It's not uncommon for someone to come into Openrange, see the suppressed firearms we have for rent and blurt "Those are against the law!" Our response is "WHO told you they were against the law?" That person usually has to stop at that point and process just where they came up with that thought. The reality is that this person, like many, have never shot, held, or even seen a 'silencer'.... outside of Hollywood movies, and therein lies the issue. Let's look at this issue factually.

 

Hiram Maxim first patented his silencer in 1908, and in that patent, it was in fact called a silencer. His purpose was simple. Firearms are loud, and he wanted to be able to shoot and hunt on his own land without disturbing his neighbors. His invention worked well enough that in 1909 he patented the same type of technology for something else that was loud.... automobiles. That patent was called a Muffler.

 

 

So, how do silencers work, and why do people in the industry call them suppressors? As mentioned earlier, firearms are loud... with most handguns averaging around 155 decibels. Any sound that is 141 decibels or higher can damage the ears, especially if it's repetitive. This sound is generated by two things...the explosion of the propellant in the cartridges...the 'boom' is the sound of those escaping gasses. The other part of that is the bullet itself breaking the sound barrier. The sound barrier is 1125 feet per second (this can vary with sea level). The average 9mm round shoots a 115 grain projectile at 1150 fps or more. Selecting a heavier bullet, like a 147gr bullet drops it to under 1000 fps, making it subsonic...so this addresses 'part' of the problem. How do we address the boom of the escaping gasses?

 

A silencer is a tube that has a series of baffles within. When this is screwed onto the muzzle of a firearm, gasses that would normally escape the muzzle are trapped in the series of baffles. Those gasses are turned into heat, and the majority of them are trapped inside the silencer. Cool, right? Except for one thing. You will note that in the video of me shooting the Glock 19 (excuse the sound of others shooting in the background) the pistol isn't 'silent'....but rather, it's been 'suppressed'. Remember, pistol rounds average 155 decibels, and any sound 141 decibels or above that is repetitive can damage the hearing. A good suppressor can drop the sound around 30 decibels.... putting it at 125.... which is hearing safe. Accordingly, we call them suppressors, because the sound has been 'suppressed'. The ones that you see on TV and in the movies that are silent? That's Hollywood, and accordingly, it's sort of an inside joke that we laugh at....we call it 'Hollywood' quiet.

 

Suppressors can be advantageous for people who want to shoot on their property without disturbing their neighbors, they offer advantages for hunters by reducing noise and they offer advantages for new shooters who are afraid of the 'bang' of gunshots. They are (now more than ever) used in military applications because of the ability to protect the hearing of soldiers, and they are used in law enforcement... especially for teams that have to do tactical entry inside of buildings.

 

No, they are not silent....but they do suppress the sound, and make them hearing safe. No, they are not illegal, you can own them by filing the paperwork and going through the background check process. Yes ma'am, I did see that movie, it was awesome....but you DO know that was Hollywood, right?

 

Thanks for reading.