Given that we've never, ever, had anyone complain about the acoustic performance of either the Element or the Element 2, the Element family K baffle was the logical starting point for the baffle that became the Halcyon shielded K baffle. It was a relatively simple matter of adding the shielding spacer, and making the O.D. of the baffle an appropriate size to fit inside the I.D. of a commercially available Titanium tube, and that was mostly that. The indexing feature was something that took a bit of finesse. Most tab and notch alignment schemes simply involve a tab on the spacer, and a notch on the opposing feature. The typical scheme means that there will be openings in the spacer where fouling could potentially enter the spaces between the tube and spacer, making disassembly for cleaning and/or routine maintenance difficult. This drove the desire for a shielded tab and notch arrangement that would not compromise the cleanliness of the ID of the two tubes.
In a nutshell, the Halcyon performs right on par with the Element 1 and II. Same low FRP, same sweet K baffle tone. It comes apart easier for cleaning and maintenance, and (thanks to those same shielded spacers) is now rated for 5.7 x 28.
I agree with all of those that don't think the Elements are hard to take apart for cleaning. No, the Elements don't fall apart like a shielded baffle (cone or K) silencer. But the included pusher tool will extract the baffles from the tube no matter how dirty they get. With the shielded K's of the Halcyon, the cleaning interval is 1,000-2,000 rounds, depending on the quantity and quality of the gunk
your favorite 22 ammo creates.
The beauty of the modularity really shines on a rifle. In the short config (3.41" OAL) on a 16" barrel with subsonic ammo, the sound signature is 117dB. That's backyard quiet. It's also hearing safe (135-137dB) on a Ruger Mk3 22/45 with Subsonic ammo in the short config. Add a little oil or grease to the short config, and the acoustic performance comes close to the full size configuration for a magazine of use.
I think the interchangeable thread inserts are a nice touch. We'll have 1/2-28, 3/8-24 (for the Smith and Wesson M&P Compact), and M10 x 1 for the all-important FiveseveN. We discussed making one for the P-22, but given the P-22 design, if you removed an adapted Halcyon from a P-22, the barrel sleeve would fall out the front of the slide. We felt it more important for the P-22 to stay together, so P-22 users will need to torque their 1/2-28 male adapter, and use a Halcyon with a female 1/2-28 adapter. There will also be a three-lug adapted coming soon. It was on display on the Smith and Wesson M&P Compact 22. We will have adapters for the three-lug for the M&P compact, the P-22 (the adapter stays on the barrel, no inadvertent self-disassembly), and universal 1/2-28. The three lug is very cleverly incorporated into the design.
What other thread adapters and/or three-lug adapters would you folks like to see? Give me your ideas and we can see if there is a good business case to make them.
Ping me if you have any questions.
Mike Smith/AAC
SilentMike
[email protected]