Re: 22lr supressor options
I posted this on another site earlier this AM. Not sure if it will help here or not, but here are some of my pre-coffee ramblings to a guy thinking about getting an integrally suppressed pistol...
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I agree that a thread-mounted 22lr suppressor makes more sense, especially for the first-time buyer. If you already owned a thread-mount suppressor or two, I wouldn't hold you back from an integral. Integrals can be nice to have in certain configurations and there are some potential benefits. For example, most integrals don't look like suppressed weapons from outward appearance. Some people like that. Also, an integral is usually shorter in length than a host with a thread-mounted suppressor.
Still, I like the versatility of thread-mounted suppressors.
I like the SilencerCo 22Sparrow, AAC Element and SWR Spectre the best out of everything I've ever tried and I've had my hands on most (if not all) quality/top tier .22lr suppressors. All three are full-auto rated.
The 22Sparrow is super easy to take apart and does not require special tools to do so or to put back together. It can sound very slightly louder than a Spectre and Element on short barrel hosts (pistols) and have a bit more noticeable first round pop on those same shorter barrel hosts. But the difference is pretty minor and is host & ammo dependent. It weighs the same as the Element but is about as long as the Spectre. It is all aluminum except for the threads, which are SS.
The Spectre is the heaviest of the bunch at ~8.9 oz. On rifles you won't notice. On light-weight short handguns you will notice. Some folks are bothered by it; some aren't. It is built like a tank. I have literally driven 16 penny nails into boards with one. It is all SS. It comes with a small spanner wrench to help remove the end caps. I've only had to use this when the suppressor was very dirty. It now comes packaged with a baffle pusher tool (used to be an option) to help remove the core. I don't like the tool and never used one on my Spectre for fear of putting too much stress on the threads of the tube (the serial numbered part). I never had problems tapping out the core with a wooden dowel. YMMV.
The Element is the shortest of the bunch and quietest (by a little bit) on short handguns. On rifles I don't think you will tell any sound difference between these three. The Element also has a pusher tool that I do not own for my personal Element for the same reasons I don't like the Spectre tool. You MUST have the special take apart/re-assembly tool to take this apart and put it back together! Tools comes with the suppressor. There is no knurled section on the rear cap. The Spectre and 22Sparrow have a knurled rear cap that you can grab when removing from a host. The downside to not having it on the Element is that I have sometimes loosened the end cap from the tube body when trying to remove the suppressor from a host. Why is this bad? The baffles have alignment tabs that interface with that rear cap. Get the tabs out of line and you have to take the entire suppressor apart and put back together. If you are at the range and without the special tool, guess who is done shooting the Element for that day? Been there, done that.
Hope this helps. Sorry for the pre-coffee ramblings.
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