PDA

View Full Version : 55 Gallon Drum Silencer????



JohnH
10-08-2005, 01:37 PM
Some years back Rick Jamison had an article in Shooting Times about a silencer made from a couple of 55 gallon drums with the ends cut out. Set up was that the drums were a permanent fixture a the bench, the muzzle had to be in the drums and short distance for the silencer to be effective. Least as I remember. I didn't have a range of my own to shoot on back then, but I do now and it would be easy enough to make and use such a contraption, if I knew what I was making. Anyone know how to make this?

I fired off an email to Shooting Times a couple weeks back, haven't heard a word from 'em. Guess since I don't have a subscription, my question ain't worth their time. Well, two can play that game.

Scrounger
10-08-2005, 01:56 PM
Just a guess, but I'd bet the word 'silencer' has a limited meaning here. It MIGHT tone down the noise for your neighbors (?) but you're going to get a lot of it in the shop and barrels...

StarMetal
10-08-2005, 02:36 PM
John

Yes, I read that article. He welded two 55 gal drums together end to end after cutting the tops and bottoms out of them. Then he lined them with fiberglass insulation and to keep the insulation inplace he used piece of fence with small enough squares to hole the insulation. I can't remember if he put the paper side out or in, or even if he used something else to keep the muzzle blast from tearing up the fiberglass. Anyways that's what I remember.

Joe

Denver
10-08-2005, 05:04 PM
I think you could accomplish the same thing with car tires hung from a rack and wouldn't need the extra insulation.

Scrounger
10-08-2005, 05:16 PM
I think you could accomplish the same thing with car tires hung from a rack and wouldn't need the extra insulation.

I'd bet they would do a better job of absorbing the sound, too. Last time I was at the dump here, there was probably 50 of those "doughnut" spares, with wheels, there for the taking. Other tires, too.

Powderpacker
10-08-2005, 05:32 PM
Some years back, I read about a guy that used several (I guess the calibers you shoot determine the number you need) semi truck tires for the center of his silencer and then progressively smaller truck, car, compact car tires on each end to create a rubber 'bottle' to contain the muzzle blast. He used steel cables to hold the thing together.

No_1
10-08-2005, 06:09 PM
FWIW, A place I use to shoot at on John's Island near Charleston use to use ditch pipe w/tires on the inside. They had the pipe on the far side of the bench and when you are seated, the barrel of your rifle was in it. Just had old tires on the inside and nothing more. From what I remember it was a little difficult to see the sight on the front of the barrel when the skies were cloudy but it was very effective in cutting the sound down.

Robert

nvbirdman
10-08-2005, 10:42 PM
Scrounger, did those doughnut spares have wheelweights on them when you left?

Frank46
10-09-2005, 02:31 AM
JohnH, watch out for unburned powder collecting inside the drums or tires. One indoor
range that I used to shoot at daily swept the areas in front of the firing line to remove all unburnt powder. The amount can be truly amazing that was cleaned up. Frank

porkchop bob
10-09-2005, 07:03 AM
FWIW, A place I use to shoot at on John's Island near Charleston use to use ditch pipe w/tires on the inside. They had the pipe on the far side of the bench and when you are seated, the barrel of your rifle was in it. Just had old tires on the inside and nothing more. From what I remember it was a little difficult to see the sight on the front of the barrel when the skies were cloudy but it was very effective in cutting the sound down.

Robert

:hijack: RPM was the name of that range, the initials of the owner. The land around the range was developed on three sides from farm land to housing. Within two years the range was closed by Charleston County due to noise complaints from the new home owners. SC now has a law that protects shooting ranges from this type of action but too late for RPM. A range still has to keep the bullets landing within the its property. That becomes expensive as cost of land near Charleston and close to a good road has gone out of sight.

Bob

Willbird
10-09-2005, 07:50 AM
If I was the range owner I would have run the place full of hogs, that is even harder now than a range to close down, a properly run hog farm.

Bill

JohnH
10-09-2005, 11:03 AM
If I was the range owner I would have run the place full of hogs, that is even harder now than a range to close down, a properly run hog farm.

Bill

And open it at huntin' season too !!!!!!!!

trooperdan
10-09-2005, 03:23 PM
JohnH, watch out for unburned powder collecting inside the drums or tires. One indoor
range that I used to shoot at daily swept the areas in front of the firing line to remove all unburnt powder. The amount can be truly amazing that was cleaned up. Frank

People don't realise the amount of unburned powder that accumulates in front of the gun. Last year there was a flash fire on the indoor range at Glock in Conyers GA that caused the death of the test firer.

