SILENCER SATURDAY #279: Spotlight On Dead Air Silencers

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the new YHM Turbo T3 5.56 rifle suppressor. Last week we got some time behind Silencer Central’s Banish 45 pistol caliber suppressor. Today we drop back into our Spotlight Series with a look at Dead Air Silencers. Almost every suppressor owner I know owns at least one of their cans and I have yet to find a Dead Air model that is not worth owning. Yes, I see you Sandman K owners back there, we’ll get to you shortly.

Above: The Dead Air Nomad 30 on the IWI Galil Ace in 7.62×39.

SILENCER SATURDAY #279: Spotlight On Dead Air Silencers

Above: The Dead Air Primal on the Ruger Marlin 1895 Guide Gun in .45-70.

Dead Air @ TFB:

SILENCER SATURDAY #279: Spotlight On Dead Air Silencers

SILENCER SATURDAY #279: Spotlight On Dead Air Silencers

Above: The Dead Air Wolverine on a custom Arsenal SLR106 SBR in 5.56×45.

There’s a saying in the classic car market that goes something like “buy the car, not the story”, which is a way to remind potential owners that a car’s value has more to do with the car itself and not its history. In the case of Dead Air Silencers, the car is a 1997 Pontiac Bonnevile, and it actually plays a key role in the the history of the company.

As the story goes, Mike Pappas and Todd Magee left SilencerCo in 2014 to found Dead Air. The reasons for their departure aren’t important, but what is important is that Pappas was a central figure in the establishment of SilencerCo, a now competing brand. In fact it was Pappas himself who drove that Bonneville to dealers throughout the western states to display the earliest SiCo models. And it was in that same Bonneville that Pappas and Magee, a talented engineer, drove out of the SilencerCo parking lot for the last time to start Dead Air. Ok, I made that last part up, but it’s definitely a good visual.

Welcomely predictable, the first Dead Air can to come to market was the Mask, a rimfire model made with titanium and stainless steel that weighs in slightly over five ounces. The weight is worth the price of admission when you pull the trigger – it’s very quiet. If you are a rimfire shooter, a Mask is a required acquisition.

SILENCER SATURDAY #279: Spotlight On Dead Air Silencers

Above: The Dead Air Odessa 9 on the GLOCK 19X (R) in 9mm and the Dead Air Mask on the GLOCK 44 (L) in .22LR.

Around the same time, Dead Air released the Sandman lineup which is compromised of small, medium, and large .30 caliber hard-use silencers. The Sandman S, the medium-sized model, is another one of those must-have suppressors, especially for short barrel carbines that will see heavy firing schedules. Although I will admit that I actually haven’t bought a Sandman S yet. The Sandman K, the short model, won’t win any awards for noise reduction, but it is built to be compact and take a lot of punishment on carbines and PDWs. The trick, as always, is to understand your use case and pick the right suppressor for the job and to have realistic expectations.

Along with the Sandman K, S, and L, came the KeyMo mounting system, a one-had on/off locking system that locks up solid to a variety of different muzzle brakes or flash hiders.

One of the most unique silencers available from Dead Air is the Wolverine. Cosmetically modeled after the Spetsnaz issued PBS-1 suppressors for AKM rifles and first seen in the 60’s, the Wolverine luckily has the modern Dead Air magic engineering on the inside (the original PBS-1 is basically just a stack of washers and spacers crammed into a tube). It’s a heavy beast that is designed to navigate the world of Combloc manufactured rifles with concentricity concerns. And take a lot of shooting.

One of my favorite Dead Air models is the Odessa 9, a modular stainless steel pistol suppressor that can be configured into 10 different lengths. But its modularity is not even its best feature: the Odessa 9 is slightly over an inch in diameter but performs on par with other pistol caliber suppressors that measure 1.5″ in diameter. The result is a suppressor that allows for the use of standard height sights without sacrificing noise reduction.

SILENCER SATURDAY #279: Spotlight On Dead Air Silencers

Above: The Dead Air Nomad L on the 6.75″ SIG MCX Virtus (T) and the Dead Air Nomad Ti on the SIG Rattler (B). Both chambered in 300BLK.

While the Sandman series is built around supersonic ammo use, the Nomad series adds superb subsonic performance. The trade off is a larger diameter and a slight reduction in punishment resistance when compared with the Sandman models. Although, the steel Nomad models are still full auto rated and have no barrel length restrictions.

The two most recent additions to the Dead Air family are the Primal and the Sierra 5. The former being a longer, do-it-all suppressor that can handle .45-70 and beyond. The later is a shorter, lighter suppressor for dedicated .223/5.56 use that performs extremely well for its small stature.

And we are on the cusp of the latest Dead Air release – the Mojave 9. Stay tuned.

Let’s take a look at the complete Dead Air lineup as of May 2023.

MOJAVE 9

SIERRA5

PRIMAL

NOMAD 30 / NOMAD L

• Part Number: NOMAD30 / NOMAD L
• MSRP: $949 / $999
• Product Page (Nomad 30): https://deadairsilencers.com/silencers/nomad-30/
• Product Page (Nomad L): https://deadairsilencers.com/silencers/nomad-l/
• Owner’s Manual: https://eadn-wc05-5115304.nxedge.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Nomad-30-Manual-v2.pdf
• Caliber: .30
• Length: 6.5″ / 8.4
• Diameter: 1.735″
• Weight: 14.5oz / 18.3oz
• Materials: 17-4 PH Stainless Steel
• Barrel Restrictions: None
• Full Auto Rated: Yes
• Mount Options: Direct Thread / Hub

NOMAD TI / NOMAD LTI

SANDMAN K / SANDMAN S / SANDMAN L

WOLVERINE

ODESSA 9

WOLFMAN

GHOST 45

MASK

Xeno Mounts / Adapters: https://deadairsilencers.com/product-tag/xeno/

KeyMo Adapter: https://deadairsilencers.com/product/keymo/

KeyMicro Adapter: https://deadairsilencers.com/product/keymicro-adapter/

In the past, Dead Air has run into some issues with parts manufacturers (quality control, or raw material availability) and have had to pivot to new suppliers. However, the issues were relatively minor and in small numbers when compared to the tens of thousands of suppressors sold over the years. Besides, I would have no reservations if you ever needed to use their warranty – The Dead Air team is focused on customer service.

SILENCER SATURDAY #279: Spotlight On Dead Air Silencers

Above: The Dead Air Sierra 5 on the Ruger American Ranch Rifle in 5.56×45. The Ruger is sitting in a MDT LSS-XL Gen 2 Chassis (review ongoing).

As I stated at the beginning, I have yet to see a Dead Air product that wasn’t expertly designed and executed with performance and durability in mind. Te entire Dead Air family are all silencer lovers and strive to make things that they themselves want to shoot and enjoy.

If I’m sent to a desert island, with the pick of only one Dead Air suppressor, I would probably pick the Nomad 30 or Nomad L for it’s hybrid supersonic/sonic focus, raw performance, and weight. Of course I shoot 300BLK more than any other caliber in my arsenal. If you are a sub gun or PCC shooter, the Wolfman is worth a hard look. As is the Primal if you have the urge to suppress that .45-70 lever gun collecting dust in the back of the safe.

SILENCER SATURDAY #279: Spotlight On Dead Air Silencers

Above: The Dead Air Primal on the Ruger Marlin 1895 Guide Gun in .45-70.

This story is about a great company making great suppressors. In this case, you are buying the story and the silencers.

Thanks for reading. Be safe, have fun, and we’ll see you back here next weekend for another Silencer Saturday.

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