Silencerco 22 Sparrow, opinions needed

[acsteele]

New guy to silencers, handled one of these at the local dealer, I really like the way it tears down for cleaning. I plan to use it on a GSG5-PK, an older bolt action Remington, and a Beretta NEOS. Is there anyone with actual experience with one of these? Are you satisfied with the performance, or would you buy something different?

For the same price range, are there any makes that are really superior to the Sparrow?

Thanks guys!

[Fireman1291]

I love mine, it was my 2nd 22 can. I bought a sealed ArchangelT as my 1st can, and while its Ti and impervious to the "dip" its a PITA to clean and hazardous. Along came the sparrow, loved the design and my dealer HOOKED me up on one so I HAD to get it!lol

As far as suppression its quieter than my archangel, and its just as light, that was a plus. And silencerco stands behind thier product so really with the hosts you have in mind I say go for it.

There are other breakdown cans out there that are rated for 22mag, 5.7, etc but each have different ways of breaking down, weights, etc. As for ease of breakdown and .22cal only(your hosts requirement)the sparrow wins by a landslide.

video-

sparrow left/archangel right
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLl0Rikk6GM

[MAJ MALFUNCTION]

The Sparrow is a GREAT deuce-deuce can!

There's a group of 22 suppressors that are considered "premium" and they all offer top notch sound attenuation (here are some cans out of that group):

-Silencerco Sparrow
-SWR Spectre
-AAC Element
-AAC Prodigy

Some guys talk about which one is quieter, but they all sound GREAT (and each one will shine more/less on different hosts).

Since we've pretty much got parity on sound performance (or very close to it), most customers consider the other features when choosing which can to buy.

One cool feature on the Sparrow - you can put A LOT of rounds through it between cleanings (we routinely take a 1000 round brick out and put it all through the can) and you'll still be able to get the can apart (due to it's outer tube/inner half shell design).

[Wraith]

It's been a while since I've posted anything but I'm back in the NFA market and this time it's for a .22 can. I've purchased AAC (762SD, M4-2000, EVO 9, EVO 40) in the past but this Sparrow can really has me interested since I think it has a very solid engineering thought process behind its design. I know the original design was aluminum and now it's in stainless and is now shorter than the original. I'd be running this can on a factory threaded Ruger 22/45 mk III. Anyone have any opinions on the new stainless sparrow or on the 22/45 combo? I almost pulled the trigger on an AAC Prodigy II but thought I should do a little more research...

[Abiqua]

I'd be running this can on a factory threaded Ruger 22/45 mk III. Anyone have any opinions on the new stainless sparrow or on the 22/45 combo?

I'm running an upgraded Sparrow (old tube with new guts) on my MKIII and am very happy. It's the most used combo in my collection.

[Wahnsinn]

I'm still running my classic aluminum Sparrow, love it. Gonna stick with the classic for now I like it so much

Makes for a very quiet experience on my 22/45, Savage Mark II, and 10/22.

[JasonM]

New Sparrow on a Ruger 22/45 is a great combo.

Monocores have a little bit more FRP than K-Baffle cans, but the ease of cleaning is just awesome.

The Prodigy is very good as well- it's incredibly lightweight. But you'll need to buy a tool from SteveO in order to easily take it apart.

[Abiqua]

First round pop is easy to kill by spraying a little water into the can. I use a spray bottle that I got from my eye doc that had lens cleaner in it, made sure I dumped out the alcohol based cleaner though. It atomizes the water into a fine mist and works well, others have reported good results using a nasal spray bottle filled with water too.

[Emilio]

Don't leave out the Liberty TL either! It is a top 5 can and has low FRP and blow back that can dirty mags and gun.

Some dealers may not push the Liberty because the make less profit.

The Liberty TL test numbers on Majors site is bogus (defective can accidentally cored for their TI can) and there bogus numbers have been up there for 4 months? humiliating Liberty? Also there is only ONE pistol test so some top cans numbers are deceptive. (I post this for peoples who no do their home work)

The Sparrow is a unique genius design for take apart when dirty , no mistake "take apart" for "easy cleaning". any can with SS guts is easy to clean in a cheap HF sonic cleaner. The Sparrow has little to no FRP on rifles.

