Silencer Review: ODIN Works NAV 22 Modular Suppressor [VIDEO]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K–Zg89XKS0

 

ODIN Works, well-known Idaho manufacturer of every manner of AR part and accessory, entered the suppressor market in 2019 with two .30 cal cans and two 5.56 cans. At SHOT Show 2020 they released another pair of suppressors, this time both highly modular designs (first look HERE). The first to hit the market is the NAV 22, and I’m a big fan.

A $349 MSRP and some Form 4 waiting time later and your NAV 22 shows up in a nice carrying case with two disassembly tools and the owner’s manual all inside a plastic case (not pictured).

Each tool fits three parts of the NAV 22: end cap, baffle wrench flats, and mount wrench flats. They’re effectively just for disassembling the suppressor, as the baffles only need to be gently hand snug when assembled together.

Which is, of course, the incredibly modular trick to the NAV 22 suppressor. Those six baffles can all be used, some can be used, or none can be used.

In the photo above, the end cap is installed directly on the 17-4 PH stainless steel blast baffle, which is the serialized component of the NAV 22 (it cannot be removed from the 1/2×28 direct thread mount). Believe it or not, it’s well hearing safe in this configuration on a .22 LR rifle.

Or, go ahead and screw on another baffle and make things a little quieter.

Or two baffles! Or six? Dream big; don’t limit yourself. Simply stack those hardcoat anodized 7075 aluminum baffles by threading one onto the other and then capping it off with the end cap.

Pistols, what with their shorter barrels, are going to require more baffles to make things quiet. Thankfully, the NAV 22’s baffles are extremely lightweight. As in, less than a third of an ounce each.

According to my kitchen scale, the NAV 22 in all of its configurations weighs:

Mount, blast baffle, and end cap: 2.08 ounces
+1 baffle: 2.39 ounces
+2 baffles: 2.7 ounces
+3 baffles: 3.02 ounces
+4 baffles: 3.33 ounces
+5 baffles: 3.64 ounces
+6 baffles (full length): 3.95 ounces

BUT . . . what does it take to be quiet? Or, at least, “hearing safe” (under 140 dB)? According to ODIN Works:

On a Ruger Mark III pistol with 4.5-inch barrel shooting CCI Standard Velocity:

+1 baffle on top of the blast baffle: 139 dB average (first round is likely to exceed 140 dB)
+2 baffles: 125 dB average
+6 baffles (full length): 119 dB average

On a Savage bolt action rifle shooting CCI Standard Velocity:

End cap directly on blast baffle: 125 dB average
+6 baffles (full length): 113 dB average

Now that’s pretty cool. 125 dB is comfortably quiet, and an ODIN Works NAV 22 with end cap on blast baffle is legit tiny. In midget mode it weighs a hair over two ounces and adds less than two inches to the barrel.

In the video at top, I shot it in this configuration on a 16-inch 10/22-compatible rifle from Radical Firearms and I was extremely impressed with how it sounded. It was hard to wrap my head around just how quiet this setup was with such an insanely small, light suppressor.

On the pistol in particular, first round pop was clearly pronounced when the NAV 22 was in its extra short configurations. Full length or close to it and that was greatly reduced or completely imperceptible.

On a rifle, thanks to all that barrel length decreasing the .22 LR gas pressure and temperature before it even enters the suppressor, running all six baffles is entirely unnecessary. Though it’s also ridiculously, absurdly quiet and at just four ounces it’s also hard to tell that the NAV 22 is even on the end of your gun. Well, until you pull the trigger.

The smooth, glossier surface finish inside the baffles made the NAV 22 easier to clean than some of the other aluminum suppressors I’ve used that have a more porous surface. Additionally, the design of the mating surfaces kept the threads of the NAV 22 nice and clean.

After a shooting session I’m still able to disassemble most or all of the baffles by hand, only sometimes having to rely on the tools for an assist.

Well, except for the end cap. Due to its design I’m not typically able to get enough purchase to unscrew it without a little help from the wrench. Wouldn’t want to break a french tip, especially in these Flu Manchu quarantine times.

On the other end, it’s standard 1/2×28 threads in a fixed mount. This covers the vast, vast majority of rimfire pistols and rifles in the U.S.

ODIN Works nailed it with the NAV 22. If you’re in the market for a lightweight, extremely user-configurable rimfire silencer, this guy’s very much worth a look. Whether you want effectively the quietest .22 LR suppressor available or the shortest, the NAV 22’s near or at the top of the list.

After a few shooting sessions on a few different hosts with both subsonic and supersonic ammo, I was floored how quiet the NAV 22 is in its short configurations. That’s really where its performance stood out to me. I mean, sure, on a .22 LR it was going to be insanely quiet in its full 6.5 inch mode no matter what. But it’s that sound suppression with no baffles up to two baffles that blew my mind.

The ODIN Works NAV 22 looks great with top notch fit, finish, and machining and it sounds fantastic. I’m very impressed. I own an all-stainless rimfire suppressor for beating up (hard use, throwing in an ultrasonic tank to clean, etc.) and am now adding a NAV 22 to the stable for its awesome modularity and light weight, plus its surprisingly great performance when configured super short.

Specifications: ODIN Works NAV 22 Suppressor

Caliber: .22 LR / .22 Mag / .17 HMR / .17 Hornet
Diameter: 1.05 inches
Length: 6.5 inches
Weight: 4 ounces
Mount Type: 1/2×28 direct thread
Materials: 17-4 PH SS blast baffle, 7075 aluminum everything else
Finish: Type III Hardcoat Anodized
Full Auto Rated: No
Decibel Rating: 113 dB rifle, 119 dB pistol
Colors: Sand or Black
MSRP: $349

Ratings (out of five stars):

Utility  * * * *
Top marks for modularity and configurability, but I’m taking off a star for the aluminum baffle construction. That will always limit full-auto use and more aggressive cleaning methods (ultrasonic tank, scrubbing with a bronze brush, etc.).

Suppression  * * * * *
Unquestionably five stars for suppression, whether it’s the NAV 22’s awesome performance when configured short or its class-leading dB reduction when longer.

Overall  * * * *
With an MSRP of $349 and the NAV 22’s top-notch quality and performance in all of its many configurations, it earns a strong four stars from me. Four-and-a-half. Perhaps I’m just a weird cat, because I’d gladly take a weight hit and have an all-17-4 stainless NAV 22 so I can be lazy and clean it in an ultrasonic tank and abuse it with some other cartridges. But if that’s just me and a well-made 7075 Al rimfire can is your jam, this thing’s a five-star silencer all day long. I’m really impressed with it.