Long - Term Silencer Use

Haven't put enough through mine to give a fair assessment. Would think number of rounds and how dirty a particular powder burns would be a factor. If you're running the suppressor "wet" that would have a tendency to make it more messy.

I don't really enjoy shooting but I use my guns for hunting mostly and shooting varmints around the house.


My Sig Titanium Suppressor has been great on my bolt action Ruger American Ranch Rifle and Sig Virtus. I have the can all the time when I shoot and it's nice not disturbing the neighbors and not wearing ear muffs. When my friends come over they enjoy shooting it so it was a great purchase in the long run.

My friend has a pistol one, I'll ask him if he likes it.

I truly enjoy shooting my pistol silencers. I have a .22 silencer that likely has more than 50K rounds through it. It brings a smile to my face and I always say, "it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on". Pretty much everyone who has tried it has enjoyed it and come away with a silly grin or smile on their face.
I wore out the first host, a Walther P22, at around the 20-25K point. Thankfully S&W/Walther replaced it for me. Later I bought one of the Colt/Umarex 1911 "Gold Cup" 22s, and it's my favorite host now. That can pretty much stays in my range bag all the time. The baffles will probably need replacing, but it's still pretty effective.

I have a 9MM from Gemtech and it goes out often enough too. It's a lot of fun on my G17, G19, Beretta 92, or 1911/9MM. When I load subsonics, it's really a fun combination.
I also have a .45 silencer, but I haven't enjoyed it as much. It worked well enough on the 1911, but I couldn't crack the code on spring weights on the Glock 21. It's a version of the Maxim and doesn't have the decoupler/Nielsen device.
Someday I may just have to buy something like the Osprey or build my own for 45.

I have two integrally suppressed 10/22s, but those are rifles. I also have a 5.56, and a .30 can as well.

So, yes, I like the silencers and the novelty hasn't worn off in over 16 years... wow, it's been that long from my first!

The only centerfire pistol I like shooting suppressed (other than .22s) is the Beretta 92. The open slide let’s excess fowling blow out the open breech. Also the barrel travels in line with the barrel so it functions exceptionally well with a suppressor. It just seems really smooth with a suppressor.

A Browning design with its tilting barrel lockup doesn’t lend itself well to hanging a suppressor off the end. Sure they work with a Nielsen device but seem really clunky with exaggerated recoil. It just doesn’t feel right.

Dan

The Glockodile said:

The novelty these toys once had has since worn off.

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Does not compute. Theres no "novelty" to a tool that reduces noise, flash, concussion and recoil.

Semi autos running dirtier is nothing more than that. Who cares? Ain't like they don't get dirty in loud mode.

If anything, the "novelty" of guns I can't suppress wore off. I barely shoot the revolvers these days for that reason, and put a can on pretty much everything else. I really don't enjoy shooting as much without them. 72 silencers and counting here.

Having said that, what can(s) are you running? A lowsy suppressor is a lowsy suppressor and not very useful. I wouldn't be surprised if someone were disenchanted with them if their experience was with an AR running fixed gas and something like the loud, high backpressure HTA Kestrel.

Dan Forrester said:

A Browning design with its tilting barrel lockup doesn’t lend itself well to hanging a suppressor off the end. Sure they work with a Nielsen device but seem really clunky with exaggerated recoil. It just doesn’t feel right.

Dan

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Beretta 92s need a booster too, unless you have a sub-8 ounce can.

And to that end, the weight and profile of the suppressor makes all the difference on a pistol. I have zero interest in using the 20 ounce, 1-9/16 diameter Hybrid on a handgun, but my 9 ounce, 1.25" wide Phoenix IX is a totally different story.

I shoot 90% suppressed. At first I got long .30 cal cans for a one size does all. Now those are relegated to the .308 bench/bipod ARs. The short, light Omega 9Ks are great on 8-9” .300BLK and 9mm Scorpion EVO. After trying a light .556 can on everything from 10.5-18” ARs I find 12.5” to be ideal. Good balance with overall length not much more than an M4 and gives up little in velocity. Properly tuned the only negative is the dirt. But the gas fouling is not like caked on filth. A quick rubdown with an oily rag is a small price to pay.

