• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Suppressors TBAC Takedown 22, AAC Element 2, Dead Air Mask 22......?

demolitionman

demolitionman

Send’r Bud
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 26, 2013
1,366
645
Midwest
Thunder Beast 22 Takedown, Advanced Armament Element 2, and Dead Air Mask suppressors all share a similiar baffle stack style design correct? I'm about to make my first 22 Long rifle only suppressor purchase. It will mainly be used on my bolt action 22's. I am concerned about a first round "pop" and that's why I'm looking more into the baffle stack designed ones. Am I missing any other excellent options? It's looking like a long wait for them so I figured it wouldn't hurt to place a thread on here to get some input.

I've got two local shops that deal Sig and AAC. Another deals with Silencerco and stocks the Sparrow but I think that's a mono core design so I'm not sure that's what I'm after. Does anyone have any opinions on which brand you would steer me for a 22lr only suppressor? I think I want something that is more durable than lightweight and certainly easy to clean. 1/2x28 thread and from what I understand direct thread is the best way to go for accuracy. I've been shooting 300 rounds of 22 a week and if I keep waiting to buy a suppressor I never will. Now is the time, I just want to do it somewhat informed. You guys actually use them so any thoughts or things I might not know as I've never had any NFA items please chime in!
 
I shoot 2- 22lr only suppressors. I like the TBAC Take down.
The other is a Surefire-- RYDER Not that it's bad,...., but I am very happy with the costumer service at TBAC. That keeps me going back.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tinman44 and nikonNUT
Mask and Thunderbeast are all titanium and SS construction, click cup designs without FRP. Ryder only has a SS "backplate" and the rest of it is aluminum, not good choices of materials for a can. Alum limits your cleaning options (no ultrasonic), is easier to dent/deform, brittle, corrodes easier. Plus side of alum is it easier to machine and is lighter.

AAC has been sliding downhill ever since Freedom group took over and the original members bailed out. Customer service is a joke and if you are lucky to find parts (like the piston you need) grab it. Have a couple AAC cans, they work good (Ti-Rants) but AAC lost any future business with me over customer service issues that took literally over a year to resolve. Keep in mind remington just filed for bankruptcy.

Stick with the Mask or Takedown, those were the 2 choices I had narrowed it down to on my last 22 can. Mask went on sale so that made the choice easy. Only other can I'd reccomend is a sico spectreII, but it is longer and I think heavier than the other two. Sparrow is a monocore, I hate cleaning it and would not buy it again if I could go back in time, it does have FRP and is a pita to take apart and re-assemble.
 
Either the mask or thunder beast are top dogs. Just pick one, excellent designs.
 
I like TBAC cans for rifles. Because the cans are top notch, repeatable and customer service is OUTSTANDING. I went with Dead Air for my pistol can though because TBAC don't make them. I really believe you can't go wrong with either company. Both are excellent and take care of their customers.
 
I got 2 sparrows, love them, very quiet less noise than a daisy red rider.
About 2 mils of water shake out excess kills first round pop and its not much of a pop anyway.
Some of the guys use gel it stays till needed, I'm not shure how much.
They come apart for cleaning.

Would buy more sparrows.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: demolitionman and 308sako
Have the Liberty Regulator. A real nice can. My next will either be the Mask or the Q El Camino....
 
I hear great things about the Dead Air cans, but I am very partial to TBAC. I have the 22L-1, which is a full titanium construct, and it just works so well. I have to imagine the takedown is awesome, and from what I hear, it is.
 
Element 2 is a great can and I have no regrets buying it, but it is missing some features that the newer cans offer. The take-down requires a tool/pusher and the baffles don't "seal" off the inside of the tube like the other two options do making it a bit harder to clean. Performance wise, it is still right up there, and has virtually no FRP at all. Have shot it side by side with the Mask and there is essentially no difference to my ears. I have no experience with the TBAC so have no input on that one.

Like I said, I don't regret my purchase at all but if the Mask was an option when I bought mine, I probably would've went that route. Also, as stated above AAC seems to be slipping downhill faster and faster, so that could be a consideration as well. I have two AACs, a Cyclone and the Element 2, and have absolutely no complaints with them but I haven't needed any CS of any sort. Today, with the many options available, unless it was a smoking deal, I would probably look elsewhere.
 