[Wraith]

Thanks for the input guys. The 22/45 mkIII I have is the factory threaded model with a 4.5" barrel. I see on the Silencerco website that they have two different models. One that uses an o-ring to seal the threads on the barrel from debris and one that is o-ring free. The factory 22/45 does not have the machining to use the o-ring. Does anyone see this as a negative or a non-issue with a .22 suppressor?

[JasonM]

Thanks for the input guys. The 22/45 mkIII I have is the factory threaded model with a 4.5" barrel. I see on the Silencerco website that they have two different models. One that uses an o-ring to seal the threads on the barrel from debris and one that is o-ring free. The factory 22/45 does not have the machining to use the o-ring. Does anyone see this as a negative or a non-issue with a .22 suppressor?

As long as you monitor the can so it doesn't unscrew (which you should do anyway), you won't miss the oring.

The factory 22/45 has a SUPER sharp tip, why they didn't put a little chamfer where the threads start is beyond me.

[Wahnsinn]

Thanks for the input guys. The 22/45 mkIII I have is the factory threaded model with a 4.5" barrel. I see on the Silencerco website that they have two different models. One that uses an o-ring to seal the threads on the barrel from debris and one that is o-ring free. The factory 22/45 does not have the machining to use the o-ring. Does anyone see this as a negative or a non-issue with a .22 suppressor?

Non-issue, like some others have stated in other threads too, if you're worried about the can moving at all, some teflon tape around the barrel threads prior to putting the can on there will help keep it tight. I think most people are able to get it tight enough with just hand strength to where it's not going to move anyway, so do some grip strength exercises and you'll be good

[Wraith]

Thanks for the input guys. The 22/45 mkIII I have is the factory threaded model with a 4.5" barrel. I see on the Silencerco website that they have two different models. One that uses an o-ring to seal the threads on the barrel from debris and one that is o-ring free. The factory 22/45 does not have the machining to use the o-ring. Does anyone see this as a negative or a non-issue with a .22 suppressor?

As long as you monitor the can so it doesn't unscrew (which you should do anyway), you won't miss the oring.

The factory 22/45 has a SUPER sharp tip, why they didn't put a little chamfer where the threads start is beyond me.

I don't get that either, it seems like they would pay attention to that detail if they were going to go to the trouble of threading the barrel. The thread protector came with a wave washer that keeps it from unscrewing. Would any of you use that for the suppressor to keep it in place or remove it? My initial thought is to remove it and just keep the checking the tightness of the suppressor since the washer may keep the suppressor from being concentric to the bore.

Thanks again for the help!

[Gary_SilencerCo]

Thanks for the input guys. The 22/45 mkIII I have is the factory threaded model with a 4.5" barrel. I see on the Silencerco website that they have two different models. One that uses an o-ring to seal the threads on the barrel from debris and one that is o-ring free. The factory 22/45 does not have the machining to use the o-ring. Does anyone see this as a negative or a non-issue with a .22 suppressor?

As long as you monitor the can so it doesn't unscrew (which you should do anyway), you won't miss the oring.

The factory 22/45 has a SUPER sharp tip, why they didn't put a little chamfer where the threads start is beyond me.

I don't get that either, it seems like they would pay attention to that detail if they were going to go to the trouble of threading the barrel. The thread protector came with a wave washer that keeps it from unscrewing. Would any of you use that for the suppressor to keep it in place or remove it? My initial thought is to remove it and just keep the checking the tightness of the suppressor since the washer may keep the suppressor from being concentric to the bore.

Thanks again for the help!

There is only one 22sparrow thread spec. Any 1/2x28 rimfire thread will work. The sparrows all come with the oring. On a std length .4 rimfire thread the threads wont touch the oring. Our thread spec has a shelf for the oring to engage on, but we designed it such that our can will go on any rimfire threads and any rimfire can will go on ours.
You are correct on the washer issue. It could cause some concentricity issues.
Sorry for the brevity , typing on Iphone in the airport

[Wraith]

Thank you Gary, I've got another question but you'll receive an email from me shortly since it's not applicable to this thread.

[Gary_SilencerCo]

Thank you Gary, I've got another question but you'll receive an email from me shortly since it's not applicable to this thread.

