A suppressed .22 is one of the easiest ways to get into suppressed shooting. It explains what a rimfire suppressor is, which ammo works best, pistols vs. rifles, modular vs. fixed cans, sealed vs. user-serviceable cans, threads and adapters, and how to clean a .22 can. To compare the cans we carry, see our Rimfire Suppressor Buying Guide.

What Is a Rimfire Suppressor?

A rimfire suppressor is a suppressor built for .22 LR and other rimfire cartridges, like .22 WMR and .17 HMR. Many are also rated for 5.7x28. Almost all of them thread onto a 1/2x28 barrel, and most come apart for cleaning, because .22 LR is dirty ammo.

It's an NFA item like any other suppressor. You file an ATF Form 4 and wait for approval before you take it home, and the NFA tax on suppressors has been $0 since January 1, 2026. See how to buy a suppressor.

Why Start With a Rimfire Suppressor

If you've wanted to get into suppressed shooting but weren't sure where to start, rimfire is a practical place to start. It's affordable, approachable, and the reduction in sound is easy to hear.

With the right ammo, a suppressed .22 LR goes from a sharp crack to something that sounds more like a pellet gun. At an indoor range, people in the next lane might not even notice. Out in the field, the reduction is even more noticeable. And one can works across your rimfire pistols and rifles, so you get a lot out of a single NFA item.

Rimfire also works well for new shooters. Low noise, low recoil and low cost let someone who has never fired a gun focus on fundamentals without flinching after every shot. For younger shooters, or anyone who's been put off by the noise and concussion of centerfire cartridges, a suppressed .22 is a good place to start.

Subsonic vs. Supersonic: Does Your Ammo Matter?

Yes. A suppressor works by containing the gas that leaves the muzzle behind the bullet and releasing it slowly. What it can't do is quiet the crack of a bullet breaking the sound barrier. That crack is a small sonic boom, and no suppressor removes it.

The speed of sound is about 761 mph, or roughly 1,116 feet per second, at sea level on a 59°F day, and it's slower in colder air, about 1,088 fps at 32°F (Aerospaceweb). A bullet under that speed is subsonic. Over it, it's supersonic, and you'll hear the crack downrange.

Velocities are CCI's published muzzle velocities. Your barrel and the air temperature both change the result.

High velocity loads may cycle some picky semi-autos more reliably, but they bring the crack with them. Through a suppressor, you'll hear the muffled muzzle blast and then a sharp crack downrange. It's not unpleasant, but it's noticeably louder than a subsonic load.

For the quietest shooting, stick with subsonic ammo. In a semi-auto, pick a load fast enough to cycle your gun, like standard velocity or CCI's Quiet-22 Semi-Auto. Quiet-22 at 710 fps is quieter still, but you may have to work the action by hand. An integrally suppressed .22 is the exception: its ported barrel slows high velocity ammo for you (see Integrals).

Pistols vs. Rifles: Which Suppresses Better?

If you want the quietest setup, choose a rifle, and it's not particularly close. A longer barrel gives the powder more time to burn before the bullet exits, which means less unburned gas, lower muzzle pressure and a quieter report.

A bolt-action .22 LR rifle is the quietest of all. There's no action cycling, and with a 16 to 18 in. barrel, a good can and subsonic ammo, you'll hear the trigger and the bullet hitting the target more clearly than the shot itself. Semi-auto .22 rifles are nearly as quiet. The action adds some noise, but a suppressed Ruger 10/22 or Savage Mark II is still very quiet.

Pistols are louder. The short barrel means more unburned powder and higher muzzle pressure, and a blowback semi-auto pistol vents some gas through the action as it cycles. You'll still get a big reduction compared to an unsuppressed pistol, and it's still worth doing, but it won't match a rifle.

First round pop

First round pop means the first shot is louder than the shots after it. Some cans show it more than others, and it's most noticeable on short barrels, so you'll hear it more on a pistol. The SilencerCo Sparrow 22, for example, has noticeable first round pop on barrels under about 10 in.

Modular vs. Fixed Length: Which Is Right for You?

