Lookin for a suppressor for my Savage Mark II FV-S

[bhh]

After researching every suggestion that's been given to me here and other places on the web first of all I can't say thanks enough for all the advice, and secondly, I've decided to go with the Savage Mark II FV-SR paired with a suppressor. So far scope of choice is the Simmons .22mag 3-9x32 w AO.

So yes, now on to the suppressor. Suggestions so far have been for the Silencerco 22 Sparrow that I believe I've seen for around $200, and the AAC Pilot and Pilot 2 I've seen for $300-$340. Goal is to fire as large a slug as possible (greatest momentum) out the end of a suppressed FV-SR, and the loudest noise is the action of the rifle itself. So for sure I'm looking at sub-sonic. But with that in mind, can anyone give me opinions on these suppressors or possibly others in this same price range that can get this done? Or are these two pretty much it? A secondary goal might be the ability for the suppressor to be adapted to a different caliber weapon, although being new to suppressors I'm not sure how feasible that might be.

looking forward

[Theohazard]

Those two are definitely not it. The Sparrow is on the short list of the best .22 cans in the market, but the Pilot and Pilot 2 aren't even close; they're last-generation suppressors that have been surpassed in every way by the newer ones.

The Pilot is sealed so it can't be taken apart. And the baffles are aluminum so they're not very durable, especially against caustic cleaning chemicals like "the dip". So once the can fills up with lead fouling there's absolutely no way you're ever going to get it out without sending it to AAC for cleaning. The Pilot 2 can be disassembled, but when it's dirty the lead will basically seal the baffles in place and even AAC still recommends you send it in to them for cleaning. Also, the Pilot and Pilot 2 are louder than most newer-generation cans.

However, the Sparrow is one of the two best cans on the market in my opinion; the other being the Spectre II. They're two of the quietest and most durable .22 cans on the market. They're both fully stainless steel and are easy to take apart, even when really dirty and leaded up. The Spectre is slightly more difficult than the Sparrow to take apart when dirty, but only because the clamshell design of the Sparrow makes it easier to disassemble when dirty than any .22 suppressor ever; but the Spectre is still pretty easy. The Spectre is a little longer, but it will be a tad quieter on a pistol, while they'll both be about the same on a rifle. And due to its monocore baffle design, the Sparrow has a noticeable first-round-pop on a pistol, whereas the Spectre's first-round-pop is barely noticeable.

Since you plan to use this suppressor on a rifle I say go with the Sparrow. And stay away from older, outdated suppressors like the Pilot or Pilot 2; suppressor designs have been advancing very quickly in the last decade (especially with .22 suppressors) so there are a lot of older designs that have been drastically improved upon; the Sparrow and Spectre are two of the latest and best designs, while the Pilots aren't.

[Theohazard]

Originally Posted by bhh

Goal is to fire as large a slug as possible (greatest momentum) out the end of a suppressed FV-SR, and the loudest noise is the action of the rifle itself. So for sure I'm looking at sub-sonic.

Check the rifling twist of the Savage; I'll bet it won't handle the super-heavy subsonic Aguila 60 gr. loads. In most .22s those will keyhole. With a suppressor you might even get a baffle strike because it's already tumbling inside the suppressor.

You're probably going to want to use standard subsonic loads that have a standard bullet weight unless your Savage has an abnormally fast rifling twist or you just want to risk destroying your suppressor.

[Theohazard]

Originally Posted by bhh

A secondary goal might be the ability for the suppressor to be adapted to a different caliber weapon, although being new to suppressors I'm not sure how feasible that might be.

Another advantage to the Sparrow and Spectre is that they're rated for calibers up to 5.7mm, so you can shoot .17 HMR and .22 Mag out of them also. And I would definitely not recommend shooting .22 out of a center-fire pistol or rifle suppressor due to the lead fouling (the Octane 9 or 45 is a notable exception to this).

[FALPhil]

Theohazard, I don't know much about cans either, my most recent experience being with a massive Sionics can on the business end of a MAC 10. My question is, can the Sparrow be used on a pistol, like a Ruger Mk II?

[weblance]

The Sparrow can be used on any 22 rimfire firearm. Here is my 22/45 with Sparrow, and on a Beretta Bobcat...

[1DrnkMxR]

I have the Savage MKII FV-SR with the SWR Spectre and it is crazy quiet, i would even say that my GSG1911-22 with the Spectre is slightly louder but it's also quiet.

