With the outer tube removed you can see that the Mist assembly features a one piece G-Core baffle stack permanently attached to a ported 9 inch barrel. The ported barrel reduces the ammunition’s velocity so that most any .22 shell is subsonic.

By Chris A. Choat

Gemtech has been building silencers (or more properly “suppressors”) for over two decades. They actually started business in 1993 and have become a name synonymous with high quality, extremely quiet suppressors. They started with just a few core models and have built their line up to over fifty models of rimfire and centerfire suppressors. This author owns several of their suppressors and I am very satisfied with all of them. They are well built, durable, easy to clean and most of all, very quiet.

When I recently had a chance to test one of their new models I jumped at the chance. The new suppressor is called the Gemtech Mist .22 and it is a complete barrel assembly with integral or built-in suppressor for the Ruger series of 10/22 rifles. The new barrel/suppressor will fit all models of the Ruger 10/22 as well as aftermarket models, which there seem to be several of. The barrel of the Mist is ported and just a little shorter than 9 inches long. The suppressor core is permanently attached to the barrel making it a full 16.25 inches overall for legality reasons. The core or baffles of the suppressor is what Gemtech calls the G-Core Monolithic Baffle Stack. The “stack” is actually not a stack at all but a 1-piece core that does not come apart. This is much better than loose baffles that tend to get put back together in the wrong direction or out of sequence. To clean the Mist you simply unscrew the outer tube exposing the internal core which can then be easily wiped or scraped clean. This, by the way, can be done with the receiver and barrel assembly still
mounted in the stock.

For testing the barrel was mounted to a standard Ruger 10/22. The existing rifle had the somewhat plain birch wood with the classic barrel band at the front of the forearm. With this setup the Mist suppressor would not fit into the inletted barrel channel of the stock as the original rifle had the standard “pencil barrel”. The Mist’s outer tube diameter is .920, the same as the heavy barreled or target 10/22’s. I could have routered out the stocks’ barrel channel but then I would have had to cut off the front end, where the barrel band was located and refinish the stock to make it look right. Instead I chose to just install a Hogue Overmolded® rubber coated stock that was made for Rugers with the .920 diameter barrels. This particular stock does not have a barrel band and thus leaves the barrel free-floating. The stock has a rubber coating over its entire surface which gives it a very positive even “sticky” feeling grip texture.

The mounting of the suppressed barrel is very simple. You just remove the original barreled receiver from the stock and then remove the original barrel by taking out two Allen head screws that hold the barrel clamping block to the receiver. The barrel is then pulled out of the front of the receiver and the new barrel with the suppressor is pushed in. The clamping block is replaced, the screws tightened and the installation is complete.

Before I installed the new Hogue stock I replaced the stock trigger pack on the 10/22 with one of Ruger’s new BX Triggers. The BX Trigger from Ruger is an entire trigger pack that comes as a single unit. You merely push out two receiver pins, drop out the standard trigger pack and then replace it with the new BX Trigger pack unit. The new trigger is advertised as having a factory set pull of between 2.5 and 3 pounds. The trigger that I used had exactly a 3.0 pound trigger pull right out of the package. It also has a very crisp feel to it. Another great thing about the new trigger is that it has a retail price of just $89.95 and can be ordered direct from
www.shopruger.com.

With the trigger and new Hogue stock installed it was time to pick an optic. I had recently bought a couple of inexpensive scopes from a company called Olivon (www.olivonmanufacturing.com). One was the 3X9X40 IR Tracker Pro and the other was their 3X12X56 IR Tracker Pro. The 3X9 has a 1 inch tube and the 3X12 featured a 30mm tube. Both optics have illuminated red duplex reticles with 11 brightness settings and are both waterproof, shockproof and fog proof. I picked the 3X9 scope to mount on the 10/22 and it was the perfect match. The scope has a matte black finish which matches the gun and suppressor finish very well. The illuminated reticle made the gun perfect for low light varmint elimination. These scopes are very inexpensive but don’t let their prices ($85.00 and $125.00 respectively) fool you. They have extremely clear glass and excellent edge to edge clarity. The 3X9 scope proved more than capable on the 10/22.

The optic was bore sighted, a variety of different kinds of .22 ammunition was gathered up and we headed to the range. The rifle was sighted in from a bench at 50 yards as this was about middle ground for the distances that most of the shooting with this rifle would be done at. The ammunition included both subsonic as well as supersonic and was of both the copper plated and lead lubed lead bullet styles. We used CCI Subsonic, CCI Quiet, CCI Mini Mag, CCI Standard Velocity, Winchester Subsonic, Remington Subsonic, Gemtech Subsonic and some Federal High Velocity. All of the ammunition that was tried fed and functioned perfectly with the exception of the CCI Quiet which didn’t have enough power to blow the bolt open enough to eject the empty brass. Although it was the quietest by far it turned the 10/22 into a manually cycled single shot rifle. With all of the subsonic ammunition used the Mist equipped rifle was “scary” quiet. You could literally hear the bullets striking the target. Even with the supersonic ammunition such as the CCI Mini Mags the gun was quiet enough that at 100 feet from the gun you couldn’t tell it was a gunshot when the rifle went off. It was interesting to note that even with the ported barrel the subsonic loads such as the Remington and Gemtech, the rifle functioned perfectly with no failures to feed or eject.

Accuracy of the rifle was checked with the original barrel and then later with the Mist suppressed barrel installed. With every type of ammunition used, all of the loads were more accurate when shot through the Mist suppressed barrel! This is not that unusual as this author has found that most times when a suppressor is installed on a firearm the accuracy improves. Accuracy with the Mist suppressed 10/22 was outstanding. The gun was fired off of a bench using a Harris bipod up front and a rear sand bag. Five shot groups could easily be covered with a quarter and some could be covered with a nickel. In fact, entire 25 round magazines could be fired into one ragged hole.

In conclusion I would say that the Gemtech Mist equipped Ruger 10/22 is probably one of the quietest .22 guns that can be had. Probably the only thing quieter would be a bolt-action .22 rifle equipped with an integral suppressor such as the Mist. The ideal set-up would be a Mist made for the Ruger 77/22 bolt action rifle. The Gemtech Mist .22 Suppressor is made to fit only the Ruger 10/22 rifles or Charger pistols but maybe they will make one to fit the 77/22 at a later date. Installed on a 77/22 the Gemtech Mist would be the ultimate in quiet. The Gemtech Mist .22 barrel/suppressor has a retail price of $550.00. For a suppressor that can be disassembled for cleaning and provides the kind of noise reduction that it does this is definitely a bargain. When you order one, be sure to also order some of Gemtech’s Subsonic .22 ammunition. This is a combination that is hard to beat.

GEMTECH
P.O. Box 140618
Boise, ID 83714-0618
1-208-939-7222
www.gem-tech.com

The Slide Fire Ruger 10/22 kit turns the little rifle into a sleek, fast firing, and very “tacticool” looking rifle. The Ruger BX-25 magazine was one of the few that could keep up with the machine gun like rate-of-fire produced by the Slide Fire conversion.

By Chris A. Choat

Several years ago this author reported on a then new stock that allowed an AR style rifle to be bump-fired and thus produce almost as high of rate of fire as a full-auto gun. As the stock was merely an addition to a semiautomatic rifle and the rifle’s trigger still had to be pulled every time the gun fired, the device was approved for sale by the BATFE. One of the major advantages to this unit over other bump-fire devices is that the shooter could not only produce high rates of fire but he or she could do it in a safe and controlled way. Also, with a little practice, the shooter could produce semi-auto type fire as well as 2 or 3 round burst fire without changing anything on the rifle. The stock was produced by a company called Slide Fire Solutions (www.slidefire.com) and to date they have literally sold tens of thousands of these stocks.

In the past year or so the dramatic increase in the price of ammunition has caused lots of shooters to cut down on the amount of rounds that are put downrange. While the prices of all ammunition have gone up, centerfire seems to have taken a bigger hike than rimfire. That being said, more shooters are now turning to rimfire guns to go to the range with. This (along with a shortage of rimfire powder) has produced what seems like a shortage of .22 shells for sale on store shelves. It is very possible that more shooters are now turning to their favorite rimfire guns to satisfy their desire to go shooting. It also has increased the market for rimfire rifles that look and function like their AR style centerfire counterparts.

