It seems like a lot of folks are using suppressors, I'm wondering how difficult it is to get one. I've never really bothered with either a suppressor or fully automatic because it seems like a massive pain in the butt to get either but would like to have both.
"...quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est." [...a sword never kills anybody; it's a tool in the killer's hand.] -- (Lucius Annaeus) Seneca "the Younger" (ca. 4 BC-65 AD)
“I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” ~ Nathan Hale (final words before being hanged by the British, September 22, 1776.)
If at first you don't succeed -- skydiving is not for you
I've owned both and currently have a couple of cans. It's a pretty simple, but time consuming process. Complete a form 4, get fingerprinted and photographed, get the LEO to sign off, mail it in with your check and wait. In 1991 it took about 3 weeks to get it back for an HK33. in 2009 it took about 5 months for a can for my .45.
Suppressor sales are booming, and with more and more Class 3 (SOT) dealers around, it's easy to handle the product you're thinking about buying, or even get an in-person shooting demonstration. The Form 4 process is not complicated, just time consuming (like gcrookston said), but the Class 3 dealer will basically help you through it. The most annoying thing I found was getting the passport photo and stopping by the Sheriff's office.
A suppressed AR is cool, no doubt. At the 3Gun match yesterday Ray shot our 7" suppressed M16 (and used full-auto on stage 1), and it sounds really good. However, there are some downsides of a suppressed AR: not as quiet as a bolt gun, increased heat and backpressure, rifle gets dirty a lot faster.
In terms of "bang for buck", I think a .22LR suppressor is the most fun for the money, while a suppressor on a bolt gun works the best and provides the most real benefits to shooting.
As far as the ear protection issue-- if you are serious about retaining your hearing into old age, when shooting full-power centerfire ammunition, you should double up, e.g.: muffs and plugs, or suppressor and plugs. If you are in a situation where you can't wear plugs (such as hunting or as a LEO), then a suppressor will reduce the amount of hearing damage you accumulate over time.
don't get your panties in a wad. no one disputed your all knowingness. of course 137 Db CAN hurt you, but you sound like my mother. fact is people shoot without hearing protection all the time while using suppressors. i never said i recommended it, i said it happens. hell, my grandpa never used hearing protection in WW2 for three years, nor did any of my friends in iraq or afghanistan (although they were supposed to) and all of them are fine. if you sit there and shoot 2000 rounds a year for 20 years without hearing protection even with a suppressor, yeah you are probably going to have hearing issues. shooting with a suppressor and no hearing protection for 50-100 rounds once in a while isn't going to destroy your hearing.
Wow, I'm convinced!
My father owned a gun club when I was just a kid. I worked their every weekend. Virtually no one wore hearing protection. I never did.
I'm now old.
I have 90% loss in my left ear and 60% loss in my right.
I can't hear my girls when they talk to me.
It sucks
Wear hearing protectors.
I do now, yes even when shooting suppressed.