Silencers from a distance

I've always heard that the main benefit of suppressors on rifles, besides masking the dust and flash signature, is that you can't tell where the shots are coming from. In other words, anyone within range can definitely still hear the shots, but it's very difficult for them to tell where the shots are coming from.

When you were at the 200 yard position, could you have guessed the general direction of the shots if you didn't already know where they were coming from? Maybe that would be another video you could do is to take some people out in the desert and see if they can "echolocate" suppressed and unsuppressed shots and see if there's any difference in their accuracy between the two.

That directional difficulty may be due to hearing the crack of the bullet instead of the rifle. When you hear the bullet the sound is not coming from the firing position.

Sounded the same to me from 150. Slight difference at 300, most difference at 0. For supersonic rounds, I've noticed the main advantage of a silencer is not sound attenuation, but masking the location; it tends to make one downrange think the fire is coming from the side instead of right on. Perhaps if you had been standing more downrange instead of oblique, that could have been demonstrated.

Subsonic rounds, that's a different story. I fired an MP5SD3 indoors, the brass hitting the floor was louder than the report.

I do all my close-in work with a Ruger single-six and CCI shorts.

Those old soup cans never knew what hit 'em.

The few times I've shot suppressed guns, I still wore ears. About the only interest I'd have in one would be if the tax stamp and paperwork requirements were dropped. Otherwise, it's more trouble than it's worth for my needs.


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herkyguy said:

I do all my close-in work with a Ruger single-six and CCI shorts.

Those old soup cans never knew what hit 'em.

The few times I've shot suppressed guns, I still wore ears. About the only interest I'd have in one would be if the tax stamp and paperwork requirements were dropped. Otherwise, it's more trouble than it's worth for my needs.


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That's not unrealistic. There's a growing movement to have them taken off the NFA list, like in Europe, and the ecotards are all behind it because they want to make it illegal to hunt without one. Again, just like in Europe.

There's also a group wanting to relabel suppressors as standard range safety equipment, just like earplugs. They say, and it's probably true, that even with double hearing protection the average high power rifle is too loud to shoot indoors, at least in the long run. So, according to them, shooting an AR indoors could cumulatively damage your hearing even if you wore the best protection on the market.

With the congress we have right now, passing this thing should be a cakewalk considering the logic behind it. One of the many things that makes you wonder about our supposedly conservative Republicans in congress...

Yeah, the video didn't help convey the difference very well once you walked away from the shooting position.

BTW, the reduction of sound by the camera is "sound attenuation."

You really need to find a way to record that does not have the feature of sound attenuation. Otherwise, you have sort of sabotaged your own video.

Subsonic rounds, that's a different story. I fired an MP5SD3 indoors, the brass hitting the floor was louder than the report.

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Yes firing subsonic ammo suppressed makes you realize just now noisy everything else about a semi-auto is!

I shot a 5.56 suppressed and pretty noisy still.


My friend who's shot a .300 AAC BLackout said its movie quiet, that you only hear the action moving and it sounds like a BB gun.


Videos can be misleading on how quiet or not quiet they are.

I shot a 5.56 suppressed and pretty noisy still.

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Yes and no. Depends on your perspective and a few other things.

I have an AAC M4-2000 in 5.56 which I use on a couple of guns. I can shoot them from in my carport, without hearing protection, and my ears dont even give a hint of ringing (beyond what they do constantly anyway). If I shoot an unsuppressed .22 from the same spot, I cant hear right for a number of days after, and thats just one or two shots.

Whats missing with the suppressor is the muzzle blast, which is pretty much nil. I believe AAC claims something like 95-97% reduction, which my unscientific ears tends to agree.

Now, once the round starts down range, you definitely hear it go. One thing I have noticed though is, it "seems" quieter on closer targets than it does on longer targets, which kind of makes sense if you think about it, but cant say its a fact though.

One other thing Ive noticed is, my 10.5" guns are still a bit louder than my 16" guns, but I can still shoot both without hearing protection, up to a point. While I dont need it for a few shots, I do start to notice things creeping up over the time of a lot of shots, say 50-75. Its not like shooting unsuppressed, but my hearing definitely changes slightly.

I also have one of AAC's 9mm "ECO-9" suppressors for my handguns. The effects there are a bit different, and much quieter. If I use 147 grain subsonic 9mm, and "wet" the can, the sound in the carport in not to dissimilar to a heavy car door being shut hard. My son's bedroom is off the carport, and I shot a critter there with it, and later asked him if he heard anything, and his response was, "it sounded like you dropped something". He was right too, but not in the same manner.

With ammo hotter than the speed of sound, it is a little more noticeable, and you can sometimes hear that crack downrange, depending on where you are in relation to the gun, but nothing like the rifles.

For supersonic ammunition, Humans "hear" the sonic boom coming from the point of closest approach. For example, if you are shooting from South to due North, a person down range East of your target will hear the shot coming from due West.

Mike

I've seen some uncannily familiar terrain and hill/mountain lines in your videos over the years Just west of Maricopa, I'd say

Mike

I shoot subsonics in my .22lr with a silencer the loudest noise is the firing pin hitting the cartridge and the thwack the bullet make when hitting the traget.

It not a legal requirement anywhere in Europe to use a silencer when hunting.
In the UK silencers are very popular and health and safety, less damageing to the hearing. is one of the reasons often quoted.
Readind a recent test from Norway on the effectiveness of sound moderators i still would not shoot a moderated weapon without hearing protection.

My self, i dislike moderators and would never have any of my rifles apart from the .22 fitted with them. Why fit a great big lump on the front of a rifle and mess up the balance.
The .22 is a great bunny bashing weapon when lamping them at night and you don't spook the rabbits and can shoot several in one field.

Here is a video of one of my suppressed 22's that makes more noise if you dry fire it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srXMYpYFZ8c

In this one you can hear the bullet passing by between the rifle and target.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs3uiXHK9TY

jmorris said:

Here is a video of one of my suppressed 22's that makes more noise if you dry fire it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srXMYpYFZ8c

In this one you can hear the bullet passing by between the rifle and target.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs3uiXHK9TY

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Now I want one! That was quiet!

I haven't looked into any of this. What's the process on getting the "stamp"? What kind of fees are involved? One time fee? Annual?

Thanks.

Here is a video of one of my suppressed 22's that makes more noise if you dry fire it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srXMYpYFZ8c

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Good thing I didn't see this before July 12th or so. I'd have wanted one.
Okay, I want one anyway.

I haven't looked into any of this. What's the process on getting the "stamp"? What kind of fees are involved? One time fee?

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One time fee, $200, and the same basic paperwork as getting a carry permit, but takes longer to process.

It a person gets the $200 permit is that for one can only?
If the permit authorizes you to purchase for one caliber, say .22 cal. do you need another $200. permit for a .45 cal. or does the $200 cover everything?

One $200 tax fee per item, per transfer (usually the buyer pays the next tax fee, not sure if you sell it back to a shop, you may have to pay the tax fee again). Some parts of suppressors also are considered taxable as a register-able item, meaning if you need certain replacement parts, you would have to pay the tax fee on them as well.

This is one reason you should choose wisely and not go cheap on a suppressor, you want to have no problems with it.

Thanks, Malamute, That answers my question and gave me more to think about. I didn't realize some of the additional problems that come from owning a silencer.

What penalties, if any for building your own supressor?

OCM said:

What penalties, if any for building your own supressor?

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10 years in the pen if the ATF finds it.

It is super easy though. A company sells kits to turn a 3D cell maglight into a suppressor.

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