StarMetal
10-09-2005, 04:19 PM
Dan,

Good point, thats why I think Jamison made his with the drums and fiberglass so he would change out the fiberglass. Much easier then emptying tires. Don't anyone dare try to vacuum that powder up or out either...dangerous.

Joe

Scrounger
10-09-2005, 04:42 PM
I would think it safe to blow it out with an air hose. Excellent fertilize.

Beau Cassidy
10-09-2005, 04:43 PM
I shot at Zia Rifle Range in Albequerque last week. They have a 100 yard tunnel made out of concrete pipe and covered with sand. On one end there is an enclosed shooting bench with a door and window fan. At the other, there is a light over the target. You can shoot all night without bothering anyone. I had good pics but my memory card went tits up. Nothing like that around here.

Beau

beagle
10-09-2005, 06:05 PM
Supposedly that rig works pretty good as you're mainly trying to silence the muzzle blast. The sonic crack downrange won't be silenced unless you're shooting subsonic.

As well as I recall from that article, the contraption had to be cleaned form time to time if much shooting was done or unburned powder would accumulate and light off causing much excitement but no danger other than the fire hazard.

But, if you have picky neighbors (and who don't when it comes to shooting), it would help that problem immensly./beagle


Some years back Rick Jamison had an article in Shooting Times about a silencer made from a couple of 55 gallon drums with the ends cut out. Set up was that the drums were a permanent fixture a the bench, the muzzle had to be in the drums and short distance for the silencer to be effective. Least as I remember. I didn't have a range of my own to shoot on back then, but I do now and it would be easy enough to make and use such a contraption, if I knew what I was making. Anyone know how to make this?

I fired off an email to Shooting Times a couple weeks back, haven't heard a word from 'em. Guess since I don't have a subscription, my question ain't worth their time. Well, two can play that game.

Denver
10-11-2005, 10:53 AM
Dan,

Good point, thats why I think Jamison made his with the drums and fiberglass so he would change out the fiberglass. Much easier then emptying tires. Don't anyone dare try to vacuum that powder up or out either...dangerous.

Joe

Do ya 'spose a little water in the tires would help?

Scrounger
10-11-2005, 11:21 AM
Wouldn't hurt. Dirt might work better.

Leftoverdj
10-11-2005, 03:57 PM
I dunno as the fiberglass on the inside is needed. Might work as well on the outside since the main function is to keep the metal tube from ringing. Dunno that you need as big a diameter as metal drums neither. I'd rather have length than diameter. Ten feet of 10"-12" pipe would be my choice.

What you are doing is setting up internal turbulences to reduce as much of the escaping gas as possible below the speed of sound. Some baffling to get those gases swirling helps a lot.

Seems to me it would be quite possible to build the contraption to be flushed out with water. That unburned powder is a real hazard and is what would concern me the most.

Johnch
10-11-2005, 05:36 PM
I saw a report on accurey problems where they shot rifles thru smaller than 18" ( I think , memery is sliping ) hard surfaced tubes at ranges .
Something to do with shock waves from the bullet .

They recomemded to line the inside of the tubes or drums with old carpet .
Them remove and wash with a hose every so long to remove the unburnt powder .


For shooting from the barn , when the weather is nasty
I built a 36" x 36" x 8 ' long plywood box and lined it with 2" blue board .
I placed 3 plywood dividers with a 18" hole inside
There is a 12" hole on each end
1 side folds down to clean
This was made from scrap I got free at building sites

I find it reduces the noise at least 50%

Johnch

StarMetal
10-11-2005, 06:06 PM
I disagree with you Leftoverdj, the purpose of the fiberglass is it provides an irregular surface that traps the sound. If it was a matter of steel drums ringing then one could use plastic drums. You're right about slowing the turbolence down, making it go different directions.....but in a silencer, not a sound muffler like the drums. I would rather shoot throught the large drum openning then a 10-12 inch pipe anyday of the week.

Joe

Tigger
10-11-2005, 06:07 PM
I like the truck tire idea. We have lots of them at work that are disposed of at a cost to the company. I'm sure they would be glad to give some away. You could use 24.5 semi truck tires bolted together and drill a 2" hole in the bottom of each one. Then from time to time run the hose with spray nozzle down thru and flush out the unburnt powder.

Scrounger
10-11-2005, 06:21 PM
I like the truck tire idea. We have lots of them at work that are disposed of at a cost to the company. I'm sure they would be glad to give some away. You could use 24.5 semi truck tires bolted together and drill a 2" hole in the bottom of each one. Then from time to time run the hose with spray nozzle down thru and flush out the unburnt powder.

Better yet, just cut across the bottom with a saw. Its shape will hold it together well enough for your purposes and when you want to clean the powder out, just spread it and let the powder fall out.

