Plastic Bottle Suppressor

[Mr. T]

Hello Everyone,

A friend and I were having a conversation the other day and he was telling me that he made a homemade "plastic bottle" suppressor for his .22 LR. He put it on his semi auto Remington 597. For starters I told him that since he didn't have the necessary paperwork it was probably illegal for him to do this; secondly I told him that it may not be the best thing for his gun. The question I have for everyone is what I told him correct? I really only have minimal general knowledge in the paperwork area and my thoughts were on the mechanical end of things the plastic bottle suppressor might create back-pressure inside the action of the gun. I look forward to everyone's thoughts and advice.

 

[rcmodel]

Yes, it is illegal under Federal law.

No, it will not harm the gun.

But it won't do any worthwhile silencing either.

The muzzle blast is transmitted through the thin plastic bottle walls, and is just about as loud with, as without it in my experience.

rc

 

[Telekinesis]

Definitely illegal. Punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. I'd have him destroy the adapter and never tell anyone about it again.

The plastic bottle probably wont do too much in the way of quieting the sound of the gun, but it won't do anything to hurt the gun either.

 

[Mr. T]

RC Model,

That's what I told him too, but he said he was using a plastic bottle from mineral water; he showed me the bottle and it was considerably thicker than the typical thin walled water bottle...even slightly thicker than a plastic pop bottle. He had also made very small perforations in the bottle in (3) different spot. He didn't fire the gun for me as we were in city limits, but you could see the black powder/burn marks on the bottle. He said that after 4 or 5 shots the sound did get louder. According to him he said it was about half the noise of firing it normally. He's not normally a guy to BS me. I asked him about accuracy and he said it did affect it pas 25 to 30 yards. I told him that if any LEO's saw him doing it he would get in some serious trouble.

 

[Mr. T]

Thanks guys I told him I would run it by you all here...minus his personal info. and that I would get back to him.

 

[kBob]

At one point in time adaptors specifically for this were sold as the registered part in taxed suppressors.

2 liter bottles were used. They generally were only effective one or two shots.

They did modify the sound in .22LR standard velocity and .45ACP so that it was generally not recognizable as a gun shot, but were still rather loud.

Folks soon learned it was not worth the cost and effort to get the tax stamp to have one of those things instead of a useful suppressor and they have sort of faded away from the market.

-kBob

 

[dogtown tom]

kBob At one point in time adaptors specifically for this were sold as the registered part in taxed suppressors.

2 liter bottles were used. They generally were only effective one or two shots......

These "adaptors" by themselves do not require registration now or in the past. But if assembled with a plastic bottle, oil filter, etc to form a silencer or suppressor DO REQUIRE a Federal tax stamp.

ATF considers any and all parts of a suppressor as "the firearm".....even disposable plastic bottles, oil filters, mesh, brillo pads, etc.
Have your friend read Section 2.1.7 of the NFA Handbook:
https://www.atf.gov/sites/default/files/assets/pdf-files/atf-p-5320-8.pdf

 

[zignal_zero]

I neither condone nor advocate criminal activity.

OK with that out of the way.......
It should boil down to risk vs reward ratio. If sum1 has chosen to ignore the NFA and possess an unregistered silencer, it should be a pretty darn decent one. I think committing a serious felony for a water bottle can is too much risk for not enough reward.

Btw - different packings will most likely improve the performance of a water bottle silencer.

 

[Texan Scott]

Mr T, it's a federal felony. If he gets caught, I pity the fool.

 

[goon]

A plastic bottle isn't worth the NFA stamp. If you're going to do it, might as well do it legally and make the investment worthwhile.

 

[shadow9]

So, if I am understanding this right - if I get bored one afternoon and duct-tape a plastic 1L bottle to the end of my .22, with some paper towels or tissues or "padding" inside, and for whatever reason a LEO sees that, it's felony/10yrs?

Even though you can just peel the tape off and throw out the bottle as trash?

Would a police officer even bother arresting at that point, or would they just inform you of the law and have you take the bottle off the end of your gun?

(Obviously this being asked with the idea that I don't have any forms or paid any tax stamps.)

 

[bigfatdave]

shadow9 - are you trying to find logic in a malum prohibitum law?

 

[zignal_zero]

Shadow9 -

You asked how a LEO would respond to seeing the make shift silencer. When I was working as a LEO, I was about the coolest cop you could hope to deal with. I have cut more breaks than I could begin to explain and a couple of them had to do with mistakes people had made (with firearms) that could have EASILY resulted in felony convictions. Rather than charge these folks, I simply explained to them what they had done wrong. I have only known two other cops, in my whole career, that would have let these folks off. OK, now with that in mind, I can honestly tell you your case would treated differently. Based on my training and experience, folks who slap together a make shift silencer do so for a reason less innocent than recreational shooting. It is not the same as sum1 slapping a stock on an AK or AR pistol w/o knowing why they shouldn't. I would be more comfortable seizing the item and relaying an incident report to BATFE (FL has no silencer statute) than giving a verbal warning and later finding a week old body killed by a 22 in an apartment where none of the neighbors could remember hearing anything.

Short answer - yea, you're screwed if a cop sees it

Don't get me wrong. I think ALL gun laws are BS and would love to see them all repealed right back to the NFA of '34. I do not think breaking a gun law is, in and of itself, "wrong". However, I'm just telling you what will most likely happen in all reality.

 

[hentown]

I'm also not suggesting that anybody break the law; however, what are the odds against being spotted by a cop out in the boonies? Folks lament over whether to carry a loaded firearm from a state in which such carry is legal, while traveling through a state in which such carry is illegal. What are the chances that YOUR vehicle is going to be stopped and searched on any particular road trip?

The oil filter adapter/suppressors that are legal employ serial numbered oil filters. You have to return the unit to the manufacturer and have them replace the filter. Ridiculous? No more ridiculous than Obamacare, etc., etc., ad infinitum.

 

[Elkins45]

I wonder if people who go to the federal sodomy camp because they got caught breaking "stupid" laws feel morally superior to those who landed there because they broke "real" ones?

I somehow doubt screaming "It was just a 2 liter bottle" into your pillow lessens the pain of a vigorous backdoor invasion....just sayin'.

 

[Field Tester]

I've heard it done with cotton balls stuffed in the bottle, potatoes, pillows, etc...
In truth (from what I understand, never tried it, never will) is that they don't work very well and last only a few shots. In my mind the risk isn't worth the reward. A couple of shots at a target while risking jail time, a very large fine and loss of my firearms (and everything else that goes along with a felony) it just isn't worth it.

Your friend had to know it wasn't legal, to what extent doesn't matter. That person would never be allowed on my range again. Heck, I'd even be worried about being popped by the law with him for him having the evidence. Lord knows Johnny Law would have no qualms with trying to get you for manufacturing as well.

I'm not implying you were there, I'm just saying if you guys shoot together, who knows what other bright ideas he may have that you don't know about.