First suppressor purchase!

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Spats McGee

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Some of you may know this from threads on TFL, but I haven't mentioned it here. Several years ago, I put a threaded barrel on my 10/22 for "the day" that I finally got around to buying a suppressor. Around Christmas, I did some pretty decent horse-trading, and came away with a 22/45 Lite, which also has a threaded barrel. Over the weekend, Mrs. McGee said those magical words I've longed to hear: "You should get a suppressor." Woot!

To make a long story short, I have a Dead Air Mask ordered! I went through the Silencer Shop, bought their Single Shot Trust, and have everything in motion. I'm very excited, as you might imagine.
 
Well done, Spats! Unfortunately you will now find that:

1) You need more suppressors
2) You need more guns with threaded muzzles
3) You want to shoot more, to see how quiet it is

Shooting suppressed is addictive. I like it when I am the only one on the range: nice to shoot without muffs.
 
Well done, Spats! Unfortunately you will now find that:

1) You need more suppressors
2) You need more guns with threaded muzzles
3) You want to shoot more, to see how quiet it is

Shooting suppressed is addictive. I like it when I am the only one on the range: nice to shoot without muffs.
I know. I sat there, staring at the "Place Order" button, knowing that as soon as I hit that button, I was in big trouble. I've shot a couple of suppressed .22s, and it was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I'm already thinking that a suppressor for a .45 might be next.
 
I know. I sat there, staring at the "Place Order" button, knowing that as soon as I hit that button, I was in big trouble. I've shot a couple of suppressed .22s, and it was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I'm already thinking that a suppressor for a .45 might be next.

At minimum, you need a good rimfire can, a good .45 can and a quality .30 rifle can! From there, you can start getting into more dedicated stuff.

One thing that's gonna happen is you'll find availability of threaded barrels for pistols or rifles with thick enough tubes to thread factoring heavily in your decisions on new firearm purchases. Once I started shooting suppressed, I began threading a decent portion of my collection, including stuff I didn't think I ever would, like my 700 BDL .25-06.

You're also gonna find yourself annoyed at having others at the range who shoot unsuppressed!
 
One thing that's gonna happen is you'll find availability of threaded barrels for pistols or rifles with thick enough tubes to thread factoring heavily in your decisions on new firearm purchases. Once I started shooting suppressed, I began threading a decent portion of my collection, including stuff I didn't think I ever would, like my 700 BDL .25-06.

You're also gonna find yourself annoyed at having others at the range who shoot unsuppressed!

Agree on all that, I can testify!

When I bought my R55 Benchmark, suppressors weren't even on my radar. That rifle has a heavy target barrel and as far as I am aware there were no versions of it sold with a threaded muzzle.
A chap at my club let me shoot his CZ452 which had a basic suppressor, I think it was a cheap Parker Hale. From that point, the penny dropped.
Here was an accurate .22 that I could fire without ear defenders, as long as I used the right ammunition. In those days you could not get hollow-point ammunition for range use because expanding ammunition was restricted. All the readily-available ammunition in .22LR was solid but you could still shoot suppressed if you got Eley or RWS at around 1066 fps. It was hearing safe, without the supersonic crack.

I immediately sent my R55 to a gunsmith and got the barrel threaded for a suppressor. Same with my second R55: it was bought second hand but I got it threaded just the same. This is my R55 with a UK Custom Shop Predator 12 reflex suppressor attached:

uqxhC2g.jpg

Like MachIV says, a threaded barrel is now a must-have for any .22 rifle I buy. There will be exceptions for classic guns with irons that can't be easily threaded but in the main I demand threaded!
It was for that reason I originally bought a SIG522 and after that my 10/22 clone, the Rimfire Magic rifle also in .22LR.

I got into suppressors in a serious way because I test them. We are fortunate in the UK to have somewhat easier access to suppressors than in the US. Sure, they are licensed items in the UK but there isn't any resistance to getting them put on license. It's all about health and safety, of course. Hearing protection!

Spats would do well to take stock of his finances, because they will surely take a hit. I've spent over £1000 on my collection which is currently 15 rimfire cans and one 12g can also.

