How to muffle a rifle shot in ones basement?

[brstevns]

What do you guys use to muffle a rifle discharge in your basement. Want to fire off a few fire forming loads with cream of wheat but do not want the neighbors down on me.

[NSP64]

I don't know, I go to the range.

[williamwaco]

I know it can be done but I have never succeeded.


I have tried a large box lined with up to six layers of heavy carpeting.
It will not even muffle a primer with no powder.

[Case Stuffer]

TApe a 2 liter soda bottle to the end of the barrel. Have not trie it but it works in the movies.

A book on silencers had a bunch of ideas for reducing a firearms report ,one was using a bunch of old tire to form a tunnel to fire thru , another was a wodden frame with acustical tiles in it. When I want to bust a few caps I just step outside but then I live out in the sticks and many of my neifgbors shot almost daily or so it seems at times. First year we lived here I told the wife that anyone around here could shot someone and unless it was seen it would never get reported.

Placing a pillow against the end works fairly well so I would guess a dag of that pillowstuffing fiber could be used.

[nekshot]

If I need to discharge a round inside I use a regular size hay bale and stick the barrel in end and fire into bale. I never had anything go wrong and it is a muffled loud pop. I sometimes back it up with a couple 2x material but never had a boolit get that far. Fire forming with cream of wheat would be simple.

[DeanWinchester]

If you can get half dozen tires or more and stand them in a row, you can stick the rifle in and it will absorb a large amount of the sound. I have shot a 6.5mm swede like that and i live in the 'burbs.

[Bent Ramrod]

"Shaft" stuck a potato on the muzzle of his Weatherby Magnum and fired it out a window without making a sound. The magic of Hollywood; I haven't tried it myself.

One of our local gun stores has a range downstairs, and inside the store upstairs a shot fired is quite loud, but you can't hear it outside the building with the street door closed. The testing drum at Lassen College that people shot into to test the gun action was a steel cylinder with a small opening to hold the gun in while firing and a bullet trap at the other end. It didn't sound like a shot, and it didn't carry too far, but it was a loud noise regardless.

I read an article where Ken Waters filled an oil drum with tire casings and glass fiber insulation and mounted it in front of a bench to make what he called a "range silencer." IIRC, it had big enough openings in the top and bottom so the target could be seen but the neighbors didn't hear the shots, or at least couldn't identify them as shots.

[2Tite]

:kidding: Earplugs have always worked for me.

[brstevns]

Was thinking about using the empty plastic bottle with some type of filler.

[deces]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haiqFcIXTqs

[deces]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As6wtZLdCgQ

[jeepyj]

My local gun shop owner swears that a local gunsmith uses the tire method that Dean mentioned in post #06 on a regular bases when test firing firearms with very good success
Jeepyj

[Oreo]

Of course it can be done but I doubt it can be done without illegally making what the BATFE would consider a suppressor. As long as what happens in your basement stays in your basement and away from prying eyes, ok, but there's a lot of legal expense and possibly jail time tied to getting caught. Whatever you do, be careful.

[Willbird]

The crux of the issue is whether the "supressor" is fastened to the gun, and or if it is mobile. Remington makes one for their 8 gauge kiln guns that is exempt due to not being mobile.

This looks like one here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4d73zOB7ss

They supposedly only lease them, they do not sell them

[jmorris]

Guess I'll point out if you affix anything you make to your firearm in an attempt to make it quieter you need to have an approved form 1 in hand or you are a felon.

[mtnman31]

If I need to discharge a round inside I use a regular size hay bale and stick the barrel in end and fire into bale. I never had anything go wrong and it is a muffled loud pop. I sometimes back it up with a couple 2x material but never had a boolit get that far. Fire forming with cream of wheat would be simple.

Personally, I'm not sticking the barrel of a gun in a hay bale and discharging it in my basement. I wouldn't want to wake up later that night dying from smoke inhalation and the fire in my basement. I've fire-formed .41 Swiss brass in my basement and the report wasn't loud enough to worry about my neighbors. I just fired into a plastic bucket so I wouldn't have to sweep up the cream-of-wheat.

[camaro1st]

wait till they go asleep

[brstevns]

Personally, I'm not sticking the barrel of a gun in a hay bale and discharging it in my basement. I wouldn't want to wake up later that night dying from smoke inhalation and the fire in my basement. I've fire-formed .41 Swiss brass in my basement and the report wasn't loud enough to worry about my neighbors. I just fired into a plastic bucket so I wouldn't have to sweep up the cream-of-wheat.

