Talk me thru my first suppressor

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milemaker13

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I want to get a .22 suppressor for pest control. I would like to use both rifle and pistol.
I glanced at silencer central. They seem to have 2 options, solo 22 @$345 or banish .22 @$535.
Banish is titanium and 2x heavier.

Where else can I shop? SC says they will file your paperwork.. is this a good idea? Better to efile, right?

Im just starting down this path, i know Im in for a wait. I appreciate any guidance.
 
Silencer Shop.

Thunderbeast Takedown 22 and Dead Air Mask are top performers, both around $400.

From what I've seen with the Banish, that'd be a hard pass for me at that price (higher than most any other rimfire can). I haven't actually heard one, but the internals closely resemble an HTA design that was not a very good performer. I recore the HTA Kestrel .22s on a regular basis because people are dissatisfied enough with them to shell out another $300 to make them work better.
 
I will also need a host weapon. I don't have anything with a threaded barrel. The cost of both a suppressor and weapon is making me consider the internally suppressed rifles like the tac sol x ring @$1200.
What does everybody think about them?
Alternately, what is a good rifle and pistol for the dead air mask?
 
I don't like the idea of an integral. Harder to clean, and you olnly get 1 suppressed weapon. I move mine amongth 3 hosts.

I have a bolt action cz that is simply marvelous. But the 22 pistol gets the most trigger time. I think it's because the short barrel let's cheap bulk ammo stay subsonic. Pick a threaded Ruger or a buck Mark of some flavor and enjoy. I have a nice 10/22, but the other 2 come out more.
 
Ok i agree with that logic. I have a buckmark camper, no threaded barrel. Would that just require a barrel swap?
Whats it cost to get a rifle barrel threaded? Would you choose a semi auto rifle or bolt action as a host?
The main focus will be chipmunk extermination around my house. It needs to be clandestine work for sure. I have been using a Benjamin. 22 pellet rifle, but we recently moved from less than 1/8 acre suburban lot (neighbors within arms reach) to 1.5 acres, mostly wooded. Still have (much farther away) neighbors.
 
I got a Dead Air Mask a couple of years ago through the Silencer Shop. It was about as easy as it gets. Add suppressor, trust and stamp to cart, pay. Follow their directions, then sit back and wait for the call. I'm also very happy with my Mask, with the caveat that it's my only suppressor.

For some hosts that already have threaded barrel options: Pistols: Ruger 22/45 Lite, S&W Victory, Browning Buckmark. Rifles: Ruger American Rimfire, some Savages, at least one CZ.
 
I just got my first suppressor, a Dead Air mask. Purchased through Silencer Shop, took 10 1/2 months. The process was really simple using their kiosk for fingerprints and photo at the gun shop with the kiosk. After going through the first purchase, you'll be able to buy additional silencers online as often as you like.

I didn't get trusts, thinking that might shave some time off the process. In retrospect, I wish I'd gotten their one-shot trusts.
 
milemaker13 said:
Ok i agree with that logic. I have a buckmark camper, no threaded barrel. Would that just require a barrel swap?
Whats it cost to get a rifle barrel threaded? Would you choose a semi auto rifle or bolt action as a host?
The main focus will be chipmunk extermination around my house. It needs to be clandestine work for sure. I have been using a Benjamin. 22 pellet rifle, but we recently moved from less than 1/8 acre suburban lot (neighbors within arms reach) to 1.5 acres, mostly wooded. Still have (much farther away) neighbors.
Click to expand...
Yes you can just swap to a threaded barrel on a buckmark. Just did mine swapped to a 4" Tacsol
20210524_131301.jpg
As to the auto bolt question I shoot a lot more thru my bolt it's quieter (no port pop) and doesn't blow crap in the action.
 
greyling22 said:
Hanson Brothers is a pretty good shop too.
Click to expand...

Yes, they are. Very solid. I send lots of our customers to Chris for adapters, muzzle devices, etc.

I just recommended SS because they make it easy and painless for first time buyers. I wish I were set up with them for that reason, but I just can't make cans fast enough right now, would be perpetually out of stock.

milemaker13 said:
I will also need a host weapon. I don't have anything with a threaded barrel. The cost of both a suppressor and weapon is making me consider the internally suppressed rifles like the tac sol x ring @$1200.
What does everybody think about them?
Alternately, what is a good rifle and pistol for the dead air mask?
Click to expand...

That's a lot of money for a rimfire. My centerfire integrals aren't much more than that.

As well, integral semi auto .22s are kinda dumb. If you want a "one-stamp" short suppressed rifle , they have merit, but unless it has a short enough barrel to keep bulk pack stuff subsonic (<5") that's the only benefit. You still have port noise with an autoloader, so the integrals won't be any quieter than a standard rifle with a good muzzle mounted can.

Manual actions are a different story, though. My demo integral .22, an old Western Field model 45 with a 10" ported barrel and 10" worth of suppressor, is quieter than a BB gun with subsonic ammo. 104.9 dB. It's one of those where you have to be selective about the backstop to appreciate just how quiet it is, because bullets hitting things is a sound you can't get rid of.

milemaker13 said:
Ok i agree with that logic. I have a buckmark camper, no threaded barrel. Would that just require a barrel swap?
Whats it cost to get a rifle barrel threaded? Would you choose a semi auto rifle or bolt action as a host?
Click to expand...