CollinLeon
01-15-2012, 08:06 PM
I saw a range once where they had shooting stations with concrete culverts in front of them where the barrel of your rifle was placed prior to you shooting. It definitely changed the sound that was generated. You still noticed the sound from the rear (or probably the front), but it was noticeably less from the sides. Best I can remember, they were probably 24" diameter concrete culverts, probably 8 ft at most in length.

frkelly74
01-16-2012, 09:32 AM
JohnH, watch out for unburned powder collecting inside the drums or tires. One indoor
range that I used to shoot at daily swept the areas in front of the firing line to remove all unburnt powder. The amount can be truly amazing that was cleaned up. Frank

The grass is always greenest immediately in front of the firing line.

Janoosh
01-16-2012, 09:50 AM
Concerning shooting thru truck and car tires, the range I help at now used to have tires to shoot thru. It is amazing the amount of debris and junk that accumulates inside them. The system is supposed to direct and delay the sound of the shot. Cutting holes defeats this to some degree. Also, muzzle blast comes out of both ends. You do get a facefull. This system does work but...... I do believe there is better. Johnch has the right idea. Smaller pipe is unusable with large scoped rifles. The whole idea is to slow the sound down.

3006guns
01-16-2012, 10:23 AM
I've seen tire sound traps used in various places and they can be very effective. Most of them used 6-8 (or more) tires and were held together securely with cables or long threaded rods.

As for putting a little water in the tires to mitigate powder accumulation, that's great until someone fires a big honkin' magnum rifle. The muzzle blast usually showers the shooter (and his gun) with a dirty water spray. I think I'd bore a hole in the bottom of each tire and use a removeable plug of some sort so they could be swept out once in a while.

pdawg_shooter
01-16-2012, 11:42 AM
I use a 5" in and out, 10" diameter 54" long truck muffler. Two wraps of carpet scraps held on with duct tape on the outside. Got it used at a truck salvage yard for 20 dollars. Works for me.

Jim Flinchbaugh
01-17-2012, 02:50 AM
I was in a gunshop in Chinool Mt, some years ago, He worked mostly on 45 auto IIRC. Mike Johnson I think was his name. He had a sound chamber made from a barrel lined with something that looked like "egg crate" foam but was black. Not sure what it was but when he fired a weapon in it for testing is wasn't any louder than a cap gun

nicholst55
01-17-2012, 03:07 AM
I have pix on my work computer of "silencers" made for the 120mm tank gun and the 155mm M109-series howitzers, by the Germans, of course. You drive the vehicle up to the "silencer," coz you sure as shooting aren't going to move those things! I'll post them tomorrow when I get back to work.

ETA: Oops! I stored them at Photobucket. Here ya go:

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g120/nicholst55/silencer.jpg

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g120/nicholst55/Muffler2.jpg

375RUGER
01-18-2012, 04:25 PM
I remember the article. I thought that he filled the drums with machine shop shavings, long shavings not chips, and held them in place with an expanded metal core to shoot through. Would be much more durable than fiberglass, especially in the area right next to the muzzle.

CollinLeon
01-18-2012, 04:30 PM
I remember the article. I thought that he filled the drums with machine shop shavings, long shavings not chips, and held them in place with an expanded metal core to shoot through. Would be much more durable than fiberglass, especially in the area right next to the muzzle.

Perhaps some of the rubber landscape mulch (recycled from tires) would be a good choice also?

CollinLeon
01-18-2012, 04:49 PM
Good point, thats why I think Jamison made his with the drums and fiberglass so he would change out the fiberglass. Much easier then emptying tires. Don't anyone dare try to vacuum that powder up or out either...dangerous.


I remember a device awhile back that was designed so that you could use a shop vac for emptying the ashes from your fireplace. It basically consisted of a bucket with water in it with an inlet and outlet connector that you hooked your shop vac to. The inlet connector was connected to a tube that went into the water and you hooked your shop vac's hose with attachment head onto this portion. The hose from the shop vac hooked to the other connector on the device and this connector did not have a tube going into the water. Basically what happened was that the ashes would get sucked into the submerged tube, mix with the water, and stay there while the air would bubble up and then go into the other connector and into the shop vac. At least that was my understanding of how it should work. As someone who tried to use a shop vac to clean out a fireplace ONCE and who then found the entire living room coated with a fine layer of ashes, the design LOOKED like it might have promise. If so, something like this might be an option for vacuuming up un-burnt gunpowder.

KCSO
01-18-2012, 04:53 PM
We use old tires on a rack bolted together about 12 or so of them in a row. A plywood cut out to shoot into and the front open and it does a pretty good job.