Posted on 12/12/2012 5:23:13 PM PST by marktwain
At the latest count, 39 states allow civilians to own suppressors. If you live in one of these silencer-friendly states and haven’t purchased a suppressor, you need to put one on your Christmas list.
The advantages of suppressors are numerous. They not only protect your hearing but make shooting with a group of people much safer and improve marksmanship by reducing flinching.
I’ve been shooting at Gunsite this last week during the Shooting Slam and had a perfect object lesson demonstrating the value of suppressors the other day. We’ve been shooting the Rock River Arms LAR-15 ATH Carbine, which has a very effective, but loud, muzzle break on it. Naturally, we were all wearing good hearing protection, which is more than adequate most of the time, but during the third day of the event while practicing non-standard positions—a face-down prone used for shooting under vehicles—my ear muffs rolled off my head and left my ears ringing.
The incident was made worse by the fact that the muzzle of the gun was just a couple inches off the ground and the blast was channeled right back toward my head.
Even if the rifle had been equipped with a suppressor the noise level would have qualified as harmful—one of the many popular suppressor myths is that they “silence” the gun—but it would have been much less damaging to my ears.
I look forward to the day that suppressors are available over the counter and without the need for any special paperwork or the $200 tax stamp—as they are in many European countries—but we’re not there yet.
(Excerpt) Read more at outdoorlife.com ...
Perhaps one of you with first-hand suppressor experience can answer a question for me. Were I to put one on a AR in 223, how long would it last (how many rounds) roughly? Or will they outlast the firearm?
As far as I can tell there are no rules or laws in the socialist state of MD regarding silencers.
BTW, baby bottle nipples work on a 22 for about 3 - 4 rounds.
Depends on the design. Many are able to be disassembled and rebuilt at moderate cost.
According to:
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http://americansilencerassociation.com/education/
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The 39 States that currently allow civilian ownership of silencers are: ak, al, ar, az, co, ct, fl, ga, id, in, ks, ky, la, md, me, mi, mo, ms, mt, nc, nd, ne, nh, nm, nv, oh, ok, or, pa, sc, sd, tn, tx, ut, va, wa, wi, wv, and wy.
It really depends on the type of suppressor, but one can be bought that will last as long as the rifle. But don’t expect the AR to be anywhere near silent. Most suppressors will reduce the sound by about 30-40 dB.
to answer your question about the longevity of sound suppressors, several things come up. First is barrel length and frequency of firing. Second is quality of the suppressor itself. Last is type of ammunition used.
First, a shorter barrel creates higher pressure inside the sound suppressor. Couple that with rate of fire and you can shorten the life of a sound suppressor.
Second is the quality of the can itself. If you get a cheaply made suppressor, you’ll have a shorter life span than one that may cost more but last 10 times longer.
Last, well, if you use crap ammo, you’ll get poor results. Avoid tracers, corrosive ammo, and the like.
I have an AWC Thundertrap that has outlasted 5 barrels on my bolt action .308. If you treat them right and get a well made suppressor, it’s capable of outlasting the gun it’s mounted on.
About as legal as a machine gun.
Thanks for the replies
“They outlaw suppressors and then complain that our shooting ranges are too loud...” Henry Bowman.
BATFE: if you use it to reduce muzzle blast, and it works, register it first + $200 tax or you get jail for 10 years. Soda bottles and baby bottle nipples included.
Indeed. Pay your $200 tax, pay the steep price tag, and it’s yours.
Bumping an old thread here.....
Do you have a suppressor?
I just wrote a check for the SilencerCo Osprey in .45 caliber ($916). I’ve made the Gun Trust through a paralegal that I talked with at the Tanner Gun Show ($375), and am waiting a week for the item to arrive to my local class 3 shop (Denver Bullets). Still have to wait about a year for the Osprey to be in my hands, though.....DAMMIT!
There was a home invasion four blocks from my house. I don’t think bleeding out of me and my family’s ears should be a price to pay for defending our lives from thugs.
Anyhoo....BTTT!!
Yup. AAC Omni, on a Colt AR15 SBR.
Not quiet, but not ear-bleeding loud.
Alas, taxes alone were as much as a Glock.
Did you do it through a gun trust?
Shocked the hell out of me when the class 3 guy said I could own a machine gun through my gun trust. Not that I have THAT kind of cash to throw around.
Nope, my name only. While I understand the motivations for the trust route, I don’t trust (pun) it: being a path used for bureaucratic purposes, it can be screwed up with the stroke of a BATFE rule-changing pen. I’d rather the guns be registered to ME, because they’re MINE, and any stupid things the gov’t does to the NFA category won’t somehow render them not mine (as in: “Oh, sorry Mr. Flagg, we’ve decided that legal constructs aren’t people after all so we’re going to confiscate that very expensive machinegun; it legally isn’t yours, you know...”). Yeah that makes some things a bit harder/expensive like transferring to heirs, but that’s less subject to legal weirdness.
Dang. I just made up that scenario and it’s scaring me what the feds could do with it if they just got creative enough.
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