TET Rimfire Moderators

This is the first time I have had the chance to go ‘hands-on’ with products from Third Eye Tactical (TET). In the past Chris Parkin has always handled their scope mounting systems, and other rifle accessories, so I was keen to feel the quality and width of their offerings. I was expecting some top draw kit and was not disappointed! The items in question were a pair of rimfire moderators, which as a confirmed 17HMR and 22 LR user were right up my street.

MUZZLE AND REFLEX

Called the Matrix they come in two options O/B (over barrel or reflex) and EOB (end of barrel or muzzle-mounted). The design is identical in terms of the shape and size of the baffle stack and typically offers a choice of common thread forms. All components are made from aluminium alloy with a flat, black, anti-reflective finish on the exterior and interior.

Dimensions are 35mm diameter with a .22” exit aperture, there is no dedicated .17” model either, which is not a problem as tests with other moderators have shown that this makes very little difference to output. From a safety aspect it’s perhaps better as there is then no chance of firing a .22 bullet down a .17” moddy. Given the two models the length of the body tube differs with the EOB being 12 and the O/B at 15.5 cms. Weight is minimal being 125 and 150 grams accordingly. 

THE MATRIX

All moderators come with a 3-pin disassembly spanner that allows you to remove the back plate, which the one-piece front plate and baffle stack assembly screws to.  When undone the three components - base plate, baffle stack and outer body easily pull apart. There are no O-ring seals and the unit relies on a precision fit.

The baffle stack is a complex design with a 4-plate multiple baffle section and a longer/slimmer slotted tube behind, which forms the core of a small expansion chamber. Doubtless the rear design starts the gasses decelerating and cooling before they hit the main stack.

In terms of baffle size and design the reflex O/B is no different. However the body tube is longer, which forms the outer wall of the separate rear expansion chamber with a screw-in adaptor that makes up the inner. Typically for a rimfire reflex moddy the available space given by the rearwards expansion chamber is limited! On that point the internal diameter here is an inch, so no problem on even a heavy rimfire barrel. The actual muzzle thread is cut into the long end of the baffle stack with a common exterior thread that the end cap (reflex or muzzle-mounted) screws in to.

17 AND 22

For testing I used my Ruger M77/17 All-Weather bolt-action and Smith & Wesson M&P 15/22 semi-auto to cover both calibres in ½ x 28 UNEF and ½ x 20 UNF. Due to the common build you can mix and match between O/B and EOB body styles and thread forms.

To be honest I am not sure if a reflex rimfire can offers much more than a standard, muzzle-mounted design. But they do have a cooler look and give the appearance of your barrel being shorter. Build quality was excellent with both threads spinning on easily and showing a concentric fit. Equally they come apart nicely and it’s obvious that tolerances are held to very high standards.

The .22 EOB with sub-sonics gave the expected flat ‘phut’ with more noise coming from the clack of the Smith’s bolt than at the muzzle. Obviously the signature rose with standards and high velocity ammo but well within the comfort and practical zones. To my ears the OB did not alter things that much, possibly changing the output noise but not sound volume. Like I said the reflex did look better on the shorter tube of the Smith.

SUPERSONICS

In 17HMR, which is always supersonic, both cans tamed the output to comfortable levels at the muzzle, though obviously the signature is louder. Again more a tonal difference in shot noise between O/B and EOB versions. In both calibres there was some gas leakage between faces, which I expected due to the lack of O-rings. But these soon closed up as residue built up.

Overall a nice pair of moderators, good looking, well built and effective. My one caveat goes to the O/B as rimfires have the habit of depositing unburned powder inside the expansion chamber. This can and does build up, and you run the risk of it igniting,  as happened to me on another make I was testing some years ago.  However, the easy of stripping and the fact that the tool is included just requires you to maintain a regular cleaning regime; simples!