I got to take my brand-spanking-new Tactical Innovations, Inc. Tac65 suppressor out for the first time today. I was pleased with the performance. I don't have any other suppressor experience to compare it to, but I was happy with both the suppression and the overall performance.
The platform was a Walther P22. The barrel comes threaded from the manufacturer, but a thread adapter is necessary as the barrel does not protrude beyond the end of the slide, so there would be no way to attach the suppressor. The adapter runs about $40 and includes a thread protector.
The suppression level is not as quiet as I expected, but certainly MUCH quieter than without. If you smack a ruler on a desk or flip the clip on a clipboard, you have a pretty good idea of how loud the suppressed P22 is. You will hear a total of three noises: the crack of the gunpowder, the "thwap" when the bullet hits the paper, and the ricochet (or dirt thud) at the end of the range. Without the suppressor, all you will hear is "Bang!" The suppressed report is not the way it sounds in the movies. I would love one that makes that "laser"-y sound.
The ricochet when the bullet strikes a pebble or something in the backstop, on the other hand, is exactly how it sounds in the movies. Sort of a ZZZZZZZIP!!! sound 
I used four different types of ammo. The first was Winchester XPert 22, followed by Federal 550 Bulk Pack, and Remington 550 Bulk Pack. Lastly, was Remington 22 Subsonic. All were purchased at my local Wal-Mart. As you can see from the photo, two are lead-nosed, and two are copper-washed. The bulk packs are around 1280 fps (factory-rated muzzle velocity), while the subsonics are around 1050 fps. While the subsonics were quieter, I didn't hear any appreciable difference between any of the four in terms of noise level, even when alternating standard rounds and subsonic rounds in the same magazine. In no case did I even remotely require ear plugs or other hearing protection. I expect a rifle (such as my 10/22) to be even quieter. I had no FTF's or FTE's with any of the ammo, once I realized I needed to take the safety off.
Following approximately 100 rounds over a period of 15-20 minutes, the suppressor was hot to the touch. It was possible to handle it, but gingerly. I checked the tightness periodically and noticed that it kept loosening as I shot, so it was necessary to keep retightening it to the barrel. I didn't want to over-tighten it and risk damaging either the suppressor or the thread adapter.
As you can see from the target below, grouping was fairly consistent at about 12 yards. The scattering I attribute more to the low-quality ammo than to the suppressor. The shots to the left were most likely my poor shooting skills (I'll cop to that, but I'm getting better.
) At some point, I'll pick up some higher quality ammo such as CCI and see how that performs. One thing to note is that the suppressor tends to obscure the front sight post, making aiming more challenging.
Is it worth the price of admission? I spent roughly $500 on the can, tax stamp, thread adapter, and nifty case (seen in the "NFA from a beginner's perspective" thread). I waited four months for it to arrive. The P22 is my new favorite pistol now. It's fun to shoot, and it looks sexy as hell.
The reality is that a suppressor only has two real uses: either it's a fun toy, or you need to shoot things quietly. I live in a subdivision, so the likelihood of me shooting anything, quietly or otherwise, is remote, just because I have no safe backstop (regardless, it's against city ordinance). My suppressor is an awesomely fun toy and even in the short time I was at the range it turned some heads. Is it worth $500? Well, that depends on you, really. If you can afford it and you aren't taking food away from your family, I would say go for it. If you have to decide between that and fixing your furnace, then you and I shouldn't even be having this discussion.
The platform was a Walther P22. The barrel comes threaded from the manufacturer, but a thread adapter is necessary as the barrel does not protrude beyond the end of the slide, so there would be no way to attach the suppressor. The adapter runs about $40 and includes a thread protector.
The suppression level is not as quiet as I expected, but certainly MUCH quieter than without. If you smack a ruler on a desk or flip the clip on a clipboard, you have a pretty good idea of how loud the suppressed P22 is. You will hear a total of three noises: the crack of the gunpowder, the "thwap" when the bullet hits the paper, and the ricochet (or dirt thud) at the end of the range. Without the suppressor, all you will hear is "Bang!" The suppressed report is not the way it sounds in the movies. I would love one that makes that "laser"-y sound.
The ricochet when the bullet strikes a pebble or something in the backstop, on the other hand, is exactly how it sounds in the movies. Sort of a ZZZZZZZIP!!! sound I used four different types of ammo. The first was Winchester XPert 22, followed by Federal 550 Bulk Pack, and Remington 550 Bulk Pack. Lastly, was Remington 22 Subsonic. All were purchased at my local Wal-Mart. As you can see from the photo, two are lead-nosed, and two are copper-washed. The bulk packs are around 1280 fps (factory-rated muzzle velocity), while the subsonics are around 1050 fps. While the subsonics were quieter, I didn't hear any appreciable difference between any of the four in terms of noise level, even when alternating standard rounds and subsonic rounds in the same magazine. In no case did I even remotely require ear plugs or other hearing protection. I expect a rifle (such as my 10/22) to be even quieter. I had no FTF's or FTE's with any of the ammo, once I realized I needed to take the safety off.
Following approximately 100 rounds over a period of 15-20 minutes, the suppressor was hot to the touch. It was possible to handle it, but gingerly. I checked the tightness periodically and noticed that it kept loosening as I shot, so it was necessary to keep retightening it to the barrel. I didn't want to over-tighten it and risk damaging either the suppressor or the thread adapter.
As you can see from the target below, grouping was fairly consistent at about 12 yards. The scattering I attribute more to the low-quality ammo than to the suppressor. The shots to the left were most likely my poor shooting skills (I'll cop to that, but I'm getting better.
) At some point, I'll pick up some higher quality ammo such as CCI and see how that performs. One thing to note is that the suppressor tends to obscure the front sight post, making aiming more challenging.
Is it worth the price of admission? I spent roughly $500 on the can, tax stamp, thread adapter, and nifty case (seen in the "NFA from a beginner's perspective" thread). I waited four months for it to arrive. The P22 is my new favorite pistol now. It's fun to shoot, and it looks sexy as hell.
The reality is that a suppressor only has two real uses: either it's a fun toy, or you need to shoot things quietly. I live in a subdivision, so the likelihood of me shooting anything, quietly or otherwise, is remote, just because I have no safe backstop (regardless, it's against city ordinance). My suppressor is an awesomely fun toy and even in the short time I was at the range it turned some heads. Is it worth $500? Well, that depends on you, really. If you can afford it and you aren't taking food away from your family, I would say go for it. If you have to decide between that and fixing your furnace, then you and I shouldn't even be having this discussion.
I'll defiantly keep that in mind. 
