Evo .22RF Moderator.

[Vermincinerator]

Hi all.

Yorkshire rifle builder Vince Reynolds of Viper Engineering sent me down one of his new over barrel rimfire moderators to evaluate and asked me to write a review on it.

Called the Viper Evo .22RF Moderator, it is aimed at both .22RF and .17HMR owners.

As I have already mentioned the moderator is an over barrel design, 6 1/8 inches long (155mm) and 1 ½ inches diameter (38mm) and is threaded 1/2x20 TPI Unified Fine.

 

 

The design is of modular construction from aircraft grade aluminium with a five slot solid baffle stack featuring a stainless steel blast baffle, that screws into the front of the main tube and the over-barrel shroud with longitudinal machined grooves and stainless thread insert that screws into the rear.

Both are secured by a dedicated tightening tool with tommy bar that locates into 3 holes equispaced on the front of the baffle stack and on the back of the shroud which is in turn covered by a machinable delrin rear bushing.

 

 

 

With the baffle stack and the shroud screwed in place there is a small expansion chamber between the two in the main tube and the gasses then run back over seven slots machined into the shroud.

 

 

Being of an over barrel design presented the first hurdle, the idea was to install the mod on my 10/22 but as it turned out the barrel tube will only accommodate barrels up to .750 ins. where as the Green Mountain barrel on my 10/22 is .920 ins. diameter.

I thought to myself my mate Jonesy has got a couple of rimfires so I will go round to his place and use one of his, it turns out that both of his rimmies have front sights so that was a no go either.

I gave Northern Chris a call and arranged to go over to his place and screw the mod onto his CZ 452 Varmint.

With the mod fitted there is a 3½ inch barrel overhang and the rear extends 2 inches back over the barrel.

 

Using CCI subs there was a pronounced “crack” rather then the usually phut I get with the same ammo through my SAK mod, this was also evident against Chris’s own CQB mod.

I asked the manufacturer about this and he assures me that decibel tests with a sound metre show compatible results with other mods.

I then took the mod over the road to my local gunshop where we attached the mod to the managers Anschutz and fired standard ammo through it.

Again there was that crack with the standard ammo and it was enough to set my ears ringing when we fired it in the back room.

All in all this is a nice little moderator that becomes extra handy because of the over barrel design, build quality, fit and finish are first class as would be expected from modern CNC machinery.

 

 

As the last picture shows it is only slightly larger then the SAK but benefits from extra compactness from the over barrel design.

Personally I think that the crack that was heard was more pronounced when we fired the rifle/mod combo in doors but it was still audible at Chris’s place where it was fired out doors.

In my opinion the only letdown for this mod is the fact it will only fit naked barrels with a muzzle diameter of .750 inches or less, therefore owners of threaded rifles with front sights will not be able to use it unless they have their front sight removed, which would certainly raise the cost of an installation.

The Viper Evo .22RF Moderator will retail for £69.00 and is available from vipereng@tiscali.co.uk

 

Ian.

 

P.S. While i was at Chris's place i spyed a rather large cartridge sitting on his bench when i enquired he told me it was for his latest creation a .338 Edge which i hope to have a play with in the near future, watch this space.

[Bambi-basher]

Hi Ian

 

I have looked at this moderator at Kal’s, like you say it very well made and compact, nice piece of engineering, if anybody wants one he has them on stock as well.

 

http://www.jagersportingarms.co.uk/

 

Best rgds

 

B-b

[Elwood]

Nice review Ian

 

The only thing that would concern me is its capability to moderate as well as the competition, fair play to you for being so honest.

[foxing2night]

I must say Ian, It does look like a nice piece of kit,,,,

 

Has he got any fullbore mods ???? Or will he only supply .22???

 

Good honest write up mate,,,

 

All the best Darrel

[Vermincinerator]

I must say Ian, It does look like a nice piece of kit,,,,

 

Has he got any fullbore mods ???? Or will he only supply .22???

 

Good honest write up mate,,,

 

All the best Darrel

 

Hi Darrel,

Yes mate he does fullbore mods as well, Viper Evo 8 and Viper Evo 4 which come with either 8 or 4 baffles respectively.

 

Ian.

[DaveK]

Has he got any fullbore mods ???? Or will he only supply .22???

 

 

All the best Darrel

 

Lorraine got one for her .243 from Swillington Shooting Supplies in Leeds so they are available.

 

To add a bit about the fullbore version though, as already stated the quality of build is excellent but not sure that the moderation is as effective on a .243 as it could be. In fairness to Viper, this may be that it's the shorter 4 baffle. If she'd have got the longer one it may have been a different story.

[Wsm]

If she'd have got the longer one it may have been a different story.

 

A quote that goes back to the beginning of time itself that Dave

[DaveK]

A quote that goes back to the beginning of time itself that Dave

 

Ah! but it's my mind she's after

 

I think :lol:

[NICK]

Darrel

I have an Evo 8 Moderator on my 6.5x284. It currently has had over 200 rounds through it with no problems to report. It is fully strippable for cleaning and mine shows no change in POI when re fitted.

I am pretty sure Viper did some side by side sound meter tests with a T8 before they were marketed and they showed that the Evo was every bit as good as the T8.

 

Nick.