{"id":399011,"date":"2023-05-19T13:00:22","date_gmt":"2023-05-19T18:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/?p=399011"},"modified":"2023-05-18T15:59:29","modified_gmt":"2023-05-18T20:59:29","slug":"are-suppressors-really-whisper-quiet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/are-suppressors-really-whisper-quiet\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Suppressors Really Whisper Quiet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all seen it on TV or in the movies: The bad guy slips into the room, hugging the shadows. He glides up behind his target, gloved hands raising the pistol, with a conspicuously long suppressor, and quietly puts two rounds into whomever he\u2019s after. The soft \u201cphhhttt\u201d sounds are barely audible. He then leaves the way he came with no one the wiser. Except, of course, his victim. But how realistic is that? Are suppressors really that quiet? Well, yes and no. There\u2019s more to that question than might be obvious. So, let\u2019s take a brief look at suppressors, how they work, and how effective they might be.<\/p>\n

\"Suppressed
Is this really as quiet as Hollywood portrays? (silencerco.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is a suppressor?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When a gun is fired, the cartridge\u2019s exploding gunpowder creates super-hot gas that forces itself out of the muzzle with the projectile. That gas escaping all at once, combined with the bullet\u2019s sonic boom as it crosses the sound barrier, creates the loud bang that assaults your ears.<\/p>\n

A suppressor, or \u201csilencer,\u201d slows down that gas with a series of baffles, cooling it so the noise is considerably reduced. Depending on the gun, caliber, and cartridge, most suppressors reduce the noise signature by 15 to 35 decibels. That may not sound like a big deal, but it is because of how decibels work.<\/p>\n

The Decibel Scale<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Decibels are not measured in a linear sense. I pretty much flunked math, but a very basic explanation is they increase in a logarithmic fashion, even though our perception of them is different from that. So, a difference of even three or four decibels can make a big difference.<\/p>\n

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says that the 140-decibel line marks the upper limit of \u201chearing safe.\u201d That doesn\u2019t mean 140 is always comfortable, but it is supposedly safe for your ears. Just for reference, the loudest rock concert on record was 143 decibels. Some concerts in the 130 range have caused bits of the ceiling to rain down on the audience. The average is 115. The average jet engine at takeoff is 140. I don\u2019t know if those are valid comparisons, given the sustained nature of a concert or engine versus the instantaneous sound of a shot being fired, but you get the idea.<\/p>\n

What is a firearm\u2019s normal decibel range?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Well, that depends on the cartridge, the load, the gun itself, and whether you\u2019re in an enclosed environment. A 9mm pistol firing in a hallway seems far louder than the same gun firing on an open range. But we can look at averages to get an idea. Here\u2019s a chart of common sounds:<\/p>\n

\"Decibel
Notice how decibels increase in a curve, instead of a straight line.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now, here are some common calibers and firearms for comparison:<\/p>\n