It’s no secret that RAM3D has been working in collaboration with Oceania Defence, a world leader in firearms suppressors since 2012. Oceania Defence relocated its business to RAM3D’s bespoke factory in Tauranga in July 2019, and the business relationship continues to move from strength to strength, with more exciting projects being designed and metal 3D printed for an array of military and police tactical groups throughout the world.
Bert Wilson, Managing Director of Oceania Defence, an engineer and long-time shooter, was inspired to design a titanium suppressor once he learnt about the capabilities of the metal 3D printing. Suppressors reduce the noise created when a bullet leaves the barrel of a firearm and allows the shooter to fire the gun multiple times without the need for ear protection.
The partnership has allowed both companies to fine-tune suppressor designs to create a range of suppressors in both titanium and Inconel that many defence forces want to use. Oceania Defence’s titanium suppressors are similar in weight to aluminium suppressors but can handle much higher temperatures, meaning multiple shots can be fired without disfiguring the suppressor due to excessive heat.
The suppressors are printed as one integral unit from Titanium 64 and Inconel 718 powders, thus reducing any need for spacers, thread assemblies or other support structures. This ensures the tightest manufacturing tolerances possible combined with the lightest, smallest, and efficient devices available to the market.
The military and police tactical group put their suppressors through an extensive evaluation procedure alongside world-wide manufacturers from Europe, USA and Australia before awarding their contracts to Oceania Defence. The suppressors are for semi and fully automatic rifles.
So, what does the military want in a suppressor?
- Keep the weight low
- Keep the size small – minimal additional length
- No change to bolt velocity
- Hearing safe at the muzzle and shooter’s ear
- Flash signature reduction
It’s impossible to achieve everything on the wish list without jeopardising others, but it’s important to get as close to this list as possible. According to Bert Wilson, owner of Oceania Defence,
“You can get really good in one area and make it really bad in another area.”