Before you worry about what to do after a ban, do everything you can to head it off and prevent it becoming law in the first place. Hearts and minds of constituents, one at a time.
I typed this up and posted it to my FB page for friends and followers to use in explaining/convincing/debating. Perhaps it's prove useful to you in some capacity as well:
In light of the recent events, I felt that it might be helpful for some of you who are pro-2A but lacking much experience or knowledge in the realm of suppressors (“silencers”) to go into the inevitable debates armed with the facts from someone who not only uses them, but manufactures & repairs them, and who owns one of the very expensive impulse sound meters needed to accurately measure high level impulse noises.
Hollywood has created a great deal of misconception around firearms in general, and especially the mystical “silencer”, portraying them as an assassin’s tool, a small cylinder that magically attaches to the user’s weapon and brings the sound of a gunshot down to a whisper. The reality of firearm suppressors is very different.
1, Not all firearms can accept them. In point of fact, the extreme majority cannot without modification, and some not at all.
2, The pill bottle sized suppressors represented by props in movies do exist, but they are very specialized and not very effective. Actual, effective suppressors range from “good sized” to downright big, most centerfire models being 1.375”-1.75” in diameter and 7”-10” long. Rimfire (.22 Long rifle) suppressors are the smallest “common” ones, generally about 1” in diameter and 5”-6” long.
3, Suppressors can significantly affect your firearm, both in terms of reliability and accuracy. This part deserves more explanation, but suffice it to say that simply putting a suppressor on and having your firearm both run reliably AND shoot to exactly the same point of aim would be incredible luck. Most need adjustments.
4, A suppressed gunshot is still quite loud, especially any round larger than .22 rimfire. With a few exceptions using very specific hosts and ammunition, suppressed gunshots will typically run in the range of 125-145 decibels. For those who are not especially familiar with this logarithmic scale, a chain saw or jackhammer is going to produce 110-120 decibels (dB) at a distance of 1 meter. Top fuel dragsters produce noise in the 145 dB range. Most people will find levels over 125-130 uncomfortable, and painful above 135-140, depending on frequency. Instant hearing damage occurs at 140 dB.
5, Even real-world videos of suppressors being used do not represent well the in-person experience. Noise-leveling microphones, limitations of software and the inability of most speakers/sound systems to reproduce certain sounds accurately are just some of the reasons for this.
6, supersonic bullets will have a loud “sonic crack” no matter what suppressor you use. The bigger the bullet, the louder the crack. It’s the same phenomena as the sonic boom when an aircraft goes supersonic, just on a much smaller scale, and without the transonic variables.
If people are curious about the dB level of various noises, Google is your friend. Having already given a couple examples above, we’re going to focus on gunshots.
Unsuppressed firearms, except for long barreled .22 rimfires, are all above 140 dB. A .22 Pistol is around 152 dB. A 9mm is about 160 dB, .357 Magnum revolver 165 dB, and some of the bigger magnum hunting rifles can even exceed 170 dB. Combined with the overpressure of the larger powder charges, some of the latter can actually rupture eardrums. Any exposure to unsuppressed gunshots is very bad for the ears, even those long barreled .22s putting down high 130s.
Suppressors, good ones, can drop the sound pressure level by as much as 30-32 decibels, which is slightly better than most run-of-the-mill earmuffs. For many firearms, that will put them in the realm of technically hearing safe, although prolonged firing sessions will still damage your ears, especially indoors.
Some examples of suppressed gunshot sound pressure levels using premium suppressors:
.22 Long Rifle subsonic from a rifle: 113-117 dB
.22 Long rifle subsonic from a pistol: 119-125 dB
.22 LR Supersonic from a pistol: 125-130 dB
9mm Subsonic from a pistol: 123-128 dB
9mm Supersonic from a pistol: 127-135 dB
9mm from a blowback carbine: 130-140 dB
.45 ACP from a pistol: 132-138 dB
.45 ACP from a blowback carbine: 138-145 dB
10mm Auto from a pistol: 137-142 dB
.223 from a bolt action rifle: 130-133 dB
.223 from an AR: 137-145 dB
.308 from a bolt action: 133-138 dB
.308 from a semi-auto rifle: 140-150 dB
.300 Winchester Magnum from a bolt action: 135-140 dB
Now, an impulse noise is definitely different from a constant sound, which is why OSHA sets the exposure limits based on time; so many dB for X minutes or hours. A 125 dB suppressed gunshot is not going to be as offensive to your ears as a 125 dB siren. But they are equally audible.
Now, your debate opponents may ask then why bother? What’s the point if it’s still that loud? While the answer should be obvious, it may need to be explained.
-For hunting, when only a shot or two will be fired, a good suppressor negates the need for uncomfortable and handicapping hearing protection.
-For recreational use, a suppressor takes the protective equipment requirement from plugs AND muffs to just one or the other, leaving you better able to hear lower level sounds, like a range safety officer saying “cease fire!”
-A suppressor lowers the level to where people nearby but still a few yards away are safe even without hearing protection of any kind ; decibels drop by 6 for every doubling of distance (140 at 3 feet is 134 at 6 feet, 128 at 12 feet, 116 at 48 feet, etc.)
-A suppressor virtually eliminates muzzle blast, helping not only the shooter better focus (especially new shooters), but also making things much more pleasant for other people on the firing line, and for nearby residents in the case of ranges near residential areas. The shots can still be heard for quite some distance, but it is analogous to living near a freeway vs. living next to a dragstrip.
Suppressors definitively reduce the volume of a gunshot, and are very useful tools for shooters & sportsmen, but they are a far cry from the Hollywood depiction. People getting their first experience with suppressors who have had their expectations shaped by TV & movies are universally surprised at how loud suppressed guns still are, and there’s simply no mistaking the distinct sound of a gunshot, suppressed or not.