One of the most popular AR style rimfire rifle is produced by Smith & Wesson (www.smith-wesson.com) and is a member of their M&P series of guns. The M&P15-22 is styled about as close as you can get to an AR-15 style rifle – in fact, a lot of parts will interchange between the two. The M&P15-22 has an AR pistol grip, M-4 type stock, quad rail forearm, flat-top upper with Picatinny style rail and a 1/2 X 28 threaded barrel. While the gun uses polymer upper and lower receivers, it is built plenty strong enough to handle rimfire ammo. It uses S&W proprietary magazines in either 10 or 25 round capacities but several aftermarket companies have now started producing magazines that fit this rifle including 50-round drum magazines. The function and quality of this gun is typical S&W with flawless performance.

Another rimfire gun that offers flawless performance is the Ruger (www.ruger.com) 10/22 rifle. This rifle has been produced since the early 1960s and Ruger, as of last count, has sold well over 6 million of them. Almost every shooter has at least one of them in their collection. For over 50 years this gun has been the one to go with when teaching new shooters or just going out for a
day of plinking.

Now, Slide Fire Solutions has started producing a couple of kits that incorporate their bump-fire style stock units. These two new kits are being made for the S&W M&P15-22 and the Ruger 10/22 rifles. These new kits not only allow the Slide Fire stocks to fit the two most popular .22 rifles being made, they also include some other added enhancements for the guns as well.

The kit for the M&P15-22 is called the SFS 15/22. The kit includes a Slide Fire SBS stock with attaching hardware, a CMC Triggers (www.cmctriggers.com) complete drop-in 3.5 pound trigger unit and one of their new custom designed muzzle devices called a recoil enhancer. The SBS stock is Slide Fire’s newest design stock and will fit any rifle with an AR style buffer tube whether mil-spec or commercial. The trigger is a complete unit that includes the hammer, disconnector, trigger and associated springs in a drop-in module. The unit has been factory tuned to a 3.5 pound trigger pull. This light trigger pull has been found to allow the rimfire guns to work perfectly with the Slide Fire stocks. The final item included is Slide Fire’s recoil enhancer. The recoil enhancer replaces the standard flash hider on the rifle and helps to give the rifle a gentle rearward push as the bullet exits the barrel. This is accomplished by the design of the recoil enhancer. Think of the unit as a small enclosed chamber with tiny gas ports around the front of it. As the bullet exits the barrel escaping gas is trapped in the chamber and then vented out of the ports creating a slight rearward push. This can hardly be felt but does add to the reliability of the gun with the Slide Fire stock.

The kit for the Ruger 10/22 is called the SSAR-22 and is somewhat different in that it includes a chassis system. The system includes three pieces; an upper and a lower receiver and a forearm. The upper and lower combine to encapsulate the action of the 10/22 as well as having an attached AR style buffer tube. A uniquely styled forearm fastens the three pieces together and gives the 10/22 a very modern, tactical look. With all the pieces installed it gives the rifle a full-length rail across the top for attaching optics or other accessories. The kit also comes with a complete 3-pound trigger unit that is manufactured by Volquartsen Custom (www.volquartsen.com), long known for their work on enhancing the Ruger rimfire guns as well as a complete line of guns of their own. This trigger unit is a complete unit made to replace the whole trigger pack of a Ruger 10/22. The kit also includes Slide Fire’s OGR stock, which is their original pattern stock. The chassis system is available separately as the TAC-22 and comes with a standard M4 type stock and A2 pistol grip.

Either kit can be installed in just a matter of minutes with the only tools needed being a supplied Allen wrench and a Phillips and a straight blade screwdriver for the Ruger. To install the M&P15-22 kit the rifle’s original stock and pistol grip are removed and replaced with the Slide Fire stock with attached pistol grip. The original pistol grip is replaced with an interface block. This block and the buffer tube allow for bearing surfaces for the Slide Fire stock to reciprocate on. The S&W M&P15-22 uses the same fire control parts as a standard AR-15 so the original parts are merely replaced with the CMC Triggers drop-in module and pins. The only thing left to do is to unscrew the original flash hider and replace it with the recoil enhancer. To install the Ruger kit the original barrel band and stock are removed. The original Ruger trigger group is removed by pushing out two trigger pins. The Volquartsen unit is then installed into the Ruger’s receiver. The author chose to replace the original steel bolt stop pin with a Buffer Technologies recoil buffer. The high impact polymer pin absorbs the bolt’s rearward momentum and cushions the impact. Every 10/22 should have this inexpensive accessory. The three piece chassis system is then installed along with the matching forearm. The Slide Fire OGR stock is then attached to the chassis system and the installation is complete. The kits are available in either right or left handed versions and now come in three colors: Black, Dark Earth and OD Green.

With the kits installed it was time to grab lots of ammunition and head to the range. While on the subject of ammunition, it needs to be made clear, these devices work by harnessing the recoil energy of the gun and using it to assist the cycling. They require good, high quality, high powered ammo. Not the white box discount store variety. Low power, target or standard velocity just will not work as reliably as the “good stuff”. This author chose CCI Mini Mag and the newer CCI Tactical .22 and they both work well; but most other high velocity .22 LR will work well. There is no fun if you have to always clear malfunctions due to weak ammunition.

The S&W unit was tried first. The gun was loaded with a S&W 25-round magazine of CCI Mini Mags and the fun began. There is a slight learning curve associated with a Slide Fire stock. Someone picking up a gun equipped with one might not have the best of luck with the first couple of magazines. It seems like it usually takes a couple of magazines before a new Slide Fire user gets the feel for it. First of all to use one of these stocks you don’t PULL the trigger, you PUSH the rifle. Slide Fire stocks incorporate a little shelf that is positioned just to the side of the trigger. The shooter places their trigger finger through the trigger guard and onto this little shelf and keeps it there. The rifle is then pushed forward with the off hand, which in turn pushes the trigger against your stationary trigger finger. The result is that when the gun fires it recoils rearward and the trigger resets but the shooter still has forward pressure on the rifle, which pushes the rifle forward again and the cycle starts over. The all happens in a nanosecond and the result is a rate of fire that equals a full-auto gun. A .22 equipped with a Slide Fire stock will shoot at a cyclic rate of about 500 to 600 rounds per minute. Though there are other select-fire .22s that fire twice as fast (1,000 to 1,200 rpm), their cyclic rate is was too fast. At those rates a 30-round magazine is finished in about 1.5 seconds. With the slower rate of fire, a shooter with a Slide Fire equipped gun has more control and gets the full-auto sensation without going through ammunition like water through a fire hose.

Secondly, a light grip on the rifle’s forearm works the best. In fact, with the .22’s tested, if you just laid the forearm on the palm of your offhand and used the thumb and forefinger to grip it and pull back they worked best.

The S&W gun worked just as advertised with a 10-round burst erupting from the gun. Another forward push and the rest of the magazine fired completely. This was followed up with several more magazines. The only time that the gun quit was when it came across a “light” load. You could actually tell by the feel of the shell’s recoil that it was a light load. In a standard .22 bolt action or even a semi-auto you would never notice as the gun would continue to function as long as the shell produced enough energy to eject the empty brass. But with a Slide Fire equipped gun a light load will usually cause it to stop. With quality ammunition and a little practice you can empty a full 25 rounds without a hitch.

The Ruger 10/22 equipped with the Slide Fire unit was a little problematic at first. The gun was loaded up with a 30-round Butler Creek magazine. It would fire just 2 or 3 rounds and stop; then maybe 4 or 5 and stop. This continued through the first two magazines, both Butler Creek. We then tried a third magazine that was one of Ruger’s own BX-25 mags. The whole magazine fired without one malfunction. This was repeated several times with the same result. It turns out that the two Butler Creek magazines would not work 100% in another 10/22 that was tried as well. The magazines that worked the best turned out to be the original Ruger 10-round, the aforementioned Ruger BX-25 and the HC3R magazines (www.hcmags.com). If you haven’t tried one of the HC3R magazines do yourself a favor and get one. They load easily, hold a total of 45 rounds on board and can be taken apart to be cleaned. They are a first rate piece of equipment. By switching to the other magazines and giving the rifle a shot of WD-40 the gun ran perfectly. We found that both guns seemed to like just a small amount of lube and they would run multiple complete magazines without an issue.

