When the Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law on July 4, 2025, it eliminated the $200 tax on silencers. This change will become effective on January 1, 2026.
Many SurvivalBlog readers may want to purchase their first silencer now that the tax has been eliminated. I decided to go ahead with a silencer purchase before the big day so that I could describe what that process looks like for first-time silencer buyers.
I contacted Dead Air Silencers to see if they would be willing to provide the silencer while I would pay the tax and the SOT/FFL transfer fee. They were kind enough to agree to this proposal.
First Steps
I began by selecting the RXD22Ti as my first silencer. I then went to the “Find a Dealer” section of the Dead Air website and entered my ZIP code. This brought up a list of gun shops in my area that have an SOT/FFL and that partner with Dead Air Silencers. I selected the shop nearest me and arranged for my silencer to be sent there for transfer.
Not too many days later, I received an email from Dead Air Silencers indicating that my silencer had shipped. They also provided me with a tracking number. Six days later, I received an email from the gun shop indicating that the silencer had arrived, and that I could stop by to set up my profile.
Not long afterward, I went to the gun shop during my lunch hour. They directed me to a Silencer Shop Kiosk, where I entered my email address and selected a password.
I then logged into my new Silencer Shop account and answered a bunch of form-4473-type questions. I then scanned my driver’s license into the kiosk to enter my personal data.
Next, I scanned my fingerprints on the kiosk, and then selected a registration type. I chose to register my silencer as an individual. That is the simplest way to register. If I had wanted to share possession with someone else, I could have registered as a trust.
Then, I signed in to my Silencer Shop account on my smartphone, and one of the associates at the gun shop used the camera on my phone to take and submit a passport-style photo for my application.
After that, I registered with the ATF’s eForms system. I then electronically signed and returned a document that the Silencer Shop sent me via email. I also certified eForm 4 from the ATF in response to an email from the Silencer Shop.
Most of the process was completed while I was still at the gun shop. I paid the tax and transfer fee while I was there. The process took a total of 35 minutes from the time I walked in the door to the time that I walked out.
Business was booming at the gun shop while I was there. I was surprised by how many of the customers were buying silencers. I thought that everyone would be waiting until after January 1. I have to assume that the gun shop will be even busier after January 1, 2026.
The hardworking staff at the shop was a bit harried, but they still provided me with the help I needed in a timely, courteous, and professional manner. I often feel like I have 10 thumbs while I am entering data on a kiosk or a smartphone, and this occasion was no exception. I wondered if I would make some minor typo that would cause alarms to sound and ATF agents to rush in and haul me away in handcuffs. I am happy to report that no such event occurred.
Anticipation
After my paperwork was done, I waited on pins and needles to see if I had dotted all of my I’s correctly and crossed all of my T’s in an ATF approved manner. (Cue Carly Simon singing “Anticipation.” )
Two days later, I received an email from the ATF confirming that my application was approved.
The Pickup
Business at the gun shop was still booming when I stopped by to pick up my silencer. I filled out an actual Form 4473 this time, and then walked out the door with the silencer in my hand.
Silencer or Suppressor?
I have seen some discussion about whether it is best to call the devices in question silencers or suppressors. The answer is “Yes.” I have chosen to use the term “silencer” in this article since that is what the device is called on ATF Form 4. If you prefer to call these devices “suppressors”, that is commonly accepted usage as well.
First Impressions
The silencer came in a box that measures 10.06 x 3.88 x 2.81 inches. The paperboard sleeve that covers the box is imprinted with a wealth of information.
The RXD22Ti is “Designed & Manufactured by Dead Air Silencers under license from Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.”
The box contains the silencer, an RXD674 1/2”-28 Rimfire Mount, and installation tools.
The silencer is rated for .22LR, .22Mag, .17HMR, .17WSM, and 5.7X28mm.
It measures 5.6 x 1.1 inches.
It weighs 5.6 ounces with the XRF muzzle device.
It is made of 6AI-4V Titanium and 17-4PH Stainless Steel.
It is made in the U.S.A.
I removed the paperboard sleeve. There were several legal warnings on the back of the box. The one that really caught my eye was “Storing an unlocked sound suppressor at home with a person who is not registered to possess the device may be construed as ‘Constructive Possession’ by the ATF, which carries a hefty penalty by law.” That could be interpreted to mean that I need to keep the silencer locked up whenever I am not around. If I forget to do so, then my poor wife “Kari”, who steadfastly refuses to have anything to do with firearms, could be arrested for “possessing” something that she would never even touch. That seems more than a little unjust to me.
I took the lid off the box. Inside, I found a Ruger/Dead Air Velcro patch, a Quick Start Guide, two identical installation tools, and the silencer in a plastic bag. I was pleased to see that the silencer was smaller and lighter than I had imagined.
I scanned the QR code on the cover of the Quick Start Guide. That brought me to the Dead Air Silencers web page where I was able to download the manual.
