Suppressor

Several guns with suppressors attached

A suppressor, often called a "silencer" is a device used to make a gun less loud. Suppressors are most often added to the gun barrel, usually by screwing the silencer onto the end of the barrel. Some guns have a built-in suppressor.

Even though many people use the name "silencer" when talking about a suppressor, it does not really make the gun silent. How much quieter it makes the gun depends both on the cartridges and the suppressor. A suppressed gun usually is between 120 and 135 decibels (dB). This is much quieter than without the suppressor, but is still loud enough to cause hearing loss without protection such as earplugs. An unsuppressed firearm usually produces 140 to 165 dB. For comparison, a typical jackhammer produces about 130 dB.

In many places, suppressors are illegal to own except for the military and police. This is because suppressors make guns quieter and people worry this could help criminals commit crime.

In most states in the United States, suppressors are legal for civilians to own, but the National Firearms Act requires that buyers must go through a special background check and pay a $200 tax. Owning an untaxed suppressor is illegal, except for licensed class 3 firearms dealers, the military, and law enforcement.

Suppressor Media

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  A case of suppressors produced by Gemtech

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  cross section of a suppressor

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  Different Silencer designs

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  Revolver with suppressor. Gas can be seen escaping between barrel and cylinder

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  Cross-section drawing of a centerfire rifle suppressor, showing expansion chamber "reflexed" (going back around) the rifle barrel, and four sound baffles. The diffractor and baffles are carefully shaped to deflect gas.

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  Cross-section drawing of a rimfire rifle suppressor, showing short expansion chamber and thirteen plastic baffles. These baffles use alternating angled flat surfaces to repeatedly deflect gas expanding through the suppressor. In the actual suppressor, baffles are orientated at 90 degrees to one another about the axis of bullet travel. (The illustration does not demonstrate this well.)

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  Cross-section drawing of a pistol suppressor, showing expansion chamber wrapped around inner suppressor assembly, and four wipes. The bullet pushes a bullet-diameter hole through the wipes, trapping propellant gas behind it entirely until the bullet has passed through the wipe completely

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  Cross-section of a suppressor integral to the firearm

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  Firearm suppressor disassembled to show blast chamber, baffles, and sections of the outer tube