Suppressors..., legal ones

[sundog]

I've been reading over on another thread about suppressors in Europe. NFA34 screwed us (not a doubt in my mind that it and GCA68 are unconstitutional -- although I obey the law). They make so much sense!

So, anyone have any ideas or tested results for suppressors that are legal? Like shooting through dampened oil drums?

We ought to have legal (read - no license) suppressors here. Imagine opening a catalog from Graf, Midsouth, Midway, Brownells, and there they are. Call, order, and hit the plastic!

[Redleg99]

Sundog, there are some very fine lines that we are treading here, so let me make sure we are all on the same sheet of music.

Legally speaking, any device that is attached to a firearm which reduces its noise is a suppressor and must be registered in accordance with the National Firearms Act.
This includes a 2-liter soda bottle duct-taped to the muzzle.

You can find lots of information on suppressors here if you are interested:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/forum.html?b=6&f=20

However, when you talk about "shooting through dampened oil drums," I think what you are referring to is a firing range which contains the sound of the firearm’s discharge?

When I was stationed in Texas, I used to shoot at a range that had other folks living close-by. It had a 25 meter pistol line that was dug into the side of a small hill, with bullet baffles overhead, that could accommodate 4 or 5 shooters.
It also had a single-shooter 100 meter rifle range. The firing point was inside a shed with a built in bench, and you would shoot down a trench. A stack of tires, set sidewall to sidewall, was set in the trench for the first 10 or so meters, so that it formed a tunnel of sorts.
I believe this setup did reduce the noise that the neighbors had to put up with, but I have no tests to back it up.

[redneckdan]

there are no truely effect sound moderators that do not attach to said firearm. You're right, NFA34 did bend us over the bench and have its way with us. In europe, its considered rude not to use a can, especially while hunting around dogs. MI allows full auto but no suppressors, though they are looking at changing that law. I'm designing me ar upper to accept an integral can if the laws change.

[danski26]

I like loud noises.....sounds like.....victory ;-)

[sundog]

Redleg, roger that. Are you a cannon cocker?

Anyway, I guess what I'm thinking of would be more appropriately called a dampener. Not anything attached. As we know, that's a no-no. Something to shoot through or in to absorb the sound energy.

[357maximum]

I have always wanted to build an underground range using 12 foot concrete sewer line.... so far the only thing holding me back is the $$$$$...this one it quite literally a "pipe dream" I would like it incorporated right into my basement...

I would think shooting the length of 20 tires or so and shooting right down the center would do something for you....just a W.A.G

[dragonrider]

357 Max. \
you and I are having the same dreams. My ideal range would be underground 12'X12'
x100 yards beginning in the basement. More fun than should be allowed.

[BerdanIII]

There was an article in either Handloader's Digest or The ABC's of Reloading that addressed this. The author built a muffler box that reduced a center-fire rifle shot to the intensity of shutting a car door. I believe the box was built with internal baffles like a big Maxim silencer and the spaces between were filled with fiberglass insulation which was covered with screening to keep the bugs from taking up residence. Clearances were generous to allow for recoil and sighting. I'll see if I can dig up the article and get rough dimensions.

[Johnch]

Here in Ohio it is legal to own a Suppressor .
I beleive it cost you $200 to the feds for each one plus the cost of the Suppressor.
You have to get the local Sherif to sign off , get finger printed and go thru a back round check .
There might be more , I don't remember
I have the paperwork ( not filled out ), but not the $$ right now
One of these days I will
I plan on making my own
I have seen several taken apart , anyone with the RIGHT PAPERWORK, a mill and lathe could make them .


I helped a local club build 4 8'x6' oval pipe shooting stalls , out of the side of a building .
They were 40' long with earth covering 30 or so feet , with the back stop at 200 yds
When you closed the doors to the building , it cut the noise down 90%
Even down range to the side it was quiter
We did it mainly to limmit the field of fire , with the added advanage of noise reduction

Johnch

[Bent Ramrod]

Ken Waters in a Rifle or Handloader issue described a "range silencer" he had built out of an oil drum with doughnuts of foam insulating or packing material. As long as the muffler isn't attached to the gun, it's legal.