Variety, gents...it's the spice of life! Some of my other cans:

g7IyMJy.jpg
 
You're also gonna find yourself annoyed at having others at the range who shoot unsuppressed!
This is spot-on.

At my job in WA we had four separate indoor bays at the range, so when I wanted to shoot I did it during a weekday and I could usually get an empty one without customers in it. So it would usually be me and maybe a coworker or two shooting mostly suppressed.

At one point I probably went several months without shooting in a bay next to a regular customer shooting an unsuppressed firearm. The next time it happened, I was shooting my MKIII with my Mask on it and a customer in the lane next to me opened up with a super-loud gun. Even though I was wearing ear pro, it still sounded like a 7” AR or a something similarly loud.

I stepped back and peaked around the divider to see what monstrosity the woman next to me was shooting, and it was just a Glock 26. That’s how spoiled I’d become shooting suppressed. That’s a warning Spats: that might happen to you too!
 
As the others have said... now you've done it. After you've fixed the .22 itch, you'll want to quiet down the rifles. Then, the other pistols will start to bug you, and you'll want a pistol can. I started with a rifle can, but the story was the same.

Now-a-days:

Looking at gun parts... thinking of the most cost effective way to attach a can to the guns that can't support one yet, or how to holster a pistol with a can attached (figured out the Ruger MK so far!).

Getting ready to go out shooting... I find myself looking into the safe, avoiding anything that can't have a can attached (my poor SBS gets no love).

Going shooting... now more than ever I avoid public ranges.

30411547_10109954953784748_1147089411465281536_n.jpg

It's just sooo much better, even with a supersonic crack, shooting with a can.
 
If Mrs. McGee shoots, you are going to need two!
:)

My wife can't shoot a 5.56 and jumps every time a it fires, but with a can on it she is ringing steel at 300 yards, no problem. Had to get a pair of .22lr and 5.56 cans so we could shoot together.

Enormous improvement for the noise and recoil shy. When/if suppressors are removed from the NFA (lobby for the HPA!) shooting will see a growth spurt from potential new shooters who just couldn't deal with the noise (like my wife) and a flood of creativity for integrated designs -- things like the Silencerco Maxxum 9mm pistol
 
Whose "McGee" name is on the paperwork for the suppressor?

If yours, Mrs. McGee may need correction (you'll have the force of the US government behind you), but I'll leave that to you...
 
My name is currently on the trust, but I believe I can amend it to add her later.
 
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great! now I only have 3.5 moths wait to go for me next can I suppose. :(

but that's a super can. I have one myself. minimal FRP, cleans easily, suppresses well. It goes to the range with a me a lot. And it's easy to begin resenting those bozos with the muzzle breaks
 
this is the link where I threw my mask baffles in "the dip". https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/my-adventure-with-the-dip.812839/

the second time I dipped the can it was much dirtier, and I discovered that you kind of need to dip it once for 12-24 hours, pull the baffles out and wipe crud off, then dip them for another day or so. You Should be able to wipe any residue off and will be pretty much spotless by that point.
 
Yeah, I guess I need to start thinking about how to clean it. That said, we all know this thread is worthless without pics!
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I’ve got the exact same can in my LGS’s safe waiting for the call, the Dead Air Mask. Gonna be a while though just sent the paperwork off at the beginning of February. It will be going on a Ruger MkIV Tactical. Sent some quiet 22’s down range for me while I wait on mine!
 
I’ve got the exact same can in my LGS’s safe waiting for the call, the Dead Air Mask. Gonna be a while though just sent the paperwork off at the beginning of February. It will be going on a Ruger MkIV Tactical. Sent some quiet 22’s down range for me while I wait on mine!

Speaking of "quiet .22s", if you want pseudo-suppressed experience in the interim, buy some of the CCI Quiet .22 and a flash can (one with a cone). Works better on a rifle, but either way, it's about as quiet as you get without an actual suppressor (or using pitifully weak Colibris).

The Noveske KX3 is the best one, but if you don't want to spend $130: https://www.ebay.com/itm/BLACK-2pc-...=item33f18e88f8:g:hpQAAOSwgTVbbMBs:rk:25:pf:0
 
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