Re: .22LR Suppressor. Which One?
I think the three best .22lr silencers on the market are the SilencerCo 22Sparrow, AAC Element and SWR Spectre. I've tried the vast majority of current production .22 suppressors and find these to be "best of breed" for sound reduction, ease of cleaning, size, weight (more on this in a minute), construction and custom service of the manufacturer.
Of these the Spectre is certainly the heavy weight at 8.7oz. It is built like a tank. On a rifle you won't notice the weight. On a light weight handgun you'll notice and may be bothered by it. I mostly run the 22Sparrow on my light weight handguns.
I do not like or use the Spectre and Element "pusher" tools to remove the baffle cores. I am worried about putting stress on the tube's threads. In my opinion (and experience) if the core is too stuck to remove by taping with a wooden dowel and light rubber mallet then I am better off soaking the suppressors until the "gunk" is loosened up.
My 22Sparrow is serial number 0002. I guess you could call me an early adopter.
The way I used to do business was buy one of everything that came out. If I liked it, I stocked it. If it wasn't something I'd buy for myself, I'd pass. The 22Sparrow I own is the original aluminum version. On a 22/45 with PacLite the 22Sparrow is the loudest of the three suppressors but not by much. Spectre is next and the Element is the quietest. On a rifle the Spectre and 22Sparrow sound a bit quieter than the Element. But the sound is VERY close on all these. So close that when I used to demo these three products people always picked the one with the features that best suited them instead of just basing the decision on sound.
I could write a LOT more on these three products but instead will just leave it at that. If you want more specific info or pictures, let me know and I'll do what I can to help.
