Posted on 06/05/2014 8:52:08 AM PDT by rktman
Cloaked in shadows, the international hit man quietly screws the evil looking "silencer" onto the barrel of his revolver.
The target emerges.
He aims and squeezes the trigger.
The suppressor emits a barely audible pffft a low pop that's quieter than a cat's purr.
That's how suppressors are portrayed in film and one reason why they're so rigorously controlled but there's a few problems with that scenario.
One, international hit men don't really exist. Two, unless it's a Russian M1895 Nagant with its gas-seal cylinder, you can't suppress a revolver. Three, while they reduce some noise, suppressors can't completely muffle a firearm's report.
(Excerpt) Read more at heraldtribune.com ...
Suppressors are common in Europe. They are considered to be “neighborly”, as it muffles the sound of the shot and reduces the noise footprint.
They make suppressors for revolvers? I did not know that.
I’ve never understood why suppressors are NFA. In gun-control-crazy European countries, suppressors are mandatory.
Here’s a link to a maker in Europe. Just about every type you could ever ask for. Me likey!
I blame the James Bond flicks, not entirely tongue in cheek: first, that it's a "phht phht" sound, second, that it's an assassin's tool (and third, that a bullet through an airliner window will suck the entire passenger section contents out into the cold blue sky, but that's another issue). There are some pretty good suppressors, one I tried on an MP-5 coming to mind, that do approach that level of suppression, but that's a big honkin' thing on a submachine gun. If you're not using subsonic ammunition it's going to be loud anyway once the bullet exits the muzzle. HERE'S Hickok45 with a suppressed .223. It's still pretty good but it isn't silent.
Some places (Africa, I'm told), using one is regarded as simple consideration for your neighbors. But it isn't going to let me pickle off a .300 Winchester Magnum in the rumpus room. Dang it.
Yeah, stupid physics and sound barrier. LOL! The link I posted has some (looks like) outstanding “silencers” for just about everything except your old cowboy six shooter. Hmmm. Come to think of it, I didn’t see any for my lever action. Saw some video from a “silent” shoot on youtube somewhere. Nobody was wearing ear protection. Lots of “cracks”, but no BOOMS.
I remember about 45 years ago in Vietnam. We had to go on some op that required extreme quiet. They took our rifles from us and handed out small handguns with noise suppressors. They were .22LR. I never actually got to shoot it though, so I never experienced the whump sound.
LOL! Don’t you mean the phhfffttt sound? :>}
Lee Williams is a totally pro-RKBA guy working at a newspaper whose majority dislike firearms. It's good to have him there. $:-)
Florida and RKBA list combo-ping!
amen
I’ve fired an Uzi and a MAC 10 with suppressors, and the report on each was considerably reduced. But these are submachine guns with (relatively) low-velocity rounds and extremely short barrels in their natural state. Practically anything would reduce the flash and bang from them.
The sub-sonic ammo helps a lot.
“They make suppressors for revolvers? I did not know that.”
Not really no, there’s a lot of mockery going on here about stupid people in Hollywood that think you can attach a suppressor to a revolver and actually have it work - physics don’t work like that, there’s a little thing called a cylinder gap that turns that into an inane exercise in futility. Or turns fingers into sausage meat if you let them get too close to the gap during firing.
The only revolver I’m aware of off the top of my head that CAN be silenced is a pretty unique weapon called the Nagant. It has a pretty novel design that levers the cylinder up against the forcing cone when firing, effectively eliminating the cylinder gap. Not exactly a practical system, mind you, the trigger pull is god awful as a result.
As mentioned, laws against suppressors are about as dimwitted as outlawing mufflers on lawnmowers because you’re afraid someone could use a silent (HA!) lawnmower to murder someone surreptitiously. Many people though don’t actually know the first thing about guns, or suppressors, and get their warped misinformation from Hollywood writers and directors that happen to know even less about the topics.
If it is a good idea that helps out gun owners, you can guarantee that the Rats will oppose it.
“It has a pretty novel design that levers the cylinder up against the forcing cone when firing, effectively eliminating the cylinder gap.”
The design is “unique”, but the revolver started production in 1895, I believe, so it has been around for quite a while.
Personally, there are subsonic bullets (especially in 22 rimfire caliber) that are already exceedingly quite, where a silencer isn't going to add much. For varmint hunting, such a rig with a target 22 rifle allows one to clear a field before the varmints figure out what is going on.
On a side note at the range I belong to they have a shooting course for beginners that I have brought friends to. One of the things they do is hold a piece of paper next to the cylinder gap while firing a revolver. Kind of gets the point across that if you use a two-handed grip you need to keep all parts of your second hand far away from that spray of hot gas. The other thing they do is explain how a typical 1911 pistol and other semi-autos can “bite” you when the slide recoils. That seems to be the harder lesson for new shooters to learn.
I like that it reduces the .223 a great deal. If the regulations weren’t so Byzantine, I would get some for my guns. Plus the markup on suppressors is huge because of the regulations involved.
Yeah, Joe tells us in post 9 that the $200 doesn't actually even cover the administrative costs anymore. For some sick reason I find that sort of amusing. BTT
I have an AWC MK9A suppressor for my MP-5.With the subsonic loads it’s really quiet.The brass hitting the pavement make as much noise as the weapon does.
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