A few years ago, I attended a media event held by the American Suppressor Association, and learned about the benefits of shooting suppressed guns. After doing all the paperwork, I became an ambassador for SilencerCo and of course, you must by now suspect that SilencerCo is a partner with us at The WON. It’s a good fit, because suppressors aren’t something bad people choose to shoot because they want to break the law. Suppressors – sold routinely over the counter in European countries – have lots of qualities that enhance shooting. Let’s start our journey with the Sparrow 22 – a great beginner suppressor.
Sponsored by SilencerCo
I write “beginner suppressor” because in the vast world of what to suppress and why, it’s logical to begin with a .22. Of course, you must already own or acquire guns with threaded barrels, but after that – it’s a snap to put the suppressor on the end of a gun. Actually, it’s a few twists on the barrel threads to put it on.
First of all, I love the name. This suppressor is small and delicate and weighs only 6.5 ounces. Made of stainless steel, it measures 5.08 inches and comes at the ready to equip guns chambered in these calibers: 22LR, 7WSM, 17HMR, 22MAG, 22WMR, 22 Hornet and 5.7 x 28mm.
SilencerCo states that this suppressor is super easy to clean. I haven’t had to clean mine yet, but because of its construction – 2 half tubes that pull away from a monolithic core – it’s supposed to be a snap. Rimfire ammo is a dirty birdie (See what I did there?), so this is an important factor.
SilencerCo invited me to a media event at its headquarters last July in Utah. It included time in the factory and time on the range, where I first shot the little Sparrow. It’s always fun to shoot larger calibers at longer distances, but this suppressor – it made an impact on me and on the other shooters. In fact, my son spent time last week on the range with me here in Missouri, and I brought out the Sparrow on a Ruger American bolt-action rifle and then switched it to my Volquartsen Scorpion after shooting the rifle for a while. He also shot 2 other suppressed (with SilencerCo products, of course) firearms, and he said, “You know, for some reason, I just like that little Sparrow, Mom!”
I shot several types of supersonic and subsonic ammo through the guns with the Sparrow 22. With the rifle, at 25 yards, I shot holes in holes. So did my son.
The Sparrow 22 screwed on and off the barrels easily and actually, didn’t heat up that much, either – even after a hundred rounds fired through it at a steady pace.
We’ll be writing and videoing a series about the suppressors of SilencerCO here at The WON. Before we launch off and our writer, Ashlee Lundvall, takes the Sparrow 22 and other suppressors out on her range, we thought you might like to know about the difference between supersonic and subsonic ammo. At this point, I asked my guy, aka the Bomb/Dr. Bomb/Dr. Baird, to weigh in on these types of ammo and why they matter. You can read about it here, but note that ammo matters when shooting suppressed.
Feel free to ask us questions along the journey. We’re excited to get started on this partnership. If you are interested in owning a suppressor, check out SilencerCo’s resources, including a list of the 42 states that allow permit suppressor ownership. This page also directs you to an easy guide packet for how to order a permit for delivery to a proper dealer. There’s also a list of dealers at the site.
MSRP for the SilencerCO Sparrow 22: $450
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
I have one & it’s a great suppressor east to disassemble but cleaning is a tad hard, and if not completely cleaned reassembly will not be an easy task as the dirty Internal parts will not allow the side plates to properly slide under the external tube.