  • Like
Reactions: demolitionman
I picked up a Dead Air Mask and have been very pleased with it. It has seen action on both LR and 22Mag. I was surprised in the difference of dB rating from the Mask to my monolithic rimfire can. The stacked baffle design is noticeably quieter. Although I have not shot the TBAC Takedown but knowing the design is similar to the Mask, the Takdown would be an excellent choice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FuhQ, HansohnBrothers and demolitionman
Bought a takedown when they came out, love it. Being a dealer I’ve played with a lot of them and while the mask is good, it’s not as good as the tbac. Only can that I’ve found that compares to tbac is the rugged oculus I can’t tell the difference between the two sound wise but the oculus is modular and can turn into an itty bitty which is a lot of fun on a Walther p22 and eley contact ammunition
 
  • Like
Reactions: George from Alaska, alaskalanche, demolitionman and 1 other person
My 1st 22RF can was a SWR (Silencerco bought them out) Spectre II, which has been excellent on my precision 22RF bolt repeaters. After a year of shooting three different rifles with the Spectre II, I couldn't be happier with it. It's heavier than all aluminum RF cans, but I've seen no POI shift with it vs w/o it on the sendero contour bbls on my 40X/40XB repeaters, and it's durable enough to be rated for the 5.7x28 CF round.

As good as the Spectre has been, I'm a TBAC fanboy, with three of their 30 cal CF cans, and just couldn't resist the temptation to try a 22TD. The stamp for it came in a couple of months ago, and I've been running it on a V-22 repeater. Don't have a sound meter to use in comparing the Spectre II & 22TD, but my impression is that they're very close - but then all I run through my custom bbls is match grade std vel ammo, which is pretty quiet anyway. Accuracy with both these cans has been excellent - I run them in matches, and if there was even the slightest negative effect on accuracy, I'd leave them at home. Bottom line - these are the only 22RF cans I've ever used, and as satisfied as I am with them both, it's highly unlikely I'll ever try anything else, even if suppressors were to be removed from the NFA list and were available w/o the wait on a stamp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: demolitionman
TBAC 22 Take Down by a mile... I have 17 suppressors, of which 6 are rimfire, and the the TBAC 22 Take Down is the FIRST, aside from a Gemtech HMR($550 in 2010 plus $200 for the stamp, long since discontinued, and .17 HMR specific) that I felt was money INVESTED versus spent. FWIW & IMHO...

Regards, Matt.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cheeseburger1976 and demolitionman
Been using Liberty .22 cans. Get a Regulator and be done with it, seriously. Almost no FRP (NO FRP with 1cc of water) and makes almost no sound. Spooky quiet. Light and no tools required for takedown anymore. Only four parts IIRC. Baffle is monocore and it works damn fine and the stack never gets out of tolerance. It also doesn't require cleaning near as much as some of the others, you can go a few hundred rounds or more before needing to clean it.

It's better than the Essence, which costs almost twice as much too. Essence is a bit lighter, but not much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: George from Alaska
To add a slightly different spin to my recommendation, I would say buy the can based on the company. If you are looking at the TBAC, Spectre 2, Rugged Oculus, and Dead Air Mask, they are all really nice and quiet. They can all come apart easily and clean up well. You mentioned one company in your question that I would avoid and that's just based off the simple fact that it's tough to get good customer support from a company that has a solid chance of going out of business.
 
Depending on how much you shoot, you may be taking it apart a lot. I have a gen 1 element and the gen 2 doesn't look any better. These cans are a PITA to take apart for cleaning. With aac gone tits up, drop them from your choices..

I have a SS Sparrow also, great can.
 
I have shot the Mask and it sounded great. When I went down this road I narrowed it down to the Mask and the TBAC.

Ultimately I went TBAC because of a great sale. I wouldn’t have worried about getting either of them though.

Pick whatever you can get cheaper and buy it.
 
I went with a TBAC 22-TD just because I know TBAC makes solid stuff and I didn't want to overthink it.
 
NateVA said:
I went with a TBAC 22-TD just because I know TBAC makes solid stuff and I didn't want to overthink it.
Click to expand...

Good call! TBAC is top shelf stuff.

I own a few 22 cans and have shot a bunch more. The differences in actual use are fairly minimal. Even first round pop is over hyped compared to what you hear in person.
 
I am going to go with the TBAC takedown as well once silencershop gets them back in stock. Its be nice for that to happen soon. Got my trust done a few weeks ago and they've been out of stock.
 
I went to the only Thunder Beast dealer inside a 3 hour drive. They had a TOMB Ultra 9 (which I started paperwork on), but sold their last Takedown 22 last week. I ordered another Takedown 22 from them, now the wait begins.
 
Tested a few Rimfire cans the other day with some buddies, nothing scientific. All fired from same host weapon and same ammo.

Listed from loudest to quietest in relation to each other….

