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Old January 12, 2019, 03:05 PM   #1
idek
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.22 suppressor recommendation?

I've never had or used a suppressor before, but I have several .22 rifles and pistols (a couple of which have threaded barrels) and I'm considering a suppressor.

My first priority is ease of maintenance/longevity. Especially since I'm new to this, I'm worried about getting something that's a headache to take care or won't last a long time.

My second priority is being compact/lightweight. I don't shoot from a bi-pod or bench. I mostly shoot offhand and I don't want something that will really throw off the balance or handling of the guns.

Third priority is actual decibel reduction. Obviously, I want noise reduction (or I wouldn't be considering a suppressor), but as long as I can shoot without ear protection, I don't need the quietest model on the market.

Cost is considered too, but if I could get suggestions at some different price ranges, I could go from there.

Thanks for any help.
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Old January 12, 2019, 04:34 PM   #2
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I have two 22 cans. My first is an aluminum one and is 22lr only. It is super light but very hard to clean. 22lr cans lead up pretty quick and require frequent cleaning.

My other one is a SS and MUCH easier to clean.

Ease of cleaning should be high on your list
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Old January 12, 2019, 08:50 PM   #3
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I just checked Silencer Shop and the SilencerCO Warlock II is out of stock. This is a lower priced muffler but gets good ratings. Ours is a Sparrow and works well.
That said, it really doesn't take a high tech design to quiet a 22. I've done 2 "Form 1" rimfire suppressors that rival or beat the factory designs.
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Old January 12, 2019, 09:54 PM   #4
Bartholomew Roberts
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I absolutely love my Sparrow; but if I was buying today, I’d be looking at a Switchback from Silencerco.
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Old January 13, 2019, 02:12 AM   #5
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Rugged Oculus 22.

https://ruggedsuppressors.com/product/oculus-22/
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Old January 13, 2019, 09:05 AM   #6
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I've got a Ruger branded one and like how it feels on my LITE, I bought them as a package. I've got a sparrow and harvestor in "time out" right now, so......
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Old January 13, 2019, 09:34 AM   #7
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I went with the Innovative Arms Apex, an aluminum monocore design. These types of cans are lightweight and less expensive. I bought mine primarily for pistol and I didn't want a heavy can. I'm pretty happy with it but there are some very good alternatives available now.

My can will only handle .22 LR. Most steel cans will handle the more powerful rimfire cartridges. The baffle stack designs may have less "first round pop". An aluminum can cannot be cleaned in an ultrasonic bath.

I'd look hard at the Rugged Oculus. The River and the Dead Air Mask are other good choices.
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Old January 13, 2019, 12:05 PM   #8
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The baffle stack designs may have less "first round pop"

That's how it seem to me. My Form 1 "baffle stack" mufflers have much less FRP than the factory made one. If you're using the muffler for hunting, nearly every shot has that annoying FRP.
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Old January 13, 2019, 01:46 PM   #9
dogtown tom
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Quote:
idek
My first priority is ease of maintenance/longevity
My second priority is being compact/lightweight.
Third priority is actual decibel reduction.
1. All stainless steel. Allows you to use more aggressive cleaning methods. But even with the cheapest all aluminum can its unlikely that you will ever wear it out from shooting, only from being too aggressive in cleaning.
2. Pretty much every rimfire silencer is compact/lightweight. Ti or AL will usually be lighter than stainless, but Ti comes at a higher price.
3. Measurement of sound is voodoo. Not every sound meter meets the ability to measure peak db over such a brief period. I believe the only sound meters meeting the mil standard are discontinued models and getting quite expensive. So far there is very little independent testing of silencers, leaving it to the marketing department to provide the decibel reduction.

Measuring decibels at the ear/muzzle/downrange are all important.
At the ear for the shooter.
At the muzzle for bystanders.
At a point downrange for the targets (whether human or not)

Not all silencers will be quieter than others at all three points.




I transfer/sell a lot of rimfire silencers. The most popular over the last year are (in no particular order):
Dead Air Mask
Q El Camino
Silencerco Sparrow

You can go to www.silencershop.com and do a comparison of the features of each silencer from around fifteen different manufacturers.

If it were me...….Q El Camino.
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Old January 13, 2019, 06:27 PM   #10
idek
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Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll look into them more deeply in the next day or two.

A couple peopt mentioned something about a "form 1" suppressor. Is that something different than regular cans you'd buy? I hadn't heard the term before.
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Old January 13, 2019, 07:07 PM   #11
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A Form 1 suppressor is a scratch-built suppressor, not a commercial offering.


My only data points for rimfire suppressors are the few that I've handled and the one that I own.
Most are decent.
Few seem easy to clean.

My preference is for the 'sleeved' design of the SilencerCo Sparrow and Tactical Solutions Ascent .22.

