7 Things You Probably Don't Know About Firearm Suppressors, A.K.A. "Silencers"

Even With Special Subsonic Ammo
This Suppressed 9mm Will Still Be
As Loud As A Car Horn

1) The benefit of firearms suppressors is that they lower the noise level below that which causes hearing damage and they prevent the closure of firing ranges due to noise complaints.  They are safety items, not common tools of assassins.

2) The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the use of firearms suppressors.   “The only potentially effective noise control method to reduce students’ or instructors’ noise exposure from gunfire is through the use of noise suppressors that can be attached to the end of the gun barrel.”

3) The United States is one of the few nations that allows private firearms ownership but highly regulates suppressors.  In most of the rest of the world they are viewed as safety devices.  In fact, in much of Europe they are required.  They are also sold over the counter in many nations, including the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Suppressors Can Be Made From
Common Materials - Yet Criminals
Seldom Do So

4) Suppressors can be easily improvised from many everyday objects, such as 2 liter plastic bottles or oil filters.  These devices won't last long, but they last long enough for criminal use.  They also can be constructed in a basic machine shop - yet criminal use is exceedingly rare.  One reason for this is the fact that the greatly increase the size of the firearm - and criminals like concealable guns.

5) In order to greatly reduce firearms noise, suppressors require special ammunition.  Firearms noise comes from two sources: The muzzle blast of escaping propellant gases and the sonic boom created as the bullet breaks the sound barrier.  Suppressors can do nothing about the sonic boom, they can only reduce the noise of the muzzle blast.  Nearly all ammunition made today, even for .22s, is supersonic.  This means that, even with the best suppressor, it will be loud.

6) Silencers do not silence firearms.  At best, with the proper subsonic ammo, a suppressor can only reduce the report of a 9mm handgun to the same noise level as a car horn.  No one thinks that car horns are silent.  Whisper quiet full sized guns are only found in the movies.

7) Most firearms cannot accept commercial suppressors.  All purpose built suppressors require a threaded barrel, something found on only a tiny fraction of firearms.  In addition to buying a suppressor, in most cases, lawful users must also purchase a new barrel, have their barrel threaded (if practical) or buy a new firearm with a threaded barrel.

Finally, it should be noted that no one is suggesting that suppressors should be completely deregulated.  However, groups ranging from the NRA to the ATF have suggested that we stop treating them as we do machine guns and start treating them as we do normal rifles, shotguns and pistols.  This means that they would still require background checks and would be traceable, just as firearms are traceable today.