Phantom moderator by Matt Gilley

Airgun silencers have been around for a while now, and many follow much the same format. The basic principle is of an expansion chamber, allowing for compressed air behind the pellet to rapidly expand and dissipate, so muffling the sound and allowing the pellet to continue on its way, unruffled, to the target.

Phoenix Airguns are well known for innovative design work, with their own brand of fast fire, multi-shot rifles, so when they set their creative minds to the world of moderators, we were always likely to get something intriguing. The Phantom is just that, and it offers great sound absorption, as well as practicality. The outer body is carbon fibre, whilst a central core is formed from injection-moulded synthetics. The inner configuration offers an anti-clockwise helical coil, which offers reverse thrust to the pellet, effectively against the natural direction of the rifling. With no soft material to absorb moisture, the design stays waterproof, and the beauty of the Phantom is that it can be quickly stripped to its four constituent parts for cleaning. Just unscrew the metal section at the rear, pull the inner section clear, and split in half. In use, the Phantom is super quiet, light at approximately 3oz and reassuringly practical. Fitting is via a standard ½” UNF thread.

PRICE: £40
CONTACT: Phoenix Airguns/ Pax Guns, 0208 3403039 phoenixairguns.co.uk

FOR: Super quiet and easy to clean inside
AGAINST: Not a lot
VERDICT: A great piece of design that has stood the test of time