I went alittle crazy with the Savage MKII, i bought products from DIP inc. a Boyd's tacticool stock, harris bi-pod,30mm scope rings and a SWFA SS scope I had for while which is a bit overkill with 22LR, but I enjoy it and I guess that's what matters.

[Theohazard]

Originally Posted by FALPhil

can the Sparrow be used on a pistol, like a Ruger Mk II?

Of course, and it works great on a pistol too. The only reason rifle vs. pistol use came into consideration is because the Spectre tends to be a tad quieter on a pistol. Also, the Sparrow has a little bit of noticeable first-round-pop on a pistol. But the Sparrow is shorter, simpler, a little bit easier to clean, and still super-quiet, so a lot of people prefer it regardless of whether you're using on a pistol or a rifle. But, if it's primarily used on a rifle, the advantages of the Spectre go away and in that case the Sparrow is a slightly better choice in my opinion.

[FALPhil]

OK, weblance and Theohazard, you have my attention. I need to start shopping. Where do you recommend I start?

[Theohazard]

I would find an LGS in your state that has one in stock. All suppressor transfers between manufacturers, distributors, and dealers require a Form 3 that's taking about three months now for the BATFE to approve. So if you order it online you will probably get a better deal (even with the transfer fee), but you'll be waiting about three months longer due to the Form 3 transfer time.

And make sure the LGS actually has one in stock and doesn't have to order it for you; if you have to wait the extra three months for the Form 3 to clear you might as well get it online for less.

[BillM]

OK---I'll toss my 2¢ in.

Liberty Kodiak TL.

Quiet, light, easy to clean. Fired side by side with other
suppressors it has less first round pop and it doesn't seem
to gunk up the gun as bad. Downside is price---but if
you are going to spend $200 on a fancy postage stamp
it's not that bad.

[44 AMP]

not a general rifle question. Moved to NFA forum.

[Rob62]

At least give the Tactical Innovations Quest model suppressor a look.

Its an all stainless steel can, that the user can take apart for cleaning. Full retail is $399, on sale right now for $379.

http://www.tacticalinc.com/omega-sta...sor-p-552.html

Here is a Quest on a Ruger MK II pistol.



Seasons Greetings,

Rob

[Willie Lowman]

I am a big fan of the Spectre II. It is all stainless. It comes apart for cleaning. Rated for full auto use with .22lr or semi auto use with 5.7mm, 22mag, 22lr. And they are pretty quiet too!

[Theohazard]

Originally Posted by Rob62

At least give the Tactical Innovations Quest model suppressor a look.

I noticed from your link that the Quest is a K-baffle design with Dater holes. That baffle design is quiet, but Dater holes tend to trap lead fouling between the baffles and the tube, essentially lead-welding the baffles in place. That makes the suppressor very hard to take apart when dirty. The AAC Element and Element 2 have the same design and they require a screw-type tool to push the baffles out of the tube for disassembly after it's dirty. How difficult is it to remove the baffles from your Quest when it's leaded up?

The Sparrow and Spectre II are two of the quietest .22 cans on the market; I'd be very surprised if the Quest is as quiet as they are. They also can both be fully disassembled without tools even when leaded up, whereas the Quest needs a tool to remove the endcap. They're also both rated up to 5.7mm, whereas the Quest is rated only up to .22 LR according to their website.

I'm not saying the Quest is a bad suppressor by any means, but the Sparrow and Spectre are two of the newest and best .22 cans on the market from the most innovative suppressor company out there.

[weblance]

I wonder why other manufacturers havent adapted their designs to a "clamshell" like the Sparrow? It is a simple solution to the welding of the baffles to the outer tube. Thats the beauty of the Sparrow. I had about 1200 rounds through my Sparrow the first time I cleaned it. The baffles slid right out with no effort. Man, was that thing dirty inside.

[Theohazard]

Yeah, I cleaned my buddy's Sparrow after about 1000 rounds and it was amazing how easy it was to dissasemble even when all leaded up. I think Silencerco has a patent on that design, but the Tactical Solutions Axiom has a similar design, but the clamshell sleeve is one piece and only open on one side.

[Rob62]

Happy New Year All,

Reference the question about cleaning the Quest. I am pretty meticulous about cleaning my firearms and accessories so I have never let more than about 500-1,000 rds go through the suppressor without a thorough cleaning.

It was not bad to take apart - or too dirty after this many rounds through it. I do not have anything to compare it to, but I would say that leading was moderate. There are a couple of proprietary end cap tools (at least one) needed for disassembly. And if not having to use one of these tools is a prerequisite then this suppressor may not be right for you.