Looking foreward to it! Aircraft doors... Closing. Haha

[LoudasFawk]

I love mine, it was my 2nd 22 can. I bought a sealed ArchangelT as my 1st can, and while its Ti and impervious to the "dip" its a PITA to clean and hazardous. Along came the sparrow, loved the design and my dealer HOOKED me up on one so I HAD to get it!lol

As far as suppression its quieter than my archangel, and its just as light, that was a plus. And silencerco stands behind thier product so really with the hosts you have in mind I say go for it.

There are other breakdown cans out there that are rated for 22mag, 5.7, etc but each have different ways of breaking down, weights, etc. As for ease of breakdown and .22cal only(your hosts requirement)the sparrow wins by a landslide.

I purchased my Sparrow from the recommendation of Fireman1291. It was my 1st can, I was/am very pleased with the DB reduction, takedown feature, and SilencerCo's customer service. I would highly recommend the sparrow.

[Get-to-tha-choppa]

Can't say enough about my sparrow, it's one bad boy

First round pop is an issue but as some have mentioned you can kill that with a spritz of water. Sound wise it compares with my buddies element, depending on the host it's a crap shoot, at least to my ear. On my 22/45 and CZ452 the sparrow i think looks a lot better than the element. The sparrow is heavier but it's built like a tank, and it's soooo easy to clean...

[starlingstalker]

For me the 1st consideration IS "cleanability" on any 22 LR can. The ss Sparrow is king of the crew for "cleanability" becuz doing the dishes after a shoot is necessary. And You're going to get a lot of that so like a wife, choose wisely as it's going to be around for a very long time especially with that $200.00 sux tax included. Take apart and repack is Coming so handle and take apart any can BEFORE the sale. I was sold ON THE SPOT with my sweetie Sparrow. She comes apart with no fuss even after several bricks ala the 180. Especially prior cussing dealings with an old original Sionics 45 can that locks up regularly if you let it go too long.
Since I host a AM -180 and run a a brick or 2 between cleanups, it's STILL break apart easy. Especially with 6 seconds of dragon breath drum dumps. The ss halves are simply of major genius design to dip away. Some others serviceability I'd bet not so much if they got a good coating of lead lava Krud coating on the interior of the tube at 30 per second even if auto rated. If You shoot a LOT, the Sparrow has inherent advantages. Reduced/minimal FRP on longer barrels more so a non issue. All the cans sound near the same as the laws of physics are immutable and they are on the upper edge of performance. I'd suspect the k baffle design has a slight upgrade in suppression performance but not much. The host and can match gives endless possibilities as the NFA comes to its own.
And Mike Pappas is fluffing, puffing,re engraving, reparking and taking care of a new discovery baffle strike (#3 and#4 lightly nicked but the baffles so durable NO damage to #5 baffle with slug containment=DAMN Tough Design!!!) and was shooting Aguila Supermaximum Hyper Velocity 30 grains at an advertised 1700 FPS? Several thousand rounds already downrange and my Sparrow is coming home looking purdy AGAIN!
So, my ss Sparrow is a top shelf performer and service after care that is seriously gratifying! Thank You, Mike! Go Silencerco...starlingstalker

[57fairlane]

Sparrow is an excellent option . . . really shines when you have to take it apart.

The Liberty TL test numbers on Majors site is bogus

yeah . . . not entirely sure they were that far off to begin with as the one I have was one of the ones without the insert, and was sent back to liberty

[Gary_SilencerCo]

Dave @ Liberty came out and said the can Bryon tested had a problem and that he addressed it. Liberty makes some of the best rimfire cans on the market for sure

[JohnInNH]

The SS Sparrow is a must have.. BUT it IS heavy. It may cause reliability issues in a .22 semi auto pistol that downward force on the muzzle will cause the slide/frame to bind. Example is the Sig P-226 .22 conversion. So is the TacSol 1911 .22 conversion. Both pistols do not like the weight of the SS Sparrow and will not cycle well using it.. So I run the Prodigy on those 2 hosts.

On my High Standard the barrel and slide are independent. Weight on the muzzle will NOT effect the slide at all. So the Sparrow is the silencer of choice on that.

My P-22 will run flawlessly with the SS Sparrow.. It and the .22 machinegun were the primary reasons I got the SS Sparrow as they both crud up the silencer FAST.

[GoingQuiet]

The SS Sparrow is a must have.. BUT it IS heavy. It may cause reliability issues in a .22 semi auto pistol that downward force on the muzzle will cause the slide/frame to bind. Example is the Sig P-226 .22 conversion. So is the TacSol 1911 .22 conversion. Both pistols do not like the weight of the SS Sparrow and will not cycle well using it.. So I run the Prodigy on those 2 hosts.

