Silencer....

D

DannyO

New member
Does anyone here have any experience with silencers? I was at the range the other day and someone had a 9mm with a silencer on it. It sounded like a .22. Is that all you get or did he just have a cheap silencer? This is the only one I have ever seen fire and I'm sure it's not supposed to be as quiet as the zzziiipppp you hear in movies.

Do they work??? :rolleyes:

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"Some people spend an entire liftime wondering if they made a difference. Marines don't have that problem."
Semper Fi
 
In order to get the complete "zip" you hear in movies, you need all kinda fancy audio equipment and a fake gun. Otherwise, you'd need such a large supressor that you couldn't hold the gun up very long. Standard supressors take centerfire volume to rimfire, and rimfire to BB gun. That's about as good as it gets.
 
A Silencer?!?!? Can an average citizen, not part of the ruling elite, OWN a silencer? I thought they were illegal? Do you need a curios and relics license to own one?

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The first step is registration, the second step is confiscation, the final step is subjugation.
 
Same procedure as getting a class three weapon.

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Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.
 
Yes, the average citizen can own a silencer. Also a short-barrelled shotgun, for that matter. You simply have to purchase it from a Class III dealer or manufacturer and pay the $200 federal stamp tax.

Firing a 9mm, the bullet was probably going supersonic, which of course creates a small sonic boom. For a silencer to be effective, the bullet needs to be travelling at subsonic speeds.

tstr
 
TSTR,

A short-barreled rifle or shotgun is actually only a $5 transfer tax, not the $200 charged for machine guns and suppressors.

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Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.
 
Can you purchase sub sonic 9mm ammo or do you need to load your own? What other use would sub sonic ammo have?

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"Some people spend an entire liftime wondering if they made a difference. Marines don't have that problem."
Semper Fi
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DannyO:
Can you purchase sub sonic 9mm ammo or do you need to load your own? What other use would sub sonic ammo have?
[/quote]

147 gr subsonic should be readily available at most gun shops/shows
 
Hello DannyO,

“Silencer” is a misnomer and the correct term of “suppressor” should be used. Centerfire subguns firing from a closed and locked bolt are very quiet indeed. The most noticeable noise is the supersonic “crack” downrange of the projectile slowing down (under about 800 fps). Use of subsonic (commercially available or handloads) will diminish this noise somewhat. Unlocked and open-bolt subs can be noisy due to the bolt slamming back and forth, especially in full auto.

.22 rimfires (like a Mark I or II) can be VERY quiet using subsonic ammo. If I were to fire a single Long Rifle round into the ground and you were about 100’ away, you may not even notice. It would sound no louder that a handclap. Shorts and CB caps make almost no noise at all.

As far as centerfire high-powered rifles (bolt guns) with suppressors are concerned, the larger the suppressor the less noise. Semi-autos or select fire actions make some noise due the cycling of the action. Again, when dealing with supersonic ammo you will have a distinct “crack” downrange as the projectile slows down.

As stated in the above posts, yes under strict regulations (cost of item, plus $200 tax per item), approved individuals may privately own and operate Class 3 weapons in certain states.

Subsonic ammo is usually used by military/law enforcement for CQC in confined spaces. Sportsmen may use subsonic ammo for varmint hunting to avoid alerting other prey of their location.

Skyhawk

[This message has been edited by Skyhawk (edited July 20, 2000).]
 
Hello. By jumping through the legal hoops, one can purchase a lawful, registered suppressor. Some of the better ones I've seen in 9mm make either a mild pop or strong "hiss" when fired with subsonic ammo. Best.
 
Brings a question to mind, didn't they make a pistol designed to be silenced. It was a semi auto, that you could lock the slide when firing. So that the gun wouldn't cycle. Am I dreaming, or is that for real?
 
Andrewh,

One of the H&K SOCOOM prototype models had a lockable slide for just that reason. It essentially made it into a single shot pistol. This feature was dropped from the final product that was submitted and subsequently accepted.

Evan
 
While we are on the subject of Silencers/Suppressors, Here is a question regarding the effects they have on muzzle velocities and accuracy. Do they impair the weapon mounted on ?
Inquiring minds want to know :)

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We preserve our freedoms by using four boxes: soap,ballot,jury, and cartridge.
Anonymous
 
Ruger builds a MKII with an intrigal supressor. It is a classIII item and subject to the 1934 NFA rules.

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Gunslinger
 
The Chinese have made a number of weapons with lockable slides, including a copy of a Browning/Colt .32 ACP.

The guy I used to work for was a class 3 dealer, and had a Beretta 92 modified aftermarket that had a threaded barrel and lockable slide.


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Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.
 
Stephen A. Camp:
If you're interested in getting anything that's Class III you should first call your local sheriff or police chief. Unless state law forbids Class III, the local law enforcement official is legally bound to sign the Form 4 license application. But that doesn't mean they will. Also consider that your wait for the approved Form 4 will be anywhere from a couple of months to over a year. The final consideration, and the reason I got rid of my subgun, is that the federal authorities can come to your home at any time they wish and ask to see your suppressor or subgun. That, for me, was just too much.

Dick
Want to send a message to Bush? Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/monk/petition.html and forward the link to every gun owner you know.
 
I seem to recall seeing some older Berettas and at least one model of the Makarov built with a device on the end designed for easy on/off of suppressors. I have also seen a number of replacement barrels with threaded ends- for flash suppressors they advertise.
I always wondered why someone would put a suppressor on a self-loader instead of a revolver. Wouldn't a revolver be much quieter without the noise of the slide racking back and forth? If you wanted to sneak up on the local fauna raiding your garbage cans wouldn't a revolver be better?
Just a thought. :confused:

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Those who use arms well cultivate the Way and keep the rules.Thus they can govern in such a way as to prevail over the corrupt- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
 
I don't think so, I have seen them in the movies on revolvers, but wouldn't the cylinder gap allow too much "noise" to slip by?
 
What actually kills the sound in a surpressor? I've heard everything from sos pads to exhaust packing. I know the internal components are a series of baffles but what absorbs the sound and heat.

For those of you wondering.... NO I'm not trying to make one I'm just curious on how they work.

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"Some people spend an entire liftime wondering if they made a difference. Marines don't have that problem."
Semper Fi
 
Some notes on suppressors:
1. Sound is diminished by allowing hot gasses to expand before leaving the tube. There are some that will actually slow the bullet down in order to reduce the sonic crack.

2. The bigger the can, the better it works (generally speaking). New technology is changing that. The use of "artificial environments" can make a small suppressor very effective. In English that means some cans are designed to have water, grease, wipes (which are a type of mesh cloth)or other things inside. I've seen suppressors for 9mm's that were less than 3"long and you could still use the sights.

3. Revolvers are very hard to suppress. I know there were some custom ones made, but don't know how effective they were.

4. If you plan on buying one, try to work out a way to test fire it. Be wary of cans that have a flat rear face, as opposed to a slightly curved one. The flat face doesn't work on all guns.

5. They get VERY HOT!!!! Not much of a problem with rim fires, but bring gloves for center fires. Especially the screw on kinds because you need to keep checking their tightness.

BTW, it was stated earlier that the tax on a short barrel shotgun was $5. That is correct if the gun came from the factory. If it was cut by a class 2 manufacturer, the tax is $200. Also, make sure you don't change the stocks on these guns.

[This message has been edited by Little-e (edited July 20, 2000).]
 
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