22LR suppressor - any silencerco recommendations?
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greyling22
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from silencerco? spectre or the switchback. I know the spectre is pretty good, the switchback is new.....
I don't like the sparrow. the monocore design has a pretty bad first round pop on a pistol.
I bought a deadair mask instead of the sparrow or spectre. again, I don't know about the switchback. I hear good things about the rugged occulus, the Q el camino and the liberty vector as well.
If I was buying today, I'd get the oculus or the mask, whichever was cheaper. modularity sounds cool, but the truth is that the cans are so small and light that I would NEVER run it shorter.
I don't like the sparrow. the monocore design has a pretty bad first round pop on a pistol.
I bought a deadair mask instead of the sparrow or spectre. again, I don't know about the switchback. I hear good things about the rugged occulus, the Q el camino and the liberty vector as well.
If I was buying today, I'd get the oculus or the mask, whichever was cheaper. modularity sounds cool, but the truth is that the cans are so small and light that I would NEVER run it shorter.
Elkins45
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I have the Spectre II. The click together baffle stack makes it easy to clean and it is super quiet.
MachIVshooter
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SilencerCo wouldn't be my first pick for most things, .22 LR included, but if it's a freebie, go with the Spectre.
2.7 oz, 2.8". And meh. If you don't need magnum rating, I have one that's lighter, quieter and cheaper. None of the micros are hearing safe with .17 HMR or 5.7x28 anyway.
2.7 oz, 2.8". And meh. If you don't need magnum rating, I have one that's lighter, quieter and cheaper. None of the micros are hearing safe with .17 HMR or 5.7x28 anyway.
giggitygiggity
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Not SilencerCo, but I recommend the AAC Element 2. It has no discernible first round pop, is user serviceable, and is incredibly quiet.
pdsmith505
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I enjoy my Sparrow. I can pull it apart and knock out the chunks.
Maybe it has more first round pop... but without a comparison I can't say.
Still, I can pull it apart and knock out the chunks.
Maybe it has more first round pop... but without a comparison I can't say.
Still, I can pull it apart and knock out the chunks.
I've got a SilencerCo Warlock 2 and like it a lot. It is super light and inexpensive but you can only shoot .22LR through it, no magnum or 5.7 or anything so its not by any means the ideal setup. I didn't think I'd be doing much .22 shooting when I grabbed it for cheap but love it, much cheaper than shooting .300 blackout suppressed. I would listen to the other recommendations but if it needs to be a SilcencerCo or you are on a budget the Warlock 2 is a good can.
greyling22
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I'm out on aluminum cans like the warlock. They cannot be dipped, which is the best/cheapest way to clean a 22 can, if you can live with the hazardous byproduct...
Elkins45
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Have you tried the silicone oil soak? I’m about to find out if it makes a difference.
greyling22
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nah. I've heard people treating their can with DOT3 (or 5?) which may be the same thing. Personally, I've had really good luck with the DIP. and it turns such a pretty blue/green color.......makes me want to drop a turtle in it to see if it gets ninja powers 
MachIVshooter
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It won't on a production can with anodized parts. That trick is for the form 1 stuff with raw aluminum parts.
One of the best ways to clean serviceable cans is to run them wet. For rimfire models, add 3cc of water, rapid fire a mag or two, then take them to the kitchen sink and get after it with a toothbrush.
Gtscotty
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I like my Sparrow as well, it does have some FRP on pistols, but it's really not that bad. It is still one of the quietest rimfire cans on a rifle length .22. With it in hand I haven't been able to talk myself into another rimfire can.
If I was buying now, I'd probably get a Mask or an Oculus if I could find them on sale. If I was willing to spend a bit more or specifically wanted to get a SiCo, I'd get a Switchback, the few reports I've read on it state that it's freakishly quiet, even compared to top .22 cans on the market. Also it meters surprisingly well in it's short mid length configuration on rifles, would make a great bunny hunting can.
SS or Ti internals only, the dip is amazing for cleaning dirty .22 cans.
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Varminterror
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I bought a couple Warlock II's, the non-FA rated Spectre equivalent. Very happy with them. Quiet, minimal FRP, and doesn't change my group sizes (natural POI shift, of course). It's been discontinued and replaced, but with two Omega's, two Warlocks, and a Maxim 9, I'm confident in SiCo's products.
Theohazard
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I own a Dead Air Mask. I’ve also played around with a bunch of different rimfire silencers, so here are my comparisons of the Mask versus the other cans mentioned in this thread:
-It’s quieter and has less first-round-pop than a Sparrow. (The Mask has almost no discernible FRP. Some people don’t seem to care about FRP, some do. I definitely do.) The Sparrow is a little easier to clean though, thanks to its monocore design. The Sparrow also doesn’t need a tool to take it apart.
-The Mask is shorter and lighter than the Spectre II, it’s just as quiet (if not quieter), and it’s rated for the same calibers. The only advantage of the Spectre is that you don’t need a special tool to take it apart (you can use anything narrow and straight like the back of a knife), but the Mask requires a proprietary tool for disassembly.
-The Warlock II is the exact same design as the Spectre II except it’s made of aluminum, so it’s lighter than the Mask. But the Mask is a lot stronger and can shoot up to 5.7mm, whereas the Warlock isn’t rated for magnum .22 calibers. The Warlock is also harder to clean thanks to the aluminum baffles.
