September 16, 2015
Over the last few days, we've been in Florida trying out some of SilencerCo's new and upcoming products at their Maxim Vice event. As you can imagine, it was an absolute blast!
Although they introduced 4 new products, there are only 3 that will directly impact our customers - and we'll quickly go through those here so you know what's coming.
We'll cover them in order of product availability, starting with the SilencerCo Osprey Micro which is available now.
SilencerCo Osprey Micro
The Osprey Micro will be the first product to hit store shelves - and it's a new twist on .22 suppressors.
Unlike most new SilencerCo products, the new Micro won't appeal to everybody - and I suspect both the Sparrow and Spectre II will continue to appeal to a broader user base. Having said that, if you're looking for something different, the Micro looks like a great little can!
After spending some time playing with the Osprey Micro, as well as shooting it, here are my initial impressions:
Advantages
- The new Salvo-like appearance looks great on a .22 handgun!
- The conditions we were shooting in weren't optimal for suppression; but, it still sounded impressive. We'll be doing more sound testing in our home climate as soon as possible. I would be very surprised if this isn't one of the quietest .22 suppressors on the market.
- The modular design allows you to easily switch between either a 4.6" or 3.1" configuration. The longer configuration is obviously quieter - but the shorter configuration looks great on a .22 pistol!
- It isn't truly a quick-attach, but it does mount with only about 1 1/2 turns.
- The new 'offset' design looks great, and provides additional volume - but it also introduces an issue with needing to time the quick-attach adapter so the suppressor will attach in the correct orientation (unlike traditional round suppressors where timing isn't an issue). New users will probably find the timing shims a bit difficult to deal with; but, SilencerCo is working hard to provide instructions that will make the process as simple as possible.We'll be posting more information on how to time the Osprey Micro as soon as possible.
- The other disadvantage is the requirement to have a quick-attach adapter for all your .22 firearms that are going to work with the Osprey Micro. This isn't a huge deal, and it does come with one - but it's something to keep in mind.
SilencerCo Hybrid
The Silencerco Hybrid should be available around the beginning of 2016.
It's the most universal 'Do-Everything' suppressor I've ever seen, and I suspect it will be a huge seller. In my opinion, the Hybrid will target 2 major customer groups:
- Big Bore users who are shooting calibers like the .45-70 don't currently have any mainstream suppressor options available. These customers are going to be absolutely blown away by the new Hybrid.
- New suppressor customers often come to us looking for a Do-Everything suppressor so they'll only have to buy one suppressor... Ever :). The Hybrid will appeal to these new customers who haven't yet learned how addicting suppressors can be.
SilencerCo Maxim
The new all-in-one pistol from SilencerCo is both the farthest out (expected toward the end of 2016), as well as the most exciting (at least to me).
The Maxim is an all-in-one pistol that can be holstered, is very quiet, and made me feel like RoboCop. What's not to like? :)
The model we shot was definitely a pre-production model, so I'd probably ignore most speculation you read on it - but it showed an enormous amount of promise. I can't wait until we start getting closer to product availability next year!
