barrel length/suppresion

[Potsy]

So my TBAC .22 Takedown showed up at my FFL the other day. FFL is also my range, so I had a chance to shoot with it.
First of all, I have a centerfire can and love it, but this .22 can is soooo cool. Love it. Don't know why I waited so long.

I had it on my 20" T1X shooting Eley Target. I had bought the 20" because in the store, it was just a way better balancing (to me) rifle than the 16" model.
The noise coming back from the 50 yard plates was WAY louder than the rifle going off (it seemed most of the noise was the firing pin dropping). Impact shift was around 1" or so low and left. Accuracy was pretty much the same as always ( .6" ish), but I wasn't trying real hard.

My question is this; now that I have a suppressor on the end of it, I'm contemplating getting the barrel cut back to 16.5" or so. Will a 16.5" barrel, suppressed, with subsonic ammo, be any (or at least appreciably) louder than a 20" barrel, suppressed?

As far as the aforementioned balance, I can add a little weight to the front of the stock.

Thanks for any incoming replies!

 

[jhoyda]

No. In fact it will likely be quieter because the rounds are less likely to flirt with the speed of sound.

 

[021411]

Ever shot a 22LR pistol with the slide held in place with a suppressor and subsonic ammo? It’s like a staple gun. Quiet. My suppressed 20” is super quiet as well. I have a Mask.

 

[renaissanceman]

No. In fact it will likely be quieter because the rounds are less likely to flirt with the speed of sound.

You'll actually get a velocity increase going from 20" to 16.5".

 

[obx22]

It will be quieter due to the way suppressors work, ie. gas turbulence. Since the gas will be at a slightly higher pressure than in the longer barrel, the suppressor efficiency will be slightly improved.
As for cutting the barrel, why? You may actually ruin the accuracy you have.
Just replace the barrel with a shorter one.

 

[DFOOSKING]

My 16" barrel tacsol barrel on my 10/22 was definitely louder report than my 21" cut down 77/22 barrel.

I would leave it alone if it balances fine. Your not doing CQB with a bolt gun. Being short isn't that much of an advantage on a hunting rimfire.

 

[Big Phish]

I am a firm believer that the longer the barrel the quieter it will be. I have a Q Erector and Rugged Oculus that I recently purchased a CZ Jaguar barrel for shit n giggles just to see if there's difference in noise levels. You betcha it is stupid quiet but with the right ammo the 16" is quiet enough too. I like the 16-18" range because its much easier to handle but the Jaguar barrel is here to stay on the rifle.

 

[DFOOSKING]

People often worry is it quiet when their only metric is how it sounds at the gun.

When it is probably way more apt to know what it sounds like at the target or 50-100yds around the gun. As that is likely where the thing(s) that's gonna be most offended or concerned about wtf that sound was reside. And even if they most certainly heard it....does it's brain connect that to gunfire?

Jimmy B. Cottontail sitting there in the backyard eating the bark off freshly planted saplings instantly took one to the dome. He didn't hear shit....he was dead before the soundwave got to him. But what did his girlfriend two shrubs over hear? And what about 78yr old Mrs. Johnson next door who's outside gardening? She has the radio on the deck cranking NPR to 11. She mostly heard a low to medium *thwap* sound followed by a long *whisp* and another low *thwap* as Jimmy and Joanie Cottontail were taking the train ride.

Often it's the impact not the report that gives you away or alarms others. Or worse, the ricochet after the bullet passes through and skips. So a spearing bullet can be quieter and depending on shot placement and target size....just as lethal as a fully expanded hollow point. Given the option...I'd prefer expansion because that thwap sound is so satisfying and you know its way more effective terminally.

Besides, I never operate in non permissive environments. Scouts promise.

The environment matters too. An open field versus an enclosed yard versus the inside of a building all have dramatically different sound levels.

Point being. What you hear....and what they hear....isn't necessarily the same. And doing things like masking your movement/exposure and using the noise already in the environment can often deceive ears that can get offended or alarmed. When they have no reason to believe a firearm is operating in the immediate environment....they can hear a thing and not put 2+2 together. Loud or not.

So fretting is it the quietest (although a great goal) might not be as important as you think. Often your gun is quiet as a church mouse but you yourself is a lumbering oaf stepping on every fallen branch and tripping over every log in the glade. Every pest in 2 city blocks heard you coming. You know your quiet when you drill one critter and his buddy runs 20yds straight towards you thinking he's getting to cover.

 

[HPIguy]

If it shoots good and balances well, leave it alone. Besides, the 20s look better anyway.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Took my 16 inch tx1 out today with the takedown 22 and wasn’t all that impressed.
Way quieter thru my 2 in mark iv.
Hope my charger im building with 6 inch barrel will be quite.

