Ear-Safe Silencers: Real?

S

Swifty Morgan

New member
I have a .22 silencer on the way, and it is advertised as ear-safe. I am not planning to use it without plugs, because I was not born yesterday, but I want to know: is it possible for a silencer to be ear-safe? I don't mean some kind of special silencer made for the Mossad. Just your usual $500 can.
 
Yep, if you shoot subs from a .22. My .22s with the suppressor and subs, the action noise is louder than the muzzle blast. And yes, I've shot it with a microphone array to measure it.
 
I just noticed they claim their .308 can is ear-safe. Hard to believe that. The only silencers I have ever heard were on 6.5 Creedmoor and up, and I would not have wanted to use them without gear.
 
provided you shoot subsonic 22lr, yes, it is most likely hearing safe.

If you have never been around a suppressor in real life, you are in for a treat. Its a whole different ball game compared to watching videos.
 
I just noticed they claim their .308 can is ear-safe. Hard to believe that. The only silencers I have ever heard were on 6.5 Creedmoor and up, and I would not have wanted to use them without gear.
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Who are "they" and which model of can is purportedly "ear-safe" for .308?

I don't know of any commercial subsonic rounds that would not be ear safe, but once you go supersonic, the can cannot control for the sonic crack of the bullet through the air. They can suppress the report of the rifle, but not the report of a supersonic bullet breaking the sound barrier.

A hyper-velocity .22 might be ear safe, suppressed, with enough distance from the shooter. My 28" CZ Ulta Lux, is pretty quiet to the shooter as is. If I could get a suppressor on it, I would not be surprised if it was close to being ear safe to the shooter.
 
There's OSHA hearing safe for short exposures and then safe for your hearing overall. People who talk on the telephone too much can suffer diminished hearing in the ear they typically used.

When I was a lad shooting a 22lr rifle in the open, I considered it hearing safe in that it never produced pain in my ears. Now that I'm old and have tinnitus, I don't consider dry firing an AR comfortable.

Would I shoot a bolt action 22lr rifle with a suppressor in the open? I would. I think the long term degradation wouldn't be any worse than the car horns and lawnmowers we hear routinely.
 
Oh heck yes.
Do away with your ear plugs and ear muffs.
Think of the money you'll save on your stereo equipment
And if you're married you won't have to lie about 'you didn't hear her.'

P.S. I'm actually kind of hopeful they will allow 'suppressors' to be sold over the counter (like some European countries do. OmIgosh Europeans???!!! then we should do that here, right?)
 
Only 132 dB? My cat has gas louder than that! Bring it on!

It's only a little louder than having your head next to a jackhammer.

Guess I'll keep buying plugs.
 
just my exp. even on 556x45 m193 ball ammo from a m4 with a suppressor in open areas; the sonic crack is still not "ear safe" as they speak, but it is "comfortable to shoot without HP where unsuppressed it is not. (for me anyway)

now along side the weapon rather than behind it, or in closed areas it's a different story.

and do remember that hearing protection is a johnny come lately to the weapons world, guns have been used without HP for two hundred years or so.
 
Swifty Morgan said:
Any hope with high-velocity?
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For a round or two, probably not a big deal. I have several suppressors and I do shoot a round, here and there hunting, supers, without hearing protection. No pain or sensation, but then, I do have hearing loss from too much time in a Jazz Band, Motorsports and shooting. I did not use any hearing protection hunting until I was in my late 20s. Now, the jackwad Marine who dropped the bolt on the malfunctioning 50 caliber about 5 feet from me (slamfire) when there was not supposed to be any live ammo on the line...lots of pain and disorientation, so that is probably the largest contribution I can point at.

9mm, suppressed, supersonic from a Carbine is pretty dang quiet at the shooter with a properly set-up unit.
 
My old Remington 581 with its 24 inch barrel is very quiet with CCI Quiet-22.

Just a little pop.

I had an old guy at the range come over and say, "I thought you were shooting an air rifle."

I said, "Yeah, but you're half deaf so I'm surprised you heard it at all."

I've never used hearing protection for hunting with the .22 LR.
 
I went out shooting today and have to say this one is ear-safe with subsonic .22lr.

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georgehwbush said:
and do remember that hearing protection is a johnny come lately to the weapons world, guns have been used without HP for two hundred years or so.
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I can't remember the gun writer, maybe Skeeter Skelton, or Bill Jordan. But the writer (in a popular gun mag back in the day) was joking how that when all the gunnies in their circle got together, bystanders wondered why they all shouted.
 
I had a precision rifle instructor in his 20's, and he said his hearing was bad. Kind of surprising a guy trained by our modern military would still lose hearing.
 
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