Muffle Tubes - Anyone Use these?

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Dannix

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Noticed this "muffle tube" when I happened to see this link in a junk account.

Are they effective? I'm a bit surprised indoor range dividers aren't foamed.
 

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Interesting video!

I have seen those on the range here at our WMA, I think they are used more to keep the bullets going downrange and not into the sky.

They sure don't muffle any noise... for the shooter at least.
 
At Camp Carroll, Korea our range was set up so you fired through a culvert pipe (to keep the weapons pointed downrange as post #3 suggests). The sound of 5.56 fire was brutal, even with double hearing protection required.

The padding might help, but I suspect the tube would still reflect too much sound back to the shooter. It might muffle the sound leaving the range area, though.
 
they are basically a giant suppressor. They cut down sound to surrounding areas quiet a bit, but do make it louder for the shooter, unless the rear of the tube is mostly closed also. Filiiling them with eggcrate foam helps too, but the issue with the foam, is that it will tend to collect unburned powder...
 
BTW, im guessing that's in Switzerland.

Looks like a SIG 550, swiss pattern camo, and electronic scoring (the box to the shooters right, notice that it is at every station).
 
Looks like a good idea, except for the weapon chained down thing. My very last trip to an indoor range the booth next to me was firing .300 Win Mag. Even with plugs in and and muffs on it rattled my teeth.
 
Hum, may be a conic shape would be better than for a focus more on noise than encouraged bullet path.

Yes it's Swiss. Check out the link from the first post.
 
It is a Swiss firing range during their annual open competition.

The tubes are lined in sound absorbing foam, not just any foam, and should reduce muzzle noise experienced by the shooter as well as reducing the noise heard by the neighbors to the range. The tubes also help ensure that the weapons are pointed at the berm.

I assume the Swiss put a safety chain on the weapon as a reminder to remove the magazine and clear the weapon before leaving the shooting position.
 
That would be the only government program I would support , Maybe!
When was the last time Switzerland had a terrorist attack or invasion?
 
They have those at Greenridge range in Western Maryland. Shooting an Bushmaster Ar though one was my most regretable gun related expeirence to date. Shredded powder eggcrate blown back all over, including the gun.
 
Watch the video in the link from 2:58 on with what he says. He gets it.
 
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We used basically the same thing for test firing at one place I worked. The tube was a section of steel pipe buried in the earth bank, lined with asbestos insulation (yes, I know, but at that time the danger was not understood). Heavy rubber strips at the shooter's end kept the noise down to a loud "thud" even with high power rifles.

Jim
 
Thats kind of cool looking, I wonder if thats a brass catcher to his right?

After watching that video it *almost* makes me want to move to switzerland.
 
these were popular in the 90s as a legal way of reducing the sound of a rifle without having to get the gov permission to get a surpressor.

according to an old article i read the sound box, as is the correct term, is padded on the inside with carpet padding being popular. The purpose of the box is to control the direction of the sound.
the sides will keep most of the sound from going that way so the neighbor next door wont hear much noise, but the open ends will project sound, so that the shooter and the target hear the noise.
 
This would work much better if both ends were covered with plywood. You need about a 4-5" hole in both ends, just large enough to insert the muzzle and sight through. I made something like this once.
 
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