I've been giving this a little thought for the past week. First, how feasible do you suppose it would be to make a long barreled bolt action rifle in a pistol cartridge like .45 ACP, then work up a handload using a heavy bullet and a fast burning powder to achieve around 700 fps at the muzzle? I imagine it probably could be done using a short action rifle and rebarrelling it. Second, for those of you who have experimented with reduced power loads, how quiet is it possible to get without a suppressor? Obviously .22 Aguila rounds can be very quiet indeed, but how about a 300 grain .45 bullet traveling at a respectable velocity? Can it be done or would it just be a waste of time and money?
Quiet rifles, without suppressors?
- Thread starter elmerfudd
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LiquidTension
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I imagine that it still wouldn't be hearing safe. What's your objection to getting a can?
USSR
Member
Just get yourself an M1 Carbine and be done with it.
Don
Don
ctdonath
Member
Search for "Cat's Sneeze" and you'll find a lot of info about quiet rounds.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
A 26" Winchester 92 rifle in 25-20 WCF or 32-20 WCF ain't all that bad!
rcmodel
rcmodel
LiquidTension
Member
Ah. Had you put your location in your profile I wouldn't have asked 
I really love music so I'm picky about my ears. A .22 rifle is the only thing I'll shoot unsuppressed without hearing protection. Anything larger just has too much expanding gas and therefore too much noise.
You could check out something along the lines of the Delisle carbine. It's basically an Enfield modified to fire .45acp and feed from 1911 mags. The original was integrally suppressed, but I believe there's somebody making an unsuppressed version nowadays.
I really love music so I'm picky about my ears. A .22 rifle is the only thing I'll shoot unsuppressed without hearing protection. Anything larger just has too much expanding gas and therefore too much noise.
You could check out something along the lines of the Delisle carbine. It's basically an Enfield modified to fire .45acp and feed from 1911 mags. The original was integrally suppressed, but I believe there's somebody making an unsuppressed version nowadays.
Clipper
Member
The quietest gun I own (quieter than my .22s) is my Hi-Point carbine. 9mm is made to burn in a 5" barrel, and by the time it pushes that bullet another 11", it's pretty well fully expanded. I have only shot 115gr WWB out of it, and suspect 147gr would be quieter still.
I was thinking more along the lines of being able to shoot without the neighbors complaining. I regularly thin the pests out at my sisters place. She has about 10 acres and while discharging firearms is legal there, it doesn't make her neighbors happy. If her neighbors are unhappy, my sister is unhappy and I won't be welcome at my happy hunting ground. I do most of my hunting there with pellet guns, but she's got a few coyotes around and I have to thin their population of peacocks and peahens from time to time and those birds are a little big for a pellet gun. They're like chickens in that their heads are constantly bobbing up and down making headshots difficult.
I've also got a 100 yard range set up at my parents house.
I think I'll see what I can do with a subcaliber device and some handloads.
I've also got a 100 yard range set up at my parents house.
I think I'll see what I can do with a subcaliber device and some handloads.
A .22 firing the quiet rounds is OK to shoot unsupressed w/o hearing protection, but standard, high velocity, and hypervelocity .22 rounds are still unsafe to shoot unsuppressed without hearing protection...the nice thing about .22LR is that it only requires one level of protection, unlike the bigger stuff...so I can get away with wearing plugs only...
Carl Levitian
member
A Marlin .357 lever action rifle shooting mild .38 special target loads is pretty quiet.
snorko
Member
I have read that the inserts made by www.mcace.com end up pretty quiet. The .32 acp in a .308 has intrigued me but I question the "squeezing" of the .32 cal. to .308.
Fat_46
Member
not a bolt, I know, but...
10/22 with a 28" bull barrel makes subsonic ammo quieter than my Crossman pump pellet gun:
10/22 with a 28" bull barrel makes subsonic ammo quieter than my Crossman pump pellet gun:
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
The .32 ACP is really a .30 caliber, and the bullet is normally .309" jacketed - .311" cast lead.
Very little low pressure squeezing going on.
It won't hurt a thing.
rcmodel
ThomasT
Member
I have a Marlin 1894 in 32 magnum. I loaded some 76gr lead bullets over 2.2 grs of titegroup and couldn't believe how quiet it was. It was only a little louder than a CB22 round. Also 1.8gr of bullseye under a 90gr wadcutter is very quiet out of the rifle.
These loads still reached 900fps velocity.
These loads still reached 900fps velocity.
Gordon
Member
.32 S&W Steven's Favorite with a little bullseye and a 115 grain bullet at 700 FPS makes a not so loud pop and kills cats and dogs if needed to 50 yards. RC is totally right about the 26" model 92, I have one in 32-20 and with factory loads it sounds like a .22HV less than a Stinger for sure.
I kill deer in an apple orchard, during the season with a Rem 788 .44 magnum 22" barrel with 320 grain bullets and enough Trail Boss powder to get 900 fps or so. You don't need ear protection for a few shots and doesn't disturb anyone 1/4 mile away.
I kill deer in an apple orchard, during the season with a Rem 788 .44 magnum 22" barrel with 320 grain bullets and enough Trail Boss powder to get 900 fps or so. You don't need ear protection for a few shots and doesn't disturb anyone 1/4 mile away.
http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/
I have never shot one or even seen one. I have just heard of them but they must be quiet
the only way you are going to stay quiet is to use a bolt action, a fast burning powder, a heavy bullet, and stay sub sonic
I have never shot one or even seen one. I have just heard of them but they must be quiet
the only way you are going to stay quiet is to use a bolt action, a fast burning powder, a heavy bullet, and stay sub sonic
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