Another great feature of the Slide Fire stocks is that they can be converted from working in the bump-fire mode into a regular “fixed” stock instantly. All of the stocks have a small engagement lock lever located at the bottom of the stock about where the release lever is on a standard collapsible carbine stock. This lever is turned 90 degrees either right or left to select either a locked or a sliding mode. This is handy when letting a youngster that is not quite ready for the Slide Fire experience shooting the gun.

In conclusion, the testing revealed that the Slide Fire Solutions .22 kits are a complete blast and work just as advertised. This company hit on the magic remedy for accessories. Make them for a reliable gun that is produced in very high numbers. The Ruger 10/22 and the S&W MP15-22 rifles fall into both of these categories. You can’t go wrong with either rifle or with the Slide Fire Solutions .22 kits. The stocks are not tactical and they are not for everybody. But if you want to have an afternoon of shooting fun without spending a fortune, try one.

The year 1994 will be remembered by many as the dark cloud that brought the dreaded “Assault Weapon” ban in the paramilitary market among civilian shooters. This controversial law killed importation of sporterized military type weapons and their rimfire look-alikes. The fallout soon affected many independent aftermarket accessory producers solely dedicated to the development and production of hi-capacity magazines, folding stocks and dress up kits for sporting arms to eventually close their doors after their pre ban hardware was depleted. Owners of sub guns and hi-capacity guns and look-alikes saw the value of their wares climb sky high overnight and lasted for a decade. The Clinton ban finally sunset in 2004 marking the beginning of yet another era in the hi-tech weapons development geared for both military and civilian market. Back once again are the high capacity magazines for short and long arms, dress up kits and folding stocks as well as few rimfire look-alikes of the golden 80s. Regretfully, the big difference this time is that not all states have been freed from this bureaucracy as legislators in anti-gun strongholds opted to live with the restriction and are likely to stay with it for an indefinite period of time.

When hi-tech exotic weaponry first entered the scene back in the 80s, its primary goal was to fill the enormous demand in transforming semi-auto sporting arms to military format. Aftermarket accessories for the very popular Ruger 10/22 self-loading carbine undoubtedly stirred more money-making innovations among independent manufacturers than any other models ever produced in the American market. Hi-capacity magazines for this gun became the hottest selling item to date followed by folding stocks and dress up kits. Bill Ruger’s masterpiece self-loader is unquestionably one of the most advanced and sophisticated U.S. made rimfire carbine in the world. With nearly five million produced to date, no other model in its class will ever come close. This gun is as hot a seller today as it was when it was first introduced 42 years ago. Out of the box, the 10/22 can be best described as a subtle cross-breed between a sporter with just a slight dash of the famed M1 .30 Carbine with the absence of the clip sticking out below the gun. Perhaps, the hottest selling point of the gun is its unmatched reliability and ruggedness as compared to other models in its class that are many times more expensive. The ten-round rotary magazine of the 10/22 is a masterpiece of design as well as reliability. However, for a more serious defensive application, its limited firepower becomes an issue. It is a pure fun gun that barely encounters any malfunction; but its limited capacity keeps the fun a bit too short, especially when used by paper punchers and plinkers. In today’s standard, a ten-round magazine is considered a handicap, particularly for a self loading carbine designed to be a work horse. Selling the 10/22 is no problem and is always the first one to leave the dealer’s shelves. The maker has a hard time catching up with the demand of seemingly never ending orders. The main problem confronting the dealers is supplying their 10/22 customers with the demand for a truly reliable large capacity magazine that can equal the factory produced magazine in overall reliability. Whether Ruger ignored the idea of developing this device for their bread and butter gun or simply hadn’t time for it, still remains a mystery. One thing for sure however, it has left an open market for a very desirable item.

The mid 80s opened the door to many private entrepreneurs who entered the race in the development and production of hi-capacity magazines for this hot selling little carbine. The first contender to enter the market was the ill fated Condor. In its first month, the 25-shot plastic magazine was a sensation. A month after, customers who bought it cursed it to the moon. In a desperate bid to calm down the complaining buyers, the manufacturer enclosed a small instruction sheet, suggesting that the buyer has to throat the barrel until it works. Nice try, but this didn’t solve the problem. A few months later, the company closed. The Condor was followed by the Sanford-50, a drum type magazine boasting an impressive 50-shot firepower. This magazine was marketed by Eaton Supply. This item was also offered by Arcadia Machine & Tool Company (AMT) as an optional accessory for their “Lightning,” a stainless steel clone of the 10/22. The Sanford-50 gives the gun and awesome look and feeling of confidence seeing the large number of rounds neatly stack around the rim of the clear plastic housing. The Sanford drum is the first 10/22 magazine to feature a see-through viewing using clear Lexan plastic for its exterior casing. The magazine also features a loading gate wherein the ammo spool can be manually turned while loading. This excellent feature makes for easy loading advantage by simply dropping the rounds into the feed lips, while turning the spool. The magazine lip is made of cheap cast zinc oxide material that is somewhat fragile and out of dimension. The Lexan plastic easily cracked in its rear half casing when accidentally dropped to no higher than a foot on a wooden floor.

Did the Sanford 50 work? Unfortunately this is another matter. During the test, this awesome looking drum proved to be a great pretender. It develop multiple loading problems with hang-ups leaving the chamber empty because the next round for battery got stuck halfway below the feed line and was not scooped up by the bolt during the loading cycle. It was also plagued by ejection problems with empties barely clearing the ejection port. When the magazine is loaded to capacity, the spool is slower than a turtle walk, leaving no round positioned in the magazine lip when the bolt passes through resulting in an empty chamber. With just about ten rounds remaining in the magazine, the tension of the clock-type spring becomes erratic, causing the top round in the magazine lips to occasionally jump out of its seat. This causes a loading jam with the cartridge caught between the breech face and barrel chamber in an almost vertical position, with the tip of the bullet lodge in the chamber mouth. As much as the quick and easy loading feature of the Sanford drum was a big plus, it failed miserably with every type of ammunition used. A few years later a new version of the Sanford drum was produce and marketed by Pro-Mag. Gone was the see-through Lexan material being replaced by what appears to be an unbreakable material. Externally, the Pro-Mag drum appears solid and impressive. This first impression quickly changed during the actual test firing. Pro-Mag made the same mistake as on the first Sanford construction by using a soft metal instead of steel in the magazine lips. After the last round is fired, the bottom section of the breech face that pushes the cartridge to the chamber is hitting the top of the magazine feed ramp and deforming quite easily. Another fatal flaw of the design is the very short protrusion of the round metal in front of the magazine that connects to the receiver. When the gun is fired, the magazine tends to disengage and fall off the gun since this part of the magazine is barely engaging the gun. The magazine connection to the receiver is loose and it tends to rock back and forth when it is seated to the gun. The overall reliability of the gun is acceptable when using solid point cartridges; however the magazine must be supported by the non-shooting hand while the gun is being fired to prevent the magazine from falling off. The forward racking action of the magazine as the bolt moves forward when not supported by hand tends to jam the cartridge nose against the edge of the chamber as it is being pushed out of the magazine lips. The Pro-Mag 50 is far from being perfect. It definitely needed more refinements on the above noted areas of concern. Next in the market was the Black Dog 50-shot polymer drum magazine for the 10/22. This magazine looks promising and is very well made as compared to both the Sanford and Pro-Mag drums. The Black Dog version appears to have borrowed some features from the Sanford employing a back window to access the winding mechanism as well as its clock-type spring. However, its inherent reliability can be attributed to the features borrowed from the Italian made Bingham PPS-50 steel drum design incorporating plastic dummy cartridges as part of the magazine follower system. The PPS-50 drum magazine is possibly the finest 50-shot drum magazine ever made and Black Dog certainly made a great choice in employing its design characteristics. The Black Dog drum works best with solid point ammo. When hollow points are used there is an average of 3-4 jams per mag.