Waters had his open enough to see over the sights and out to the target when the end of the gun barrel was inside the silencer. The muffling was enough so his neighbors stopped complaining. As I recall, the only caveat was to take out the foam every once in a while and dump the unburned powder out before it built up sufficiently to ignite.

[357maximum]

You ever stop and ponder the things we have to think about in the land of the free?

The greatest magic trick ever is the illusion of freedom...

[uscra112]

I've read several articles from old magazines about this. Stacked tires, fibreglass insulation, they all work. But be aware that over time the thing builds up with unburned powder, and some people have reported that they have had this create an exciting flashback.

[44man]

I made one of those wooden ones with baffles and fiberglass. After a while the glass shreds and blows all over ya. I made end to end plastic drums filled with tires and filled them with nylon ribbons from a shop that turned something. None were real quiet. Some guns created so much back blast it would blow my hat off and bulge my eyes even with glasses on.
Other then underground, I haven't found the perfect thing yet.
Revolvers are hard to quiet too because of the cylinder blast.

[PatMarlin]

A guy built one that worked over at Handloads.com.

He was afraid he'd get busted for it so he cut it up IIRC, at least that's what he said.

[PatMarlin]

This thread has givin me an Idea.

I do most of my load testing etc, behind my house, and the incline gradually goes up the mountain so I shoot at an angle upwards. I shoot under a canopy, and I was thinking it would be awesome to build a free standing structure, open posts underneath, but with a shooting room on the second floor.

I could then build in a silencer, and be level at the target up the hill.

That would make for some all weather, quiet fun. Hmmm.. [smilie=1:

[TAWILDCATT]

at one time some one sold an adapter that fit on the barrel and had threads to take a tonic bottle.shortly the feds put a stop to the sale.there was an article on it in a gun mag.they fired a 380 sub gun and claimed it was better than commercial units.however it IS ILLEGAL.don't do it. I wonder how the tires would be.if you put holes in bottom you could rinse them out .

[3006guns]

Brand new to this site and forum, but perhaps I can help. As already mentioned, anything that attatches to a firearm in any way will invite trouble fast....don't do it. As an alternative, a stack of tires about 10 feet long (and bolted together lengthwise) will seriously muffle the report of most firearms pretty effectively. I have a gunsmith friend that routinely tests guns behind his house this way. Can't remember if he has any additional baffling in the tires themselves, but it sounds like a good idea...as long as it's reasonably fireproof!:castmine:

[jhalcott]

The range I belong to has a golf course built around it.The course has sold LOTS of parcels of land for interested buyers to build CUSTOM homes on. Consequently WE have had to spend tons of money to upgrade and quiet our range. We enclosed the firing line ,installed a 30' high berm around the range,even redirected the pistol range. The firing ports have a baffle to limit elevation and redirect errant shots into the ground.We tried the insulation drums and several other remedies with little success. The insulation was blasted to bits by guns with porting or breaks. It would blow back into the shooters face often.
It amazes me to see some guy ,who has been told not to do this, sit at the bench with his muzzle out of the box . The BOX is a shooting port that has been covered with a foam egggcrate that absorbs/ reduces the sound. We have documented the reduction to be as much as 60%, depending on cartridge. Even the table top has a carpet to help with the sound reduction.

[redneckdan]

The range I belong to has a golf course built around it.The course has sold LOTS of parcels of land for interested buyers to build CUSTOM homes on. Consequently WE have had to spend tons of money to upgrade and quiet our range.