The exception is a blowback AR9 I built. Clouds of gas to the face were intolerable. Just one suppressed handgun - K configuration on bedside gun. At the range I prefer unsuppressed for handguns. Too slow and unwieldy to transition quickly with the extra forward weight.

Can’t wait for my first one!

I use a suppressor on my 22s, pistols, rifles, everything that is reasonable to put one on. M1 Garand and M1 Carbines aren't practical to suppress (so I've heard), and I have some other old tube fed 22s that I wouldn't thread, but just because you have to clean guns a little more often is no reason not to suppress a gun.

horsemen61 said:

Can’t wait for my first one!

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I'm pretty sure that when you get it........it won't be your only one......!!.....

I have 2 in MY safe, and 4 more in jail at the LGS waiting to be paroled...

Soonerpesek said:

I pretty sure that when you get it........it won't be your only one......!!.....

I have 2 in MY safe, and 4 more in jail at the LGS waiting to be paroled...

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I think you’re right

MachIVshooter said:

Does not compute. Theres no "novelty" to a tool that reduces noise, flash, concussion and recoil.

Semi autos running dirtier is nothing more than that. Who cares? Ain't like they don't get dirty in loud mode...

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This so much. I shoot the guns that don't suppress (or suppress well for reasons, say FAL) less because suppressed self-loaders are such a joy. And getting into suppressors late in life (partly because my state was weird, only semi-recently permitted many NFA things) it is like starting shooting all over again.

Also to the dirty: yup. And? My ARs especially are hilariously dirty (did a long range day today, and the mag I mostly used has a black follower, not orange at all anymore) and have no perceptible difference in how long they need between cleanings (a long time).

My no moving parts form one 9mm silencer works great on my Beretta 92 taming the recoil on my +P 147gr loads. But I can't see the sights with it on there.
An osprey 9 that I bought over a year ago is finally legal for me to take home, that will replace the form one silencer and the form 1 silencer can go live on my sten, as the sten is blow back and doesn't need a Neilson device silencer like the osprey.
I got my first form 4 silencer in 2016 and still can't get enough of them. I think I have 6 form 4 silencers with more in NFA jail and 4 form 1 silencers. Only reason I did the form ones is I was tired of waiting 11 to 13 months on the form 4.
Well that reminds me I'm having trouble remembering how many I have so that means I probably have enough of them.

For semi auto rifles I went with simple designs with only a few baffels. If your guns are getting really dirty real fast it sounds like you are over over silencered. Where you bought a really good high end silencer, with a lot of internal volume and a lot of internal structures and that makes the gun real quiet but blows a lot of soot back in the action.

I experienced "too much silencer on a semi auto" when I put some one elses sandman on my 30 carbine and got blasted in the face with carbon and unbunt powder flecks. Then I tried a modular form 1 silencer, not mine, with 3 baffels and it worked great, no face blast. So that learned me less is more on a semi auto and save the pricy big volume fancy internal structure silencers for the repeaters.

shoobe01 said:

guns that don't suppress (or suppress well for reasons, say FAL)

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FALs and other op rod guns are worth suppressing, but they'll never be technically hearing safe as gas adjusted ARs can (ARs still snap me, so I still use plugs with them on the range, but can tolerate a few shots without ear pro). FALs do need the gas plug modified, though, or they'll beat themselves to death with a can.

But that's the difference. My FAL para carbine was not tolerable with just earplugs without a suppressor, still too loud. Needed good quality full muffs for that, as well as other shorter barreled rifles. With the suppressor getting the FAL into the mid-140s at ear, though, the additional 15-20 dB reduction of foam plugs is plenty, and there's no concussion or flash.

I'm 39 now, and I wish someone had got me into the suppressor game a lot sooner, as well as warned about the damage from work environments and such. I wear ear plugs all day around my machines now, when running pressure washers and lawn mowers, using wet/dry vacuums, and everywhere else I can to preserve the hearing I still have, which has not been great in my right ear since I was a little kid due to ear infections. And as much as it pains me, I won't let my kids have cap guns because I know what the 140-150+ dBA report of those things will do to them.

