AllOutdoor Review: Dead Air Sandman X – A Decade’s Worth of Progress
Adam Scepaniak 06.26.25
As hunters, sportsmen, and outdoorsmen, we are often searching for tools that will make a hunting experience more enjoyable or successful. This was evident in the Dead Air Nomad Ti XC .30 Cal Silencer review shared with you back in April. That silencer was impeccably light and great for hunting, but was something you don’t want to abuse. So, that begs the question: what if you want a silencer that you can abuse? Full-auto fire and chuck it down a mountain type of abuse. Then, you want to take a long, discerning look at the Sandman X according to Dead Air. So, in this AllOutdoor Review, we are going to take a look at the Dead Air Sandman X .30 cal silencer in a Black Cerakote finish to see if this silencer is the one of our destructive dreams. Let’s dive in!
Dead Air Coverage on AllOutdoor
- NEW Dead Air Sandman X – The Last Hunting Suppressor You’ll Need?
- Dead Air and Ruger Launch RXD22Ti Rimfire Suppressor
- Dead Air’s RXD30Ti Teams Triskelion with Titanium for Hunters
- AllOutdoor Review – Dead Air Nomad Ti XC .30 Cal Silencer
Specifications – Dead Air Sandman X .30 Cal Silencer
The Dead Air Sandman X .30 cal silencer can actually be purchased in one of 2 possible colorways – Black or Flat Dark Earth (FDE) Cerakote – and you also have your choice of Keymo or Xeno mount options. The MSRP for Keymo variations (Black or FDE) is set at $1,059.99 while Xeno selections will run you $999.99. All of the specifications for the Sandman X can be read below as presented by Dead Air:
- Silencer Category: Rifle Silencers
- Caliber Rating: .300 RUM
- Energy Rating: 4,200 Ft-Lbs
- Bore Diameter: .30 caliber
- Length: 6.4”(Xeno) | 6.9”(Keymo)
- Diameter: 1.65″
- Weight: 14.5 oz (Xeno) | 16.8 oz (Keymo)
- Materials: 3D Printed from Haynes® 282
- Finish: Black or Flat Dark Earth (FDE) High Temp Cerakote®
- Usage: Professional-grade heavy-duty use
- Barrel Restrictions: None
- Full Auto Rated: Yes
As alluded to earlier, there are four potential combinations of silencers you could get for yourself based on the finish and mounting option you select. All 4 of those choices are listed below:
- Xeno Mount, Black | SMXXNBLK
- Xeno Mount, FDE | SMXXNFDE
- Keymo Mount, Black | SMXKMBLK
- Keymo Mount, FDE | SMXKMFDE
A Word from Dead Air on the new Sandman X .30 Cal Silencer
Sandman X
The Sandman X is the pinnacle of Dead Air’s unwavering commitment to performance and an evolution to the venerable Sandman line. The Sandman X incorporates decades of research to give users the most pleasurable shooting experience possible by optimizing sound, balancing backpressure, and eliminating flash to increase performance for semi-automatic and bolt action rifles alike.
What’s the Upsell? What’s the 30 Second Elevator Pitch?
There are numerous quality silencers out in the marketplace, and Dead Air makes a lot of them. So, why buy the Sandman X? What’s the upsell? What is the 30-second elevator pitch for someone to dive in on this one? For me, it boils down to 3 main points for anyone who is looking for a hard-use suppressor:
- Professional-Grade Heavy-Duty Use: whatever type of debauchery and gun range abuse you and your boys can cook up, this silencer can handle it (and, then some).
- Hub Mount Compatible – No matter how you jive – Keymo or Xeno – with an industry standard Hub Mount system, you can hook this silencer up to your firearms however you prefer to play.
- 3D Printed from Haynes® 282: with the advancements and technology allowed by 3D printing, the internal geometry of the baffles, and this silencer as a whole, is something that could never be welded together by human hands.
What’s in the Box?