The quick demise of the old Condor magazine was quickly followed by yet another 25-shot all plastic banana magazine called the Eaton. Both the Condor and Eaton are virtually identical except the Condor utilized steel feed lips while the Eaton is an all plastic construction. Is this the improved Condor? During testing, three Eaton banana-type magazines were used. For a while, the magazines seemed to work fine but after 300 rounds were fired, malfunctions started to appear. The follower started to get tight and loading problems become frequent. The ejector shoulder on the magazine lip started to wear out fast causing frequent ejection problems. It appears that the plastic material used is not geared for this type of device. One time during the test, a rim blow-up occurred while firing a Remington Yellow Jacket hi-velocity cartridge. The unsupported section below the breech face diverted the exploding gas towards the magazine forcing it to disengage from its seat. As a result, the small protruding section that engages the magazine catch at the back of the magazine broke off, rendering the magazine totally unserviceable. As the Eaton magazine fell off the gun, it split into two halves as it hit the ground scattering the remaining ammo during impact. The two halves appear not to be bonded together. The Eaton 25-shot magazine is a standard item for the AMT Lightning when it entered the commercial marketed in the 1980s. Interestingly, Black Dog resurrected the Eaton magazine design as one of the primary offering in the banana type magazine market. While the early Eaton magazine are made to 1980’s standard, the new Black Dog version is much refined employing unbreakable polymer materials in their overall construction.

The new and much touted Butler Creek 25-shot “Steel Lips” magazine appears to bear a strong heritage to the old Condor magazine in overall design and construction. The difference between the two is that the Steel Lips works and the Condor doesn’t. By close examination, there are subtle differences between the original Condor and Steel Lips primarily in the feed lip and follower design. The exterior format is virtually identical between the two, however, the Butler Creek magazine proved to be far superior to the Condor in both quality of workmanship and reliability. The Steel Lips works reliably as long as it is kept clean. However, once the inside is exposed to heavy powder residue built up after prolonged use, the follower tends to hang up and will not push the cartridges upward leaving an empty chamber. The Steel Lips was also offered in all plastic format called the Hot Lips (clear plastic) and are both available in ten and 25-shot capacity. Three ten-shot version can be clipped together to form a unique “Star” shape configuration for a 30-shot firepower. In addition to its excellent magazines, Butler Creek also produced and marketed a very compact loading device for their magazines. Unfortunately, this loader will not work with other brands due to their different magazine lip opening.

Yet another 50 rounder entered the scene. This one has a unique teardrop type configuration. This magazine was originally marketed by Mitchell Arms designated as the 50/22. It was given good advertising and publicity when first introduced. Class II manufacturers for the 10/22 were also at its peak during this period. It was hoped that the Mitchell magazine was the final answer to the long search for a reliable hi-capacity magazine in their full auto wares. Two magazines were ordered with the same expectation. Unfortunately, after few try outs, the enthusiasm towards the Teardrop magazine quickly faded away. This device does not load to capacity without jamming. The drive belt is prone to hang-ups, just like the spool design of the Sanford drum. Worst of all, the Mitchell magazine has the shallowest ejector shoulder of all the hi-cap contenders tested. As expected, ejection problems plagued this magazine next to feeding hang-ups, caused by frequent stopping action of the drive belt. The Mitchell 50/22 has good possibility to be a top contender in the 50-round category once all the bugs are ironed out.

Twenty two years after its initial introduction, the Mitchell teardrop magazine once again came to life in the form of the new MWG 50-Rounder. This author was quite skeptical whether the MWG version was any better than the original despite the flowery advertising. The MWG is not cheap retailing at $80 but was not as expensive as the Pro-Mag drum which at one time sold for $100. Nevertheless, two of this new version was purchased for testing. As usual, prior to the actual reliability test, a visual comparison between the old and the new was made. The first thing noticed was the belt clip on the old Mitchell magazine was omitted on the MWG. The new version sported an all clear plastic construction in its shell casing versus the two-tone plastic of the old. Further examination revealed that the new MWG incorporated identical steel feed lips to the factory rotary magazine, while the Mitchell design had a narrow ejector and slightly different cutouts in the release point of the lip area. Internally, everything seemed to be identical except for the new type of material used in the loading belt. The old type has some sort of strands coming off the belt while the new one is clean. Range testing consisted of 500 rounds of Stinger and two 10/22s for heavy duty workout. Out of the 500 rounds fired, only three malfunctions were experienced which occurred only when the magazines were fully loaded. One of the 10/22s has an extra power recoil spring purchased from Brownell’s. The other has the standard factory recoil spring, which is basically tailored to work with their magazine. The bolt seems to have difficulty pushing the top round from the magazine lip, which is under heavy tension with the factory standard recoil spring. However, with the heavier recoil spring, the magazine worked flawlessly with 300 rounds fired. That is quite impressive. Finally, a 50-round magazine for the 10/22 that really works. MWG has indeed done their homework on this one. So what makes the MWG work and not the Mitchell? After stripping both the Mitchell and MWG magazines, the only valid explanation as to why one works and the other don’t is the difference in magazine lips. To test my theory, I switched the magazine lips on both magazines and retested both. The MWG, now having the lips of the old Mitchell, did not work. The Old Mitchell, now with the new magazine lips of the WMG, worked very well. Now on the right track, the metal lips were borrowed from two factory magazines and installed them on the old Mitchell magazines. They fit perfectly, and at last, worked perfectly. Puzzle solved. Why Mitchell did do not use identical lips as the factory rotary magazine to begin with is a mystery. Unfortunately, such good things do not last. Barely two months after getting the new MWG magazines, with just over 1,000 rounds being used in each mag, cracks started to appear on the top of the magazine just around the cap nut that controls the tension of the upper half of the belt. In addition, the bottom of the magazine housing also exhibited multiple cracks now rendering this expensive magazine totally unserviceable. Nevertheless, the old Mitchell mags are very much intact and still working great after their defective magazine lips were replaced with original Ruger parts. If MWG changes the housing with a better material that does not crack easily, I may but them again. For now, they work, but they don’t last very long.

Just at the time when more and more large capacity magazines were starting to flood the market for the 10/22, Bingham Ltd. of Norcross, Georgia introduce an all steel 30-shot banana type magazine of Italian manufacture. Bingham at this time was busy promoting its upcoming PPS-50, a rimfire clone of the famed WW II Russian PPSh burp gun. The Bingham magazine is very well made. A magazine adapter was utilized to compensate for the wide opening of the stock’s magazine chute for the factory rotary type magazine. The Italian magazine produces only marginal reliability, however. It also suffered multiple ejection and loading problems when fully loaded. It worked best with only 25 rounds loaded to give the spring and follower more leverage for movement. The magazine lip appears easily deformed and needs to be re-adjusted from time to time, especially the built-in ejector to minimize ejection problems. The magazine also tends to disengage accidentally from its adapter during firing. To correct this drawback, the writer installed built-in spring loaded plungers positioned on both sides of the adapter. The protruding ends of the plungers locks securely on their corresponding detent holes at the front of the trigger housing.

For few years, the Sanford, Eaton and Mitchell magazines dominated the 10/22 hi-capacity market despite their shortcomings. In the later part of the 80’s Ram-Line and Eagle International, both based in Colorado at that time, set to compete in this open market. Eagle International introduced a very attractive 30-shot banana type polymer magazine in both smoke and black color. The Eagle has a few interesting design features not found in any magazine in its class. It features a built-in magazine catch activator that is more convenient to operate than the factory flush-in catch if a high capacity magazine is used. The bottom of the magazine had a sliding trap door that would allow internal cleaning if needed. There were notable malfunctions experienced with the Eagle that occurred mostly after several thousands of rounds had gone through it. The magazine lips appeared to have opened up and caused the top round to jump out of its seat when firing hi-velocity rounds, particularly Stingers. A custom nylon buffer will help alleviate this problem by softening the recoil impact. When new, this magazine worked quite well with very few malfunctions noted. The Eagle magazine is available again and now offered in various colors ranging from black, smoke, orange and clear. This magazine not only proved to be one of the more reliable 30-rounders available in the market today, it is also one of the cheapest with some retailers selling them for as low as $10.

