Can you put a suppresor on a revolver?

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kd7nqb

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Recently I have sort of become interested in suppressors, I have looked at a bunch but don't think I have ever seen a picture of one on a revolver. Does the existence of the barrel/ cylinder gap prevent suppression? Or is it an issue with the way revolver barrels are made that precludes them from being threaded? I am both a revolver newby and a suppressor newby so would love any info you have.
 
The Russian Nagant revolver is the only one I know of that can be successfully suppressed. And the tax stamp and can will cost many times more than the revolver does, plus ammo for those is hard to find, not to mention fairly weak. I also hear they have beastly triggers.
 
I put my 9mm can on a 1895 nagant revolver. The gap is sealed by brass that is longer than the cylinder. When the hammer is cocked the cylinder is moved forward pushing the case mouth into the back of the barrel. The trigger is not very good, especially when using it double action. Using target grade ammo moving 700 fps is much less noisy than a 3 grain full charge of bullseye which gives 1000 fps. With a silencer it will not be as quiet as a 22lr, but not as loud as a 9mm semi-auto.

1895nagant-2.jpg

I have heard of custom made revolvers that have a very small gap, but I read they jam up when the heat of firing expands the cylinder. While putting a silencer on a standard revolver will reduce muzzle noise, there is more than enough noise coming from the gap to keep it from beng hearing safe without ear plugs.

The nagant can be had for about $100. The tax for the silencer is $200. It cost me about $30 in material to make it. It is a fun toy. The ammo is not too hard to find. Reloading is a bit of a pain when using the Lee dies. I had to put in a spacer to make the seater push the bullet down past the mouth, a longer expander was required to prevent bulging the case when seating the bullet. I also use a 30 carbine factory sizer die to put the large crimp on the mouth to ensure it enters the back of the barrel when the hammer is cocked. This ammo gives a stdev of about 5 fps, the most consistant pistol ammo I have ever seen.

762nagant2.jpg

Ranb
 
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I've read of a few revolvers made especially for silencing. The key is a near zero tolerance flash gap. Since the intended role for these particular silenced revolvers would be limited to 1-2 shots, the fact that it would jam due to powder build up at shot 9 or 10 mattered little.

For recreational pursuits, the above Nagant would be a better route.
 
Go give that plastic bag a try and see how it works.

Oh, and be sure and wear ear protection ! :D
 
"Can you put a suppresor on a revolver?"

Yes. It's very possible...

I've handled a highly modified Ruger GP100 equipped with a quick detachable suppressor.

Not something your average gunsmith is capable of putting together, but there are certain places where such things are built for certain customers.
 
Why would one even care to put a silencer on a revolver? Is it still too loud even when wearing both ear plugs & muffs?
 
Why is it the law? :scrutiny:

Seriously though, you put mufflers on things because they are damned loud and disturb the neighbors if you don't. Muffler laws reflect that. People put mufflers on airplanes (no law requires them in the US), boats (again, not required), off highway vehicles (again, no law) and so on because dealing with noisy things is unpleasant when there is an alternative.
 
Why is it the law? :scrutiny:

Seriously though, you put mufflers on things because they are damned loud and disturb the neighbors if you don't. Muffler laws reflect that. People put mufflers on airplanes (no law requires them in the US), boats (again, not required), off highway vehicles (again, no law) and so on because dealing with noisy things is unpleasant when there is an alternative.
Not entirely correct, many off road motor driven vehicles, boats, bikes have to meet certain decibel levels. This is both local and federal regulation, of course there are exceptions.

Putting a can on a revolver is simple but not 100% effective, of course with the one exception. I wonder why James Bond didn't use a 1895 Nagant?
 
Sigh... what, exactly, is "not entirely correct" about what I said?

The fact that there are laws was mentioned and explained in my post. The fact that people put mufflers on some light planes even in areas where no laws require them (and even though most light planes are not muffled) points out that you are wrong if you think mufflers exist to comply with a law requiring mufflers. There is not some vasst muffler cartel conspiracy, they didn't bribe congress to require mufflers... mufflers exist because things without them are damned loud and disturb the neighbors. It's why you muffle a car, and why you should muffle your guns.
 
Not to get picky, but...

Why would you put a muffler on a car?

You asked about cars. Not off road trucks, boats, planes, etc. Cars are used (I'm guessing)99.99999...% of the time on a public road. Yes, there are some used on a race track, drag strip, etc. You'll look a long time to find a dedicated race car that has a muffler. You can easily find a street car that doubles as a weekend racer, but it'll have a muffler. And even many of those will have a cut-out so that the exhaust can be opened, and run without the muffler. And then be returned to normal for the ride home.

Wyman
 
I'll be done here after this... But a question mark indicates a question. Meaning you're asking something. A period indicates a statement.

Any other grammar questions? See, there's another question mark.:D

Wyman

BTW- I'll go ahead and apologize for the thread drift. One off topic sarcastic answer, to another off topic sarcastic question, and you get 8 posts that have nothing to do with the original question. Again, I'm sorry.
 
Lol... I'll stop too, with this: A question mark indicates a question, but not all questions indicate you are asking for anything. See: Question, Rhetorical.

:D

The reason for a muffler (on a car or gun) is to reduce noise.
 
Why would one even care to put a silencer on a revolver? Is it still too loud even when wearing both ear plugs & muffs?

The same reason I put silencers on my high powered bolt action rifles, semi-auto pistols and rifles. Same reason I have one on the car. To reduce noise pollution and prevent hearing loss when using them without hearing protection. This is one of those DUH! moments I think. Do you agree KJS? This is a real question directed at you, not a rhetorical one.

Ranb
 
As said above, yes, it is possible; here are some pictures of a few that have been done:

An original silenced 1895 Nagant, for the Russian NKVD:

SilencedNagant.jpg


A silenced Ruger Redhawk built by Knight Armament:

RevolverRifle-1.jpg


And a silenced OTs-38 Stechkin revolver, using the internally-silenced 7.62x41mm SP-4 cartridge; this revolver fires from the bottom position in the cylinder, and has a laser aiming device above the barrel:

ots38.jpg
 
SDC,

Is that top photo of a bramit device? I have been looking for for a picture of that for a while if it is.

Ranb
 
Why would you put a muffler on a car?

Many Harley owners seem to think quiet is something to be avoided at all costs, given how I can hear them coming from a couple blocks away. I wonder if bikers try to come up with ways to make guns even louder, like with porting?
 
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