Boise, Idaho– April 2026 – JK Armament was honored to sit down with Dr. Phil Dater, MD, founder of Gemtech and a man considered by many in our industry to be the modern-day godfather of silencers. In this wide-ranging video interview, Dr. Dater shares stories, backgrounds, and opinions from his near-50 years of experience designing and testing firearms suppressors for military and consumer users alike.
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Have you ever wondered…
- Where Gemtech got its name?
- How Dr. Dater, a Radiologist by training, brought silencers out of nearly a century of obscurity?
- How does a microphone’s diaphragm affects decibel measurement?
- What arguably the most experienced man in the industry think about various methods of measuring silencer performance?
- How do military and consumer requirements for a silencer differ?
- Why the ATF Form 4 approval process took only a few weeks back in the 70s?
- How John Wayne inspired the modern silencer renaissance?
At 86 years of age Dr. Dater is still sharp as a tack, and he covers all of these topics and so much more in the below hour-long interview:
About JK Armament
JK Armament is located in Idaho and was established in 2019. Jake Kunsky is a US Army Veteran and Special Forces group head armorer. Kunsky was selected as group head armorer for the Special Forces because of his experience, knowledge, and problem-solving skills in weapons. Kunsky has over 20 years of machining and weapons experience from the automotive and farming industry as well as in the firearms and military complex. Kunksy gained exceptional hands-on experience throughout his four combat deployments to Iraq, giving him a passion and interest in designing and manufacturing the best suppressors in the world.
JK Armament’s Patent Pending product line is the culmination of Kunsky’s experience developing products for NEMO Arms, Gemtech Suppressors, Smith & Wesson and Maxim Defense. His vast experience with suppressor and weapon design, testing, engineering, and machining have given him valuable insight into what today’s customers are looking for in a user configurable and maintainable suppressor.
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