There is a recent law journal article available online that discusses the use of "silencers." The author looked at offenses in the federal court system and in the California court system. Two brief quotes:
Talking about the federal system:
Quote:
Comparing the silencer conviction data with ordinary
firearm conviction data shows that guns “equipped
with a silencer” are only one-third as likely to be used to
kill or injure, one-half as likely to be actively employed,
and one-half as likely to be used by someone with a prior
record. Guns equipped with a silencer, rather than being
more dangerous and more likely to be used by professional
criminals or repeat offenders, are far less dangerous
and less likely to be employed by professional criminals.
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Turning to California:
Quote:
Finally, 22 percent of defendants in silencer prosecutions
had a criminal record, while 49 percent of those prosecuted
in California for crimes involving ordinary unsilenced
firearms had a criminal record (see Table 5).
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For more information, check out
http://wcr.sonoma.edu/v08n2/44.clark/clark.pdf