Welcome to the Colorado AR-15 Shooters Club Discussion Forums.
Suppressed AR
A few questions:
1. Just how quiet is a suppressed AR with a 16 in. barrel using M193 type ammo?
2. Is it quiet enough to shoot w/o ear protection?
3. Any opinions on the best / quietest can to use?
A few answers:
1. It's about as quiet as an unsuppressed AR using high quality hearing protection (-35 dB).
2. Yes
3. I shot about half a dozen different cans ranging in price from $600 to $1,400 (plus tax), and I decided on the YHM 7.62 Phantom with QD flash hider because a) I couldn't hear the difference between it and cans costing over twice as much, and b) I can only shoot one gun at a time, so the QD + multi calibre feature really appeals to me -- I shoot it on my AR10 as well.
cue to yhm haters
Originally Posted by gcrookston
A few answers:
1. It's about as quiet as an unsuppressed AR using high quality hearing protection (-35 dB).
2. Yes
3. I shot about half a dozen different cans ranging in price from $600 to $1,400 (plus tax), and I decided on the YHM 7.62 Phantom with QD flash hider because a) I couldn't hear the difference between it and cans costing over twice as much, and b) I can only shoot one gun at a time, so the QD + multi calibre feature really appeals to me -- I shoot it on my AR10 as well.
A few notes:
1. A lot of sound comes back through the action. A suppressed AR-15 will seem louder than a bolt rifle with the same bbl length, ammo, and can.
2. Claims aside, I don't think we've metered a .223 suppressor that had a report of 130 dB or less (mil-spec procedure and meter).
The best reviews I've seen are at www.silencerresearch.com. Using M193, they've gotten a few down to 137db (14.5" M4), using subsonic they report 119 dB (suppressed) or so out of the same rifle. When you consider a hammer strike on an empty chamber of a Ruger 10-22 or Browning Buckmark is over 100dB, that's not too shabby.
I was referring to full power ammunition. 137 dB is not really hearing safe.
Can't you just cough at the same time as you pull the trigger? Like when you used to open a can of Mt Dew, under the desk, in English class in high school.
"There are no finger prints under water."
pretty much everyone that uses suppressors consistently shoots them without hearing protection. thats kind of the point. its not that loud. the only reason its still even that loud is because of the crack of the bullet due to speed. if you use subsonic, you basically get a click and a very soft muffled sound. sounds about like a 22. you really can't get any quieter due to simply physics. you either have a super sonic bullet and the crack that comes with it, or a sub sonic round with no crack. take your pick.
the suppressor helps drastically reduce the "boom" of the gases through the muzzle, but the only option to eliminate bullet noise is by shooting sub sonic. its not a video game.
I know a thing or two about silencers and sound meters.
Hearing damage is cumulative and irreversible. If you are unfamiliar with the sound-levels that cause hearing damage, do some research. Here's a quick link that gives an overview http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/wh...und-levels.php
while a suppressor does help reduce the sonic crack, a single shot such as one of those NEF's, bolt or lever actions where all the gas is vented through the muzzle end, will be much quieter than a semi.
semi's loaded with subs or regular velocity ammo still vent gas and sound back (or out) towards the shooter.
my bolts actions loaded with standard ammo using a DB meter are much quieter than the same load through my ar or ak.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote