A .22 suppressor can be a good first suppressor, and it has one big limit. It is simple to mount and the threads on most .22 guns are the same, but it only works on rimfire guns, and it gets dirty fast. If most of your shooting is .22, it is a smart place to start. If you want one suppressor for many guns, a .22 can will not do that job.
This post uses owner’s manuals and parts guides from suppressor maker Dead Air as its main source, plus a thread guide from Rugged Suppressors. It is general information, not legal advice. In Georgia a suppressor still goes through a Form 4 before it comes home with you, and our suppressor service page explains that process.
Why a .22 suppressor makes a good first can
Three things make a rimfire suppressor easy to start with.
The threads are usually the same. Rugged’s thread guide lists 1/2x28 for aftermarket .22 barrels and for Ruger and Smith & Wesson .22 pistols (Rugged thread pitch guide). Dead Air’s Mask .22 suppressor ships with a 1/2-28 direct thread mount (Dead Air fitment guide). So for many .22 guns, the barrel thread and the suppressor already match. Always confirm yours before you buy, because some guns use other pitches. We list the common ones in our barrel thread pitch guide.
It works on a few guns at once. The Dead Air fitment guide rates the Mask for .22 LR, .22 Magnum, .17 HMR and .17 WSM, and up to 5.7x28. That covers rimfire rifles, rimfire pistols and a few other small bores with one suppressor, as long as each one has the right threads.
It is a lower-pressure cartridge. The manufacturer ratings make this clear. Dead Air’s fitment guide lists a maximum muzzle energy of 850 foot-pounds for the Mask. Compare that to 2,200 for its Sierra5 rifle suppressor and 4,400 for its .30 caliber Nomad. A .22 can does not have to handle rifle-level pressure.
How quiet is a .22 suppressor?
Quiet enough to matter, and it depends on the gun. Dead Air published its own test numbers for the Mask:
| Test gun | Without suppressor | With Mask | Drop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4 inch pistol barrel | 154.6 dB | 115.1 dB | 39.5 dB |
| 16.1 inch rifle barrel | 140.1 dB | 115.8 dB | 24.3 dB |
Those are Dead Air’s results from its own test setup (Dead Air Mask manual), so use them to compare, not as a promise for your gun. A short pistol barrel is louder to start with, so a suppressor makes a bigger change there.
A suppressor does not make a gun silent. Peak sound from firearms runs from about 140 to 175 decibels, and a suppressor does not always bring that under 120 to 140, according to a peer-reviewed review. Wear hearing protection anyway.
The tradeoff: .22 suppressors get dirty
This is the part most first-time buyers do not hear. The Dead Air Mask manual says the suppressor should not need to be taken apart for up to 2,000 rounds, depending on ammunition, but it recommends cleaning every 500 to 1,000 rounds to make cleaning easier. Dead Air also says to avoid reloaded ammunition, and says one specific 60 grain .22 LR load is not recommended and will mean more frequent service.
The manual also describes what cleaning looks like. It says it is common to soak .22 suppressors in a “dip” of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar to clear lead and carbon, and it warns that skin contact with the dip can cause serious health problems, including lead poisoning. It says never to put the aluminum parts or the tube in the dip. Wear nitrile gloves and eye protection, and dispose of the liquid by your local rules.
To take the Mask apart, Dead Air says to remove the front cap with the tool that comes with it, remove the back cap, and push the baffle stack out of the tube. Do not use a screwdriver, because it can damage the baffles. A .22 suppressor that you can take apart is easier to keep clean than one that cannot be opened.
That last point matters when you shop. Dead Air’s Mojave 9 manual, for a different suppressor, says its monolithic build can collect lead that is hard or impossible to remove, and recommends not shooting .22 LR through it, since most .22 LR bullets have exposed lead. The lesson is simple: buy a suppressor rated and built for the ammunition you plan to shoot.
A .22 can only does .22
The reverse is also true. A rimfire suppressor is not a do-it-all can. The Mask manual says its .22 suppressor will not function safely with any cartridge with pressures higher than FN 5.7x28mm, cannot be used with anything larger than a .22 bore, and says not to fire high-pressure centerfire cartridges through it. That means you cannot put it on a 9mm pistol or a 5.56 rifle.
So the question to ask is how much of your shooting is rimfire.
- Mostly .22: a rimfire can fits well, and it is often simple to mount.
- A mix of calibers: look at a multi-caliber suppressor. We cover those in our post on multi-caliber suppressors.
- Mostly 9mm or rifle: start with a can rated for that caliber, and read our guide to the best first suppressor caliber.
What to check before you buy
- Your barrel threads. Does your .22 gun have a threaded barrel, and which thread pitch is it? Many .22 guns use 1/2x28, but not all.
- The thread length. The Mask manual says it will attach to threads up to .6 inches long, and that .4 inches is best for sound and baffle life.
- A flat, square shoulder. Dead Air says to tighten the suppressor until it seats squarely on the barrel shoulder, and not to thread onto a barrel without one.
- Alignment. Dead Air says to make sure the barrel threads are concentric with the bore, and to have a gunsmith check if you cannot. A misaligned suppressor can cause a baffle strike, where a bullet hits the inside of the can.
- Tightness. The manual says all direct thread suppressors loosen with use, and a loose one shifts your point of impact. Check it now and then and do not overtighten it. Hand tight is enough, per the manual.
If your barrel is already threaded and you bought the muzzle device from us, our $20 muzzle device install is free. If your gun does not have threads, cutting them is machine work that is not on our posted price list, so ask us what your options are. See our gunsmithing page.
What to do next
Come to our Cumming shop and tell us what you shoot most. We will help you decide if a .22 can makes sense or if you should start with something bigger. If you buy the suppressor from us there is no transfer fee. The $100 fee only applies to one bought elsewhere and shipped in, and the federal tax stamp has been $0 since January 1, 2026. ATF approval is still required in Georgia, as of November 2026. Start with the suppressor service page, or contact us.