Fixed length

Fixed-length cans are straightforward: one configuration, built for exactly what they're designed to do. A full-length dedicated rimfire can almost always sound excellent because the design doesn't have to accommodate multiple lengths. If you want one setup and don't expect to change the length, a fixed-length can makes sense.

Modular

Modular suppressors let you run the can at different lengths. Run it full length on a rifle for the most suppression, or take a section off for a shorter, handier setup on a pistol. Some, like the SilencerCo Switchback 22, can also be set up for a rifle or a pistol.

Our advice: ask yourself whether you'll actually run it short. If you won't, skip the modular cans and get a one-length can. If you run several guns and like to set up the can for each one, go modular. Our rimfire suppressor buying guide shows which cans are modular.

Sealed vs. User-Serviceable Cans

Most traditional rimfire cans come apart: a stack of baffles or a core inside a tube. You take them apart and clean them by hand, soaking and scrubbing the parts.

The newer 3D printed cans are different. The Dead Air RXD22Ti and HUXWRX FLOW 22 Ti can only be cleaned with an acid soak, like HUXWRX Suppressor Sauce, and one-piece cans like the CAT SR A2 don't come apart at all.

If you shoot a lot of dirty bulk .22 LR and want to scrub the parts yourself, pick a can that comes apart. If you want one of the newer printed designs, plan on cleaning it by soaking.

Mounting: Thread Size, Adapters and Spacers

For most rimfire shooters, no adapter is needed. Almost every .22 suppressor uses a 1/2x28 thread, the same thread found on most factory-threaded .22 rifles and pistols. If you have a threaded 10/22, a threaded Mark IV or most other threaded .22s, it should thread right on.

Thread adapters

Some .22 pistols use their own threads. A thread adapter screws onto the barrel and brings it to 1/2x28. For example, the SIG Mosquito adapter converts the factory M9x0.75 thread, the FN 5.7 adapter converts the Five-seveN's 10mm x 1 thread, and the Walther P22 / S&W M&P22 adapter fits those pistols. Browse all thread adapters.

Rifle thread spacers

Some .22 barrels are threaded to AR-15 length, and most .22 suppressors won't shoulder correctly on that. A rifle thread spacer threads onto the muzzle and shortens the threads to .22 LR length. Many rifle and suppressor combinations don't need one, but check yours.

Not sure what you have? Look up your gun in our thread pitch chart, or contact us or call 512-879-1068 and we'll confirm it.

Can You Run .22 Through a 5.56 or .30 Cal Suppressor?

Only if the maker rates the suppressor for .22 LR, and even then it's usually not a great idea.

A centerfire can is built for larger, faster, higher-pressure cartridges, so a .22 sounds louder through it than through a dedicated rimfire can. More important, .22 LR is dirty ammunition. Its lead bullets and priming compound leave lead fouling in the baffles and tube. In a rimfire can you take apart, that's expected and you clean it out. In a welded or sealed centerfire can, it has nowhere to go. It builds up, hurts sound performance, and in extreme cases can harden into deposits that cause baffle strikes or make the can unusable. Even in a centerfire can you can take apart, lead is harder to remove than carbon.

What about a .22 suppressor on 5.7x28 or 5.56?

Only if it's rated for it. Many rimfire cans are rated up to 5.7x28, and a few, like the Griffin Optimus Micro, also take 5.56 with barrel length limits. Check the rating for every caliber you'll shoot.

If you want to shoot suppressed rimfire regularly, get a dedicated rimfire suppressor. It will sound better, be easier to maintain, and keep lead fouling out of your centerfire suppressor.

Cleaning Your .22 Suppressor: When and How

Unlike most centerfire suppressors, .22 cans need regular cleaning because rimfire ammunition leaves heavy lead and carbon fouling.

How often

Plan on cleaning a .22 can about every 500 to 1,000 rounds, and check your manual for your can's interval. Dirty bulk ammo fouls faster than match ammo, and the longer you go between cleanings, the harder it gets. Some shooters clean after every range session, but we don't think that's necessary.

