AR-15 Suppressor - worth it?

[RAnb]

Are you sure about that? How loud is the .223 unsuppressed?
I ask only because I was at a range one day and the fellow next to me had a suppressed AR15. It hardly made any noise - like a .22 rimfiire...or so it seemed.
Standard references put an unsuppressed gunshot at 140 db. That doesn't jive with your figures. A 30db reduction would still leave it pretty loud, though.

Check out the results here. They are several years old, silencers have improved, but unsuppressed guns have not gotten any louder. http://www.silencertests.com/results.htm

I think the only unsuppressed firearms using uncaptivated ammo that is less than 140 decibels is going to be a rifle using CB ammo. Even subsonic unsuppressed 22lr is more than 140 decibels.

140 decibels is generally the level as which short duration impulse noise is safe, but only for very limited exposures.

Ranb

[shooter_john]

I have an 8" .308 suppressor that I also use on one of my AR's. I find that shooting supersonic .223 is not at all uncomfortable without ear protection. It sounds very similar to high velocity .22 LR. My opinion... My suppressor has been worth every single penny paid.

[Poodleshooter]

Are you sure about that? How loud is the .223 unsuppressed?
I ask only because I was at a range one day and the fellow next to me had a suppressed AR15. It hardly made any noise - like a .22 rimfiire...or so it seemed.
Standard references put an unsuppressed gunshot at 140 db. That doesn't jive with your figures. A 30db reduction would still leave it pretty loud, though.
Pete

Pretty sure. Those figures are from silencerforum.com , which has extensive test results available.
Here's an example with a commonly found, high quality 5.56 suppressor:
http://www.silencerforum.com/reviews...-m4-2000-556mm

I define "quiet" as "not needing hearing protection".
An unsuppressed.22lr still makes my ears ring. Try sitting next to someone under an enclosed firing range firing a suppressed 5.56. Even a .22lr is loud under those circumstances. Now, sitting 50' away in an open field isn't too bad, but that's not what it's like as the shooter.
I've fired plenty of 5.56 with various suppressors (5.56 and 7.62 on everything from SBRs to 20" barrels), and don't recall a single one that didn't make my ears ring if I wasn't wearing hearing protection.
For reference, a subjectively "quiet" suppressor to me is my Spectre on a .22lr. That runs about 119db with standard velocity ammo. It sounds like a BB gun to my ears.

[bwsorge]

Check out leadfoot llc in Holdrege, Ne. Great cans, super quite. Look for videos on FB too.

[Mobuck]

"At this time, the following states allow private ownership of silencers:
AL, AR, AK, AZ, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, LA, ME, MD, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY. Of the six states which do not allow civilian ownership, CA, IA, KS, MA, MO, and MI allow class 3 dealers and class two manufacturers to possess silencers."

This list needs an update.
MO not only allows ownership, you can hunt with them here, also.

[agtman]

* * * This list needs an update.
MO not only allows ownership, you can hunt with them here, also.

Wow, you're right, this thread is dated. Michigan allows ownership now too.

Also, be advised that states that permit suppressor-hunting appear to divide into 2 groups: some states allow you to use a can as to all species of takable game, while others restrict hearing-safe hunting to certain species but not others.

As always, consult the game laws in your jurisdiction before heading afield.

[tirod]

One aspect that some of us have considered is the cost and the suppressor's effectiveness for the money spent.

About $1000 minimum for the actual silencer, Stamp, trust, and accessories to mount it. It only knocks down the noise of the one gun. When shooting it many still realize they need to wear hearing protection, and if on a public range, it's still no choice - the guys on the benches to left and right aren't necessarily using silencers on their guns.

So, you still have to include the cost of hearing protection and wear it anyway. This is the point where suppressor use effectively fails.

Most of the professional users of silencers wear muffs with communications and they often have electronic amplification with noise reduction, too. Military specification. A good pair of $100 range muffs can do just as well, filing the mandatory role they have shooting a silenced gun. You have to have something -

For the money, the $100 muffs silence ALL the guns, and you hear things better than you would with bare ears. Compare that reality to the cost of a silencer and it's extra weight and length added to a gun that was purposefully cut down to minimize barrel length to make it shorter in the first place.

What we have is an interest in silencers as a cool accessory, what reality offers is an answer that is ten times cheaper and much more effective. That is why some don't bother with Stamps or silencers. And we have $900 in discretionary income to spend on other things.

So, why do special units use silencers? To arrest the muzzle blast of the gun when working in very close proximity to each other, such as being stacked in an entry team maneuver at a doorway when shooting starts. It keeps them from injuring each other - and also note they wear eye protection, too. That is general issue in the military now, not just a cool option. You get eye pro and you are told to wear it like it or not.

