Contemplating first suppressor purchase

[Spats McGee]

jclayto, I couldn't see that picture at work, but I can from home. Wow! That's a lot of crud.

[rawiron1]

I have a YHM for my G-19. Shoots fine unless I run PD bullets through it and then sometimes I get jacket chucks out of it! Also won't silence a 147gr. bullet below the level of my .22 squirrel rifle unless I run it wet (water). Wet is only good for about 10 shots. After 20 shots it needs more water.

If you want super quiet .22 is the way to go.

[Theohazard]

Jclayto, I just noticed from your picture that you have an older Gen 2 Prodigy. Did you know that AAC offers a free upgrade from the Gen 2 core to the Gen 3? The Gen 3 fixes some bullet stabilization issues and makes it easier to take apart when dirty. All you have to do is send your can to them and they'll switch out the baffle core. They've been offering the free upgrade for a few years now so it's possible they're not offering it anymore, but it sure can't hurt to call them and ask.

[jclayto]

Theo, I just saw your reply. I was not aware that I had the older core, thanks! I'll contact AAC and see. I just purchased the can last year and took possession of it in January. I was told it was the newest design


Thank you for pointing that out.

[jclayto]

Theo, just spoke to AAC and they are going to upgrade me. Thanks!

[Theohazard]

No problem, my friend! Glad I could help!

[Spats McGee]

So, it's been a mere 5 years, and I'm back to thinking that it really is time for a suppressor. I have a 22/45 lite and have put a threaded barrel on a 10/22. I'll go back and re-read this thread, but: (1) any word on how the Ruger suppressors are performing; (2) any new "must look at" models; and (3) how are wait times for suppressor trusts?

Thanks,
Spats

[ogree]

https://ruggedsuppressors.com/product/oculus-22/

https://deadairsilencers.com/products/mask/

[Theohazard]

Last July I moved from my high-volume dealer in WA to a smaller new shop here in PA that just got its SOT, so I can’t give you any insider details on wait times. That said, I can tell you which .22 can to get: The Dead Air Mask. It’s hands-down the best .22 can on the market that I've tested, and I've tested a lot of silencers over the years.

Back at my previous shop, I was looking for a .22 can. My requirements were the following:

-Super quiet
-Minimal first-round-pop
-Can handle magnum .22 calibers up to 5.7
-Easy to disassemble and clean
-Stainless steel baffles for durability and ease of cleaning

The Dead Air Mask was the best can I found that met all these requirements, so I bought one, and I haven't been disappointed. Dead Air was started by Mike Pappas from SilencerCo, and he really knows his stuff. The Mask takes the quietest .22 can baffle design -- the K baffle -- and modifies it to be easy to disassemble when dirty.

The silencer industry is changing rapidly, and too often bigger companies sit on older inferior designs simply because they have name recognition and their flagship cans still sell well (the SilencerCo Sparrow, for example). But newer, smaller companies like Dead Air often make some of the best products, since they're headed by long-time industry heavyweights who know their stuff, but they don't have the company name recognition to allow them to get complacent.

To me the only reason to not get the Dead Air Mask is if you want your .22 can to be super light and you don't care that its baffles are aluminum and can't handle harsh cleaning techniques or magnum .22 calibers.

[Theohazard]

On a side note, I'll admit that -- while I've sold a few of them -- I've never shot a Ruger .22 can. That said, I can offer these observations: The baffle design on the Ruger can is unique; it's an odd take on the SilencerCo CTA baffle design used on the Spectre II and the Octane. Those cans are mostly known for being tough, relatively easy to disassemble, and pretty quiet, but they're not the quietest cans in their respective categories.

It appears Ruger has significantly modified the common CTA baffle design, which either means they've come up with a new, better design or their design isn't as good as the other designs currently on the market. It's hard to know which is the case, but I can try to make an educated guess.

