Southern Precision Tooling Factory Tour: Churchmouse QDTi – Part I
Paul B. 10.03.23
Recently, I reviewed the Southern Precision Tooling (SPT) HU-DU muzzle brake for .223 caliber rifles. The effectiveness of this muzzle brake was one of the biggest surprises I’ve had in a long time. When myself and fellow AllOutdoor writer, Eugene, met the guys from SPT at NRAAM 2023 (NRA Annual Meetings), and they gave us their sales pitch for the HU-DU, I thought it was all marketing BS and false claims. It’s a muzzle brake, everyone has that, and it felt like nearly every company on the floor was showing off a new muzzle device until Brandon from SPT showed me a video of him firing a .300 Win Mag rifle from his chin. Then, he shows me their new suppressor – the Churchmouse QDTi – which mounts to their HU-DU muzzle brake, and it was a completely hollow tube without a single baffle. I still had my reservations on their products, but they were friendly enough to have some conversations, send me a sample of their HU-DU, and my initial thoughts were proved completely wrong – the HU-DU brake absolutely works! Also, we will give you a snapshot review of the new Churchmouse QDTi suppressor here today!
Muzzle Device Coverage on AllOutdoor
- AllOutdoor Review – Southern Precision Tooling HU-DU Muzzle Brake
- Silencer Central Boasts Fastest Barrel Threading Service in the Nation
- AllOutdoor Review: Silencer Central Banish 45 Suppressor
- In-Depth Look: The FN Rush 9Ti Silencer – Versatile, Reliable, Durable
Once my review was finished, they invited me to their office and factory for a tour, range day, and a sit down interview with Andy their Plant Manager and Norman the Owner to discuss the history of SPT, plans for future products, and the methodology behind these incredible products.
My trip to SPT was not paid for, no travel expenses, lodging, and no money exchanged hands. SPT did send me a HU-DU for review and they did pick up lunch, one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. I’m telling you this for transparency and to help frame how much this small American company has truly impressed me. SPT embodies everything I want to believe in when I hear “American Manufacturing”. Norman the owner comes from a long line of machinists and his shop shows it. The tooling SPT uses includes everything from early to mid 1900s machines that were used in WWII contracts to modern CNC and everything in between. This is a grassroots company full of enthusiasts that are doing something different in an industry that tends to stagnate.
Southern Precision Tooling HU-DU Muzzle Brake
I’ll quickly go over the HU-DU, for a closer look, head back over to my review HERE. The HU-DU is a tuned muzzle brake, each designed for a single caliber. This allowed SPT to specifically tune this brake to nearly eliminate all perceived recoil. Taking the recoil out of a .223 is easy enough, but the HU-DU is able to make a 5.5 Lb .300 Win Mag to be fired as if it were nothing at all.
During the range day I was able to experience HU-DU brakes on .223 Rem, .308 Win, 9mm, and .300 Win Mag. The HU-DU brake transforms a short full-auto AR into one of the most fun video game feeling firearms on the planet. The true magic is with high-power, bolt-action rifles. We fired their 5.5 Lb .300 Win Mag hunting rifle and it felt like a lowly .223 Rem. Brandon with SPT even held the rifle out like a handgun and fired it with the rifle barely moving. SPT offers a service where you ship your hunting rifle to them and they will custom fit, taper, and finish a HU-DU making it look like a factory part.
Churchmouse QDTi – Suppressor without Baffles
While being shown this suppressor, I instantly had red flag alarms going off in my head. Every suppressor either uses baffles, wipes, or both. While this new Churchmouse QDTi utilizes their HU-DU brake, tuned geometry, a hollow tube, and an end cap. Then, they tell me this new suppressor is hearing safe with 5.56 NATO. I don’t believe them, but the claims are so wild I had to pay attention. After I discovered how well their HU-DU worked during my review, I am now very curious about this new can. While I was at SPT’s range, we had a chance to check out their new suppressor and were shown the interesting latching mechanism they developed to secure the can rock solid to compatible HU-DU brakes and just how effective this new can truly is.
We fired this new suppressor on an AR-15 and an AR-10 chambered in .308 Win. I brought some of my own .308 Win ammunition just to make sure there was no doubt about the effectiveness of the suppressor. We did not have a sound meter, but this suppressor performed well beyond what I was expecting. I could not hear a first round pop, it had a very pleasant tone, was not gassy, and while I have heard quieter suppressors, this can was useable without ear protection with both 5.56 NATO and .308 Win. For sustained use, it is probably still a good idea to wear ear protection, just due to the supersonic nature of the ammunition.
SPT’s new suppressor is designed to be paired with a HU-DU muzzle brake, without one, it is just a really nice tube with an end cap. The can is beyond light, and without the mass of baffles, this can cooled faster than anything else I’ve experienced. I personally think this could be a game changer for a hunter looking for the lightest possible suppressor for those long hikes and while mounted to an SBR, it feels like nothing is there. Using it truly is mind-blowing.
SPT is hopeful that these suppressors will be available October 2023 for the .223 Rem/5.56 NATO and .308 Win/7.62 NATO versions with MSRP pricing to follow. This was only a small portion of our tour at Southern Precision Tooling, but don’t fret! This is Part I of what will be a 3-part series of our visit with Southern Precision Tooling. Be sure to watch for those future articles! As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below about the Churchmouse QDTi and other Southern Precision Tooling products! We always appreciate your feedback.