Perhaps, among the half dozen or more independent aftermarket accessory producers, no one can claim the top spot in the development and manufacture of hi-capacity magazines in the banana type category than Ram-Line. Famous for their extensive line of fixed and folding stocks made of indestructible polymer material and dress up kits, the Colorado based company has undoubtedly offered more selections of banana-type magazines than anyone else in the industry. Their first 30-round single stack magazines are the most reliable in their lineup. I still have five of these which I have extensively used in the past 20 years and they still work as good as when they were new. These magazine were soon followed by the more sophisticated double stack versions that were offered in 15, 20, 30, and 50-shot capacity, as well as a 25-shot single stack magazine called “Truncator” designed to work primarily with truncated type ammo such as the Remington Yellow Jacket. Ram-Line can be credited to the final breakthrough in creating a double column type magazine, something thought impossible at one time with .22 rimfire ammunition. These double stack format magazines however are very hard to load due to their very powerful dual clock type springs. To solve this problem, the company developed an autoloader device that can load the magazine almost as fast as you can shoot it. Unfortunately, as good as it sounds, the loader does not always work reliably. Their double stack magazines are also subject to this type of criticism. I have a dozen of this magazine that I acquired back in the late 80s. Out of twelve, half actually worked as long as they were not loaded to capacity and with certain type of ammo. Winchester Super-X appears to work best with these mags. The others have varying problems that I can attribute to excessive spring power of the follower. The most common problems encountered with this type of magazine is the tendency of the top round’s front end to lift itself up to almost 50 degrees as the bolt hits the back of the receiver during recoil. As the bolt comes back to battery, the lower end of the breech face that normally scoops the cartridge will miss the rim (now below the feed line) and instead glides over the lifted front end of the bullet, scraping it and finally stopping as the breech face dug deeper into the bullet nose. Another frequent malfunction using this magazine is the tendency of the bullet nose to hit the upper section of the chamber mouth as it is being pushed by the bolt towards the chamber. Again, the excessive magazine spring power appears to be the culprit here. There seems to be imbalance in the distribution of spring tension with much of the pressure directed to the front end of the follower. It is this author’s opinion that Ram-Line should have combined a full power spring and a half power spring rather than using two full power springs to make the system work reliably – and it would also make loading easier.

How far back in time would you have to travel to find a Ruger 10/22 that fires at 800 rounds per minute, accurately and controllably, that retails under $1,300? Thanks to the Akins Group, Inc., that time is now.

One of the newest innovations in the recreational firearms industry is now a reality. Under development for several years, the Akins Group, Inc. is releasing their latest product, the Akins Accelerator. The Akins Accelerator is a rifle stock designed to be used with a Ruger 10/22. It contains a linear motion device that in simple terms allows the rifle to recoil inside the stock. This slight rearward travel allows the trigger to be reset upon firing. Upon resetting the trigger, the return-forward motion of the firearm brings the trigger back into contact with the trigger finger of the shooter starting the process over again. It will continue until the magazine has emptied or until the shooter takes his finger off the trigger.

When first contacted by the principals of the Akins Group, Inc. regarding this project a few years ago, while the mechanism description made perfect sense, it definitely sounded a little “too good to be true.” Over the last few decades we have seen several gimmicks and gadgets that were “guaranteed” to create a legal and inexpensive alternative to transferable machine guns and very few have delivered as promised.

About a year ago this writer was asked to participate in a group of BETA testers who would utilize and push the mechanical limits of this new Akins Accelerator learning whatever we could about it and its abilities. This testing would take place while mass quantities were being produced for a future, public release. The testers were given specific instructions not to publicly display the device but were given the option of sharing its existence with close members of their individual firearms community. There have been over 100 BETA test units in all corners of the United States for over a year. The collective test results have been shared within this group, and this knowledge has been utilized to create an even more reliable design. Such a wide test, in regard to environment, ammo, and accessories has helped the Akins Group to fine tune the Accelerator far before making a public release. Much to the pleasure of everyone who has been privy to this testing, the release time is now and units are already being delivered.

Unlike almost all other devices designed to give the shooter a simulated full automatic fire effect, the Akins Accelerator is held and utilized in exactly the same fashion as a traditional rifle or stock. During fire, the stock remains solidly in the grasp of the shooter with a tight cheek weld, and solid grip on the pistol grip and forend. This allows for unprecedented accuracy and control. The only movement is happening inside the stock and it is so smooth and fluid-like, the shooter is almost unaware of it happening at all.

Something else that makes the Akins Accelerator unique is the ability to fire a single shot when desired just by squeezing the trigger in a conventional manner. During our testing it was easy to shoot a single burst of 10-15 rounds, engage a different target and shoot a few rounds in semi, and then empty the remainder of the magazine in a single burst.

How exactly does it work?

As already briefly explained, the rifle actually recoils inside the stock. It is attached to a device called a Linear Motion Assembly. This device takes the place of the standard V-block barrel retainer supplied with the 10/22 and is firmly attached to the receiver, solidly holding the barrel in place like the factory V-block. The Linear Motion Assembly is then secured into the stock. Once fastened into the stock, the top of the device along with the rifle and barrel are allowed to move rearward and return forward again while the bottom of the Linear Motion Assembly is fastened tightly to the stock.

When correctly adjusted and assembled, the firing sequence works in the following manner. The firearm is loaded and charged in a typical fashion and the safety still works in the normal manner as well. When the shooter wishes to fire several rounds in a single burst, the trigger finger of the shooter is “bridged” over the trigger, touching both sides of the stock. As the trigger is depressed, the finger remains static. The recoil of the rifle causes the whole barreled action to move slightly rearward with the assistance of the Linear Motion Assembly. There is a return spring in the Linear Motion Assembly that brings the barreled action to its forward position after the recoil stroke is completed. As the rifle returns to its beginning position, the trigger finger of the shooter now acting as a “bridge” across the trigger area of the stock, comes back into contact with the trigger, starting the process over again. A properly assembled and well-fed 10/22 will continue to function in this way until the magazine is empty. If the shooter wishes to stop shooting the finger is simply removed like any traditional firearm. If the shooter wishes to fire single shots instead of bursts, regular pressure is applied to the trigger instead of using the “bridge” type hold described above. The gun may be used with either the left or right hand.

Why is this NOT considered a machine gun?

Simply enough, it does not meet the definition of a machine gun as defined in the National Firearm Act (NFA), 26 U.S.C. Chapter 53. Machine gun: “The term “machine gun” means any weapon designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The term shall also include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.”

During the exchange of letters between the Firearms Technology Branch of ATF and the Akins Group, Inc., ATF said, “…As noted previously, the proposed theory of operation of this stock involves the application of the movement of the counter recoiling device to initiate a rapid succession of semiautomatic fire. Our examination and subsequent classification revealed that the stock did not constitute a “machine gun” as that term is defined in the National Firearms Act (NFA), 26 U.S.C. Chapter 53…”

Not only are the Akins Accelerator stock and assembly not considered a machine gun, they are not even classified as a firearm. This is only an accessory, needing a legal, semiautomatic host firearm to even function. The semiautomatic firearm (in this case the 10/22) added to the stock assembly still only has the ability to discharge one shot per function of the trigger as required by law. The rapid succession in which these shots are fired has no bearing on the legality of the system as noted in the above letter from the Firearms Technology. This is the same logic used in rulings for decades on the numerous hand cranks and similar rapid-fire devices offered on the market today and in the past.

Assembling your Akins Accelerator

When you receive your new stock assembly it will come with an owner’s manual, a few pins and clips, and a special Bondhus Ball End Wrench for removal of and replacement of the barrel retaining screws. Read the manual from front to rear and everything will immediately become crystal clear. It is a simple task to mount correctly but it must be done exactly as directed to function as well as it has the ability to do.

The factory trigger and magazine catch pins must be replaced with new provided pins before firing. The factory pins have a tendency to “walk-out” and these new retaining spring pins will stay firm.

The factory barrel retaining V-block must be removed and replaced with the new Linear Motion Device. Before removing or loosening this V-block it is wise to use a felt pen to mark the position of the barrel in relation to the receiver. This way during reassembly it will be in exactly the same position and the chance of malfunction from contact with the ejector will be drastically reduced.