The thing about the Mask is that it took the quietest .22 baffle design and tweaked it to be easy to take apart and clean. Often it's best to take what works well and make it better. Also, the silencer industry today is based on a lot of insider knowledge and experience. Guys like Kevin Brittingham and Mike Pappas have a proven track record of many excellent silencer designs at multiple companies, whereas I have no idea who designed the Ruger silencer and what kind of industry experience they have.

[Mobuck]

W/o going into all the tiny details, it's not difficult to DIY a satisfactory rim fire suppressor. I have 2 Form 1 units that work as good if not better than factory made. Both exhibit less FRP and handle the 17HMR better than our factory made unit. The cost not including my time amounts to around $50 each and would be less if I had access to a good lathe.
The Ruger line is (IMHO) the best overall host prospects. Buying a factory threaded 10-22 barrel has become more costly lately but there are shops doing a good job for $55-75. The Ruger 22/45 is an excellent choice and it can also be aftermarket threaded for approx the same $$.
Nobody I know would thread a rim fire to anything except 1/2x28 although there are some "foreign sales" Ruger rifles around using a 1/2x20 but adapters are available for nearly any pattern.
Wet vs dry? I tried wet and it's a messy low return deal. Only mafia hitmen go that route.
Db reduction? Plan to use sub-sonic ammo for best results. Not a big handicap for most users although we notice a significant drop at longer ranges vs HV ammo.
On a side note, I'm in the pest control business and I've found (surprisingly) that the 17HMR supresses quite well. The tiny streamlined bullet displays less sonic signature than the typical 22lr HV bullet so reducing the muzzle blast is the major issue.

[Spats McGee]

Thank you all for your time and attention in this. I got to digging around this morning, and I ran across this article. If you read many of my posts, you know I'm susceptible to paralysis by analysis. Or in German, "die Qual der Wahl." I'm trying really hard to avoid getting bogged down in that, but there are still a few points I'd like to clarify:

1) I want a dry suppressor. I read up on wet and dry ones a while back and have no interest in a wet one, as long as dry ones are available.

2) I was kind of hoping that the Ruger suppressor was taking the world by storm. I've always prided myself on being a "function over form" kind of guy, but this is a luxury purchase. I'm allowing myself to consider the Cool Factor a little more than usual, and I think it'd be cool to have my suppressor match my hosts, which are both Rugers.

3) Even with all of that said, the Dead Air Mask looks good! If I'm not going to match my suppressor to my guns (which I just might not), this one certainly looks to be a top contender.

4) What's the word on the Thunder Beast Arms 22 Take Down? This one looks awfully good, too.

Thanks in advance.

[Theohazard]

Originally Posted by Spats McGee

I want a dry suppressor. I read up on wet and dry ones a while back and have no interest in a wet one, as long as dry ones are available.

Wet suppressors -- as in suppressors that are specifically designed to be shot wet -- are uncommon. A few specialty mini 9mm silencers (like the DeGroat Nano or the AWC Abraxas) require water or another ablative to allow them to approximate the sound of a normal full-sized centerfire pistol can shot dry.

You can shoot any pistol or rimfire can wet if you want and it will be a little quieter for a bit, but it's too messy to be worth it for most people (especially with how dirty rimfire ammo is).

Originally Posted by Spats McGee

What's the word on the Thunder Beast Arms 22 Take Down? This one looks awfully good, too.

Thunder Beast excels at making lightweight centerfire precision rifle cans. In that category, they're some of the best cans on the market. I'm not terribly impressed by their other cans, though they seem fine.

I don't have any personal experience with their .22 cans, but based simply on a picture of it disassembled, their .22 Takedown seems to be a good can. Though based on their baffle design I'd put my money on the Mask being a little bit quieter if I were forced to bet on it. Otherwise the two cans are remarkably similar: Same tube material, same baffle material, same grooves in the outside of the baffles for easier removal from the tube when dirty.

[Mobuck]

If you intend to use the muffler on a pistol and actually carry it in a holster, pay attention to the overall size(both length and diameter). Most rim fire only mufflers are approx 1" in diameter so they fit in open end holsters. Depending on the baffle design, this small diameter seriously limits the internal volume of the muffler.
I fully intend to use my muffled pistol on the trap line so it must be of practical size. Unfortunately, I had to fabricate/modify a holster to fit the muffler and the red dot I also added( 2 requirements that could easily be met individually but not both with an OTC holster).

