Question:
Can any gun be fitted with a silencer?
2013-06-29 10:27:52 UTC
If not, can you please give me an example of a newer pistol that can use a silencer? If their is a certain type that would help too.

P.S. sorry, this is probably a dumb question, but I am a girl, and 13, so I don't exactly know everything about guns!!!

Arigaito in advance! ^^
Eleven answers:
Harry
2013-06-29 14:10:38 UTC
Every answer here has a little truth, a little BS, or forgets a few minor details so ill throw in my answer.



My favorite answer is Gentlewolfs. In theory every gun can have a suppressor mounted to it. It may take removal of the front sight or replacing the barrel with a longer barrel so that the muzzle can be threaded. Once it's threaded you buy a suppressor with matching threads and screw it on. Not every gun will work effectively with a suppressor though. Here's why:



When a gun fires there are in fact 4 sounds:

1. The pop of the primer setting off the powder. This isn't really that loud.

2. The powder combusts from the primer and creates gases. These expanding gases is what pushes the bullet it out. When they leave the muzzle, you hear a sonic crack of the gases crashing into the atmosphere.

3. The sonic boom of the bullet breaking the sound barrier.

4. The bullet making impact on the target.



Sound #1 isn't that loud. Sound #3 will happen with or without a suppressor. The shooter needs to shoot subsonic ammo to prevent it. Sound #4 is negligible when suppressing gunfire to mask the shooters location.



Sound #2 is the purpose of the suppressor. It controls the expanding gases and prevents them from creating the massive sonic crack of them crashing on the outside atmosphere. Like Gentlewolf said, most revolvers are ineffective at being suppressed. It's due to the gases escaping through the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. The suppressor doesn't stop them. One revolver, the Nagant revolver from Russia, actually presses the cylinder into the barrel when it fires, sealing most of the gases inside of the barrel where they will be forced to fire out of the muzzle where the suppressor may be attached. I think in WW2, some countries actually experimented with suppressing this revolver.



And like others have said, you cannot fully silence a gun so its actually called a suppressor and silencers are just Hollywood myths.
gentlewolfspaws
2013-06-29 12:45:03 UTC
Q: "Can any gun be fitted with a silencer?"

A: In theory, yes. In practice, not all attempts are successful.



Revolvers are examples of guns that are useless to put a silencer on.

There is a gap between the cylinder and the barrel of the revolver. The hot gases and noise from firing a cartridge escape through this gap and defeat any benefits from fitting a silencer to the muzzle of the barrel.



There's no such thing as a dumb question. Such questions are merely starting points to begin the journey of learning what you want to know.
Glacierwolf
2013-06-29 10:46:03 UTC
I own several legal suppressors (silencers)



When a gun fires there can actually be two noises it makes. First, the big boom of the gun going off, and then a 'ballistic crack' if the bullet is going faster than the speed of sound. Almost all rifles and some pistol will make this very loud ballistic crack. If the bullet speed is under 1080fps it will not make this noise. Many pistols are under this, some are over, and some they make special ammo so it does not make this noise.



Almost every gun can be fitted with a suppressor - except a revolver..... because it has some noise the squeaks out the side between the cylinder and barrel when fired. If you put a stiff piece of cardboard next to the side of a 357 or 44 magnum revolver - it will punch a blow an oval hole in it!



Many 22 rifles and pistols are sold with threads for a suppressor - 22 suppressors are the most 'fun' and common because they are light weight - Walther P22, Ruger Mk3, etc - nice thing about having a suppressed 22 rifle - it is especially safe when you are hunting with young shooters...... you can talk normally between each other.



If a gun does not have threads - it's just a half hour job for a gunsmith to add them.



Bigger guns - need bigger and heavier suppressors. My 22 suppressor only weights about as much as a computer mouse. My big rifle model - weights almost as much as a half gallon of milk.
akluis
2013-06-29 10:43:44 UTC
In TV and movies a guy holds a regular gun and the screws a silencer on. This has nothing to do with reality.



in reality, you need to get ahold of a barrel that is longer than normal, and then have the end of this barrel threaded, and THEN you can put on a silencer.



heres a picture of a gun with a longer threaded barrel already installed



http://sgcusa.com/images/supporting_images_large/HK45C_Barrel_Kit_Threaded_B.jpg



This is what a threaded barrel looks like outside of the gun. Generally you buy the gun you want, you buy a new longer threaded barrel for it, and then you buy the silencer you want.



http://www.sgcusa.com/images/HK45_Barrel_Kit_Threaded_In_Stock_blog.jpg



Also, the REAL name of 'silencer' is 'suppressor' because while it makes a gun not ear splitting loud, it is still pretty noisey. (an unsuppressed gun if fired in a small room may well make you deaf for a few days)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8thHkut9vs



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oke_CHBoEag



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27IoEc9jgNk
2013-06-30 11:07:36 UTC
well any gun can be fitted, however not always readily fitted.

regular suppressor design require threads (like on a pipe) on the muzzle of the gun barrel to mount a suppressor

my suppressor designs are slip-on which requires 6-12 inches of free barrel space to mount a suppressor.



most handguns come without threads or a long free barrel. to mount a suppressor you'll need to do modifications or barrel replacement.



in conclusion, you can put a suppressor on anything, but sometimes it may require modifications.
dave
2014-01-31 16:24:47 UTC
It is a good question, I thinking of modernising a BSA .300 Sherwood and fitting one. Any gun can be fitted with one but you might not be able to get one for certain versions, unless you get an engineer or gunsmith to make you a one off which isn't cheap.
super61
2013-06-29 11:11:38 UTC
The Alaskan Blowhard should purchase a superior suppressor. Weighs almost as much as half a gallon of milk?? What's it made from cast iron? LMFAO.



I have a Wildcat Predator 8 that weighs 24oz, superior stainless steel and alloy. I guess these metals haven't reached Alaska.





Edit - 1/2 gallon of milk weighs approximately 64oz or 4lbs or 2kg. Rather a heavy muzzle you've got there Glacierpuke.
Falcon-Pro
2013-06-30 22:41:18 UTC
all I know , is that the best silencer is a home made device , made from an oil filter .



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t_pcWPdSDs





watch hickock45 ' s channel on youtube , he is the gun guru , ask him a question !
Karle
2013-06-29 15:13:25 UTC
no and yes.....yes you can pretty much make a extended threaded barrel for any firearm....but doesn't work on revolvers ( other than nagant)



modern pistols that can you can simply order a threaded barrel for are...glocks m&P, springfield, fn, etc....



modern rifle barrels can be threaded as well...
Fatefinger
2013-06-29 11:36:05 UTC
Not all of them. but many guns can be converted to take a suppressor.
Robert J
2013-06-29 10:39:22 UTC
In theory, yes - though the effectiveness depends very much on the type of weapon and ammunition.



Note that in many countries it is illegal to even possess a silencer for a firearm.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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