started to run with it.
With some slight changes to the profile they submitted the specifications to SAAMI and developed silencers in tandem with the new loading.
Stag Arms 300 Blackout Carbine + GEMTECH ONE Silencer Running Quiet
We had a Gemtech ONE on hand from our review of the Mossberg MVP Rifle. This versatile can is designed to handle any .30 caliber and lower diameter round up to 300 Winchester Magnum. Its lightweight titanium construction does not add a lot of extra weight on the end of the Stag Arms 300 Blackout Carbine.
This was based on the advice from Silencer Shop. According to their specialists as 300 Blackout in subsonic form is fired from a rifle, it begins to pick up speed. The ideal length to keep it quiet if you are running a pistol can or 300 BO only can is about 7 or 8 inches. As our Stag Arms 300 Blackout Carbine / rifle had a 16” barrel, we were probably going to be served better with a full power rifle silencer. The added benefit to this is that the silencer works well with both the subsonic and supersonic loads.
Running a supersonic 300 BO round through a pistol suppressor can damage or destroy it and with a 16” barrel adding velocity, we did not want to run that risk, so we thank silencershop.com for having our backs and pointing that out.
The GEMTECH ONE mounts via a two lug QD flash suppressor. It went on with zero problems and brought both the heavy subsonic rounds and the lighter, faster supersonic rounds to hearing safe levels.
We noticed a shift in impact between running the super and sub loads and with iron sights we managed a 1.75” group at 200 yards with the supersonics. The subs opened it up to a little over 3”, but it was a hot day with no cloud cover and more ideal conditions and perhaps an optic could have improved this.
As far as sound goes, we experimented with a metering app and found that it was inconsistent. According to Gemtech, the ONE reduces sound signature by 32 decibels. Both loads were completely hearing safe with the can installed.
There were zero issues with the Stag Arms rifle. We would have chosen a different butt stock and forend, but the factory pieces are completely suitable for shooting. Besides, aftermarket customization is what an AR is all about and part of the fun in owning one.
Stag Arms offers 300 Blackout upper receivers as well as the complete rifle.
Stag Arms 300 Blackout Carbine + GEMTECH ONE Silencer Good, Bad & Reality
Usually we run a good, bad and reality type of review, with section for each, but in this case everything was really good. The GEMTECH ONE mounted to the Stag with no need to call Gemtech for an extra part. Every round functioned flawlessly in both loads, with and without the silencer mounted.
It does not get much better than that.
About Mike Searson
Mike Searson’s career as a shooter began as a Marine Rifleman at age 17. He has worked in the firearms industry his entire adult life as a Gunsmith, Ballistician, Consultant, Salesman, Author and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1989.
Mike has written over 2000 articles for a number of magazines, websites and newsletters including Blade, RECOIL, OFF-GRID, Tactical Officer, SWAT, Tactical World, Gun Digest, Examiner.com and the US Concealed Carry Association as well as AmmoLand Shooting Sports News.
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