[Lohman446]

To jump onto this thread because I nearly created my own.

If one had decided they wanted a .22 suppressor and were deciding between the SilencerCo Sparrow 22, the Sig Sauer SRD22X, or one of the other myriad of choices would there be any reason to not just accept that the Sparrow seems to be the benchmark and order it? Or am I wrong on the benchmark?

[Theohazard]

The Sparrow is the benchmark because when it was introduced a better part of a decade ago it was the first major-production .22 can to be easy to disassemble when dirty, and also because SilencerCo has become the biggest silencer manufacturer in the meantime. That was something like 6 to 8 years ago, and SilencerCo has been riding the Sparrow’s popularity ever since.

The Sparrow is still a good can, but it has an annoying amount of first-round-pop and it’s not all that quiet on a pistol.

[TrueBlue711]

I just got my Griffin Armament Checkmate approved (along with my Silencerco Omega) and I'm happy as can be with it. I really like it's QD function, taking it on and off with just a quarter turn twist. I have both my 10/22 and Mark III threaded and equipped with the QD tri-lug attachment, so I'm swapping the Checkmate btwn those two firearms within seconds.

[Spats McGee]

Well, I think I've (pretty well) settled on the Dead Air Mask. I talked to the people at The Silencer Shop, and they recommended both the Rugged Oculus and the Tactical Solutions Axiom, at least to look at. I also have to say that the guy who answered the phone was very helpful.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

.22 suppressors are nasty and that alternating layer of lead and carbon just welds itself to the internals. So ease of cleaning is an important factor because they are cheap and fun to shoot. A lot of designs that "disassemble for cleaning" are more or less welded together after an extended shooting session.

[Mobuck]

"would there be any reason to not just accept that the Sparrow seems to be the benchmark and order it? Or am I wrong on the benchmark?"

Our trust owns a Sparrow. It's good but has some FRP that I don't care for. It is compact and looks nice on a bull barrel pistol and not obnoxious on a standard barrel 10-22. Calling it a "benchmark" is maybe a bit narrow but it is undeniably capable and effective.

[Spats McGee]

I've decided I'm going with the Dead Air Mask.
1) Fingerprints are done. (Having lots of friends whose names begin with "Deputy" made that part easy.)
2) I'm going with a trust, and The Silencer Shop has their "Single Shot Trust" for ~$25. I could draft it myself, but it's worth $25 to not have to do so.
3) The Silencer Shop has an app for taking passport photos. . . . There's an app for buying a suppressor!!!
4) Now come the hard parts: (a) paying (ouch) and (b) waiting.

[Lohman446]

Non-individual specific question. I feel like I am stalking Spats buying decisions by the way.

Generally speaking is there any disadvantage to one of these "single-shot" trusts vs an individual purchase?

[Spats McGee]

Originally Posted by Lohman446

Non-individual specific question. I feel like I am stalking Spats buying decisions by the way.

Generally speaking is there any disadvantage to one of these "single-shot" trusts vs an individual purchase?

Let me start with the caveat that other members may know more about NFA law than I do. With that said, I know of no disadvantage to the single-shot trust, but I do know if one advantage: I can amend a trust. If, for some reason, I need to add beneficiaries to the trust, I can do so. Say my brother lives in Arkansas, but all the way across the state. He's trying to decide if he wants a suppressor, so he wants to borrow mine. I can add him to the trust, and he can then take my can home with him (once the amendment is complete).

If I've stated anything wrong, or potentially illegal, I'm asking our more-knowledgeable members to speak up and correct me.

ETA: Don't worry about "stalking" me. I haunt threads relevant to my current situation all the time.

[Spats McGee]

One Dead Air Mask, trust and stamp are now officially on order!

[Theohazard]

Awesome! Congrats, Spats, it only took you five years!