It's not what we think it is when you drill down thru all the issues. Silencers aren't an all encompassing answer and won't solve all the problems.

[SR420]

I wish I had invested in one sooner.

I have a .30 caliber can that I run on 7.62x51, 7.62x39, and 5.56 rifles.

Subsonic ammunition is as close as I can get to Hollywood quiet.
* Don't use subsonic with a barrel that's longer than 20".

My 7.62x39 AKM cycles subsonic ... pew, pew, pew

[kraigwy]

Blacksky: Informative post, thank you.

I really don't know much about suppressors but I do know the suck when you are running a steel match and a guy shows up with a suppressed AR and goes through the stage and you find out his shots don't register on the shot timer.

[Mobuck]

"I have an 8" .308 suppressor that I also use on one of my AR's. I find that shooting supersonic .223 is not at all uncomfortable without ear protection. It sounds very similar to high velocity .22 LR. My opinion... My suppressor has been worth every single penny paid"

I agree with this post. Perception of noise is similar to what I've experienced. Shooting a suppressed .223 followed by a 10-22 w/18" barrel using HV ammo seems equal to me, both from the firing position and from 3' behind the firing point.


"Also, be advised that states that permit suppressor-hunting appear to divide into 2 groups: some states allow you to use a can as to all species of takable game, while others restrict hearing-safe hunting to certain species but not others."

This is true. I went directly to the regional MO Dept of Cons office for my info since it's not published anywhere I could find. According to them, it's totally legal to use a suppressor for ANY species. I think you still should carry a copy of your stamp at ALL times.

[johnwilliamson062]

556 is roughly 160-170 decibels. The best earplugs drop about 35 decibels. Many reduce less and some as little as 16db. That leaves 125 decibels to 154db. Speak to an Otolarynologist about how safe repeated exposure to 125+ decibels is for your hearing.

I use plugs and muffs when at the range no matter what I am shooting because of the constant noise from others. Alone I usually just use one. It would be great to have further reduction and retain my ability to hear other things though. If I was shooting more I would definitely get one.

[AK103K]

I have an AAC M4-2000 5.56 suppressor I use on a couple of my AR's and one of my bolt guns. It works quite well at eliminating the muzzle blast (AAC claims 95-97%, and Im guessing its pretty close, considering my ears). The sound of the round going down range varies with the distance. The closer the target, the less noticeable it seems.

My hearing isnt the greatest as it is, years of loud repetitive noises, both in fun and at work, have taken their toll. I can shoot my suppressed AR, off the floor of my carport, with no hearing protection what so ever, and my ears dont ring at all. A .22lr fired from the same spot, and I my hearing will be severely muted for a couple of days. I get the same results as the M4-2000 with my 9mm pistols in the same spot, without the sonic crack downrange.

[agtman]

I have an AAC M4-2000 5.56 suppressor I use on a couple of my AR's and one of my bolt guns.

Does your M4-2000 can "wobble" on the AAC 51t mount?

Does it affect the accuracy of your ARs beyond 100yds?

[AK103K]

No, no wobble.

Once in awhile, it does feel like it might have loosened up, but thats just normally one "click" in the ratchet. Whether it was me not getting it completely tight or not, I cant say. I did talk to them about it, and they said as long as it was on as far as it would go, its not an issue.

Accuracy is good, but with one of my AR's and the bolt gun, POA/POI is different with/without the can.

[DoctorDeath]

In my opinion, not at all. I will never buy a suppressor for a 5.56 chambered anything. If you want to get one, I would just get a 300 BLK upper. If I ever own one it will be for a 300 BLK or .45 pistol.

[dean1818]

To me the value is in hunting.....

My AR is 6.8 (not 223)

Ear protection at night is a pain, when I am trying to locate the sound coming from Mr Pig.

The sound coming off of a supersonic round is greatly diminished when fired through a can. Probably not the best thing for my ears, but 1 or 2 shots from a can is probably MUCH less than the years when I was growing up shooting shot guns and rifle without any hearing protection. (no one I knew, used ear protection back then)

The hours of "Back in black" and other songs at full volume probably didnt help as well

I will probably get a can in the next 12 months

[wilkerr1]

Love this thread. Making my itch much worse. Can't wait for ATF to approve my tax stamp for a 7.62 Omega, which I intend on putting on my 5.56 ARs. The sad thing is I will probably get my stamp before I get the muzzle brakes which I ordered at the same time as the suppressor.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

This article helps explain why supressors can be helpful to your health:
http://www.gunsandammo.com/gun-cultu...ng-protection/

That becomes even more important when you understand that the NRR on hearing protection doesn't represent the actual noise reduction at the ear.
http://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/...how-prevent-it

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Not worth it---the rifle will still be loud.

Now a rifle in .22LR with a suppressor is a whole different story.