How to Make a 22 Suppressor – Things to Know

How to Make a 22 Suppressor
Alfred Mendoza

Buying a suppressor can be expensive and stressful when it comes to legality, so most gun enthusiasts opt to make their own suppressors. A suppressor can significantly reduce recoil, hearing damage, noise pollution and increase the accuracy of your 22. 

Our team spent 24 hours making a detailed guide on how to make a 22 suppressor at home.

1. Get A Permission From The BATFE

The first step in making a suppressor is by securing approval from ATF. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) requires an application and roughly $200 for a tax stamp before making or using a suppressor [1]

You must wait for their approval and the tax stamp that will take 3-12 months before building your suppressor. 

2. Make The Baffle & Cut The Bar To Length

For the baffle, you will need a 1 inch solid round aluminum cut in a length of 7 inches. The baffle allows the bullet to pass through it and helps the gas to disperse evenly. As the gas continuously disperses through the baffle, the sound is reduced.  

3. Face Both Ends Of The Baffle On A Lathe

When building the suppressor, facing both ends of the baffle on a lathe ensures a fit and precise alignment as you screw into the rifle barrel. In addition, facing the tube and the baffle makes mounting in the lathe much easier.

4. Start Drilling

Drill And Screw Onto The Threaded Barrel

To start drilling for a 22 suppressor, you will need a 1/2×28 tap and a 7/16 inch drill bit. Start to drill on the thread end of the barrel with a depth enough to let the suppressor screw on the thread. 

Drill The Bullet Path Through The Baffle

After tapping the threaded barrel, you can flip the baffle around to avoid using a long drill bit to create the bullet path. You can use a tailstock when drilling for the bullet path.

Start Drilling

Drill/Mill Out The Gas Chambers 

Before milling out the gas chambers, mark the baffles to be drilled. You can start drilling with a drill bit and finalize it with an end mill. The gas chambers will be the exit point of the gas when the bullets are fired.

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5. Clean The Bullet Path & Cut The Baffle Cover Tube

Using a bullet path drill bit, clean the bullet path after milling the gas chambers. Since you worked on the gas chambers, you have to ensure that the bullet will successfully pass through the baffle.

6. Face The Ends Of The Baffle Cover Tube On The Lathe Again

After cutting the baffle cover, place both ends on the lathe and drill the cover. The inside diameter of the baffle cover is one inch to allow the baffle to get inside the cover. The baffle cover tube must fit on the baffle for it to be sealed. 

7. Polish The Baffle Cover With Steel Wool

With the use of steel wool, polish the inside and outside walls of the baffle cover. Since the baffle cover is made from aluminum, steel wool will help remove unnecessary debris for a smooth and aesthetically pleasing cover.  

8. Insert The Completed Baffle & Seal

Insert the completed baffle on the cover tube and seal it. If you encounter knocking of baffle and cover, you can use a plastic mallet to reduce the diameter of the threaded baffle. Suppressors for 22 can be sealed using press-fit, welding, epoxy, screws, or duct tape.

FAQS

A 22 suppressor is a muffler device attached at the tip of the barrel of a 22LR. It works by trapping the hot gas and forcing it to cool off by traveling it inside the baffle before exiting. In this way, it reduces recoil and sound.

Yes, it is safe to make your own 22 suppressor. Most gun enthusiasts make their suppressors because it is easy and safe to make one. The materials needed and the tools are available at home, and working with them is very safe.

Yes, making a 22 suppressor is way cheaper than buying a ready-made suppressor. The tax stamp costs about $200 plus the raw materials that are cheaper compared to the ready-made suppressor.

So, How Do You Make A 22 Suppressor?

While many shooters prefer a ready-made suppressor for convenience, how to make a 22 suppressor is easy and doable. With the right tools and raw materials, making a 22 suppressor is cheaper than buying one. 

Follow the instructions above and ensure that you have secured a tax stamp before working on the suppressor to avoid getting in trouble.

References:

  1. https://science.howstuffworks.com/5-surprising-facts-gun-silencers.htm

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