I have several pistol suppressors, and I recently realized I never use them anymore. When at the range, I try to shoot pistol in a practical sense, and I realized that a pistol suppressor never really has one. It more than doubled the overall length, makes sighting more difficult, throws off the balance and (potentially) shifts the POI. Using it for hearing protection is good of course but then you’re not really getting observing the idea of “train how you fight” since I cannot imagine anyone using a suppressed pistol in a truly realistic tactical scenario. It made me start thinking about the practical use of pistol suppressors other than hearing protection at the range when you aren’t seriously training. The only real case I could come up with was if you use your pistol for home defense, which I do not.

Pistol suppressors are fun and cool and as I said, I have a few. Having said that, outside of the range, are they really practical? I’m curious what others thoughts are.

I tend to agree. I am grateful I haven't invested in more than one pistol silencer. It lives on a 226 with a light/laser; the pistol serves as a "nightstand gun". I like the idea of the noise reduction, in the event I had to use it in the house, in a defensive situation. I have also used the pistol as a companion on camping trips. I carry it in my pack, with the silencer removed, and assemble it when the overnight site is established. The pistol's laser is IR capable, so it pairs nicely with a night vision device, which is a neat capability to have in the woods on an overnighter.

A couple years ago, I was considering assembling a very basic .300BO upper, to get some more use out of the 9mm silencer. I never did build the thing, and it's not high on my priority list now either.

As an extra note, I always thought Tears of the Sun depicted a potentially realistic use of pistol silencers in the military special ops context. Their primary weapons were much too loud to stealthily gain an advantage in that village scenario. The realism was compromised by the M14 overwatch support though.

Getting new shooters used to the mechanics can be useful with suppressors as many don't expect the volume of centerfire firearms. They also allow for better communication. I know several people who were exposed to firearms in family settings with minimal earpro and no suppressors and they consequently have a very poor view of firearms ownership.

Sure it's unrealistic to train with a pistol suppressor due to how unwieldy they make a firearm and the unlikely nature of using it in a home, but I am still glad I purchased my obsidian 9/45.

Agreed, with today's technology.

But as suppressor technology continues to improve, we may get to more readily available smaller-format concealable/holsterable suppressors that can live on handguns full time.

For example, something like the below P365XL with a JK Armament CCX is a step in the right direction. Still bulky, but about equivalent overall to to something like a Glock 34, rather than the traditional 6-8+ inch suppressor hanging off the end.

I don't use one on my carry gun, but all of the others are fun range toys, so if a can fits, I use it. Even if it was a 9mm (it's a .357SIG), I still wouldn't bother putting a threaded barrel on it.

Nothing more fun than plinking with a suppressed .22LR at the range on steel! Fun range toys as said!

For me I have a rimfire suppressor on my Ruger 10/22 rifle so that when I am eliminating an armadillo in my yard, I do not disturb my neighbors. They tend to arrive in my yard and flowerbeds between 10:00 pm and 3:00 am.

As for my centerfire rifle suppressor, I use it on my 300 Blackout AR and my Ruger American rifle for backyard target practice.

My centerfire pistol suppressors for the most part remain in the vault most of the time.

Tackling the same question, myself. I really want a can for my Scorpion, and finding that I don't care about being able to put it on my pistols for anything other than giggles and plinking. I imagine I would eventually get a threaded barrel for my Glocks and keep one as a night stand gun with some sort of justification as being a headboard gun, but for anything other than answering the door, I grab a rifle already anyways.

quote:

Originally posted by dwd1985:
are they really practical?

When one acquaintance let me use his pistol with a suppressor at the range one time, I thought it was really cool and was thinking seriously about getting one. But when I mentioned it to another friend who asked me that question, I had to admit, “No,” and that was the end of that. It certainly makes no difference to me what other people prefer, but if my idea of fun was to ring a steel target without much noise, I’d use my airsoft P226, or if I really wanted to step up my game, a pellet pistol.

More seriously, though, the last thing I’d want on a pistol in a close quarters situation like encountering a home invader is something that significantly extends its length. It’s not just a matter of bulk and weight, but making it easier for the weapon to be grabbed and/or deflected. But then I suppose I imagine different situations than most people.

I don't think much of them on pistols. But I have a whole bunch of them because on a short barrel PCC's in pistol calibers they are truly amazing, practical etc.