On my High Standard the barrel and slide are independent. Weight on the muzzle will NOT effect the slide at all. So the Sparrow is the silencer of choice on that.

My P-22 will run flawlessly with the SS Sparrow.. It and the .22 machinegun were the primary reasons I got the SS Sparrow as they both crud up the silencer FAST.

I disagree. I have yet to see issues on the 226 22 conversions. You have to remember that the sig 226 conversions are a wee bit finicky from the factory. Sometimes you have to give the barrel a nudge just to get the thing on the frame of the gun. I ran into that exact issue the first time I went to the range with one. I suspect it is the feed ramp portion making contact with the frame but I am not 100% positive.

After we figured that out, the 22 Sparrow ran flawlessly.

[JohnInNH]

The SS Sparrow is a must have.. BUT it IS heavy. It may cause reliability issues in a .22 semi auto pistol that downward force on the muzzle will cause the slide/frame to bind. Example is the Sig P-226 .22 conversion. So is the TacSol 1911 .22 conversion. Both pistols do not like the weight of the SS Sparrow and will not cycle well using it.. So I run the Prodigy on those 2 hosts.

On my High Standard the barrel and slide are independent. Weight on the muzzle will NOT effect the slide at all. So the Sparrow is the silencer of choice on that.

My P-22 will run flawlessly with the SS Sparrow.. It and the .22 machinegun were the primary reasons I got the SS Sparrow as they both crud up the silencer FAST.

I disagree. I have yet to see issues on the 226 22 conversions. You have to remember that the sig 226 conversions are a wee bit finicky from the factory. Sometimes you have to give the barrel a nudge just to get the thing on the frame of the gun. I ran into that exact issue the first time I went to the range with one. I suspect it is the feed ramp portion making contact with the frame but I am not 100% positive.

After we figured that out, the 22 Sparrow ran flawlessly.

Take the Conversions I have talked about .. Then press down on the muzzle end of the barrel then work the slide.. You can prevent the slide from moving forward by applying downward pressure on both of them.

The weight hanging on the barrel on my P-226 conversion (With upgraded springs and SS guide rod to make it reliable) caused the barrel to move downwards in the front.. in essence pinching the slide in the frame rails AND causing increased friction where the barrel contacts the lower of the barrel opening in the slide.

TWO friction points are caused by the added weight.

1) Slide to frame
2) muzzle opening contacting the bottom of the barrel (I believe this is the primary offender)

Add the 2 places of increased friction and you have major reliability issues..

I could "wear it in" and let those points get sloppy and it *may* run better but then it will be less accurate.

Now with the Tac Sol kit.. Weight on the barrel causes all sorts of problems. Put a heavy optic on the TacSol 1911 kit and it will not work. The downward pressure pinches the slide and prevents it from sliding freely.. It binds the slide.

No can no optic it runs very well. Put a heavy silencer on it .. big problems.. put a heavy optic on it and it will not run at all.

Try it. Screw a heavy can on it (try a 9mm can) and see what I am talking about.

With the Buckmark/High standard design you can put as much weight on the barrel as you want and it will NOT cause any reliability problems as the barrel and slide are independent form each other. (barrel hard mounted to the frame.)

I can put my Mystic on the front of my High standard and NO problems.. Try that with a 1911 kit or a Sig 220 or 226 conversion and they will NOT work.

Try it with a 9mm silencer to illustrate the point.

It may be a round count issue.. If you have a looser fit between the barrel and slide (underside of the barrel) you Sparrow may run more smoothly than mine. I just see the design conflict and why a lighter silencer may be better on some designs than others depending on the way the gun works.

Again I find it funny that the "POS" P-22 runs flawlessly Boy I wish they made a good P-22 with real metal not zinc/pot metal slide and a metal front sight.

[tws317]

Picked up my sparrow about two weeks ago. First class 3 purchase and looked at many .22 cans and did alot of research. I love this can. It has worked flawlessly and pretty easy to clean, no extra tools just your fingers to disassemble. I have been running it on a Ruger 22/45 and a Smith and Wesson M&P 15-22. Quieter on the 15-22 and works great with the CCI sub's and the standard velocity. The impact on the target seems louder than round going off.