Dead Air KeyMo Mount: How It Works and What Fits
KeyMo is Dead Air's quick detach mount. The can threads on hand tight, centers on a taper and a detent ring keeps it from backing off. See it in 3D, then the KeyMo mounts and cans in stock.
Quick answer
- KeyMo (Dead Air): Dead Air's KeyMo: the can threads onto a taper, hand tight, and a detent ring keeps it there.
- The GunPartPicker catalog lists 38 KeyMo mounts and adapters and 5 cans that ship on KeyMo in stock right now.
- KeyMo cans only seat on KeyMo mounts. None of the quick detach systems interchange.
Source: GunPartPicker catalog and build data, prices checked October 28, 2026.
How the KeyMo mount works, in 3D
Pick a system. Drag to turn it, take the can off to see the mount, or cut it open to see the threads, the taper and the baffles. Try a can from another system to see why they don't swap.
KeyMo mount + Dead Air Sandman XDead Air · 1/2x28 · look-alike can model
- Mount
- KeyMo (Dead Air)
- Suppressor
- Dead Air Sandman X
- Barrel
- 11.5" SBR
- Mount adds
- 1.6", mostly in the can
- Rifle, no can
- 30.3" overall
- With the can on
- 36" overall
Overall length with the M4 stock extended. With the KeyMo can builders add most, the Dead Air Nomad L Suppressor | .30 Caliber up to .300 Norma Mag, whose listing gives no length, counted at a typical 6.5".
- No can, 5.56 AR165 dB
- Dead Air Sandman X142 dB−23
- SureFire SOCOM RC2137.7 dB−27
- SilencerCo Velos LBP137.1 dB−28
- SilencerCo Omega 300130.1 dB−35
- HUXWRX Flow 556Kno published figure
Dashed line: 140 dB, the peak OSHA and NIOSH set for unprotected impulse noise. Every 10 dB is ten times the sound energy. Even suppressed, a short 5.56 sits near or above the line, so keep hearing protection on. Makers meter at the muzzle or at the ear, on different barrels; each row says how: No can, 5.56 AR about 165 dB from a 16" barrel; an SBR's shorter barrel is louder still; Dead Air Sandman X at the muzzle, 10.3" Mk18, MIL-STD-1474E (139 dB at the ear); SureFire SOCOM RC2 at the shooter's ear, 10.3" barrel, M855 (134.7 dB from 16"); SilencerCo Velos LBP muzzle average, 5.56 NATO, host not stated; SilencerCo Omega 300 muzzle average, 5.56 NATO, host not stated; HUB rear, also sold direct thread; HUXWRX Flow 556K hUXWRX publishes no dB figure; its pitch is less gas back at the shooter.
Dead Air's KeyMo: the can threads onto a taper, hand tight, and a detent ring keeps it there.
- On the barrel
- A KeyMo flash hider, brake or mount on the barrel threads.
- On the can
- A KeyMo rear mount (or KeyMo HUB adapter) with a spring detent ring.
- How it locks
- The can threads onto the mount, hand tight, until it seats on the taper. A spring detent ring clicks over the mount's teeth and adds drag so it doesn't back off, but nothing latches: unscrew it to take it off.
- Mount cost and length
- About $80 to $140 a mount, which sits about 1.6" past the barrel shoulder, mostly inside the can.
Why people pick it
- Short and light for a QD mount
- Threads on and seats on a taper, so it stays aligned
- Hand tight on and off, no latch to work
What to know first
- Only KeyMo cans and adapters fit
- Detent teeth need cleaning to keep the click
- Older Dead Air Key-Mount devices are a different system
Cans on it: Dead Air Sandman X; Dead Air Sandman-S and Sandman-K; Dead Air Nomad with the KeyMo HUB adapter.
KeyMo mounts for 1/2x28 barrels
1/2x28 fits 5.56, .223, .22 LR and most 9mm.
Ranked by what builders add most, in stock first. One listing per model.
Suppressors on KeyMo
| Can | Length | Weight | Sound | Rifle with it on | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead Air Nomad L Suppressor | .30 Caliber up to .300 Norma Mag | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | $827 |
| HUXWRX FLOW 6K Suppressor - FDE | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | $932 |
| Maxim Defense DSX 762 D Blk Suppressor | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | $1256 |
| DAIR SUPPRESSOR SIM ROUND SANDMAN X KEYMO | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | $249 |
| OTTER CREEK SUPPRESSOR UNIVERSAL 36 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | $750 |
From each listing; n/a means the listing doesn't say. Sound is the maker's figure: a reduction (-30 dB) or a meter reading (134 dB). Rifle with it on: an 11.5" SBR, M4 stock extended.
Ranked by what builders add most, in stock first. One listing per model.
What are the suppressor mount types?
Five quick detach and thread-on systems carry most rifle cans, plus plain direct thread. Each one is a part on the barrel and a matching part on the can.
| System | Maker | On the barrel | On the can | Mount price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct thread | Open standard | Nothing. The barrel's own muzzle threads, with a thread protector when the can is off. | Female threads in the rear cap, cut to the barrel's pitch, or a direct thread HUB adapter. | None |
| HUB 1.375x24 | Open standard | Whatever the adapter on the can calls for: barrel threads, an ASR mount, a KeyMo mount or a taper mount. | A removable rear cap (the HUB adapter) on 1.375x24 threads. | $60 to $180 |
| ASR | SilencerCo | An ASR flash hider, brake or mount on the barrel threads. | An ASR rear mount (or ASR HUB adapter) with a spring loaded lock ring. | $90 to $150 |
| KeyMo | Dead Air | A KeyMo flash hider, brake or mount on the barrel threads. | A KeyMo rear mount (or KeyMo HUB adapter) with a spring detent ring. | $80 to $140 |
| Fast-Attach | SureFire | A SureFire flash hider (SF3P, SF4P), brake or WarComp on the barrel threads. | A SureFire SOCOM or RC2 rear with a ratcheting lock ring and a release latch. | $110 to $200 |
| HUXWRX QD | HUXWRX | A HUXWRX QD flash hider, brake or mount (the old OSS style) on the barrel threads. | The QD interface built into the back of a Flow can. | $90 to $160 |
Will my suppressor fit another brand's mount?
