How Shotgun Silencer works in ARC Raiders, blueprint unlock, compatibility, and when it beats choke for PvE or PvP.

If you searched “shotgun silencer arc raiders”, you’re usually stuck in one of three situations:

• You found the mod (or blueprint) and don’t know if it’s worth crafting.
• You can’t equip it and think the game is bugged.
• You tried it and it felt like it did nothing.

This guide resolves all three using deterministic mechanics, not Reddit opinions.

We’ll cover:

• Exact compatibility
• Blueprint and crafting gate
• What “50% reduced noise” actually means in combat
• Why it feels weak on shotguns
• Choke vs Silencer decision logic
• When it’s objectively worth running

No fluff. No guesswork.

What the Shotgun Silencer Actually Is

The Shotgun Silencer is a shotgun-specific muzzle mod in the ARC Raiders ecosystem.

It is not the same as Silencer I, II, or III.

Confirmed properties:

• Effect: 50% Reduced Noise
• Type: Weapon Mod (Muzzle)
• Weight: 0.5 kg
• Value: 5,000
  
• Blueprint Locked: Yes
• Crafted at: Gunsmith Level 3

Compatible Weapons:

Shotgun	Compatible	Notes
Il Toro	✔	Muzzle slot
Vulcano	✔	Muzzle slot
Other shotguns	❌	Will not equip

If it won’t attach, it’s almost always because the weapon isn’t Il Toro or Vulcano.

Not a bug. Compatibility restriction.

Slot Logic — Why It Won’t Stack With Choke

The Shotgun Silencer occupies the muzzle slot.

That means:

• You cannot run Choke II or III plus Shotgun Silencer together.
• You must choose one.

Many Steam threads show confusion where players ask if it helps with choke.

It does not stack.

It replaces it.

That decision is the core of the debate.

Crafting and Blueprint Requirements

To craft it, you need:

• Gunsmith Level 3
• Shotgun Silencer Blueprint
• 2 Mod Components
• 8 Wires

It can also be found directly as loot.

Blueprint vs Direct Drop

There are two acquisition paths:

1. Find the mod directly in raid
2. Unlock blueprint then craft indefinitely

Blueprint unlock is what most players struggle with.

It feels rare because:

• It belongs to the weapon modification blueprint pool
• That pool competes with other attachment blueprints
• Blueprint drops are diluted across maps

This is not a vendor item.
Marketplace listings you see online are third-party trades, not in-game sources.

For players specifically looking for shotgun muzzle mods, blueprint dilution inside the general attachment pool can significantly slow acquisition.

What “50% Reduced Noise” Actually Changes

This is where most guides stop.

Let’s break it into layers.

Shooter-Side Audio

You will still hear a shotgun blast.

It will not sound movie quiet.

That’s why players report it does nothing.

The change affects propagation radius, not the sound effect you personally hear.

ARC Detection Behavior PvE

Sound in ARC Raiders influences:

• Nearby ARC investigation
• Patrol attraction
• Secondary aggro chaining
  

Silencer reduces how far your gunfire can:

• Trigger idle patrol investigation
• Pull distant ARC into combat state

Important nuance:

If an ARC is already looking at you or in combat, suppression does nothing.

It reduces spread of attention, not primary target awareness.

Direction matters:

• Shooting behind an ARC without suppression may pull it.
• With suppression, marginal patrols often remain idle.

That is the real PvE value.

Player Third-Party Risk PvP

Unsuppressed shotgun blasts:

• Broadcast your presence across a wider radius
• Increase chance of third-party push
• Help enemies triangulate your direction faster

Suppression does not make you silent.

It reduces how far that broadcast travels.

On heavily contested routes, especially in the Dam Battlegrounds map, this can meaningfully reduce pressure during extended fights.

In high-traffic Dam Battlegrounds rotations, suppression can slightly lower third-party probability during prolonged ARC engagements.

Why It Feels Weak on Shotguns

This is critical.

Shotguns operate at very close range.

When you fire:

• Your target is already within 10 to 20 meters
• Other enemies near that target are usually close enough to aggro anyway

So the suppression benefit shrinks.

On long-range rifles, suppression prevents distant patrol pulls.

On shotguns, most fights are already inside alert range.

That mismatch creates the perception:

“It doesn’t do anything.”

It does.

But its value window is narrower.

Choke vs Shotgun Silencer Real Decision Model

This is not opinion.
This is conditional loadout logic.

Scenario	Silencer Wins	Choke Wins
Farming ARCs near patrol clusters	✔
Solo stealth movement	✔
High PvP hotspot rotations	✔
Close-range PvP burst fights		✔
Arena-style engagements		✔
Maximum pellet consistency required		✔

Choose Silencer if:

• You are farming ARCs in contested zones
• You want to reduce chain aggro
• You prefer lower raid exposure over max damage consistency

Choose Choke if:

• You prioritize PvP lethality
• You rely on pellet tightness for one-shot consistency
  
• You push fights aggressively

Choke improves outcome probability in close duels.

Silencer improves survival probability over time.

Different goals.

Blueprint Farming Strategy Practical Not Myth

Blueprint drops are part of general loot pools.

To maximize chance:

• Prioritize high-tier containers
• Target areas with higher mod density
• Extract safely instead of gambling deep every raid
• Rotate maps instead of hard repeating one spawn route

Blueprint acquisition is progression-gated, not location-fixed. Because weapon modification blueprints share a diluted drop pool, targeted acquisition can feel inconsistent across repeated raids.

It is not tied to a specific boss.

It is not tied to a single map.

Players think it’s bugged because they over-focus on one route.

Advanced Risk Control Strategy

High-level players often:

• Run silencer on ARC-clearing weapon
• Run choke on PvP shotgun
• Or reverse based on squad composition

Suppression works best when:

• You’re controlling information
• You’re farming in proximity to other squads
• You’re disengaging after contact

It is less impactful when:

• Your fight involves explosives
• You are already fully revealed
• Your engagement is under 10 meters

Suppression is a risk management tool, not a duel enhancer.

Common Misconceptions

“Silencer reduces damage.”
No confirmed stat supports this for Shotgun Silencer.

“Night raids make silencers stronger.”
Night affects visibility, not sound physics.

“It stacks with choke.”
Same muzzle slot. You must choose.

“All shotguns can equip it.”
Only Il Toro and Vulcano.

“It removes tracers entirely.”
It reduces broadcast perception, not visual existence.

How to Test It Yourself End the Debate

To verify suppression impact:

1. Find two ARC patrols spaced apart.
2. Fire unsuppressed shotgun near one.
3. Observe if second patrol investigates.
4. Repeat with suppression.
5. Keep distance identical.

You will notice reduced secondary investigation range.

That is the functional value.

Final Verdict Is Shotgun Silencer Worth It?

It depends on your objective.

It’s worth running if:

• You prioritize stealth farming.
• You want lower third-party risk.
• You operate in patrol-heavy zones.
• You value raid longevity over burst lethality.

It’s not optimal if:

• You play aggressively for PvP.
• You rely on pellet tightness.
• Your fights are always extremely close-range.

Most players dismiss it because they evaluate it through PvP burst logic.

Its real strength is information control.

If your playstyle values controlled engagements over brute force, the Shotgun Silencer is not useless.

It’s specialized.

And when used in the right context, it meaningfully improves raid survivability, even if it doesn’t feel dramatic.