I think this trend in the long run is either gonna be a boon or a bust. If things continue like they are, we'll probably just keep gettin closed down. But maybe, just maybe, "jenny from the block" (our endearing nickname for the govoner) will get a fricken clue and allow us to have sound suppressors in michigan, then when charlie tacti-cool steps up to the line with his .338 laupa, he won't shatter every window for a 1/4 mile. sorry, I'll get off my box now.

[357maximum]

Dan
....holler proudly ,holler loudly

I have sent my letters, I recieved no response...in fact Dave Camp is the only polititian to ever respond to anything I send......

[BABore]

Dan
....holler proudly ,holler loudly

I have sent my letters, I recieved no response...in fact Dave Camp is the only polititian to ever respond to anything I send......

Prolly cause you live too close to Dexter. :bigsmyl2:

[fiberoptik]

Nah, it's cuz he's still holding on to at least half a brain, unlike the left wing liberal "Commies" like jennifer & levin & stupidbrawd.

[FISH4BUGS]

Kind of off topic a bit, but I have a Bowers CAC9 supressor for my 380 and 9mm submachineguns. The process is exactly the same for buying full auto - fill out the papers, get your local Chief to sign off, send the completed papers and a check for $200 to the ATF for processing.
This assumes of course, that you are legally able to own them in your state. The Feds do NOT override local and state laws.
It is a treat to screw it on and rip a magazine (or 10) on full auto and hardly make a noise. The biggest noise on the Uzi is the bolt cycling.
However, the use of a can opens up TWO major issues - NO cast lead bullets through the can (groan). It builds up lead and lube deposits rather quickly. The other issue is subsonic ammunition. 380 is already subsonic, and the 9mm has to be loaded with 147gr bullets. If it isn't subsonic, you get a crack when the bullets break the sound barrier.
My range won't allow full auto but they are OK with cans..........go figure.

[tommag]

This thread has givin me an Idea.

I do most of my load testing etc, behind my house, and the incline gradually goes up the mountain so I shoot at an angle upwards. I shoot under a canopy, and I was thinking it would be awesome to build a free standing structure, open posts underneath, but with a shooting room on the second floor.

I could then build in a silencer, and be level at the target up the hill.

That would make for some all weather, quiet fun. Hmmm.. [smilie=1:

Pat in the 1997 handloaders digest there is an article titled "A lofty place to shoot" that is similar to your idea, only the author used the loft in a barn. He built a fiberglass insulated, baffled tube to shoot through for noise reduction.

[frank505]

I made the box from the article in Handloader Digest. the "plans" were wrong so we improvised. It did work well, turned a rifle shot into a high pitched crack that was not very loud and did not carry far. The range was across the creek and 80 acres from the houses and barns, but was almost unnoticable when you were working. It ends up being very heavy and full of wasps unless you make doors for both ends. My range was anything up to 300 yards, just pull the bench with a four wheeler to where you wanted to shoot from. The sound box was built on skids also but it is rotting away since we sold the place. I think the tires in ascending and then descending sizes would do the same thing and much easier and cheaper to build. The idea of holes in the bottom is a great one, tires on fire are hard to put out!!!! It is ok to shoot from the bench for load testing but better yet build some loads and shoot away from the damn bench. I have yet to see a bench in the hills of Wyo when hunting.

[KCSO]

I have a Stevens pump 22 that was factory fitted with a Maxim silencer from the factory in 1910. A local fella used it for shootng rabbits in the back yard. With sub sonic 22's you can hear the firing pin hit the shell. I got the papers with the gun and the Maxim cost 1/2 the price of the gun in 1910 and Steven's would fit it for you no cost. They were advertised for shooting in town without bothering the neighbors.

[TAWILDCATT]

3006guns: stated that 10 ft tires worked.how about tires sized to fit 55gal drums tacked together.drill holes in bottom of tires with hole saw to use hose to wash them out.might work.the minute you get legal silencer you have ATF looking over your shoulder.the tire setup is not a silencer by law.its a deadner of sound.
happy real world.with all the gun owners in this country how did we get into this mess.