Plan on using 6gr Unique. Is this about the same powder charge as you were using?

[jmorris]

I would make something similar to an unloading station. Maybe a longer one with a snail trap at the bottom.

A wood or plastic cap at the top end that fit the barrel well would help in sound reduction and not mess up the finish.


http://www.galls.com/CGBCSRCH?PMWTNO=000000000001645

[RugerFan]

Plan on using 6gr Unique. Is this about the same powder charge as you were using?

If .41 Swiss is what you're forming, 6 gns of Unique sounds too light. I used 13 gns of Green Dot and the brass (cut down 8mm Lebel) did not fully fire-form. With the next batch I'm going to try 15 gns. If you're forming a different cartridge, you might want to ignore what I just said.

[perotter]

wait till they go asleep

or go to work. That's what I do & the 1 that work out of his house doesn't care. He did it all the time until shortly after he got married.

[brstevns]

If .41 Swiss is what you're forming, 6 gns of Unique sounds too light. I used 13 gns of Green Dot and the brass (cut down 8mm Lebel) did not fully fire-form. With the next batch I'm going to try 15 gns. If you're forming a different cartridge, you might want to ignore what I just said.



Yes different cartridge. Was wondering about the noise lever.

[williamwaco]

The BATF has no problems with this.
There are descriptions on their web site.

A "Suppressor" as far as they are concerned is "A portable device" designed to be "Attached to the firearm."


They specifically state that these devices are not "suppressors".

.

[TCLouis]

If you shoot into a hay bale, be sure to watch for a fire later on

[357maximum]

If a firearm goes off in a basement and no one is there to hear it...did it make a sound?

Do a search for "how mufflers work".......get a sheet of plywood.....think.....build....shoot.

[longbow]

I don't know about you guys but I grew up in Vancouver B.C. and when I was in my early teens with a .45-70 Siamese Mauser and 1895 Marlin I just used to yell "Fire in the hole" and pull the trigger!

The neighbours never complained but in all honesty I think they were afraid of me.

I look back on that an laugh! I doubt I would get away with it now.

Hah! I had a dewat Sten machine gun I rebuilt go full auto in the basement and empty about 1/2 a magazine. Now that was fun! I am guessing the work I did on the sear wasn't quite as good as it might have been.

I have to say that my parents were amazingly tolerant. Strangely, I brought my kids up with weapons in hand and knowledge of what they are for and can do and they are so much smarter than I was!

Sorry, kinda deviating and heading down memory lane.

I guess I never worried about muffling shots from anything ranging from pellet guns to .45-70... in the city.

There were also a few unexplained "explosions" in the neighbourhood from time to time. I have no idea...

Longbow

[lars1367]

+1 for the stack of used tires idea.

[Holescreek]

I made a bullet trap for my shop for testing builds that uses the ground up tires that Walmart sells for mulch. I used a 6"x6"x 72" steel tube with a 3/8" wall but most builders use 1 1/2" thick lumber because it provides really good sound suppression too. The mulch is extremely effective, stopping full power .308 rounds in the first 26". A short wooden box filled with mulch with an opening just large enough for the muzzle would be great for quite fire forming.

[brstevns]

I made a bullet trap for my shop for testing builds that uses the ground up tires that Walmart sells for mulch. I used a 6"x6"x 72" steel tube with a 3/8" wall but most builders use 1 1/2" thick lumber because it provides really good sound suppression too. The mulch is extremely effective, stopping full power .308 rounds in the first 26". A short wooden box filled with mulch with an opening just large enough for the muzzle would be great for quite fire forming.

Like the idea Might have to give it a try.

[jmorris]

.
The BATF has no problems with this. There are descriptions on their web site.

A "Suppressor" as far as they are concerned is "A portable device" designed to be "Attached to the firearm."

They specifically state that these devices are not "suppressors".

Depends on what "this" you are talking about. The ideas in post 4, 9, 10 and 11 would not be legal without a stamp.

[Mooseman]

Be careful...putting your muzzle in or up against something or getting hay down your barrel can be hazardous to your firearm !!!