TacSol Ascent
Rugged Occulus
Q Erector
Q El Camino
TBAC Takedown 22
Dead Air Mask HD

The thunder beast was very close to the Mask but the Mask was definitely quieter to those present at the "testing".

FWIW.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Trent A, FuhQ and demolitionman
Freebore221 said:
Tested a few Rimfire cans the other day with some buddies, nothing scientific. All fired from same host weapon and same ammo.

Listed from loudest to quietest in relation to each other….

TacSol Ascent
Rugged Occulus
Q Erector
Q El Camino
TBAC Takedown 22
Dead Air Mask HD

The thunder beast was very close to the Mask but the Mask was definitely quieter to those present at the "testing".

FWIW.
Click to expand...
Nice, I figured the erector would be up there higher on the list as far as being quiet. Youtube videos I've seen makes it seem super quiet. I'll still stick with TBAC when it comes down to it though.
 
I'm suprised the TD was above the Mask. They are almost identical in design. I have 2 Dead Air cans. The mask has a nice low tone, which I think helps your ears perceive better performance. I do think the TD/Mask are the best designs on the market currently.

When shooting with a can, having a low tone is very pleasant. I shoot with a guy that has one with holes in/near the front as a brake ??? Hurts my ficing ears bad if I am on the line next to him. Nothing like shooting a match with your whole group using cans....and that one guy has to blow your ears out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: demolitionman and HansohnBrothers
Just paid for a TBAC Takedown 22.

Originally thought I wanted a SiCo Sparrow. Then i talked to a coworker who used to work in the shop (we are both machinists). That changed my mind.

After that thought i wanted a Q El Camino. Reading through a lot of things here on snipershide in multiple different forums, I dont want a q product. They seem well designed but I would rather support others.

From all that I've seen @Zak Smith , @TBACRAY and any others that I missed, you have a great company to be proud of. Your customers support you and you support us and there is earned mutual respect. What more could we ask for? I wish we could get that from more companies.
 
Mask and TB takedown were my two picks. Went with the Mask and couldnt be happier. Will probably get a TB later as well as they both are excellent cans. Either one would be a great choice.
 
I have most of the ones discussed except for ThunderBeast, which I will probably pick up when I order my .338 TBC suppressor.
The Liberty Regulator is a very quiet, light monocore can. Because it is a monocore I think they made it a bit longer than some of the baffle stack ones but it works... Liberty is the only company I will buy big monocores from, they have it figured out. The Mystic X and the Cosmic multi-cans are very nice. I think the Cosmic is quieter than my Rugged Obsidian and the Obsidian is pretty damn quiet! I see Liberty is making a short baffled .22 can now but the numbers show it to be quite a bit louder than their own Regulator. I believe Liberty made the new can for the complainers who can't ever seem to get their cans apart. They probably shoot too much between cleanings and maybe don't shoot wet which helps taking things apart, or they don't own strap wrenches or don't have hand strength. I always shoot .22 cans wet with RemOil and get no frp. My Mask is very quiet, easy to take apart, almost impossible to reassemble the baffles wrong and is a nice size.. and built like a tank. Rugged Occulus.. fantastic can, modular, built like a tank. It's impressive when shot in short mode and wet on a pistol... add the extension and it's fairly amazing. The AAC Element II was the .22 can to rule all 22 cans for years. You can now find them on sale for about half price I believe because they are probably going to drop it in favor of their new modular .22 can. I have had great customer service from AAC but you have to work around Remington who answers the AAC phone unless you listen to the menu choices and select tech support or broken stuff... then you get an actual AAC guy at the AAC plant. Much faster to do that than by going through Remington. The Sparrow was one of the first monocores out there.... they are nice but louder than anything else I've listed, really need to be shot wet in order to compare to some of the others shot dry...
 
PD DUMPER said:
I shoot 2- 22lr only suppressors. I like the TBAC Take down.
The other is a Surefire-- RYDER Not that it's bad,...., but I am very happy with the costumer service at TBAC. That keeps me going back.
Click to expand...
well if you have to experience the customer service, then the product might be lacking
 
Ep1985 said:
Nice, I figured the erector would be up there higher on the list as far as being quiet. Youtube videos I've seen makes it seem super quiet. I'll still stick with TBAC when it comes down to it though.
Click to expand...
erector is goofy. people won't buy it just for the ugly factor just like the rainbow PVD coated Hydra SS from CGS
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ep1985
Bumcity206 said:
well if you have to experience the customer service, then the product might be lacking
Click to expand...
Nice Necro revival.