After the V-block has been completely removed, the Linear Motion assembly will be installed in its place using the factory screws. This is most easily accomplished with the assistance of the ball end of the provided wrench. Making sure the barrel is lined up with the receiver with your previous markings, the Linear Motion Assembly can be tightened up. When doing this, only tighten each screw a little then alternate to the other one for a few turns. The necessity to line up the operating rods so they are completely parallel with the barrel is of extreme importance. Over-tightening one side may cause the rods to lean to one side. By slowly tightening them in an alternating manner getting them parallel with the barrel should be no problem.

After the device is tightened to the barrel block it is time to install the assembly to the stock. Care must be made when positioning the system into the stock so that the trigger mechanism is not too far forward. Upon firing, it has to break clean and allow the receiver to move rearward of the placement of the shooters finger. It should be positioned very close to the rearward most area. A little adjusting of this placement may be all the “fine tuning” necessary once everything is assembled and it is time to hit the range.

The whole trick to this running dependably is realizing that there is very little residual energy left from the recoil stage in this little Rimfire and anything allowed to rub anywhere will further rob that much needed power. This includes a good cleaning of the entire rifle mechanism not withstanding the trigger group and chamber area. If the rifle is dragging on the stock in any area it must be adjusted so it can float freely to ensure the fullest potential available.

Range Test Time

Range test time has been the greater portion of a year. This is a long time to work with something compared to most gun testing. We were fortunate in assembling a gun that ran well from the very beginning. It has been noticed that a small “break-in” period may be necessary to loosen up tight tolerances caused by factory finishing when using new firearms. A well-used rifle was chosen, being completely disassembled and given a thorough cleaning and lube prior to being assembled in the new unit. The guide rods of the Linear Motion Assembly were lined up correctly and it fit well in the stock. The factory 10-round magazines just whistled through it so immediately went on to 30-rounders and even a 50-round teardrop drum. All worked flawless.

An early concern was the number of accessories that could be added to the system and still work reliably. We ended up using a 12-inch barrel with an AWC MKII Silencer for the majority of the testing and the rifle was topped with a PRO-MAG scope mount and ADCO Mirage electronic sight. Nothing caused any type of regular malfunction and every combination of ammo, magazine and accessory worked just fine. Our test model ate everything it was fed.

The correct function testing procedure recommends factory 10-round magazines with CCI Mini-Mag solid point ammo to lessen the variables. After running reliably with that combination it is recommended to upgrade or change only one thing at a time to keep a firm grip on potential problems. In dealing with Rimfire guns, some guns are finicky with specific types of ammo while others only like specific magazines and this configuration will not be any different.

During our numerous trips to the range it was easy to complete 30-round and 50-round magazine dumps regularly. Keeping the gun clean was the key. Other than the excellent functionality of this system, the controllability was really what set it apart from other systems we have tried in the past. It is very easy to keep an entire magazine of ammo on a small target from 50 feet away due to the lack of felt recoil and muzzle rise.

We used a mixed bag of almost every type of .22LR ammo readily available with most functioning fine. We extensively fired the 550-round Federal bulk pack ammo and the Remington Golden Bullet bonus pack ammo, both retailing under $9. We also used lots of CCI Blazer. Testing has shown that the use of CCI Mini-Mag Solid Point ammo is one of the most dependable. We recorded rates of fire from the 650rpm range to almost 900rpm depending on ammunition used.

This device has brought smiles to the Class III enthusiasts I have allowed to view and handle it. It is not the amazing firepower or the availability of reliable and inexpensive ammunition. It isn’t even the number of available accessories like high capacity magazines and sound suppressors it seems to work fine with. The real allure seems to be the technological aspect that just keeps people grinning from ear to ear.

People quickly grasp the concept and then balk when they inquire about the price. A demonstration is necessary to really grasp how well this system works. A 30-round or 50-round mag dump is usually sufficient to solicit a, “Hey, let me look at that. That’s really just a semi? I gotta get me one of these!” Words alone, even sprinkled with a few photos just don’t convey how well this actually runs. For that purpose, Akins Group, Inc. has set up a little space in the web to share thoughts, ideas, photos and videos and you are welcome to participate. You can find them at www.firefaster.com. You will be very impressed with what you see and hear there.

The Akins Accelerator is currently offered in three configurations. The Full Stock retails for $975, the Folding Stock retails for $1,125 and the Pocket Folding Stock retailing for $1,185.

Akins Group, Inc Dept. SAR P.O. Box 430 Cornelius, OR 97113 (503)359-1359 www.firefaster.com

By Al Paulson

The integrally silenced Ruger 10/22 is one of the finest semi automatic sporting instruments ever devised. When properly executed, these are very handsome, very quiet, well-balanced rifles that are also capable of excellent accuracy. The state of the art in suppressed .22 rifles and pistols has progressed to a very high level in the last few years, although the Ruger products do vary somewhat in accuracy “Out of the box”. With the proverbial bar set so high, the careful shopper can find performance that was unthinkable just a few years ago. One interesting entry into the highly competitive field of integrally silenced 10/22s is the Phoenix rifle from Advanced Armament Corp. I’ve had the opportunity to evaluate both first-generation and second generation Phoenix rifles, and it’s safe to say that the results were surprising.

Using a similar baffle stack to AAC’s Phoenix pistol, the first-generation Phoenix rifle (henceforth referred to as the Phoenix Type 1) has approximately the same length and weight as an unmodified rifle when the factory stock is inletted to accept the suppressor. The silencer tube is made from 304 stainless steel, which is finished in a matte bead blast finish. The tube completely covers the exposed portion of the barrel. The suppressor has a length of 17.6 inches and a diameter of 0.98 inch. With Simmons .22 MAG 4×32 scope, Weaver rings, Hogue aftermarket stock, and empty magazine, the Phoenix Type 1 rifle evaluated in this study has an LOA of 36.75 inches and a system weight of 6.7 pounds. Since the scope and mounts weigh 12.9 ounces, the Phoenix Type 1 rifle weighs 5.9 pounds without optics. The baffles are CNC machined from 6061-T6 aluminum alloy to minimize weight and to maximize heat transfer from hot combustion gases, which increases the efficiency of the silencer. The 12.5 inch barrel has minimal porting engineered to keep high velocity and standard velocity ammo from generating a loud ballistic crack, while at the same time delivering maximum practicable velocity to provide as much penetration as possible without objectionable bullet flight noise. The porting is designed to give maximum service life for an integral suppressor with ported barrel. It is also worth noting that the rifle is not classified as a Short-Barreled Rifle under BATF regulations, since the suppressor is permanently attached to the barrel.

The Type 2 Phoenix rifle differs from the Type 1 rifle in several important aspects. The most important difference is that the Type 2 suppressor incorporates improved barrel tensioning to reduce barrel harmonics and thereby provide better accuracy. The Type 2 also features a shorter barrel and suppressor tube, measuring 10.5 inches and 15.5 inches, respectively. The Type 2 Phoenix rifle has an LOA of 34.7 inches. It weighs 5.5 pounds without optics, which is 0.4 pound lighter than the Type 1 Phoenix. I very much prefer the handiness of the shorter Type 2 variant. The second-generation Type 2 Phoenix is the variant currently in production.

Taking Stock

Traditional wood, laminated wood, and even fiberglass stocks can be both functional and genuine art. Few things are as maddening as taking a beautiful stock into the field and watching it become dinged, gouged and scarred during the course of active use. There’s something to be said for a rough and tumble stock that sheds abuse that would do violence to a handsome wood or fiberglass stock. While I’m not enamored with the aesthetic appearance of the Hogue OvermoldedTM aftermarket stock for the Ruger 10/22, I am pleased with how it handles during presentation and how it resists scarring from hard use afield.

The Overmolded stock features an internal fiberglass body for solid support combined with a cushioned rubber outer skin for a non-slip grip and a remarkable resistance to dings and gouges. Another variant of the Hogue stock is coated with nylon instead of rubber. The rubber-skinned variant is a robust stock well suited to hard usage (I have no experience with the nylon-skinned variant). The Overmolded stock features a straight comb, wide varmint-style forend, very functional cobblestone finish surfaces on the grip and forestock, dual palm swells on the recurve pistol grip to further enhance comfort and control, a rubber recoil pad, and front and rear sling studs. Fully inletted for a drop-in fit, the Hogue stock is available inletted for factory standard barrels as well as standard aftermarket match barrels with a diameter of 0.920 inch. It is the latter variant with rubber outer skin that Advanced Armament used for the Phoenix Type 1 and Type 2 suppressed rifles evaluated in this study.