A .22 can on a MkIV is good at eliminating varmints without alarming the neighbors. An optic effectively resolves any issues with sighting, too, as it sits higher than the can. I'd say it's practical in that capacity, but I get where you're coming from...I wouldn't want one on a defensive gun.

quote:

I don't think much of them on pistols. But I have a whole bunch of them because on a short barrel PCC's in pistol calibers they are truly amazing, practical etc.

I think that's where I'm going with my next one.

a .22 can on a .22 rifle is much more effective than on a MkIV at that and way more fun. For me an SBR length AR with a can in .22 shooting fun targets is literally the definition of fun for anyone. No muzzle blast, no recoil, no noise, exceptionally accurate etc.
I have used a can on a .22 pistol for exposing new people to shooting, but honestly the balance is fubared so I'm not sure its a winning plan.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
a .22 can on a .22 rifle is much more effective than on a MkIV at that and way more fun. For me an SBR length AR with a can in .22 shooting fun targets is literally the definition of fun for anyone. No muzzle blast, no recoil, no noise, exceptionally accurate etc.
I have used a can on a .22 pistol for exposing new people to shooting, but honestly the balance is fubared so I'm not sure its a winning plan.

My YHM only weighs 4.7 oz. I barely even feel it on there. It combined with my short-barreled "tactical" upper is actually lighter than some of the longer barreled target uppers. The barrel is fixed too, so no need to deal with pistons or anything like that. It's pretty darn quiet, even with cheap bulk-pack, because the short barrel length keeps it subsonic. Yes, a bolt-action .22 with subs is quieter still, but less convenient for some tasks.

The only thing I don't like about shooting the Mk4 supressed is that the short barrel allows combustion to occur inside the can, which bakes the crud onto the baffles and makes it harder to clean. With a rifle-length barrel, since I started treating with Dot5 brake fluid, all I have to do is wipe them off.

I bought the JK CCX last year. still waiting on approval.

I have a 22 pistol and sbr with suppressors for varmint control. I'm actually using my Glock 43X with a Gemtech Aurora II for coyote control. They're brave enough to walk up to cars in our parking lot at work.

I have found this to be a very good use of a pistol with suppressor. It keeps the sound signature negligible and the visual recognition at a distance low versus a long arm.
For extremely discreet vermin disposal, I have used a blowback 22 pistol with subsonic loads and manually restricted the slide action with the heel of my hand to eliminate the mechanical clack. If first round pop could be further reduced it would be even less noticeable although the Mask is not too bad in this respect, perhaps a couple drops of water or inert gas in the suppressor before chambering the round...

For suppressors in general, if you're shooting them at a range and people around you are shooting unsuppressed, they aren’t much practical use.

quote:

Originally posted by Dwill104:
For suppressors in general, if you're shooting them at a range and people around you are shooting unsuppressed, they aren’t much practical use.

This is a very valid point, and a situation that I haven't yet encountered because my range typically provides me at least a full bay to myself, if not the whole place.

I should probably clarify my earlier coments about dispatching vermin, too...where I live it's perfectly legal on my own property, so I don't need absolute silence. If somebody sees me doing it, oh well, and a little first round pop isn't the end of the world. But changing the sound signature so it sound less like a gunshot and doesn't carry as far can reduce the likelihood of busybody Karens calling the Sheriff and wasting everybody's time.

quote:

For suppressors in general, if you're shooting them at a range and people around you are shooting unsuppressed, they aren’t much practical use.

I don't get that at all. Sound attenuates quite quickly with distance. That suppressor on your gun makes sure the sound most directly near your ears is limited. That saves you and your hearing. Those unsuppressed guns somewhat close to you are already dramatically attenuated by distance. Especially indoors I can tell and feel a dramatic reduction in my exposure even if the person in the next bay is blasting a short barrel ar.

I guess for me I just don't see the point of the hassle and expense, not to mention the practical downsides inherent to using a can, if the final result is not going to be truly hearing safe. If I'm going to go through all of that crap, I'd better be able to forego ears when I'm using it. I kinda get it in a tactical or hunting environment where you might not have the option and want to minimize the damage to your hearing as much as possible, but shooting on a line at a public range next to a bunch of others shooting unsuppressed just seems like a waste. I have to deal with all the annoyances inherent to using a can, and still have to deal with the noise from everybody else. It would be easier to just double-up on ear pro and leave the can at home.