 

[HPIguy]

Took my 16 inch tx1 out today with the takedown 22 and wasn’t all that impressed.
Way quieter thru my 2 in mark iv.
Hope my charger im building with 6 inch barrel will be quite.

What ammo were you using in the Tikka? Mine is ridiculously quiet suppressed.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Cci sv
I’m sure that’s we why.
Love some recommendations

 

[HPIguy]

Cci sv
I’m sure that’s we why.
Love some recommendations

Was it pretty warm that day? Here locally, my CCI SV generally stays subsonic. But when I go to south GA at low elevation in warmer weather it will break the sound barrier and produce the telltale sonic crack.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

mid 70s

 

[plt228]

My daughter has a 16” T1 shooting SK Match with a OSS Rad22. It’s ridiculously quiet. We had to put the kestrel shot timer right next to it to pick up her shots. This was at Altus temps in the 70s. I’ve got a 20” T1 but waiting for the ATF to sign off on my KGM22 before I can test it out.

 

[HPIguy]

mid 70s

Weird, I'd run them across a chrony and see what the MV is on them.

 

[CountryShooter]

I got a 20" T1X. Then a 22TD. Wanted the handiness of a 16" barrel. Sent barreled action to Class 3 Machining. They received an empty cardboard tube. UPS bought me a new rifle and I chose a 16" version. Much happier with it. If you perceive a longer barrel as quieter, I speculate it's because the muzzle is further from your ears. Is it quieter to an observer a few feet away?

 

[P35]

My question is this; now that I have a suppressor on the end of it, I'm contemplating getting the barrel cut back to 16.5" or so. Will a 16.5" barrel, suppressed, with subsonic ammo, be any (or at least appreciably) louder than a 20" barrel, suppressed?

Thanks for any incoming replies!

If you notice any difference in noise it would most likely be from breaking the sound barrier from the shorter barrel. While I don't have a 16.5" I shoot both a 20"and an 18" with a Sparrow and a Mask. While the Mask is quieter to the ear than the Sparrow there doesn't seem to be any difference in what my ear hears between the two rifles. Velocity of the 18" is usually faster, but only by a few FPS. Here are two examples of some Lapua Center-X shot out of both rifles with the same suppressor (Mask) and same lot number Lapua. I'm going to guess that most powder is burned by about 11-12 inches in the barrel so I would think a shorter barrel would increase the FPS also. Both rifles are B14Rs, one in the HMR stock and the 20" is the Bergara 20" barreled action from A and J.

First the 18"

Now the 20"

 

[obx22]

Has anyone tried testing with an SPL app on their smartphone? You might be surprised, both at the shooter as well as the muzzle.

 

[RTH1800]

I did not read all the replies.

In my experience the answer is: It depends.

Some 22 RF barrels are simply faster than others. Many are fastest at about 16-17" depending on ammo of course.

If your barrel/ammo combination is close to sound barrier in your environment you may push it over the edge and get a HUGE increase in noise.

Don't ask how I know.

If you like your present accuracy and sound level I think it not worth the risk as you could lose either or both,

 

[Cody S]

it's all about balance. the velocity difference will be negligible and could go either way. same for accuracy, mostly depends on your specific barrel blank and who does your new crown.
the sound will also be absolutely negligible. 22lr subsonic with a can is quiet enough imho. even my 22/45 mark 4 is plenty quiet enough with standard velocity and even some "supersonic" ammo because of its 4" ish barrel

 

[beetroot]

I bought a 16" T1x and in hindsight wish I'd gotten the 20".
The 16" barrel is just too short to try balance the rifle and you end up needing to go out of your way to stack as many weights out front as possible.

I've also suffered from the rifle struggling with long range performance due to vertical spread.
From the research I've done I'm fairly certain the short barrel is resulting in higher ES than would be expected and past 150 yards the accuracy really drops off regardless of what ammo I try.

A 20"+ suppressor will be similar length to most centrefires and with a bit of practice shouldn't cause any problems.

 

[beetroot]

I did not read all the replies.

In my experience the answer is: It depends.

Some 22 RF barrels are simply faster than others. Many are fastest at about 16-17" depending on ammo of course.

If your barrel/ammo combination is close to sound barrier in your environment you may push it over the edge and get a HUGE increase in noise.

Don't ask how I know.

If you like your present accuracy and sound level I think it not worth the risk as you could lose either or both,

I can attest to this, my 16" T1x is often flirting with the sound barrier and it's generally not as quiet as it could be.
I recently started shooting my 14" 22lr again and with the same suppressor the short barrel is definitely quieter.