I have shot with a friend, who has a suppressed .308 rifle and an HK .45 ACP pistol , neither of which struck me as being particularly quiet , quieter perhaps but not quiet. I can understand it on something like a Ruger .22 pistol but not the larger calibers . Except perhaps on a .22 , I can't see paying the money, waiting 6 months and putting my name on the government's "this guy probably has a lot of guns" list . What am I missing ?

I've noticed a huge difference on my rifles, as have everyone else who have been in the proximity or fired one of them while suppressed, all using supersonic ammo to this point. Hell on my 308 bolt gun you can hear the bullet hit the berm at 100 yards.

I have become less enthusiastic about suppressors over time.

A critical moment occurred when a friend with a number of NFA guns asked me about my plan to get one for a 9mm P226: “What will you do with it?” With the proper loads, such guns can be extremely quiet, but when I considered the question, I could only think, “So?” None of the things I use my pistols for would permit handling and shooting them with an extra 6-9 inches hanging off the muzzle even if they were totally silent. Plus, the cartridges I shoot, 357 SIG and 40 S&W, would require special efforts to find subsonic loads. I consider myself lucky to have avoided that temptation (for once).

For rifles, though, they are much more justifiable to me. I can shoot my Tikka chambered for 223 Remington without hearing protection, and my two 308 Winchester rifles with earplugs only. They’re not silent, but rifles are in particular nicer to shoot when not having to deal with bulky muffs. I also appreciate the reduced recoil and muzzle blast. The question remains, though: so?

For a law enforcement sniper, a suppressor’s effect on the discharge noise could be important under some circumstances. They make it more difficult to locate the origin of a shot and the reduced recoil and blast can also be helpful when engaging someone who might shoot back. Unfortunately, their length can still be a major handicap. A rifle with 20 inch barrel is handy and maneuverable when moving through vegetation or trying to set up in a discreet manner; one with a 20 inch barrel and an extra 8-9 inches of suppressor on the end is much less so. Hunters face the same dilemma.

They tend to be highly touted for their value to tactical types, but even for that I’m less than overwhelmed. I know one deputy who has an SBR with integral suppressor. The barrel is very short, so he loses significant ballistic effectiveness, still has to put up with a huge muzzle blast, and must also continue to wear hearing protection. The advantage? Overall the rifle is a little shorter than a normal M4 type carbine.

I have a suppressor for my rifles and am glad of it, but have also settled on the middle ground between thinking they’re indispensible and wanting nothing to do with them.

1) On a SBR set up for home defense, they're great - god forbid you ever have to use it, your hearing may be intact afterwards.
2) As sigfreund said, on rifles they make shooting more pleasant, especially when shooting off a rest / bipod when the extra weight out front is a non-issue.
3) They're fun!

I agree that pistol suppressors are likely less useful than rifle suppressors. While I've been tempted to get a pistol caliber suppressor solely for shits and giggles, the hassle factor has always won out. I have 7.62 and 5.56 suppressors though.

quote:

Originally posted by NK402:
I have shot with a friend, who has a suppressed .308 rifle and an HK .45 ACP pistol , neither of which struck me as being particularly quiet , quieter perhaps but not quiet. I can understand it on something like a Ruger .22 pistol but not the larger calibers . Except perhaps on a .22 , I can't see paying the money, waiting 6 months and putting my name on the government's "this guy probably has a lot of guns" list . What am I missing ?

My hearing is slowly deteriorating over the years of shooting, even though I wear both foam plugs and muffs when I shoot. Large centerfire rifles are a joy to shoot with plugs, muffs, and a can -- no ringing ears, no headaches afterwards.

I practice shooting on family ranch property. It's nicer for the neighbors to hear suppressed shots vs. unsuppressed shots. Many of the neighbors are shooters, too. It's better to sound off at 130-something-db that at 160-something-db.

Cans noticeably reduce recoil, especially on supersonic ammo.

The wait for NFA items is a pain, but for now that's part of the game.

I don't give a rat's ass if my name is on some government list somewhere that I own NFA items. My name is all over public websites, showing my scores from many years of rifle and shotgun competitions. Anyone with half a brain and web search engine knows I own multiple guns.

NK - My 2 cents on this topic

Rimfire - My first suppressor was a Sparrow for rimfire use....Backyard fun with my Ruger 10/22 rifles, Ruger Bolt Rifles, and various 22LR pistol hosts when I use CCI Standard 1070FPS ammo and it cycles in every host.....With neighbors homes 200 feet away I can shoot in my backyard into a berm without bothering anyone....Since then I have purchased two additional rimfire suppressors for family fun.....I would guess to say that in the past 12 months we have fired in excess of 2000 rds of CCI Standard velocity ammo in the backyard.....

Centerfire Pistol Suppressor - This is where I was disappointed with the overall reduction in sound and I had two in jail before the first one came out to learn this.....Reduces sound but not enough to shoot sub-sonic 9mm or 45ACP in my backyard.....

Centerfire Rifle - I purchased two Omega's and have enjoyed both because I purchased these with the intent to use on the 5 - SBR's I have - two which are 300 AAC B/O and several standard AR's. I also use the Omega's on several other bolt rifles (300 B/O and Remington 5R - 308) but the only rifles I will shoot in the backyard suppressed are the 300 AAC B/O rifles with sub-sonic ammo....The smack of the bullet's impact into the berm is something to hear......