No inletting of the stock was performed to make the 0.98 inch suppressor tube fit in the 0.92 inch barrel channel. The inherent flexibility of the stock enables a press fit of the suppressed action into place. This may be the weak link in the system, since the forestock exerts considerable pressure on the suppressor tube throughout its length. My experience with other suppressed carbines is that a free-floating suppressor tube delivers better accuracy than a tube that has any contact with the stock. Testing that hypothesis will be left for another time.

While I much prefer the human engineering of the 1.8 pound Volquartsen thumbhole fiberglass stock for the Ruger 10/22, the 1.9 pound Hogue stock bounced back from the sort of usage that left my Volquartsen stock chipped and scarred. That certainly earned my respect and has made me rethink future stock purchases for Ruger 10/22s that will get hard use in the field.

Performance

I compared the performance of AAC’s Type 1 and Type 2 Phoenix integrally silenced 10/22 rifles with an unsuppressed Ruger 10/22 with factory 18.5 inch barrel, and with AAC’s Cloak silenced Ruger 10/22. The Cloak is actually a Hogue match barrel with a silencer hidden inside. The Cloak silenced barrel fits into aftermarket stocks designed to accept 0.920 match barrels, and it does so without the need for any stock modifications whatsoever. Sound testing was conducted using the specific equipment and testing protocol advocated at the end of Chapter 5 in the book Silencer History and Performance, Volume 1 (Wideworld, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 1827, Conway, AR 72033; $50 plus $5 s&h, check or MO). Four kinds of .22 LR ammunition were used for the testing: Remington 40 grain high velocity (HV), Remington 40 grain standard velocity target (SVT), Remington 38 grain hollowpoint subsonic (SS), and RWS 40 grain hollowpoint subsonic (SS). Sound and velocity testing of the Phoenix Type 1 and Cloak were conducted at an atmospheric temperature of 84 °F, while accuracy testing was conducted several days later at 88 °F. The Type 2 Phoenix was tested nine moths later at a temperature of 56 °F. Ideally, I would have liked to conduct all sound and all accuracy testing on one day, but this simply wasn’t possible. Ammunition was kept at ambient temperature in a cooler in the shade until needed. Unsuppressed peak sound pressure levels (SPLs) were measured 1 meter to the left of the muzzle, while suppressed levels were measured 1 meter to the left of the suppressor. Reported decibel levels represent the mean (average) of 10 shots.

Velocities were measured using a P.A.C.T. MKIII timer/chronograph with MKV skyscreens set 24.0 inches apart and the start screen 8.0 feet from the muzzle (P.A.C.T., Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 531525, Grand Prairie, TX 75053; phone: 214-641-0049). Velocity data represent a mean value of at least ten shots. The speed of sound was 1,143 fps at 84 °F, 1,157 fps at 88 °F, and 1,113 fps 56 °F. Accuracy testing was conducted at a range of 50 yards using a mechanically buffered cradle-type machine rest that locks the entire rifle in place, with three rounds per group. Reported accuracy data represent the average of three groups. Group sizes represent the center to center distance between the two most widely spaced shots, using custom caliber-specific calipers made by Hunt’s Bullets (Dept. SAR, 6210 Lake Lugano, Jacksonville, FL 32256; phone 904-645-3140).

The peak sound pressure levels (SPLs) of suppressed and unsuppressed rifles are reported in Table 1. Net sound reductions appear in Table 2. Muzzle velocities appear in Table 3. Accuracy data appear in Table 4. As the first table shows, AAC’s Phoenix rifles are generally significantly quieter that AAC’s Cloak rifle. This generalization is easier to see when looking at the net sound reductions shown in Table 2. Table 3 shows that the Cloak must be used with subsonic ammunition to avoid a ballistic crack under these atmospheric conditions with Remington standard velocity, although several folks who own AAC’s Cloak rifles tell me that they have thus far experienced no ballistic cracks using CCI standard velocity ammunition. That said, I always found that the Phoenix could be used with Remington standard velocity ammunition for stealthy shooting. Of course, no rifles evaluated in this study produced objectionable bullet flight noise when used with subsonic ammunition.

All three suppressed rifles give very usable sound reduction with high velocity ammo, since the rifles’ sound signatures will be obscured by the ballistic crack. If several varmints or small game animals are downrange, they will look toward the nearby ballistic crack or the sound of bullet impact—and not the shooter—if proper field craft is employed.

Both Phoenix variants, as well as the Cloak, delivered very stealthy shooting with standard velocity target ammunition. Furthermore, standard velocity ammunition delivered the best accuracy, as shown in Table 4.

Using subsonic ammunition, the Type 2 Phoenix was significantly more accurate than the Type 1 Phoenix, while still delivering outstanding sound reduction with standard velocity and subsonic fodder. Shortening the suppressor and barrel to create the Type 2 Phoenix yielded the same sound reduction as the Type 1 with high velocity and standard velocity ammunition, while the shorter system was only 1 decibel louder when using subsonic ammunition.

To put these sound data in perspective, both Phoenix variants are much quieter than a Crossman American Classic Model 1377 .177 caliber air pistol with any ammunition that does not produce a ballistic crack. Furthermore, even the shorter Type 2 Phoenix delivers sound pressure levels using standard velocity and subsonic ammunition that are within 1-3 dB of action noise (which is 109 dB, measured as the sound of the bolt closing on an empty chamber). Such performance can safely be termed outstanding.

Advanced Armament’s Type 2 Phoenix delivered 0.78 inch groups at 50 yards with standard velocity target ammo, which is significantly better than an unsuppressed rifle. Using high velocity ammunition, neither the suppressed or unsuppressed Rugers with factory barrels shot as accurately. Whether this is because the factory barrels are optimized for standard velocity projectiles or because of tension on the suppressor tube created by the Hogue stock affecting harmonic vibration of the baffle stack remains unclear. Using subsonic ammunition, accuracy wasn’t as good as standard velocity target-grade fodder, which is not uncommon. Still and all, 1.2 to 1.3 inch groups at 50 yards with subsonic ammunition in the Phoenix Type 2 rifle is still plenty accurate to take varmints and small game at that distance with confidence.

It is worth noting that the only suppressed or unsuppressed rifle to provide unmatched accuracy with all categories of ammunition was AAC’s Cloak rifle, with the suppressor hidden inside a Hogue stainless steel match barrel of 0.920 inch diameter.

Several curiosities in the data merit a brief discussion. The Phoenix Type 1 delivered a muzzle signature of 109 dB with Remington subsonic, which was the same level as action noise. The Type 1 produced a sound signature that is a mere 108 dB with RWS subsonic. That’s nothing short of astonishing performance.

How can the overall sound signature of the Phoenix Type 1 possibly be 1 dB quieter than action noise with RWS subsonic? It turns out that the chambering of a live round buffers the ring of the bolt slamming home by about 1 decibel. Using RWS subsonic ammunition, the Phoenix Type 1 delivers the maximum amount of sound suppression that is theoretically usable in a Ruger 10/22, unless measures are taken to further reduce action noise. It is also noteworthy that both the Phoenix and the Cloak suppressors from Advanced Armament are exceptionally good at minimizing first-round pop.

Conclusions

In terms of sound suppression, Advanced Armament’s Phoenix rifle can safely be termed impressive. With the rifle’s most accurate ammunition used in this study—Remington standard velocity target—the Phoenix produced a truly impressive sound signature. Gunshot noise was within a mere 2 decibels of action noise using the Type 1 rifle and within 3 dB of action noise using the Type 2 rifle. Using RWS subsonic ammunition, the Type 1’s sound signature was actually 1 decibel less than the sound of the bolt closing on an empty chamber. It’s hard to imagine squeezing any more stealth out of a silenced 10/22. Using RWS subsonic in the Type 2 rifle, the sound signature was only 1 dB above action noise. From another perspective, that’s 10-13 decibels quieter than a Crossman American Classic Model 1377 .177 caliber air pistol (depending on the number of pumps). When you consider that the decibel scale is logarithmic, it becomes clear that this is very stealthy performance, indeed.