Almost never. Read across from the can to the mount on your rifle. HUB cans are the exception: swap the rear adapter and the can changes systems.
| Your can | Bare threads | ASR mount | KeyMo mount | Fast-Attach mount | HUXWRX QD mount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct thread can | Fits | No | No | No | No |
| HUB 1.375x24 can | HUB adapter | HUB adapter | HUB adapter | No | No |
| ASR can | No | Fits | No | No | No |
| KeyMo can | No | No | Fits | No | No |
| Fast-Attach can | No | No | No | Fits | No |
| HUXWRX QD can | No | No | No | No | Fits |
That's why the can comes first. Pick it, then put its mount on every rifle it will ride on. A mount is about a tenth the price of a can.
What thread pitch does a suppressor mount need?
The mount threads onto the barrel, so it's cut to the barrel's pitch: 1/2x28 on 5.56, .223 and .22 LR, and 5/8x24 on .308, .300 Blackout, 6.5 Creedmoor and other .30 and 6.5mm rifles. The can side is the same for both, so one .30 caliber can rides a 5.56 rifle and a .308 rifle with the right mount on each.
Never put a 5.56 can on a .30 caliber barrel. The bore is too small for the bullet.
How do you install a suppressor mount?
- Clean the barrel threads and the shoulder down to bare metal. Oil and old thread locker keep a mount from seating.
- Thread the mount on by hand to the shoulder. If it has a flat side or ports, shim it so it lands where it should when tight. Use shims, not a crush washer: a crush washer rarely crushes evenly and can tilt the mount off the bore.
- Take it back off, put a high temperature thread locker such as Rocksett on the threads, and torque it to the maker's spec against the shoulder or shims.
- Let it cure as the thread locker's directions say before you shoot it, then check that the can goes on and comes off cleanly.
- Check your zero with the can on. Most rifles move a little.
Why do QD mounts use a taper?
Threads hold a can on; they don't center it well. Every quick detach mount here has a cone just behind the lock that the can pulls down onto. The cone puts the can square to the bore every time it goes on, and it seals, so carbon stays out of the threads and the can comes off after a long string. Turn on the cutaway above to see it.
Direct thread cans skip the cone and seat on the barrel shoulder instead, which is why a clean, square shoulder matters more on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is KeyMo the same as the old Dead Air Key-Mount?
No. KeyMo replaced Key-Mount and the two don't interchange. A Key-Mount can needs a Key-Mount device, and a KeyMo can needs a KeyMo device, or a KeyMo HUB adapter on a HUB can.
Will a KeyMo can go on a SureFire or ASR mount?
No. KeyMo cans only seat on KeyMo mounts. That's why the can comes first: pick it, then put its mount on every rifle it will ride on.
What thread pitch is a KeyMo mount?
The mount is cut for the barrel: 1/2x28 for 5.56 and 5/8x24 for .30 caliber and 6.5. The can side is the same KeyMo interface either way, so one .30 can runs on both with the right mounts.
What are the different suppressor mount types?
Five systems carry most rifle cans: SilencerCo ASR, Dead Air KeyMo, SureFire Fast-Attach and HUXWRX QD, which are quick detach, and HUB, a 1.375x24 thread on the back of the can that takes a swappable adapter. The sixth way is direct thread, where the can screws straight onto the barrel's muzzle threads.
Can I put any suppressor on any mount?
No. Each quick detach can only seats on its own maker's mount: a KeyMo can won't go on an ASR flash hider, and a SureFire can won't go on a KeyMo one. A HUB can is the way around it, because you swap the rear adapter to ASR, KeyMo or direct thread.
What is the best suppressor mount system?
There isn't one best mount, because the can decides it. Pick the can for its sound, weight and back pressure, then run its maker's mount on every rifle it will ride on. If you want to keep your options open, a HUB can lets you change systems later for the price of an adapter.
Should I use a crush washer or shims on a suppressor mount?
Shims. A crush washer rarely crushes evenly, so it can leave the mount a hair off the bore, and the can follows the mount. Every major can maker says to seat a mount against the barrel shoulder or a shim, with a high temperature thread locker such as Rocksett.
Do suppressor mounts have to match my barrel's thread pitch?
Yes, the mount threads onto the barrel, so buy it in the barrel's pitch: 1/2x28 on 5.56 and .22 LR, 5/8x24 on .308, .300 Blackout and 6.5 Creedmoor. The can side doesn't change, so one .30 can runs on both with the right mount on each rifle.
Does a QD mount hurt accuracy?
Not when it's installed right. The taper centers the can the same way every time, so most rifles return to the same point of impact with the can on. Expect that point to differ from the bare muzzle, and check your zero with the can on.
Do I need a flash hider to run a suppressor?
Only on a quick detach system, where the flash hider or brake is the mount. A direct thread can goes on the bare barrel threads and needs no device at all.
Cite this tool: GunPartPicker, “Dead Air KeyMo Mount: How It Works and What Fits”, https://gunpartpicker.net/tools/suppressor-mounts/keymo. Data from the GunPartPicker catalog and real community builds, prices checked October 28, 2026. Free to cite with attribution.
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