I sold three SIG X-5's to fund my craving....Learned a lot while traveling down this pathway....One of the most important things I learned - You can spend almost as much on the accessories for each centerfire pistol and centerfire rifle suppressor as you spend for the suppressor....

At this point I do not have my eye on any additional suppressors but that could change in the future if the HPA passes and they become d-regulated....I have other NFA devices so having my name on file with NFA is not a big deal to me....Again - Just My 2 cents worth.....

My form 1 can tames my SBR down to near hearing safe.

I like to tinker on projects. It's fun to design and build cans for me. So I'm on my 2nd. Shooting with a can is simply more fun.

Shooting a .22 with subs is giggle fun quiet. Almost every time I'm at the range I get somebody wanting to shoot it, especially children. I'll gladly offer it up anytime to shoot, the smile on their face is worth it alone.

For anything else, the reduction in noise alone is worth it. I'm to the point now that it's annoying to have somebody on the line next to me without a suppressor.

quote:

Originally posted by MattW:
I'm to the point now that it's annoying to have somebody on the line next to me without a suppressor.

Now, you see there’s another thing to consider: If you will only eat steak, you could get hungry in a town with nothing but a McDonald’s.

Haven't caught the bug, but then I've never been near one being used.

I would love it if/when suppressors are taken off the NFA and more folks got them. It would seem to be an obvious thing for hunting (for the shooter, their companions, and for reduced spooking of the game.)

As a Mech. E., I could see doing some experiments myself if/when that became legal. The theory seems straightforward.

I got interested after a suppressed 5.56MM was used near me at a carbine competition. I had to walk over, see it and ask the owner questions.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

quote:

Originally posted by MattW:
I'm to the point now that it's annoying to have somebody on the line next to me without a suppressor.

Now, you see there’s another thing to consider: If you will only eat steak, you could get hungry in a town with nothing but a McDonald’s.

No, it would be annoying to eat at McDonald's, but I would.

quote:

Originally posted by NK402:
Except perhaps on a .22 , I can't see paying the money, waiting 6 months and putting my name on the government's "this guy probably has a lot of guns" list . What am I missing ?

You're not missing anything. You've already done the cost/benefit analysis of a suppressor and see no advantage for the type of shooting you do. Suppressors are not a one-size-fits-all solution for all shooters.

Many others have have taken time to post their advantages and reasons in this thread. Have you read anything that you hadn't considered which might alter your original analysis?

Why the Enthusiasm?
Maybe it's just my human nature, but I am enthusiastic about any thing the Liberals don't want me to have. Fast cars, big trucks, evil guns, silencers all fall into the same category.

Just got into the NFA game out of fear of Hillary being elected and taking away the ability to purchase in the future. Found out short barrel rifles are very fun to shoot as well. I thank Hillary for prompting me to get the CZ Scorpion and SBR it. Will have a big smile shooting it with my Obsidian attached.

I was at an indoor range last Sunday, and someone four lanes down had a suppressed pistol (I don't know what caliber). It's the first I've heard in real life. It sounded different--similar to the sound effect I've heard in film and TV, but much louder--and it took me a minute to place why. Different, but I could clearly hear it under my hearing protection. Not something I would want to be around without hearing protection, but that may be because it was indoors surrounded by concrete block.

As for hunting, when I mentioned the possible legalization of suppressors in his state, my FIL's first reaction was that it would it make it a lot easier for poachers -- he has hunting land, and apparently poaching and trespassing tends to be a problem.

It's a no win situation those that argue they are too quiet and will lead to use by criminals and poachers are likely the same that will complain about noise from gun ranges and hunters.

Not in this case He, his sons, and his friends and others make plenty of noise on a regular basis, as do I on the rare occasions I get up there. I'm sure some of the folks around his place wish they would use suppressors.

Being able to own a gun or, heck, even to buy ammunition makes it easier for poachers. The English figured that out long ago. I just finished reading a book about the subject, and one of the early and most restrictive pushes against gun ownership was intended to make it harder for the common folk who didn’t own land to poach on their betters’ properties.

I don’t like driving near large trucks on the highway in the winter time; why can’t there be a law restricting their travel to when I’m not?

An inevitable fact of life is that many people will examine an issue only from the standpoint of how it might affect them personally with no thought whatsoever to other factors.

When you match the suppressor to the approrpriate ammunition and firearm, the results can be impressive.

Shooting .300 220 subs out of my MCX with a 7.62 TI can produces 2 sounds - the bolt moving and the ringing of steel.

It's nice to be able to shoot out in the country without having to wear ears. It's also nice to shoot for a couple hours without pissing off your neighbors. I also prefer to shoot without anyone knowing.

9mm and 45 are pretty quiet if you reload and find a good recipe. 22lr is movie quiet. Many rifles are quiet enough to the shooter that you can run through a mag without ears.

All in all, here are the toys from meh to that's awesome.

Firearms
Suppressors
Full auto
Explosives

There are a lot of people with suppressors now. Full auto is what most people flip out for.