Rugged Suppressors is known for their durable, quiet, modular suppressors with the best warranty in the industry. The Oculus22 has been an industry leader for years and, with its all 17-4 stainless steel construction, is rated for heavy duty full-auto use on more than just rimfire cartridges.
For users willing to stick to .22 LR, though, Rugged’s new Mustang22 provides the same great sound suppression and modularity at less than half the weight of the Oculus.
I borrowed a Mustang22 from Silencer Shop — check ’em out for the best prices and easiest silencer-buying process in the country! — and hit the range. Check out the embedded video above or click HERE to watch it directly on Rumble to see how the Mustang fared.
At only 3.3 ounces in its full configuration, the Mustang22 is one of the lightest rimfire suppressors on the market. It’s made with a titanium mount, which is the serialized part, and everything else is 7075 aluminum.
In its short configuration, the Mustang weighs just 2.4 ounces. That’s crazy!
Shooting the new FN 502 (review inbound soon!), the Mustang22 sounded best in its 5.3-inch-long full configuration. This, of course, is to be expected, especially on a pistol with its short barrel that leaves more gunpowder unburned and higher gas pressure at the muzzle when the bullet uncorks from the barrel.
Even with the front module attached, this little can is so darn lightweight that, were I blindfolded, it would be relatively difficult to tell the difference between a pistol with the Mustang attached and a pistol without it. And let me just beat you to it: no, I also don’t suspect my accuracy would get worse with the blindfold.
By unscrewing the front ADAPT Module and moving the front cap over to the base module, the user can convert the Mustang22 from full config to shorty config in about 30 seconds.
Baffles snap together and seal up to each other to keep the inside of the suppressor tube clean. Each baffle is keyed, which keeps alignment consistent and prevents point of impact shift.
Shooting the Mustang in its short configuration on the FN 502, it was quiet enough to avoid being uncomfortable to the ears but was definitely not what anyone would call quiet. It sounded like a little gunshot, whereas the full suppressor hits that “Hollywood quiet” level of sound suppression. Considering how incredibly light the Mustang22 is, I’d shoot it with both modules when attached to a handgun.
On a rifle, though, the math changes. With 16 inches of barrel length, a .22 LR is typically right at that 140 dB mark even without a suppressor. All that barrel length allows the gas pressure to drop, the powder to be burned up, and some of the heat to be dissipated, so the suppressor has a lot less work to do than it does on a pistol.
On a rifle, the short length of the Mustang22 is appreciated. Nobody wants to add length to a gun that’s already a “long gun,” so this is where the Mustang’s 3.4-inch-long shorty mode really shines.
I neglected to bring a rifle to the range when I filmed the video, but shooting this CZ 457 Varmint Precision Trainer MTR setup (review is in the works) later gave the same results as always: much less suppressor is needed on a long barrel. Hollywood quiet pews were achieved with subsonic ammo, and supersonic loads were about as quiet at the ear as any suppressor can make ’em.
It probably goes without saying that the Mustang’s 2.4 ounces isn’t noticeable on the muzzle of a rifle. As in, literally not detectable.
In practice, one may as well refer to the two Mustang22 configurations as “pistol” (full) and “rifle” (short). This would apply to other modular rimfire suppressors, too, of course.
As great as the Rugged Suppressors Mustang22 is, I’d personally buy an Oculus22 instead. At least first. With dirty rimfire ammo, the ease of cleaning stainless baffles over aluminum baffles alone is worth the weight penalty and the $50 MSRP difference ($24 retail difference at Silencer Shop). And then there’s the ability to shoot 5.7×28, .17 HMR/WSM, .22 WMR, etc. through the Oculus that makes it more useful.
Perhaps on an extremely lightweight “survival” style rifle like an AR-7 or Chiappa Little Badger, or on a lightweight pistol that you’re carrying in a pack or holster all day, the 3.6 ounces of weight savings that the Mustang provides over the Oculus would be worth it. As a second or subsequent rimfire suppressor, I’m all about it. But my opinion is that, if this is your first rimfire suppressor and you’re choosing between Mustang22 and Oculus22, I’d go Oculus.
In fact, even if you’re on Silencer Shop and shopping every rimfire suppressor on the market, I’d consider both the Mustang22 and Oculus22 very seriously. They’re great performers backed by a great warranty.
Specifications: Rugged Suppressors Mustang22
Caliber: .22 LR (full-auto rated)
Length: 5.3 inches in full configuration, 3.4 inches in short config
Weight: 3.3 ounces in full configuration, 2.4 ounces in short config
Diameter: 1.06 inches
Materials: Grade 5 titanium mount, 7075 aluminum baffles and tubes
Finish: high-temp Cerakote, black or FDE
Mount: 1/2×28 direct threads
MSRP: $465 (about $375 retail via Silencer Shop)
Ratings (out of five stars):
Overall * * * *
Rugged Suppressors’ Mustang22 is a very well thought-out, good looking, solid performing, insanely lightweight rimfire suppressor backed by the best warranty in the industry. I give it four stars instead of five only because of the cleaning process restrictions and caliber limitations inherent in the Mustang’s aluminum baffle and tube construction.