The RXD22Ti consists of a Titanium tube, a 3D-printed, PVD-coated, single-piece Triskelion core, a Titanium retaining cap, and an XRF muzzle brake. That is quite a mouthful that required some translation before I could understand it. “PVD-coating” refers to “physical vapor deposition,” a method of producing thin films and coatings on materials. “Triskelion” refers to the shape of the baffle. It consists of patterns in triplicate that emanate from a common center. “XRF” refers to “Xeno Rimfire”. The muzzle brake helps to capture lead and other debris before it enters the suppressor, resulting in improved performance, less wear, and easier maintenance.
Installation
I took out my Smith and Wesson SW22 Victory and removed the thread protector on the muzzle. In accordance with the instructions given in the Quick Start guide, I then installed the muzzle brake and tightened it with one of the provided wrenches. Next, I installed the silencer over the muzzle brake. I was pleased to see that the silencer did not obstruct the pistol’s sights.
Hearing Aids
By coincidence, my first set of hearing aids arrived less than a week after my first silencer. If silencers had been more widely available in my youth, I might not have needed hearing aids in my old age.
In my opinion, silencers should be totally unregulated. I was unable to find a single instance online of someone being killed by an actual silencer itself. A small number of people have been killed by guns equipped with silencers. In those cases, the guns were the weapons used. The silencers only served to make what the weapons were doing quieter. The long and short of it all of that is that silencers are less dangerous than skate boards, musical instruments, or ATF agents.
Reading the Manual
The manual is 12 pages long including the front and back covers. It included several interesting tidbits of information:
When attached to a Ruger Mark IV, the RXD22Ti is rated to produce 115 dB at the ear.
It is not compatible with firearms chambered in .223 Rem/5.56 NATO even if the threading matches.
It is to be cleaned with “any commercially available non-toxic, water-soluble, bio-degradable cleaning solution and methods provided by the chemical companies producing said chemicals.”
I had never cleaned a silencer before, so I felt that the instructions in the manual on that topic were less detailed than I might have desired. I would have particularly valued a video on the website demonstrating the process of cleaning the RXD22Ti.
At the Range
It was a breezy, overcast afternoon in early autumn. The temperature was 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
I made my way to the improvised range behind the pole barn to set up a target stand in front of the backstop and a table 15 yards away.
I began by loading 10 rounds of MaxxTech 40-grain LRN Standard Velocity in a magazine for my Smith and Wesson SW22 Victory. MaxxTech ammo has proven to be reliable in my previous testing, is relatively inexpensive, and as a standard velocity load, it is also subsonic. I mated the silencer to the SW22, inserted the magazine, and fired all 10 rounds.
I wore hearing protection for this first test. The report of SW22 through the silencer was so quiet that I decided to expend the contents of the next magazine without the use of hearing protection.
I found the next 10 rounds to be quite comfortable, even without hearing protection. I also found it to be an unusually good group for me while firing offhand.
This better-than-average accuracy manifested itself throughout the range session. I had read reports of increased accuracy while using a silencer, but had attributed those reports to hyperbole. Now I am a believer. Perhaps the extra mass on the end of the muzzle helped to dampen wobble while aiming. Maybe the extra mass reduced recoil. Possibly, the quieter report reduced flinching. Perchance it was a placebo effect. Mayhap some other combination of these or other factors resulted in improved accuracy. Regardless of the cause, I was pleased with the results.
After a thoroughly enjoyable range session, I made my way into the house for a cleaning session.
Cleaning
I disassembled the RXD22Ti in accordance with the instructions in the manual and scrubbed the various components with a toothbrush dipped in Ballistol. I also ran a Ballistol patch through the bore using a cleaning rod and jag. I used Ballistol because I had it on hand, and it fit the non-toxic, water-soluble, biodegradable description outlined in the manual. After scrubbing, I wiped away as much Ballistol as possible using a clean paper towel for parts outside of the bore and a dry patch for the inside. I then reassembled the silencer.
Conclusions
I have always found shooting .22LR to be a lot of fun. Shooting silenced .22LR is even more fun. I am delighted to own the Dead Air RXC22Ti silencer. I am happy to recommend one to you as well.
The purchase process was relatively easy and pain-free. If you don’t mind the ATF having your personal information, you may want to seriously consider a silencer purchase after January 1, 2026.
[JWR Adds: Many gun shops that sell suppressors are now offering a “Purchase & Storage Contract”. This allows buyers to lock in the price and availability in the present day, with the buyer taking delivery after January 1st, 2026. Alternatively, some manufacturers are now offering $200 rebates on some of their more expensive models, to offset the current Federal transfer tax cost.]
Disclaimer
Dead Air Silencers provided me with a sample of their RXD22Ti silencer for testing and evaluation. I tried not to allow their kindness to interfere with my objectivity in this review, and I believe that I have succeeded. I did not receive any other financial or other inducement to mention any vendor, product, or service in this article.
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