Couple suppressor legal questions?

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Dan Forrester

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Hi, I have a few legal questions about suppressors. The reason I’m asking is because I would like a super quiet, over sized, full auto, 22 suppressor. Something like a dead air mask, but the size of a standard 9mm can. Ok here’s the questions:

#1 - Is it legal for a suppressor manufacturer to change the caliber of a suppressor. I have an old Gemtech Trinity 9mm suppressor I haven’t used in years. I’d love the have a manufacturer remove the old K baffles and turn it into a take apart, over sized .22lr suppressor complete with modern .22 baffle stack. Sure the suppressor body and form 4 would have 9mm listed as the caliber, but it would now be a .22 only suppressor.

#2 - is it possible for me to form 1 a tube, have it engraved with my information and then send it to a manufacturer and have them make me a custom can? Form 1s are taking a month right now and that sounds a lot better than waiting a year.

#3 - If I buy a suppressor from an out of state manufacturer it it possible to fly to that state and pick up the suppressor directly once the form 4 is approved.

Thanks,

Dan
 
#1-No, you can't change the caliber of a suppressor. They can be over-bored a bit to reduce back pressure and/or mitigate baffle strike concerns, but they have to be able to pass the projectiles they're rated for. To change the caliber, you'd have to file F1. At that point, just as well build a new can

#2 - Sort of. You would need to make it legally qualify as a silencer, which means assembled with mount, tube and end cap with a hole that can physically pass bullets of it's F1 listed caliber. After that, yes, it can be recored.

#3 - No. It has to be transferred to an SOT in your state of residence.

As far as size, while one would think going bigger will make it quieter, that's not always true-especially with .22 LR. Too much volume, the features of the baffles can't do what they're meant to do, become inefficient. When I have recored oversized .22 LR cans, I do a tube-within-a-tube arrangement, giving them a more normal .22 sized core (~.9" baffle diameter and about a 4.5-5" long stack) with a diffuser at the front that makes use of the extra volume in the coaxial chamber to reduce the uncorking pressure at the actual exit aperture.

This is an integral I recored that has a huge tube. One would think it'd be quiet on account of volume alone, but it sounded like crap with a dozen baffles that were full tube ID.

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So would it even be worth it to look into a custom suppressor for a dedicated full auto .22lr? If you were to design one specifically for this application would it really be any different than a standard .22 suppressor?

That picture above is pretty amazing! I can’t believe that thing wasn’t quiet with all that volume.

Thank you for answering my questions.

Dan
 
Remember, too, with .22LR, you are dealing with a supersonic round. Which is dragging that Mach wave front as soon as the round clears the muzzle. And not amount of can volume is going to correct that.
 
So would it even be worth it to look into a custom suppressor for a dedicated full auto .22lr? If you were to design one specifically for this application would it really be any different than a standard .22 suppressor?

That picture above is pretty amazing! I can’t believe that thing wasn’t quiet with all that volume.

It is very quiet as you see it above. But it really wasn't when that huge tube was just stuffed with cones of full internal diameter.

No, I wouldn't do a rimfire can any different for a machine gun. You'll never see the kind of heat a centerfire creates, not even close. My 10/22 select fire runs 1,300 RPM with bulk pack HV stuff, and even doing mag dump after mag dump, including 110 round drums, it hasn't even hurt the 7078 aluminum baffles in my Ocelot model.

Remember, too, with .22LR, you are dealing with a supersonic round. Which is dragging that Mach wave front as soon as the round clears the muzzle. And not amount of can volume is going to correct that.

Lots of subsonic .22 ammo out there, and virtually all of it will be out of a handgun length barrel. CCI standard velocity is a popular choice, but my preferred subsonic is the American Eagle 45 gr. suppressor ammo that is subsonic in any barrel length but still has enough oomph to cycle all the semi autos.
 
When I run bulk pack ammo through my M-16, most of it is subsonic out of that short barrel.

I have put tens of thousands of rounds through it on full and the guts of my can still look fine.
 
Lots of subsonic .22 ammo out there, and virtually all of it will be out of a handgun length barrel. CCI standard velocity is a popular choice, but my preferred subsonic is the American Eagle 45 gr. suppressor ammo that is subsonic in any barrel length but still has enough oomph to cycle all the semi autos.

Yep plenty options, doesn't even have to say subsonic on the box. My go-to ammo is RWS Target Rifle:

csm_rws_target-rifle_2-6g_kk-v_p_2132478_image_rgb_fb0259d176.png
 
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