As to "noise" ratings. There may be suppressors that under laboratory sound measuring equipment are X or XX percentage quieter. However having been exposed to multiple suppressors over the years its my opinion that all well built .22 suppressors are "pretty much" the same. And I know that is a VERY subjective opinion.

Regards,

Rob

[tmorone]

I've got a Spectre II on my FV-S and it's terrific. Bonus is it's rated from anything from 22lr all the way up to 5.7!

[CCCLVII]

I use the Element 2. It is rated for 17hmr as well. It is stupid quiet on my Walther P22.

[BerdanSS]

What about the yhm mite? I've never even seen the other mentioned suppressors in person. But the yhm Can seems pretty quiet to me, and pretty well constructed. How do they stack up next to the sparrow?

[Theohazard]

In sound tests the YHM Mite is noticeably louder than top-tier .22 suppressors like the Sparrow and the Spectre. It also is MUCH harder to disassemble when dirty. Basically, it's just not in the same league as far as loudness and ease of disassembly.

[PDXsparky]

I have a SS Sparrow and one of my host guns is a FV-SR. That combination is really stupid quiet. You can comfortably shoot with no hearing protection when you use standard velocity, or slower, ammo. I've also heard enough good reports about the Spectre II that I bought one of those as well. Should get it this year.

Here it is on my M&P 22

[boltomatic]

I'm waiting on a Kodiak TL by liberty suppressors, this was after months of research and testing.

Liberty is a great company. There customer service is the best out there and they make very good products.

The pros of the kodiak: Very quiet, durable, easy to clean, very low back pressure, shoots great on any pistol or rifle.

Cons: a little more expensive and a little larger than some other common .22 cans. Also, some people don't like the stainless steel end caps, but in person they actually look very nice, pictures don't do it justice.

With the Kodiak, you are paying for a suppressor that is going to work the best on any weapon. You can get very good performance in a smaller package and for less money with other suppressors, but the Kodiak has the edge performance wise.

Liberty really took everything into consideration with the Kodiak TL. Besides making a quiet suppressor, they address the problems specific to .22 cans like lead buildup and back pressure. Back pressure is a major concern for some .22's, the kodiak is advertized as having the lowest back pressure of any .22 can, which means when you mount the Kodiak, the gun won't notice. Some guns are finicky to back pressure and debris blow back by back pressure and the Kodiak minimizes this.

[boltomatic]

Note: although my last post indicates I submitted my paperwork in June, there was a problem on my part and in the end my application was not sent in until the middle of September and was apporved in only 3 moths (paper trust form 4).

Here's an update in case you are still undecided: My form 4 came back approved and I picked up my new Kodiak TL yesterday. First shot was out of my Savage fv-sr with CCI quiet ammo and I literally though the ammo FTF because there wasn't even a pop, just the click of the firing pin like it was a misfire, but sure enough it fired. I then tried CCI standard velocity and this time I could tell it fired, but all you hear is a faint pop, my marauder air rifle is louder.

Next I tried the same two ammo choices on a Walther p22. The quiet ammo was much louder due to the gun not being bolt action so you have action noise and blow back, and the standard was even louder, but both were still very quiet even though I was shooting from inside a cargo container (it was raining).

Overall, I could not believe the performance. I knew from reading online and hearing my friends shoot suppressors that it was quiet, but I had forgotten just how quiet it really is. On a bolt action rifle its just stupid, on a semi-auto pistol its probably the loudest it will ever be but is still Hollywood quiet.

Make sure you stock up on subsonic ammo. If its not specifically branded subsonic, check the velocity for yourself. Even though CCI makes "quiet" and "subsonic" brands, their standard velocity is subsonic in a pistol and subsonic most of the time in a rifle, I personally have not had one crack in a rifle but I also haven't shot much. Pretty much all of the more expensive "match" ammo will be subsonic even if its not listed, and even the high velocity (1200fps) ammo is usually going to be subsonic in a pistol

Next I want to try high velocity and stinger ammo with the can to see how hearing just the crack compares to an unsuppressed shot. I've heard conflicting reports of whether you get useful sound reduction when shooting supersonic, I'm guessing you do because I know the army issues suppressors for 5.56 rifles with the standard ammo and most people who shoot .223/5.56 suppressed probably aren't using subsonic since that would basically be a .22LR. I'll keep everyone updated.