The Rimfire Report: The FRW Taquito 22 - The Silent Sizzle of 22LR

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and the various ammo, guns, gear, sports, and history that surround this niche within the broader firearms world. This week we’re talking about a relatively new suppressor that I think hones in on the budget aspect that draws many of us to rimfire shooting. The Fletcher Rifle Works Taquito 22LR suppressor is one of the flagship suppressors from Paul Fletcher and the team responsible for the creation of the FRW OpenTop 11/22 receiver. I’ve recently been able to test out a couple of Paul’s Texas-themed suppressors extensively and today we’ll be checking out what the Taquito puts on the menu for rimfire shooters, some 1,500 rounds later.

More Rimfire Report @ TFB:

• The Rimfire Report: Aguila Super Extra Short 29gr – Compact Power
• The Rimfire Report: Klimovsk’s “Junior” .22 LR in the Green Box
• The Rimfire Report: A Retrospective on the KelTec P17 Pistol

Specification and design-wise, the Taquito really isn’t much to write home about. Priced at a very affordable $300 ($500 with the unfortunate addition of a tax stamp), Taquito 22 is one of the least expensive options in the 22LR-only category, joining the pack with others like the CGS Hydra-AL ($299), Tactical Solutions Aeris ($311), and the AB Suppressors Little Bird ($320).

One special thing that keeps the Taquito 22 unique in a design respect is its blast baffle which is made from 17-4 stainless to give the suppressor some much-needed protection during the initial blast and expansion of hot gasses. This stainless steel part should help cut down on maintenance troubles as well as ensure that the mostly aluminum suppressor can take a decent amount of rimfire abuse. Other than the stainless blast baffle, the suppressor maintains a classic K baffle stack configuration consisting of 6 baffles.

There is some distinct first-round pop from the suppressor, but that comparatively loud first shot is quickly replaced by an almost “Hollywood quiet” sound consisting of mostly action and trigger noise rather than the typical report of high-velocity 22LR. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that the Taquito makes all 22LR hearing safe, but high-velocity stuff certainly is pretty quiet out of both the FRW 11/22 and the P322 in tandem with the Taquito that I would say it’s worth trying out.

To date, I’ve put about 1,500 rounds through the suppressor without cleaning and it's starting to show signs that it needs a decent cleaning, especially on the baffles. Paul Fletcher recommends cleaning the aluminum components with some soapy water and an old toothbrush and avoiding any harsh chemicals. The 17-4 stainless blast baffle is okay to put into a suppressor cleaning solution or ultrasonic cleaner if you wish. The blast baffle and tube by far are the easiest pieces to clean, with the first K baffle and end cap being the most difficult due to those two pieces getting blasted with the most debris.

Final Thoughts

I think the Fletcher Rifle Works Taquito 22 is a great new offering for the rimfire market when it comes to suppressors and I think most of that has to do with it being extremely lightweight, simple, and most of all affordable. The biggest issue to me when it comes to rimfire suppressors is not the cost of the suppressor itself, but rather the ratio of the fixed cost of the tax stamp ($200) to the lower cost of budget-friendly suppressors. It just somehow feels weird or wrong to spend an additional $200 on something that only costs about that much, and will likely need replacement at some point anyway.