-The Mask is just as quiet as the Element 2 and it’s a lot easier to take out the baffles when it’s dirty (the Element actually comes with a special screw tool to push out the dirty baffles because of this). It’s also rated for 5.7mm, whereas the Element 2 isn’t.
The other three mentioned (Oculus, Switchback, and Bitty) I have no personal experience with, but here are some observations:
The Bitty might be small, but its going to be loud because of that. Also, the baffle design looks like the old pre-SilencerCo SWR Spectre I’s baffles. There’s a reason why they upgraded to the Spectre II...
The Oculus and Swichback seem cool, but I currently have no interest in a modular .22 silencer. To me, the point of a modular can is to shorten it for home defense where you want more maneuverability around your house and you don’t care about being super quiet, you just want to avoid blowing your ears out. And then you use the longer configuration for recreational use where you want it to be quieter. My .22 can is solely for recreational use, so I don’t see myself ever using the short configuration. (But hey, maybe I’m wrong and I’d end up loving it. Perhaps I’ll get a modular one if I’m ever in the market for a second .22 silencer.)
And as for the different baffle configurations for the Switchback, that seems cool but I probably wouldn’t switch it around all that much. I’m very cognizant of lead exposure because I have young children, so I only take apart my .22 can under controlled conditions during a cleaning session. If I had a Switchback I probably wouldn’t change it to the rifle baffle setup when moving it to my rifle, so what’s the point?
-It’s quieter and has less first-round-pop than a Sparrow. (The Mask has almost no discernible FRP. Some people don’t seem to care about FRP, some do. I definitely do.) The Sparrow is a little easier to clean though, thanks to its monocore design. The Sparrow also doesn’t need a tool to take it apart.
-The Mask is shorter and lighter than the Spectre II, it’s just as quiet (if not quieter), and it’s rated for the same calibers. The only advantage of the Spectre is that you don’t need a special tool to take it apart (you can use anything narrow and straight like the back of a knife), but the Mask requires a proprietary tool for disassembly.
-The Warlock II is the exact same design as the Spectre II except it’s made of aluminum, so it’s lighter than the Mask. But the Mask is a lot stronger and can shoot up to 5.7mm, whereas the Warlock isn’t rated for magnum .22 calibers. The Warlock is also harder to clean thanks to the aluminum baffles.
-The Mask is just as quiet as the Element 2 and it’s a lot easier to take out the baffles when it’s dirty (the Element actually comes with a special screw tool to push out the dirty baffles because of this). It’s also rated for 5.7mm, whereas the Element 2 isn’t.
The other three mentioned (Oculus, Switchback, and Bitty) I have no personal experience with, but here are some observations:
The Bitty might be small, but its going to be loud because of that. Also, the baffle design looks like the old pre-SilencerCo SWR Spectre I’s baffles. There’s a reason why they upgraded to the Spectre II...
The Oculus and Swichback seem cool, but I currently have no interest in a modular .22 silencer. To me, the point of a modular can is to shorten it for home defense where you want more maneuverability around your house and you don’t care about being super quiet, you just want to avoid blowing your ears out. And then you use the longer configuration for recreational use where you want it to be quieter. My .22 can is solely for recreational use, so I don’t see myself ever using the short configuration. (But hey, maybe I’m wrong and I’d end up loving it. Perhaps I’ll get a modular one if I’m ever in the market for a second .22 silencer.)
And as for the different baffle configurations for the Switchback, that seems cool but I probably wouldn’t switch it around all that much. I’m very cognizant of lead exposure because I have young children, so I only take apart my .22 can under controlled conditions during a cleaning session. If I had a Switchback I probably wouldn’t change it to the rifle baffle setup when moving it to my rifle, so what’s the point?
Gtscotty
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I guess it just depends on your usage, the FRP Is only an issue on pistols, there is no FRP on .22 rifles with the Sparrow (or any other .22 can I've ever heard). I do most of my shooting with the Sparrow on rifles, and really only play around with pistols at the range, so it's not a big deal to me.
Different strokes I guess, I think the modular option is pretty interesting for rimfires. Given how the Switchback performs with the very lightweight mid-length configuration on a rifle, that's probably all I would run for hunting. At the same time, it would be nice to have the option to use the longer quieter configurations when shooting around the house or shooting high volume.
Here's an interesting recent comparison video on several popular rimfire suppressors, for anyone who's in the market. The Sparrow edged out the Mask on a bolt gun by a hair, but I doubt anyone would be able to hear the difference. In reality there are lots of good options out there.
I don't know if this was from the same shoot or not, but the chart has some good data as well:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoehxUIncKi/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet
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MachIVshooter
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Pretty much sums it up. Any of us who put in the time on R&D are realizing numbers in the 114-116 range on rifles and 118-122 on pistols with standard 5-6" long rimfire cans. Those which are coming in closer to 120 on rifles are generally monocore designs that weren't properly developed. There's no reason a baffled can or good monocore should be that high unless it's a shorty.
Now integrals are where it really gets fun! With a 10" ported barrel and 10" 7075 monocore, this one meters at 104.9 with CCI SV
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Gtscotty
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That's really cool, what's the base rifle? Too bad most of us don't have the skills to F1 something like that, e-files are coming back in a few weeks, and F4 times are soo ugly now.
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Theohazard
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Generally I try to point out that the issues I have with the Sparrow (its relative loudness and its louder FRP) only show up on pistols. I left that out here for brevity, but I probably shouldn’t have. Thanks for pointing that out.
MachIVshooter
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It's an old Western Field model 45 I picked up for $80.
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