Accuracy of the Phoenix Type 1 rifle was good, but I prefer the accuracy mix delivered by the Phoenix Type 2, even though it’s not quite as accurate with the high velocity and target ammunition used in this study. For those who can utilize even more accuracy, I’d recommend AAC’s Cloak, which delivered 0.45 inch groups at 50 yards with standard velocity target ammunition.

It is interesting to note that AAC’s Cloak—with its silencer hidden inside a match barrel—delivered significantly better accuracy than the Phoenix Type 1 and Type 2 with all categories of ammunition. It is also interesting that the barrel tensioning incorporated into the Type 2 design seemed to work best with subsonic ammunition in the particular rifle I tested.

It is well known that .22 rimfire rifles are notoriously finicky with regard to ammo versus accuracy, and the Phoenix appears to be particularly finicky in this regard. The owner of a Phoenix (or any other suppressed or unsuppressed .22 rimfire) would be well advised to go to a good gunshop and buy a box of every brand and variety of high velocity, standard velocity, and subsonic ammunition that can be found. Spend a day shooting groups from a rest, and find out what delivers the best accuracy from that particular gun. When the best performers are found, try to buy several 5,000 round cases of the same variety (and lot, if possible) of ammunition and earmark that ammo for that particular gun. This extra effort will pay substantial dividends when it comes to accurately placing rounds on target.

That said, simply using Remington standard velocity target ammo in the Advanced Armament’s Phoenix integrally silenced rifle will deliver an extremely stealthy sound signature and much better accuracy than an unmodified Ruger 10/22. That is compelling performance, no matter how you slice it.

The complete Phoenix 10/22 rifle costs $795, while installing the Phoenix on a customer-supplied stainless steel Ruger 10/22 or 77/22 rifle runs $595. AAC can add an outstanding trigger job for $125, including Volquartsen parts. This is highly recommended for the serious shooter. For more information, contact the Advanced Armament Corp. (Dept. SAR, 3100 Five Forks Trickum Road SW, Suite 201, Lilburn, GA 30047; phone 770-985-3109; fax 770-985-3110; website www.advanced-armament.com).

By Chris A. Choat

NEXT GENERATION OF RADIOS FROM MOTOROLA

Motorola, Inc., announces its latest innovation in two-way radio technology: the Motorola TalkAbout T6000 series, with entertainment, sports, and lifestyle features never before found in a single small device. The Motorola TalkAbout T6000 two-way radio series is unlike any ever introduced to the market, providing a multitude of new capabilities that can help users in navigating their environment. With a range of features including a digital compass, thermometer, altimeter/barometer, weather channel, FM stereo radio and stereo headset, these new two-way radios are the ultimate tool for the rugged outdoorsman or the urban adventurer. Other features of the Motorola TalkAbout T6000 radios include 14 channels with 38 security codes, clock with timer, alarm and stopwatch, hands-free and speakerphone use and drop-in rechargeable battery with drop-in capability. With a range of up to two miles the T6000 series radios are the ultimate communication tool for small groups who want to stay in touch while hiking, biking, snowboarding or just roaming the neighborhood or local mall. The T6000 series of radios are also water, dust and shock resistant. For more information contact Motorola, Dept. SAR, 600 North US Highway 45, Libertyville, IL 60048. Phone: 1-800-353-2729. Fax: 1-501-223-0301. They are on the web at www.motorola.com

GONCZ HI-TECH GENERATION II FIREARMS

Goncz High-Tech Firearms, designed and developed by Lajos John Goncz, have evolved over a period of 15 years to the point where they are some of the most modern, practical firearms available. The designer set out to develop a single “Gun System” that would replace the combined need of a sidearm and a much larger long gun. The firearm would also be capable of delivering high fire power and superb accuracy at distances up to 150 meters. This system can be equipped with scopes, lasers, lights, sound suppressors, etc. Its compactness, dependability, light weight and controllability are also very important factors to consider. These are arms designed for civilian populace, law enforcement and military. The compact Goncz Hi-Tech Firearm is a semi-auto pistol and carbine for the next Millennium. The pistol incorporates a seven-inch barrel enclosed in a ventilated shroud, micro-adjustable sights, safety and magazine releases on both sides of the frame, a trigger system that directly controls the firing pin (without any independent movement of the firing pin itself), and a telescoping bolt system. The firearm also features a pistol grip that is at the “center point” of balance, thus reducing felt recoil and helps keep the shooter on target during rapid fire situations. The firearm uses a double row, double column feed magazine which comes in 10 round capacity for the civilian market or 19 and 30 round capacity for law enforcement. Other important features of the Goncz Hi-Tech Firearm include safe trigger system, telescoping bolt system and easy disassembly with no tools required. The Goncz Hi-Tech pistols and carbines are available chambered in 9 X 19 mm Parabellum, .45 ACP, 7.62 X 25mm, 9 X 18mm and the new high velocity 5.56 X 18mm. For more information contact Arms Tech, Inc., Dept. SAR, 1125 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601. Phone: 1-818-769-6566. Fax: 1-818-769-6583.

NEW “SPIDER” SUPPRESSOR FROM ADVANCED ARMAMENT CORP

The new “Spider” suppressor from Advanced Armament Corp. is a thread mounted suppressor designed for use on 9mm semi-automatic pistols. Through the use of artificial environment technology, the SPIDER completely eliminates the muzzle flash signature and bothersome first round pop, thus making it equally suitable for use by civilian sport shooters and military/law enforcement tactical users alike. The diminutive size and light weight of the SPIDER enable it to reliably cycle most popular 9mm semi-automatics without incorporating cumbersome and expensive recoil enhancing equipment into the design. As with all Advanced Armament Corp. suppressors, the SPIDER features a stainless steel rear mount to prevent excess thread wear common with all-aluminum suppressors. Constructed of aircraft quality, CNC machined components, the SPIDER is available in a black, hard coat anodized finish. For more information on this and other models of cutting edge suppressors contact Advanced Armament Corporation, Dept. SAR, 221 West Crogan Street, Lawrenceville, GA 30045. Phone: 1-770-277-4946. Fax: 1-770-963-6556. 0n the web at www.advanced-armament.com.

SHARP SLIDER STOCK FOR THE RUGER 10/22

The Sharp Slider was introduced by Sharp Products, Inc., at this years SHOT SHOW. The Sharp Slider is an adjustable stock and bipod system that allows families to customize the popular Ruger 10/22 rifle into a versatile family firearm so that multiple young hobby shooters can learn firearm safety and the proper care and handling of firearms from a very early age. The bipod element of the system attaches to the Slider Stock and supports the length of the adult barreled action, effectively prohibiting dipping and swinging while giving the on site adult total control. Young hobbyists can focus solely on safe handling and technique as they fully grow into a typical adult firearm rather than growing out of several versions of youth rifles. This feature makes the Slider extremely cost efficient for families that have several growing children but still want to share their interests with their children. The adjustable stock telescopes outward to accommodate all growing children as well as extending a quarter of an inch beyond a normal adult stock so that an adult can comfortably assist and instruct children as well as shoot the rifle themselves. The Slider is also ideal for handicapped shooters with special needs because of the support that the bipod offers. For more information contact Sharp Products, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 81, Nampa, FL 83653-0081. Phone: 1-208-466-7787. Fax: 1-208-466-4224. They can also be contacted at SharpProductsInc@msn.com.

PROEARS HEARING PROTECTION

The most advanced hearing protection and advancement system is now available from Howard Leight company. Two new products, THUNDER™ and LEIGHTNING™ POWERED BY PROEAR Sr, compress loud noises to safe levels. Most ear protection devices only “clip” peak sounds, but THUNDER and LEIGHTNING POWERED BY PROEARS are different. With Dynamic Sound Compression(tm), these two new innovative products allow the user to safely hear every sound. Sounds are compressed to within 72 decibels, so every sound is heard with clarity and no distortion at a safe level. These innovative products feature stereo reception, independent volume control and no connecting wires. THUNDER POWERED BY PROEARS is comfortable, with an extra-long, padded headband with wire for a custom fit. LEIGHTNING POWERED BY PROEARS has oversized cushions for extended wear, and a folding headband for easy storage. Both products are backed by Howard Leight’s warranty and quality service. For more information contact Howard.