Nuclear said:

M1 Garand and M1 Carbines aren't practical to suppress (so I've heard), and I have some other old tube fed 22s that I wouldn't thread

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M1s can be done, but there are issues not to be overlooked. You can't just thread them and go to town, as the increased gas will bend an op rod just like hotter loads do.

On the tube mag .22s, there is a QD option for rimfire cans (Gemtech QDA, and there's another 5 lug critter I don't recall the make of), and I'm actually trying to find time to develop a smaller diameter rimfire can that will clear those tubes. But then, 22"+ .22 rifles really don't need a can. It does make them whisper quiet, but the report of a long barreled rimfire just isn't that much with a naked muzzle. I haven't threaded my Marlin 39A or 1897, as they're quiet enough with their 24" barrels that it's not worth altering them. But the 25" barreled Legacy Escort .22 with a can on it is ridiculous, just hear the firing pin click and the bullet impact.

MachIVshooter said:

FALs and other op rod guns are worth suppressing, but...

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I also had been told repeatedly that the way FAL gas systems are set up the extra backpressure is bad for the gun, and extended suppressor use will cause parts breakage. You seem to run one and know everything about what you know so: do tell!

shoobe01 said:

I also had been told repeatedly that the way FAL gas systems are set up the extra backpressure is bad for the gun, and extended suppressor use will cause parts breakage. You seem to run one and know everything about what you know so: do tell!

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It will if you don't modify the gas plug to make it more restrictive. Otherwise, it's just a matter of finding a muzzle device, which is sometimes challenging with the 9/16-24 LH threads on most of them in this country.

All my bolt guns and ARs are run suppressed 95% of the time. Bolt guns are easy, but it is important to take the time to make sure ARs are set up to run well suppressed.

I actually have my first AK on the way, a PSA Moekov, and I'm trying to figure out what I need to do to get it properly set up for a can.... I know it probably won't get out to the range much with me otherwise.

I will say that pistol suppressors are probably the least practical for me, still fun and effective, but unwieldily on a firearm, the main mission of which is to be handy and concealable.

I generally shoot more suppressed stuff these days but they do require more cleaning.

Center-fire handgun is about the only thing I'm not a fan of suppressed. I have one, and it's ok, but it's a lot of bulk and chunky recoil. But mostly, it's loud. I tend to shoot in bays, pits or creeks, and the noise gets to me. Subs are a little painful, and supers require ear protection. And if I'm wearing earpro anyway, why am I shooting this heavy, awkward, smoky gun that obscures half the target?

Now, 22's and rifles, I love them. My long term verdict is that I have come to view anybody shooting without a can as a primitive Savage and the guy with the 16" 308 scar with a muzzle brake gets the same ugly look as the Harley guy revving his stupid ear bleedingly loud motorcycle in the parking lot.

I agree with MachIVShooter, I'm getting to the point of not wanting to shoot my non-suppressed guns. I really, really like shooting without muffs/plugs. I'm pretty sure the shiny ain't gonna wear off.


Cat

The older I get the more I appreciate my suppressors not just for the suppression, but also recoil management ... in the last few years I’ve quit shooting 308 all together and have switched to 6.5 Creedmoor when I want to reach out ... since I only shoot paper & steel it does everything 308 does, only better. Besides less recoil, it shoots much flatter.

I shoot subguns competitively, and nobody uses a suppressor in competition allthough most own one. It adds weight and you are mandated to wear ear pro so it adds no value. For private use I also don't find I use it much. I use suppressors with new shooters every time though, just to make it a smoother experience. Anything semi auto or especially full auto you get a lot of gas coming out of the action, which tends to be right by your face. It has been said before that the .22 suppressor is the best one to start with, and most people's favorite, and it's true for me.

Also, anything supersonic you should still be wearing hearing protection when you shoot it. Osha "Hearing safe" does not mean it's a good idea evn if you are 2 decibals short of the 140 level. If you had to shoot an intruder it'd be nice, but I'm not trusting my hearing to it.

In summary suppressors are great for hunting, good for home defense, great for introducing new shooters to guns, and good for circumstances where you don't want to disturb neighbors. For range days, not really.