Suppressors ? For anyone who's shot 22lr through a 9mm suppressor...

[AK4900PA]

I've been saving my pennies for a bit to purchase a Griffin Revolution 9 which will be used primarily on a SBR'd 22lr AR-15 and 9mm pistols with occasional use on my wife's 300blk Handi Rifle. I got an email from silencer shop the other day about the promotion that Q is running and it has me seriously considering adding a Q El Camino to my order.

For anyone who has used a 9mm pistol can to shoot 22lr, is there a significant enough difference in volume/tone/frp to justify spending another $600 for a dedicated 22 suppressor?

 

[Gasgun]

A 9mm can will suppress .22lr well just by virtue of its volume.

The issues are that the 9mm suppressor is huge and heavy compared to a dedicated.22 suppressor and.22 is filthy.

The first time you try to clean all of the powder residue and lead spatter out of your 9mm can after shooting .22 through it, you will be wishing you had bought a dedicated.22 suppressor. Especially if your 9mm can has a booster.

I have no first hand experience with the El Camino, but I'm sure anything designed by Kevin Brittingham is going to be a top performer.

 

[AK4900PA]

Considering I have zero interest in 22 pistols the extra 5.4oz is a minor concern. My main concern is overall db reduction, frp and tone. I'm wondering if there is a significant enough difference between the El Camino and the Rev9 with .22 end cap to justify the expense. From all the videos I've watched the El Camino sounds great and meters very well, but I haven't found much actual data on rimfire through a pistol can.

 

[Yondering]

A 9mm can will suppress .22lr well just by virtue of its volume.

The issues are that the 9mm suppressor is huge and heavy compared to a dedicated.22 suppressor and.22 is filthy.

These two lines right here are spot on. You can have a 3 oz .22 rimfire suppressor, or a 10 oz 9mm suppressor, and the size difference is generally huge.

I have used my Liberty Mystic X on 22 rimfire, and it's noticeably quieter than my Gt Outback II which is a very quiet rimfire suppressor itself. The big downside is that the Mystic is about 3x heavier and 3x bigger.

I would definitely not use 22 rimfire on a sealed 9mm can though.

As a side note, it would be stupid to fire .22 rimfire through a 9mm booster. You don't need the booster for rimfire, and it's guaranteed to foul it up badly to the point that it could cause baffle strikes when you use it on 9mm again. Liberty specifically says it'll void the warranty, and I'd be surprised if most other brands don't have similar disclaimers. Don't do it.

 

[BravoSector1]

Yup, a serviceable .22LR can is highly recommended. You will be amazed at the fouling/lead build up after only 1,000 rounds.

 

[45cal4life]

I have/use a sealed 5.56 rated suppressor that weighs 1 pound, 95% of the time on a 22lr. That 1 pound really adds up when its hanging off the end of a pistol. Rifle not too bad though. Use the ole' DIP cleaning method every several thousand rounds. Not the preferred setup, but it works.

 

[AK4900PA]

The griffin Rev9 is fully serviceable and has a direct thread mount available so cleaning shouldn't be any different than with the rimfire cans. The main deciding factor for me is the sound reduction. The El Camino averages ~114db on a rifle. Best I can tell, I can expect around ~117-120db out of the pistol can. If that's accurate, it's a sufficient enough difference to justify the rimfire can. I'm probably gonna go ahead and order the El Camino on Monday.

 

[kingzero]

I shoot 22 through my Octane 45 and it's stupid quiet. Subs are a blast in a rifle and pistol. It's big on a pistol but I just use it for plinking and the kids love it. I hunt squirrels with it on my 10/22 and the weight isn't even noticeable. I primarily use a fixed barrel adapter because the main host is a 5.5" 9mm SBR, followed by the 22's and then a Glock 17. Cleaning is simple with CLR and a brush.

Only you can decide if the extra expense is worth it.

 

[CompletelyFUBAR]

I can barely tell a difference between my Tirant 9mm and spectre II as far as sound goes. I shot a bunch of 22's through my 9mm can and it worked great but the biggest downside was cleaning it. I was just a total pain to get everything apart and scrubbed clean. that was when i decided a dedicated 22 can was worth the extra money. The lighter weight ans smaller diameter were just nice features. My main concern was how much easier it would be to clean it after i waited too long to take it apart again.

 

[Strykervet]

IMO, the dedicated .22 can is worth it. You don't need to pay $600 for a good one either. The best one I have is a Liberty Regulator, ~6", 1"dia. and takedown with no tools. Monocore with titanium tube. it's so quiet you'll wanna make sure the host is too as it makes the most noise. With 1cc water, no FRP and basically only action noise; almost no FRP otherwise. Regulator is $400 something and is better than the Essence, which used to be one of the best and is still one of the lightest all Ti cans at $600. Liberty basically did with .22 cans what TBAC did with the Ultra --they made a quantum leap in performance compared to the older models. Liberty is my go-to for .22's. Got 3 of 'em, like 'em all. I would like a shorty Sico can though...

9mm can will work, and the large volume generally handles the noise well, but it's awful heavy and big on the end of a .22. Can't get a sight picture at all with a .22 pistol and 9mm can. It's just not fun at all. You'll also put more wear and tear on the 9mm can tearing it apart and cleaning. I have a Mystic X, another Liberty can. It's a multi-use 9mm can. I use it for 9mm only and as such, I wish I'd bought a "dedicated" 9mm can. As it is, I use my Omega 9k for 9mm mostly and the Mystic X just sits now.

If serious about a 9mm multi use can, I'll sell my very little used one if interested. Nothing wrong with it, I just don't need a multi use can and that's where it really shines IMO.

In general, the sound profile of a large bore can on a small bore rifle is deeper, more thumpy rather than the higher pitch you get from similar bores. 5.56/7.62 does this too. In general, it's best to get the can that fits the weapon, or at least a matching endcap if available (like Saker cans).

Can's take forever and cost a lot so it's best to get exactly what you want/need now and not try to "make things work" or you run the risk of doing it all over again with the multi use can just sitting there like me.

 

[biffj]

I can tell you about maintainence on suppressors for 22 vs 9mm and what happens when you use tools for things they weren't intended for.
22LR ammo is really dirty and fouls suppressors pretty bad. 9mm isn't so dirty and a sealed 9mm can will serve you well for years and many many thousands of rounds. Running 22LR through a 9mm can can cause you to damage the can and then you're out money for repairs or replacement. Why use a sledge hammer when you need a tack hammer?
In my experience building and repairing suppressors one of the most common issues requiring repair is from guys shooting 22LR in cans meant for other cals. The buildup of material from the dirty rimfire ammo breaks loose when you fire the proper round through the can and can deflect the bullet so it hits baffles or sometimes even the tube itself. If its just baffles or endcaps its repairable though it can run into some expense. If you ding the tube it can mean a new tube which will require a new tax payment and another year of waiting.
In the 9mm cans I've mostly seen baffle and endcap damage because the 9mm isn't that fast and is harder to deflect. In the 223 and larger cans I've seen a couple that were split by the bullet as it hit baffles and exited the side of the can.
As for sound reduction any larger can is likely to reduce the sound of your 22LR quite a bit but in rifles you'll still have the ballistic crack unless you shoot subsonics. If you're running subs the crap buildup won't be as bad but you also don't need a huge suppressor to quiet them down. Running 223 through a 308 can is fine, 6.5 through a 338 can is fine, running 22LR through a centerfire can makes no sense. Sound reduction isn't the only factor to consider and saving money on a dedicated 22LR can is false economy in the long run.

Frank