You haven't been here long. There is much more to customer service than having to send something back. There is also customer service on helping you make a decision or helping you figure out where something is in stock. There is also being able to ask questions about suppressor design or what does this product look like after hundreds of thousands of rounds. Or how does this product actually meter or about the science of metering. Or how do you recommend cleaning it or this thing is acting weird, is it me type questions. You get straight answers from the people that know not some dumb kid that is hired to answer the phones and knows nothing.

That is the customer service provided by @Zak Smith @TBACRAY and others from Thunderbeast. Also check out this YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjlL0yKZhVsJgzEpPTMcqTg

Where else do you get somebody testing bolt drop sounds on a meter in response to a question?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Trent A, shax2lex and HansohnBrothers
LeftyJason said:
Nice Necro revival.

You haven't been here long. There is much more to customer service than having to send something back. There is also customer service on helping you make a decision or helping you figure out where something is in stock. There is also being able to ask questions about suppressor design or what does this product look like after hundreds of thousands of rounds. Or how does this product actually meter or about the science of metering. Or how do you recommend cleaning it or this thing is acting weird, is it me type questions. You get straight answers from the people that know not some dumb kid that is hired to answer the phones and knows nothing.

That is the customer service provided by @Zak Smith @TBACRAY and others from Thunderbeast. Also check out this YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjlL0yKZhVsJgzEpPTMcqTg

Where else do you get somebody testing bolt drop sounds on a meter in response to a question?
Click to expand...

Exactly. TBAC's customer and dealer support is fantastic.
 
I like the energetic armament Nyx,
titanium so it can be cleaned like you couldn’t do to aluminum but still very light weight compared to stainless steel.
they have a modular (mod 2) and non modular version.
i have one in jail.
it seems like most the reputable 22 cans perform very similar, so for me it came down to materials/weight/modularity.

tbac takedown - 6 oz
dead air mask - 6.6 oz
EA Nyx mod 2 - 4.2 oz (full config), 2.5 oz (short config)
 
Last edited:
thorium said:
I like the energetic armament Nyx,
titanium so it can be cleaned like you couldn’t do to aluminum but still very light weight compared to stainless steel.
they have a modular (mod 2) and non modular version.
i have one in jail.
it seems like most the reputable 22 cans perform very similar, so for me it came down to materials/weight/modularity.

tbac takedown - 6 oz
dead air mask - 6.6 oz
EA Nyx mod 2 - 4.2 oz (full config), 2.5 oz (short config)
Click to expand...
Old post, I know. Just wondering what your thoughts are these days on the NYX Mod 2. Still glad you got it? I’m torn between several, including the TBAC and Mask. The modularity and weight seem interesting, but I know nothing about the company.
 
Guns&WhiteWater said:
Old post, I know. Just wondering what your thoughts are these days on the NYX Mod 2. Still glad you got it? I’m torn between several, including the TBAC and Mask. The modularity and weight seem interesting, but I know nothing about the company.
Click to expand...
Good company, recently expanded. Super customer support and really well engineered designs. I'm a fan and use the Mod2 on my personal 17HMR FWIW.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Guns&WhiteWater
Guns&WhiteWater said:
Old post, I know. Just wondering what your thoughts are these days on the NYX Mod 2. Still glad you got it? I’m torn between several, including the TBAC and Mask. The modularity and weight seem interesting, but I know nothing about the company.
Click to expand...
Get the Mask HD, you won't regret it. One of the best (IMO the best) rimfire cans on the market. No need for fancy modular baffles, and crap like that. It is what it is, it works amazing, no FRP, the baffle design is super efficient, and it's 17-4 mounts and baffles for ultrasonic cleaning (clean the tube by hand). It's super strong and sounds amazing on my .22 pistols and rifles, and my .17 HMR. It's also one of (if not THE) quietest rimfire can on the market. Plus, we all know Dead Air takes care of their customers. 👍🏼
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

NinjasHide
In search of 1.375x24 (1 3/8x24 tpi) front end cap in 7.62 (.30 cal) (SOLVED!!!!)
Replies
11
Views
1K
NinjasHide
NinjasHide
Arc Light
Suppressors Dead Air Suppressor Quality
Replies
251
Views
14K
CMP70306
C
Trent A
Suppressors TBAC 338 Ultra G2 SR vs DA Sandman L
Replies
31
Views
601
FuhQ
FuhQ
U
Dead Air Nomad Ti Severe Failure
Replies
101
Views
6K
JR1200W3
JR1200W3
GRIFFIN_ARMAMENT
Suppressors Introducing The Griffin Armament M4SD-L!
Replies
1
Views
694
BuildingConceptsllc
BuildingConceptsllc
Top Bottom
Back