Awesome day shooting a bunch of silencers

D

dakota.potts

New member
SilencerCo held a "quiet riot" event at my shooting range today to allow the public to fire some of their selection and provide education and sales opportunities. All guns and ammo were paid for by the dealers on hand and there were no entry fees :D

I stepped up and from left to right were rimfire, handgun, shotgun, bolt action, and semi automatic rifles set up. I'm talking with them now to get the exact product names that I shot, but I know I shot a Spectre, Sparrow, Octane, Salvo, Harvester, Osprey, and either the Saker or the Omega.

I had previously put a couple of rounds through a 5.56 SBR suppressed that a range member shooting next to me had, but shooting the guns I did today made a huge impression.

Everything from a .22LR handgun to the 12 gauge shotgun and .300 win mag bolt actions benefited hugely from the suppressors. I shot the whole line without hearing protection (my ear muffs actually broke in half as I was stepping up to the first pistol and they assured me all of the guns were OSHA hearing safe). There were a couple of "ear ringers" where my ears were still a little muffled after shooting. The worst offenders were the semi automatics (whether handgun, shotgun or rifle) and the .300 win mag. I'm told the semi autos affected me most because I'm a left handed shooter so I was getting a lot of ejection port gas. I will say the .300 win mag still left me really wishing for a set of ear plugs, but for a shot or two once in a while would not have been awful at all. Just below painful levels. I was told it clocks about 136 dB, and as a musician I have been told anything over 130 causes hearing loss. I was told by the reps on hand that they consider 140 hearing safe.

All that aside, the Harvester turned the .300 win mag into a kitty cat of a shooter. In a lightweight Tikka rifle it had very similar recoil to a heavy Remington 700 SPS in .308. Very, very controllable and I wouldn't hesitate at all to shoot it even for an extended period. Any bit of recoil that was left was a very smooth push with no sharp jarring.

The semi automatic carbines were actually the least impressive over all, but being able to shoot a 10.5" SCAR with no hearing protection and no discomfort is a feat in and of itself. I can see how silencers on those rifles would be very practical, but they weren't as smooth as on the bolt action platforms.

I know I'm ranting, but it was a very positive experience and I'm glad SilencerCo was kind enough to put it on and provide the ammo. It wasn't cheap ammo either -- the .300 BLK was loaded with 220 grain Sierra Match Kings even though we were just blasting at a 20 yard target.
I'm glad they're a company pushing for more legislation and access. Even though I was already convinced that silencers were a great safety tool, it's hard to make the comparison without having actually done it yourself. They greatly enhanced every aspect of the shooting experience for me, and when I finally do turn 21 and have a little more of a stable financial situation, it's hard for me to see not at least picking up a .22 and .30 caliber can, although I'm sure that will be just the beginning.

Pictures will be forthcoming for anybody interested

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That sounds awesome. I've actually never been able to participate in a demo that was that extensive; all the demos I've been a part of were a lot smaller than that.

dakota.potts said:
I was told by the reps on hand that they consider 140 hearing safe.
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That's misleading, even though every silencer company claims that. Yes, OSHA sets 140 dB as the maximum one-time daily exposure level for an impulse noise, but that doesn't mean that any sound below 140 dB is "hearing safe" from a medical standpoint.

Even a silenced .22 with standard subsonic ammo can cause permanent hearing loss. The quietest .22 silencers on the market with standard subsonic ammo only get the sound down to around 115 dB, and I've never seen a reliable test where the sound was below 110 dB. That's about as loud as a chainsaw or a jackhammer. And any audiologist will tell you that repeat exposure to noises as low as 85 dB can cause cumulative hearing loss.:

http://american-hearing.org/disorders/noise-induced-hearing-loss/

"Habitual exposure to noise above 85 dB will cause a gradual hearing loss in a significant number of individuals, and louder noises will accelerate this damage. For unprotected ears, the allowed exposure time decreases by one half for each 5 dB increase in the average noise level. For instance, exposure is limited to 8 hours per day at 90 dB, 4 hours per day at 95 dB, and 2 hours per day at 100 dB. The highest permissible noise exposure for the unprotected ear is 115 dB for 15 minutes per day. Any noise above 140 dB is not permitted."
 
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I don't recommend people regularly shoot even silenced firearms without hearing protection. I was there and figured I would see what the fuss was about, but I knew the risks and you should consider that also before attempting to do the same thing I describe here. Just a disclaimer on my part.

I do think that considering a .22 is an impulse noise, you would have to shoot a lot to equal 15 minutes of 115 dB noise. The other silenced firearms I might shoot without hearing protection in a hunting situation or for self defense, but otherwise I would at least put a set of foam earplugs or electronic headsets on. I've heard comparisons such as a nail gun at point blank range, slamming a door very hard, or dropping a textbook on a cement floor. All of those comparisons were very true for the more powerful firearms even with silencers. Much better than unsuppressed, still not something I want to regularly expose myself to.
 
dakota.potts said:
I do think that considering a .22 is an impulse noise, you would have to shoot a lot to equal 15 minutes of 115 dB noise.
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Oh, I agree; I'd never tell someone that they're being reckless by shooting a .22 silencer without hearing protection. But I'm just saying that the silencer companies are being disingenuous when they claim any silencer is "hearing safe", and they're being downright dishonest when they claim any sound below 140 dB is "hearing safe".

Silencers drastically lower hearing damage, but they don't eliminate it.
 
I love firearms demo days. Manufacturers should have more of them.

Speaking of which...anyone going to this years' Texas International Gun Fest? That event is not free :mad:
 
A new no-name silencer company called our shop and asked us to carry their products. I told them we weren't interested, but they still invited me to a dealer demo shoot in May. I'm thinking about going, though I feel a little bad considering there's almost no way we're going to buy anything from them. Though I guess it's OK considering I pretty much already told them that and they invited me anyway.
 
Dont feel guilty, Theo. I wish I was invited to some free demo shoots.

I think the coolest demo I have ever been to was the Slidefire demo. That demo really changed my mind about bumpfire stocks. Everyone who demoed the stocks left with a smile.
 
Theo,

Go to the event. You have told them the chances are small of you placing an order. They are hopeing to change your mind. That means they think they have something to offer.

Superior performance...great dealer program...whatever. Let em show you what they offer. If its that great, maybe you'll come out a winner
 
I agree. Never feel guilty.

Just don't forget that after your demo, tell them they need to fly out MachineGunTony to your location and do the same demo before you can seal the deal.
 
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The Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club on Seabeck Hwy in Bremerton is sponsoring their 5th annual Silencer Shoot in July this year. It is $15 for non-members who show up without a NFA firearm, but the vendors supply suppressed guns for the public as long as the ammo lasts. They had Silencerco and Thunder Beast there last year. I'd like to see some local brands this year.

Lark
 
Work schedule permitting, I'll be attending another demo day for Daniel Defense and Dead Air Silencers. These events are awesome for me since I'm interested in getting into the gun industry. At the last event I got to get advice from several guys in SilencerCo as well as the president/CEO of Noveske.
 
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