I’m Lance Rankin, the gunsmith behind Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas. We’re a Type 07 FFL with an SOT, which means suppressors are part of my daily work, not a sideline. I see a lot of cans come across the bench, and Griffin Armament is one of the brands I keep recommending. Here’s why.
Who Griffin Armament is
Griffin was founded by two brothers, Austin and Evan Green, and they build everything in-house in Watertown, Wisconsin. That matters more than it sounds. When a company machines its own parts under one roof, it can prototype fast, catch problems early, and control quality at every step instead of hoping a subcontractor got it right.
They’ve also never been a loud marketing company. The money goes back into R&D instead of billboards, which is part of why shooters who know the brand tend to be loyal and shooters who don’t know it walk past it. If you’ve never handled one, you’re missing out.
The materials story
Griffin has leaned hard into additive manufacturing, and one result is their proprietary Nickel 625X alloy. The short version: better strength and heat resistance than the conventional materials most of the industry uses, with heat treatment tuned to the alloy. Suppressors live a hard life. Heat and pressure cycles are what kill them, so material choice is where the real engineering happens, not the logo on the tube.
Mounting systems that stay put
A suppressor that loosens under fire is somewhere between an accuracy problem and a dangerous one, so I pay attention to mounts. Griffin gives you options. Their Gate-Lok system works with a standard A2 birdcage, which is a practical touch; plenty of rifles already wear one, and it keeps the cost of entry down. Their Dual-Lok system uses active-locking splines so the can physically can’t back itself off under recoil and heat.
As the guy who gets the phone call when a can shoots loose, I appreciate companies that treat mounting as a design problem rather than an afterthought.
Suppressed-first rifles
Griffin also builds complete rifles, and their approach is what they call suppressed-first: buffer systems, bolt carrier groups, and gas systems tuned to run right with a can on the muzzle, and still run right without one. Anyone who’s shot a standard AR suppressed knows the problem they’re solving. Hang a suppressor on a rifle that was gassed for bare-muzzle use and you get extra blowback in your face and a bolt moving faster than it should. A rifle built for suppressed use from the start is just more pleasant to shoot. If you’re new to the platform, my beginner’s AR-15 guide covers the basics before you go down the suppressor rabbit hole, and 5.56 vs. 300 Blackout is worth a read since 300 BLK is a natural pairing for suppressed shooting.
Buying a suppressor through us
The NFA process scares people off more than it should. As an SOT dealer, we handle Griffin suppressors start to finish: pick the can, do the paperwork with us, wait out the ATF, then come pick it up in Roanoke, just north of Fort Worth. My wife Donna runs our compliance side and keeps the paperwork clean, which is half the battle with NFA items. The legal side is also moving in the right direction; I wrote about the federal court rulings treating suppressors as protected arms if you want the background.
Browse what we carry in the store, or just call me at 817-393-4000 and tell me what host gun you’re running. I’d rather match you to the right can than sell you the expensive one.
Lance Rankin is the owner and Chief Gunsmith of Western Sport, a family-run Type 07 FFL and Class 3/SOT dealer in Roanoke, Texas, serving shooters since 2007. Born and raised in Texas with over 50 years of experience handling firearms, Lance purchased Western Sport in 2017 and turned his lifelong passion into his profession. He specializes in AR-15 and AR-10 platform rifles, manufactures Western Sport’s own AR-15 line under the Rankin Industries brand, and runs the shop’s in-house Cerakote coating operation. When he’s not behind the counter or the workbench, you’ll find him on his ranch deep into the night, hunting coyotes with an AR-15 and thermal optics. Lance holds an MBA and personally shoots and tests the products Western Sport sells.