There are threading solutions for most hosts. We do lots that people were told "can't be threaded".

Sometimes it's better to buy a separate threaded barrel if it's available, sometimes not. Largely depends on if you want the option to switch out to an unthreaded barrel for carry, etc.

Cost of barrel threading is highly variable, depends on what it is and what you actually take to the Smith. You're gonna pay more if you drop off a whole rifle with scope than a stripped barreled action or loose barrel.
 
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@milemaker13, as I own exactly one NFA item, my Dead Air Mask, take my advice as being worth what you've paid for it. With that said, I would skip getting something integrally suppressed. Unless I was really, really sure that an integrally suppressed .22 was exactly what I wanted, I'd skip it. If it's not exactly what you want, you're stuck with it until you can sell it, and selling it is complicated by the suppressor. OTOH, if you buy the suppressor and host separately, but decide you don't care for the host, you can just sell that like any other firearm, keep the suppressor and move it to a new host.

My DAM fits 4 different .22s that I own, one pistol and three rifles. If I feel like shooting a suppressed bolt gun from the bench, so be it. If I feel like shooting the 22/45 Lite suppressed, cool. Were I to decide that I don't want one of those hosts any more, I could sell it off without worrying about selling the suppressor. (I don't see that happening, because I'm pretty happy with my .22 collection, but I "could," you know, theoretically, sell one of them ....)

Now here's the downside: I won't buy a .22 without a threaded barrel any more. Or at least without an eye to threading it. There are just too many good options that do have threaded barrels. You may wind up with the same problem.

I'll also add: For a bolt gun, I really like the Ruger American Rimfire. I have an admitted soft spot for Rugers and I've had a 10/22 for about 40 years. Part of the reason I chose the RAR was so that I could share magazines between the two, but they (RARs) really are nice rifles. In my limited experience, the 10/22 is always louder, just because of bolt noise. With that said, if you're really not right up against your neighbors and using this for pest control, a suppressed 10/22 might suit your needs better. You'd really be accepting some bolt noise in return for faster follow up shots.
 
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I appreciate all your comments. Obviously I'm kicking thru the initial questions everyone has. Should change the title to " talk me thru my first suppressor "
 
milemaker13 said:
I appreciate all your comments. Obviously I'm kicking thru the initial questions everyone has. Should change the title to " talk me thru my first suppressor "
Click to expand...

There are lots of questions when starting down the nfa rabbit hole. We have all been there. Financially, I wasn't in a position to do so, but I wish I had bought suppressors a decade before I finally did so, and I wish I had heeded the advice to buy 3 suppressors all at once the first time. I've spent pretty much the last 5 years waiting on the atf to process 1 stamp or another. I should have just bought a 22 can, a 30 cal can, and a 9 or 45 pistol can that will also fit on a carbine. Then I only would have had to wait 1 time. Hopefully I can stop at 5 stamps, but the 5th hasn't come in yet, and I'm already thinking about #6…........
 
milemaker13 said:
Interesting... wouldn't have figured to try that on my own.. just block the slide closed huh? Think that'd work on the browning buckmark ?
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Absolutely I do it with my buckmark and Taurus TX22

ETA
As a historical note there was a modified Smith model 39 that Seals used in Vietnam that had a slide lock that held the slide closed specifically for this purpose.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/smith-wesson-s-model-39-hush-puppy-a-sidearm-for-the-seals/
 
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My first suppressor was a Silencerco Sparrow 2. It performs well. Out of a CZ bolt action, all you hear is the firing pin hit and the round impact. I didn't use Silencer Shop for that purchase, but I have for others and it is as easy as advertised. I hear Silencer Central is trying to do the same thing, but I am not familiar with them.

I have another dealer I have bought suppressors with. He does the paperwork himself and is easy to deal with. Even if you don't buy through Silencer Shop, if you have an account and scanned fingerprints on file with them, you can buy finger print cards from them which saves a lot of effort. Otherwise, I have gotten them done at the local police department for $10.

IMO, the most important thing for a first suppressor is to find a good dealer you like that will walk you through the process and set up the paperwork for you. If they use outfits like Silencer Shop, even better.
 
I bought a DeadAir Mask through the Silencer Shop, as my first suppressor. Their process is easy, everything electronic, and they file for you and make payment to the BATFE for your tax stamp as part of their process. Just recieved it, 7.5 months after BATFE cashed my check and 9 months after I placed the order last November. I would recommend both the Mask as a .22 suppressor, and the Silencer shop as a vendor.

Beware. a .22 suppressor is a gateway drug. My Rugged Obsidian 9 has just had it's Tax Stamp check cashed. Bonus is, since Silencer shop has my photo and prints on file, the process was even easier the second time around.
 
When it comes to any suppressor, remember that the transfer tax and dealer's fees are the same whether you are buying the latest high-tech can or a pipe with a few washers welded in it. So you're better off to buy the best available.

The other thing to seriously consider is precisely what you want. In .22, especially, there are makers who will cheerfully sell you a can rated for full-auto, or .22 Magnum/5.7x28. But it comes at a price, especially weight. On a pistol, especially, you want light.
 
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