Accuracy issues with 22LR Pistol Suppressor

Machineguntony · April 12, 2015, 09:08 PM

I took this 22 pistol to the range today. It is a Ruger. I noticed that my groups were much wider with a suppressed pistol. So I tested the accuracy issue by doing an experiment. I shot eighteen rounds from a supported position, of which 9 were suppressed, and nine were unsuppressed. I used the same ammo, which was Remington 22.

Here is a picture of two targets.

Both are at 12 yards, which I shot from support to maximize accuracy.

Notice that the left target, which is the unsuppressed, is much more accurate. The right target is the same pistol, and same ammo, suppressed.

I don't think sights were an issue, as I could see the sights above the suppressor. See second pic below.

Any comments on the suppressor accuracy? What could I be doing wrong? Is it me or the suppressor that is contributing to the inaccuracy? Does anyone else experience this issue?

BillM · April 12, 2015, 09:29 PM

First thought is that the suppressor isn't in line with the bore, and you
are clipping a baffle. Or the suppressor is very dirty and the bullet is
hitting buildup.

Theohazard · April 13, 2015, 12:43 AM

There are two possible causes that come to mind. First, I've seen situations with .22 silencers where the host firearm's threads were too long, and that put the muzzle too close to the first baffle. And if you have a suppressor with asymmetrical baffles, that can make the muzzle blast destabilize the bullet causing accuracy issues. In extreme cases this could cause baffle strikes, but when I saw it happen it only caused bullet stability issues but no baffle strikes. With the worst case, the can was a Spectre II and the host was an M&P-15 .22, and the rounds actually keyholed into the target. That rifle has threads that are too long (about 0.6") for most .22 suppressors, which is not uncommon with factory threaded .22 rifles. Pistol threads are usually the correct length; all the thread adaptors I've seen on Ruger SR-22s seemed to be standard suppressor length (about 0.4"), but is it possible the threads on the adaptor you're using are longer than that? If so, the problem is easily fixed with a $10 spacer from Gemtech or SilencerCo that's meant specifically for this issue.

Also, some .22 silencers have a baffle design that can cause stability issues with some .22 ammo. It seems this problem mostly shows up on some monocore designs, and the specific silencer I'm thinking of is the AAC Prodigy; earlier generations of that can caused bullet stability issues with some ammo, and that's why AAC offers a free upgrade to the newer baffle design. You didn't say which silencer you're using, but is it possible you're using an older AAC Prodigy or one with a similar baffle design?

April 12, 2015, 09:08 PM	#1
Machineguntony Senior Member Join Date: June 22, 2013 Posts: 1,277	Accuracy issues with 22LR Pistol Suppressor I took this 22 pistol to the range today. It is a Ruger. I noticed that my groups were much wider with a suppressed pistol. So I tested the accuracy issue by doing an experiment. I shot eighteen rounds from a supported position, of which 9 were suppressed, and nine were unsuppressed. I used the same ammo, which was Remington 22. Here is a picture of two targets. Both are at 12 yards, which I shot from support to maximize accuracy. Notice that the left target, which is the unsuppressed, is much more accurate. The right target is the same pistol, and same ammo, suppressed. I don't think sights were an issue, as I could see the sights above the suppressor. See second pic below. Any comments on the suppressor accuracy? What could I be doing wrong? Is it me or the suppressor that is contributing to the inaccuracy? Does anyone else experience this issue? __________________ Sent from Motorola DynaTac 8000x

April 13, 2015, 12:43 AM	#3
Theohazard Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2012 Location: Western PA Posts: 3,829	There are two possible causes that come to mind. First, I've seen situations with .22 silencers where the host firearm's threads were too long, and that put the muzzle too close to the first baffle. And if you have a suppressor with asymmetrical baffles, that can make the muzzle blast destabilize the bullet causing accuracy issues. In extreme cases this could cause baffle strikes, but when I saw it happen it only caused bullet stability issues but no baffle strikes. With the worst case, the can was a Spectre II and the host was an M&P-15 .22, and the rounds actually keyholed into the target. That rifle has threads that are too long (about 0.6") for most .22 suppressors, which is not uncommon with factory threaded .22 rifles. Pistol threads are usually the correct length; all the thread adaptors I've seen on Ruger SR-22s seemed to be standard suppressor length (about 0.4"), but is it possible the threads on the adaptor you're using are longer than that? If so, the problem is easily fixed with a $10 spacer from Gemtech or SilencerCo that's meant specifically for this issue. Also, some .22 silencers have a baffle design that can cause stability issues with some .22 ammo. It seems this problem mostly shows up on some monocore designs, and the specific silencer I'm thinking of is the AAC Prodigy; earlier generations of that can caused bullet stability issues with some ammo, and that's why AAC offers a free upgrade to the newer baffle design. You didn't say which silencer you're using, but is it possible you're using an older AAC Prodigy or one with a similar baffle design? __________________ 0331: "Accuracy by volume."

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April 12, 2015, 09:29 PM	#2
BillM Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2009 Location: Amity Oregon Posts: 791	First thought is that the suppressor isn't in line with the bore, and you are clipping a baffle. Or the suppressor is very dirty and the bullet is hitting buildup.