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Call your representative and ask them to support the Hearing Protection Act! https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/95 https://www.congress.gov

Call your representative and ask them to support the Hearing Protection Act! https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/95 https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/95 Contrary to movie magic/political posturing, these devices only decrease the report by about 10 decibels, generally just under the hearing damage threshold, but still very loud.

chmod600 5y ago
Interesting. What is a "silencer" then? Is it a different device or the same device used on guns that are less noisy to begin with? Or is the movie silencer a complete fiction?
- Schiendelman 5y ago
  Movie silencers are a fiction. All a silencer does is let you shoot without actually damaging your hearing. It is still very loud.
  - livueta 5y ago
    It depends a little on caliber but you're broadly on the right track. Suppressed 22LR is 110-120-ish db, which is just barely hearing safe. Suppressed 556 (typical AR) is 135+db even with top-tier cans (qdc, rc2, saker), which is firmly in eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee territory. Similar story for 762 and friends. With the exception of 22LR, you really do want to be using proper earpro when shooting suppressed. The other aspect of them that's usually less broadly appreciated (and part of why "suppressor" is preferred to "silencer") is that they're also effective at reducing muzzle flash, which is sometimes relevant, especially with short barrels.
- blendergeek 5y ago
  As far as I know, a movie silencer is complete fiction.
  - wayoutthere 5y ago
    You can get close with a suppressed bolt-action 22lr shooting subsonic ammo. But that takes an already underpowered round and makes it even slower, so it comes with a lot of compromises. Good for squirrels, bad for anything much larger.
- freeflight 5y ago
  > Or is the movie silencer a complete fiction? The closest to movie silencer requires using sub-sonic ammunition in addition to the "silencer". That will remove the crack from the bullet passing trough the sonic barrier and some of the gas explosion noises. But even then it won't be "movie silencer" levels of silent, as the action of the firearms mechanic are usually also still quite loud if the weapon is not specifically designed to prevent that.
- thereddaikon 5y ago
  Silencer is the marketing name Maxim gave to the suppressors he designed and sold. Its a valid but contentious name for them. The term does get seriously used in the modern day for example, SilencerCo is one of the larger suppressor makers. But you will get people correcting you from time to time because its a misnomer. They don't make a gun silent. A suppressor does the same thing that a muffler does on a car. It takes what would be an awfully loud noise and makes it bearable. Its a safety device. Are cars stealth and silent? Of course not. Neither are suppressed guns. But yeah Hollywood quiet is mostly a myth. It is possible to achieve a very quiet gun but you have to take some heavy compromises to do so. Two such guns were developed by the British in WW2 for commandos. The Welrod and Delisle. They have both been featured in media. Some key aspects are the use of sub sonic ammunition, massively oversized suppressors that not only have baffles but also consumable rubber wipes, and also using repeating actions instead of semi auto. They are very quiet by gun standards but even they aren't Hollywood quiet.
LorenPechtel 5y ago
What?! A politician is doing something sensible?! Sure that wasn't a link to the Onion??? I thought it was more like 30db of reduction, though. Still, simply below the point of hearing damage, not like Hollywood.

chmod600 5y ago

Interesting. What is a "silencer" then? Is it a different device or the same device used on guns that are less noisy to begin with? Or is the movie silencer a complete fiction?

Schiendelman 5y ago
Movie silencers are a fiction. All a silencer does is let you shoot without actually damaging your hearing. It is still very loud.
- livueta 5y ago
  It depends a little on caliber but you're broadly on the right track. Suppressed 22LR is 110-120-ish db, which is just barely hearing safe. Suppressed 556 (typical AR) is 135+db even with top-tier cans (qdc, rc2, saker), which is firmly in eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee territory. Similar story for 762 and friends. With the exception of 22LR, you really do want to be using proper earpro when shooting suppressed. The other aspect of them that's usually less broadly appreciated (and part of why "suppressor" is preferred to "silencer") is that they're also effective at reducing muzzle flash, which is sometimes relevant, especially with short barrels.
blendergeek 5y ago
As far as I know, a movie silencer is complete fiction.
- wayoutthere 5y ago
  You can get close with a suppressed bolt-action 22lr shooting subsonic ammo. But that takes an already underpowered round and makes it even slower, so it comes with a lot of compromises. Good for squirrels, bad for anything much larger.
freeflight 5y ago
> Or is the movie silencer a complete fiction? The closest to movie silencer requires using sub-sonic ammunition in addition to the "silencer". That will remove the crack from the bullet passing trough the sonic barrier and some of the gas explosion noises. But even then it won't be "movie silencer" levels of silent, as the action of the firearms mechanic are usually also still quite loud if the weapon is not specifically designed to prevent that.
thereddaikon 5y ago
Silencer is the marketing name Maxim gave to the suppressors he designed and sold. Its a valid but contentious name for them. The term does get seriously used in the modern day for example, SilencerCo is one of the larger suppressor makers. But you will get people correcting you from time to time because its a misnomer. They don't make a gun silent. A suppressor does the same thing that a muffler does on a car. It takes what would be an awfully loud noise and makes it bearable. Its a safety device. Are cars stealth and silent? Of course not. Neither are suppressed guns. But yeah Hollywood quiet is mostly a myth. It is possible to achieve a very quiet gun but you have to take some heavy compromises to do so. Two such guns were developed by the British in WW2 for commandos. The Welrod and Delisle. They have both been featured in media. Some key aspects are the use of sub sonic ammunition, massively oversized suppressors that not only have baffles but also consumable rubber wipes, and also using repeating actions instead of semi auto. They are very quiet by gun standards but even they aren't Hollywood quiet.

LorenPechtel 5y ago

What?! A politician is doing something sensible?! Sure that wasn't a link to the Onion??? I thought it was more like 30db of reduction, though. Still, simply below the point of hearing damage, not like Hollywood.