One of the most common and recurring questions I receive reviewing firearms and their related products is, “what’s in the box?” Meaning, what do you all get with your purchase. This is important because what you do, and do not get, will dictate what type of accessories you need to additionally buy depending on what you want your end-product or weapon system to look like. All this being said, this is everything that you will receive with a Keymo Sandman X, which is the variant we are reviewing here today:
Included in the Box
- Keymo Adapter
- TL Tool Pack
- 5/8″ x 24 TPI, KeyMicro Flash Hider
Field Use – Dead Air Sandman X .30 Cal Silencer
So, how did this silencer perform out on the range?… I mounted this silencer to my tried-and-true Springfield Armory Model 2020 Waypoint chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor for testing. Being that I opted for the Keymo version in the Black Cerakote colorway, I simply needed to pop off the factory muzzle brake that comes with the Model 2020 Waypoint and hand spin on the 5/8″ x 24 TPI, KeyMicro Flash Hider. Then, I could quick-attach the Sandman X.
For an extra layer of assuredness while testing, I did apply a wrench to it that is supplied with the silencer and just gave it the gentle ugga-dugga treatment to ensure everything was tight.
Next, it was time to send some rounds down range to see how the silencer might affect accuracy. For the testing of this silencer, I used some new Nosler Whitetail Country Ammunition. So, a tremendous thank you is in order to Nosler for supporting this review with some of their quality ammunition. In testing, I was firing fresh Nosler Whitetail Country ammo and I was able to achieve groups anywhere from 1/4″ to 3/4″ when I was only shooting for group size. Even when I performed a tracking testing on my silencer and optic, I got groups of loosely 1″ in size – still very respectable.
As far as noise suppression, this silencer was very consistent in regards to the report, or pop, that you would hear. Your 1st or 5th shot sounded the same. I found that interesting. There wasn’t really a large “first round pop,” which can often happen to silencers as they fill up with gas for the first time.
Also, the Sandman X did a great job of eliminating flash. Since this silencer is full-auto rated, the flash reduction did not surprise me. I found this to be very beneficial because you weren’t temporarily blinded from a gust of flame when you are trying to track your shot on target.
While a bolt gun like my Model 2020 Waypoint isn’t going to do much to test the full-auto rating of this silencer, I did witness that it had little to no mirage for someone running a bolt-action as fast as you can.
It also naturally cooled quickly. Within probably 2 minutes of finishing firing, I could remove the silencer by hand. Quite impressive!
While I am a bit old school that I traditionally only like direct thread silencers, I did appreciate the quick capabilities of the Keymo system. I don’t know that I’m a ‘convert’ just yet, but I definitely see the upsides and appreciated it during the testing of the Sandman X.
While this silencer does weigh more than most that I have reviewed in the past based off of the sheer numbers, it was difficult to ‘feel’ that difference in action. When I am hoisting a ~12 Lb rifle that is all kitted out to my liking, what really is the difference between an 4-6 ounces here or there? What I’m really saying is this silencer felt a lot lighter than what the spec sheet implies.
Final Thoughts
So, what are my final thoughts on the Dead Air Sandman X .30 cal silencer in a Black Cerakote finish?… Overall, this silencer performs exactly as its billed to be: hard-use, convenient Keymo attachment, and a more-than-clever geometry internally. While all of us might not be hunting down a full-auto rated silencer that’s as battle-tested as this – if you, in fact, are – then, this one is it. At an MSRP of $1,059 for the Keymo version that we tested here, it is not overly expensive and it flatly outperformed my expectations.
In closing, I want to say thank you to Dead Air for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their Dead Air Sandman X .30 cal silencer in a Black Cerakote finish. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the Dead Air Sandman X .30 cal silencer in a Black Cerakote finish is something worth spending your money on? Would you take one with you while out on a western hunt? Deploy one while shooting a competition? Top off a home defense rifle with one? As always, let us know all of your thoughts about Dead Air and their new Sandman X .30 cal silencer in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
Dead Air Social Media Channels