A simple blast absorber can be made with a 30 or 55 gallon drum filled 2/3 of the way up with layers of stacked newspapers, magazines, bundled and packed in then wet down , some old 1/2 or 3/4 plywood cut in a circle inserted over the newspapers and screws running thru the side of the drum as retainers to hold it in place, or 4 small 2x4 blocks to screw into holding the plywood against the wet paper. Then line the sides of the top 1/3 section with some 4-6 inch thick fiberglass insulation and then screw down another round piece of plywood for the drum lid that has a 3 inch hole in the center.Then cover this hole with sheet rubber like innertube stapled or contact cemented in place and cut a 1-2 inch slit in it for the barrel to enter. We used one standing up in the corner of the shop for mainly testing pistols in.
You could lay it on its side for rifles in an X type stand off the ground if using it a lot, just make sure it has a safe backstop just in case a bullet makes it thru .( We never did have one penetrate the drum).
Chopped rubber mulch could also be used around the sides of the newspaper /magazines bundles...It aint rocket science.
Rich

[brstevns]

Post 28. Note the reply with quote area.

[brstevns]

Be careful...putting your muzzle in or up against something or getting hay down your barrel can be hazardous to your firearm !!!

A simple blast absorber can be made with a 30 or 55 gallon drum filled 2/3 of the way up with layers of stacked newspapers, magazines, bundled and packed in then wet down , some old 1/2 or 3/4 plywood cut in a circle inserted over the newspapers and screws running thru the side of the drum as retainers to hold it in place, or 4 small 2x4 blocks to screw into holding the plywood against the wet paper. Then line the sides of the top 1/3 section with some 4-6 inch thick fiberglass insulation and then screw down another round piece of plywood for the drum lid that has a 3 inch hole in the center.Then cover this hole with sheet rubber like innertube stapled or contact cemented in place and cut a 1-2 inch slit in it for the barrel to enter. We used one standing up in the corner of the shop for mainly testing pistols in.
You could lay it on its side for rifles in an X type stand off the ground if using it a lot, just make sure it has a safe backstop just in case a bullet makes it thru .( We never did have one penetrate the drum).
Chopped rubber mulch could also be used around the sides of the newspaper /magazines bundles...It aint rocket science.
Rich

Will be firing, forming loads using cream of wheat or gritts no bullets.

[brstevns]

Will, I gave the empty 2 liter plastic bottle a go and wrap a heavy bath towel around it. Worked out great, sounded like a small cap gun. I was firing off 7.5gr Unique with the cream of wheat load.

[badbob454]

i use a 5 gallon plastic bucket top with a 3/4 '' hole in the middle have some damp woodchips and shoot practice function testing for my sks full power loads into the pile of sawdust standing on the lid with one foot , firing with muzzel inserted into hole ...64831 very quiet , this way i can fireform , test ejection , and make subsonic loads

[Fishman]

In my experience, the string of 6 tires will muffle a supersonic rifle a bit, but not enough to make a huge difference. That is why the "contraption" sits unused to the side of my shooting bench on my range. Maybe there is more to it than lining up a few tires. Be sure to wear plugs and muffs if firing a rifle in the basement.

[brstevns]

In my experience, the string of 6 tires will muffle a supersonic rifle a bit, but not enough to make a huge difference. That is why the "contraption" sits unused to the side of my shooting bench on my range. Maybe there is more to it than lining up a few tires. Be sure to wear plugs and muffs if firing a rifle in the basement.

The tire method is out of the question for me. no space and too close to other houses to use it outside.

[longbow]

I used to know a gunsmith who had a "can" made up similar to what Mooseman suggests in post #31. It was heavy welded steel with a lid that had a hole in it. He stuffed it with old phone books, newspaper and whatever. He shot full power handgun loads into it inside his shop in Vancouver and he had a guy living in an apartment above his shop.

The idea was to stick most of the handgun through the hole then shoot. It wasn't dead quiet but not loud either... maybe like slamming a door.

Pretty simple, not real big (smaller than a 30 gallon drum) and fairly effective.

Longbow

[rintinglen]

I knew a gunsmith who made a pipe, approx 6" x 6', filled with about three feet of sand. The pipe was steel, about schedule 80 in thickness. What made it work were the rubber gaskets he installed on the top. I think he made them out of old truck inner-tubes. they had a slit in them which he inserted the barrel into and were remarkably effective. You would not notice the sound outside unless you were passing by when the door was opened, and even then, it sounded more like a sheet of plywood or something falling over than a gunshot.