How

• Soaking: take the can apart, soak the baffles and tube in a suppressor cleaner, scrub with a bronze brush if needed, then rinse and dry. Soaking is also how you clean sealed and 3D printed cans: the RXD22Ti and FLOW 22 Ti can only be cleaned with an acid soak. HUXWRX Suppressor Sauce is our personal choice, and we carry it.
• Ultrasonic cleaners: thorough and hands-off, but check your manual first. The all-stainless Rugged Oculus22 can go in one, but SilencerCo says to keep the Sparrow 22's outer tube out, and Hi-Point says no ultrasonic cleaners for the aluminum Hush-Point 22. Don't use one on aluminum parts or outer tubes.
• Dry brushing: a bronze or brass brush and a dry cloth between cleanings slows the buildup, but it doesn't replace a real cleaning.

Whatever method you use, make sure every part is completely dry before you put the can back together. If you're not sure, let it sit out overnight.

What About Integrally Suppressed .22s?

An integrally suppressed .22 has the suppressor built around a ported barrel. The ports slow high velocity ammo to subsonic speed, so you don't need subsonic ammo, and the gun is shorter than one with a screw-on can. We sell the TBA Sicario, a Ruger MK IV pistol with TBA's suppressor built on, and we can get integrals from TBA, Innovative Arms and others. See the integrally suppressed section of our rimfire suppressor buying guide.

Our take: we usually don't recommend an integral as your first rimfire suppressor. Start with a removable can. An integral makes more sense later if you want the most compact, quietest .22 setup.

Rimfire Suppression FAQ

What is a rimfire suppressor?

A suppressor built for .22 LR and other rimfire cartridges like .22 WMR and .17 HMR. Many are also rated for 5.7x28. Almost all of them thread onto 1/2x28, and most come apart for cleaning.

Do I need subsonic ammo with a .22 suppressor?

For the quietest shooting, yes. Supersonic ammo still works, but you'll hear the crack of the bullet breaking the sound barrier. An integrally suppressed .22 is the exception, since its ported barrel slows high velocity ammo.

Is standard velocity .22 LR subsonic?

CCI lists its Standard Velocity at 1,070 fps, under the speed of sound (about 1,116 fps at sea level on a 59°F day). The speed of sound drops in cold air, to about 1,088 fps at 32°F, so it gets closer.

What thread size are .22 suppressors?

1/2x28. If your .22 has different threads, a thread adapter converts them. See our thread pitch chart.

Do I need a rifle thread spacer?

Only if your .22 barrel is threaded to AR-15 length. Most .22 suppressors won't shoulder correctly on those threads, and a rifle thread spacer shortens them to .22 LR length.

Can I shoot .22 LR through my 5.56 suppressor?

Only if the maker rates it for .22 LR, and even then a dedicated rimfire can is the better choice. It's quieter on .22, and lead fouling builds up inside a can you can't take apart.

Can a .22 suppressor handle 5.7x28?

Many can. Check the rating for every caliber you'll shoot. Our rimfire suppressor buying guide lists the calibers for every can we carry.

Is a rifle or a pistol quieter with a .22 suppressor?

A rifle. The longer barrel burns more of the powder before the bullet leaves, and a bolt-action rifle with subsonic ammo is the quietest of all.

What is first round pop?

The first shot is louder than the shots after it. It's most noticeable on short barrels, like a pistol.

How often should I clean a .22 suppressor?

About every 500 to 1,000 rounds. Check your manual for your can's interval.

Can I shoot shotshells through a .22 suppressor?

Check your manual first. Hi-Point's manual for the Hush-Point 22, for example, says never to fire shot-style ammunition, including .22 shotshells, through it.

Do I still need a tax stamp for a .22 suppressor?

The NFA tax on suppressors has been $0 since January 1, 2026. You still file an ATF Form 4 and wait for approval. See how to buy a suppressor.

Shop Rimfire Suppressors

Compare the cans we carry in our Rimfire Suppressor Buying Guide, or shop rimfire suppressors now. We file your eForm 4 and ship your suppressor to your door once it's approved.

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