I went with the Ascent .22. I didn't need the extra weight that came with .22 Hornet and 5.7x28mm capability, so there wasn't much point in paying for it.
The Ascent .22 is plenty good on pistols, and even better on rifles.
The diameter is small enough to still allow the use of factory sights on my rifles and pistols.
Although it does have aluminum baffles (and a stainless blast baffle), I expect its lifespan to be greater than my own.
The upside of those aluminum baffles is that it weighs next to nothing.
Easy to disassemble, clean, and reassemble. I plan to buy at least one more.
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Old January 14, 2019, 07:58 AM   #12
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I don't actually have my suppressor yet, so take my advice for being worth exactly what you've paid for it. On recommendations here and elsewhere from folks who know a lot more about suppressors than I do, I went with the Dead Air Mask. Ordered through the Silencer Shop, along with a trust. That was May 2017, and I'm still waiting.

I have not checked since the gov't shutdown started, but I'd be willing to bet that NFA stuff isn't being processed right now. Hard to imagine that's considered an essential gov't function . . . . If anyone knows otherwise, I'd be tickled to be corrected.
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Old January 14, 2019, 01:25 PM   #13
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"That was May 2017, and I'm still waiting."

Yikes. Is that the expected wait nowadays?

In reading about some of the suppressors, I'm hearing about how some have a negative impact on accuracy or change POI vs. unsuppressed. How big of a issue can this be? Some of the good things I read about the El Camino say that it maintains or even improves accuracy on some guns and that it doesn't change POI.
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Old January 14, 2019, 02:17 PM   #14
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Trusts seem to have notable wait times right now.
Individuals are not as bad.

Quote:
Some of the good things I read about the El Camino say that it maintains or even improves accuracy on some guns and that it doesn't change POI.
I do not believe.

I believe barrel harmonics are the biggest factor in POI shift and accuracy changes.
It's quite simple: Hang a chunk of steel/aluminum/titanium on the end of your barrel, and it's going to change the barrel harmonics. Neither the barrel nor the inanimate object can just pretend that nothing changed.

No POI shift if the firearm is sighted in for use with the suppressor, and it is mounted in a very repeatable way? Yea, that's believable. I can do that with my .270 Win and the Harvester 300.
But I do not believe in claims of no POI shift and/or increased accuracy, no matter the firearm, when comparing suppressed and unsuppressed, for a suppressor that could be used on hundreds (or even thousands) of makes and models of firearm.


I'm not coming up with a good metaphor.
I'll settle for: It's like hitching a travel trailer to your truck and then claiming that it's even faster and more efficient while pulling the extra weight.
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Old January 14, 2019, 03:43 PM   #15
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I have the Griffin Armament Checkmate and I'm loving it. Very lightweight and has as single baffle system for ease of cleaning (like most 22 cans these days). My favorite part is the 3-lug QD attach system it uses. I can swap my 22 can between my 10/22 and Mark III in seconds with a quick 1/4 turn twist.
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Old January 14, 2019, 10:14 PM   #16
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"In reading about some of the suppressors, I'm hearing about how some have a negative impact on accuracy or change POI vs. unsuppressed. How big of a issue can this be?"

IMHO An accuracy decrease is fairly rare. The change in POI can be significant or not depending entirely on the barrel harmonics. My experience is that skinny barrels are more likely to have POI shifts(but not always). I have a 10-22 that has little change in POI regardless of open or muffled, HV or subsonic--that's a barrel anyone could love.
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Old January 15, 2019, 08:13 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by idek View Post
"That was May 2017, and I'm still waiting."

Yikes. Is that the expected wait nowadays? . . . .
I called BATFE to check on it a few weeks ago, just before the shutdown, I guess. I was told that average wait time was 9 months. Dude really wouldn't give me any information beyond that.
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Old January 17, 2019, 03:55 PM   #18
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Quote:
I called BATFE to check on it a few weeks ago, just before the shutdown, I guess. I was told that average wait time was 9 months.
It’s been several weeks since I’ve gotten any approved Form 4’s or 3’s for customers, but the last dozen or so that that I did receive in late November and December were all submitted in February, March, and early April which puts them right around 9-10 months before the shutdown started.
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Old January 17, 2019, 04:10 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scsov509 View Post
It’s been several weeks since I’ve gotten any approved Form 4’s or 3’s for customers, but the last dozen or so that that I did receive in late November and December were all submitted in February, March, and early April which puts them right around 9-10 months before the shutdown started.
I think I submitted mine in . . . MAY!
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Old January 20, 2019, 07:36 PM   #20
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I went with the Tactical Innovations Quest suppressor. It is SS, easy to clean and I shoot it on pistols and rifles with out any problems. It is my favorite addition to shooting, with I had bough one sooner.
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Old January 27, 2019, 10:53 PM   #21
idek
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Thanks for all the suggestions. I did look into every suggestion made, and even if I ruled a certain option out, it gave me things to consider and helped sort out what I was willing to compromise on and what I wasn't.

In the end, I ordered a Bowers Bitty. It matches my original priorities very well 1) ease of cleaning 2)light/compact

I mostly plan shoot with rifles, and most reviews I saw said it does quite well with rifles. They say it's not great with pistols, but still hearing comfortable (which is okay for my purposes).

I looked into some of the modular options (Switchback, Erector, Oculus, Halcyon) that seemed to offer the best of both worlds, but in each case, their small configurations were larger and/or less effective* (based on the reviews I read/saw) than the Bitty, which isn't much bigger than many flash hiders or compensators.

I hope to be able to give a field report inside of a year.
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