# Should silencers be illegal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 20, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031 "2015-06-20T21:45:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/21 "2015-06-22T15:02:13Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Other than hearing protection and killing people/animals quietly (their utility for which seems to be overblown), what is a supressor good for? Serious question. So aside from their primary purpose: - Reduced recoil - Reduced muzzle flash (which can reduce picking up and throwing around dirt/light debris when firing from the prone) There can be some slight accuracy improvement or degradation based on how the suppressor affects gas turbulence as the bullet exits. A bigger accuracy issue when fired by an actual person is anticipating the shot. that can result in flinching, jerking, overly tensing, etc. By reducing noise, recoil and flash it makes the actual shot less unpleasant make it easier to overcome the urge to prepare for it. That can produce accuracy improvements. In a home defense situation it can also mean less jump after the shot making it easier and quicker to realign sites and fire follow on shots. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/22 "2015-06-22T15:30:35Z")
Thanks. Couldn’t you accomplish the same thing just by using smaller caliber ammunition, though? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/23 "2015-06-22T15:54:58Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Not to disparage your question, but… so what? The impression I got from Bullitt’s response was that he was assuming I was someone who had never touched or fired a gun and had any number of misconceptions about them. I have, and I don’t. Whatever. I’mgoing to go with you are in a non-combat slot, have an absolutely minimal experience with guns, no experience with suppressors, and no more than a passing acquaintance with crossbows. I don’t think you “get it” either. You are entitled to your opinion on suppressors, but not all opinions are of equal worth. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/24 "2015-06-22T15:59:45Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Thanks. Couldn’t you accomplish the same thing just by using smaller caliber ammunition, though? The question shouldn’t be framed this way. The restriction needs the justification, not the other way around. But to go with this for a moment - smaller caliber ammunition is less effective. A suppresor would also help hearing protection during practice. Practice sessions could be 100, or 1000+ rounds fired. Reducing the amount of impact to hearing would be helpful to make practice sessions easier on the ears. Anything that makes practicing easier with little cost is a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/25 "2015-06-22T16:07:27Z")
I am asking from a practical point of view, rather than with a view to justifying a ban. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/26 "2015-06-22T16:19:17Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Thanks. Couldn’t you accomplish the same thing just by using smaller caliber ammunition, though? Muzzle flash washing out night adapted vision in say a home defense scenario is still an issue. Reducing power of ammunition helps the same issues but can make the round less effective. Whether that’s killing large game quickly and humanely or having a round with decent lethality for home defense, not all bullets are created equal. Less power isn’t an issue if you are just target shooting for fun It can be an issue if killing someone or some animal is the justification for squeezing the trigger. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/27 "2015-06-22T16:22:43Z")
Doesn’t the suppressor itself reduce the effectiveness of a round, though? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/28 "2015-06-22T16:31:38Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I am asking from a practical point of view, rather than with a view to justifying a ban. IF someone wants to own a handgun for personnel protection, and IF they feel that they need a certain caliber of projectile for “stopping power,” then that person should probably practice frequently. If a suppressor makes practice easier/safer/more convenient, then fine. Question for those who live in states where they are legal – do you see a lot of the guys at the range with them? I’ve never seen anyone actually using a suppressor, but I’m not sure if they’ve been legal anywhere I’ve been to a range. My gut feeling is that if they were legalized across the board, a few fanboys with tacticool ARs would run out and get them for plinking in the woods but your average gun range wouldn’t see much increase in their use, despite everyone here saying how awesome they are. But that’s just a hunch, I could be wrong and they could proliferate if legalized. Anyway, I don’t envision criminals lining up to get suppressors, so go ahead, legalize them. Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/29 "2015-06-22T16:33:41Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Doesn’t the suppressor itself reduce the effectiveness of a round, though? You’re adding weight to the end of the barrel where it’s going to affect the balance most. It may be harder to aim. Other than that, it’s a hollow tube with some baffles in it, it’s not going to affect the bullet’s travel. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/30 "2015-06-22T16:37:49Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > You are entitled to your opinion on suppressors, but not all opinions are of equal worth. What opinion do you think I’ve expressed on suppresors? And unless you’re a mod or admin, it turns out opinions on this board don’t have much objective worth at all. Feel free to arbitrarily weigh mine as you choose. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/31 "2015-06-22T16:53:32Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I am asking from a practical point of view, rather than with a view to justifying a ban. Well yes, that’s the in the vein of my answer - smaller rounds are less effective, and suppresors could make practice easier. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/32 "2015-06-22T17:08:22Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > What opinion do you think I’ve expressed on suppresors? > > And unless you’re a mod or admin, it turns out opinions on this board don’t have much objective worth at all. Feel free to arbitrarily weigh mine as you choose. Loook dude, you are the one who trotted out your 25 years in the Canadian Reserves like it gave your post added weight or was important to the topic under discussion. If you didn’t want questioned on it ,I guess you shouldn’t have brought it up. That’s how discussion boards work, including this one. As for playing whatever game of advanced redass you are working at in your last post, not interested. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/33 "2015-06-22T17:50:11Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Loook dude, you are the one who trotted out your 25 years in the Canadian Reserves like it gave your post added weight or was important to the topic under discussion. I explained why I did that - it was to dispel the idea that I thought was being implied that I was some kind of utter gun naïf who felt reflexive fear at the very subject of guns. I claim familiarity, not expertise. > [@](#): > > If you didn’t want questioned on it ,I guess you shouldn’t have brought it up. That’s how discussion boards work, including this one. Question me all you want; I love the attention. It doesn’t seem particularly relevant to this thread, though. > [@](#): > > As for playing whatever game of advanced redass you are working at in your last post, not interested. Huh, “advanced redass”. My vocabulary is enriched. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/34 "2015-06-22T19:35:08Z")
> [@filmstar-en](#): > > In the UK a guns and license to legally possess them are very difficult to obtain and the penalty for illegal possession is 5 years. You have to produce a lot of supporting evidence to prove you are a responsible person with good reason to possess a firearm. Personal protection does not count as a reason. Apparently, that is true in England, Wales, and Scotland, but in NI self defense (or defence) [is a valid reason](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_the_United_Kingdom#Northern_Ireland). > [@steronz](#): > > Question for those who live in states where they are legal – do you see a lot of the guys at the range with them? My usual range is in the desert, but I’ve never noticed one in “public.” IIRC they are one of the most common NFA items, as they are only a couple hundred bucks including stamp, whereas most FA firearms cost 5 figures minimum. But the process is onerous enough that most people won’t bother. > [@](#): > > My gut feeling is that if they were legalized across the board, a few fanboys with tacticool ARs would run out and get them for plinking in the woods but your average gun range wouldn’t see much increase in their use, despite everyone here saying how awesome they are. But that’s just a hunch, I could be wrong and they could proliferate if legalized. Sounds about right. Supposedly it is not hard to make your own (but a bit more than duct taping a soda bottle on!) and people do, but the penalty for doing it illegally is stiff. All it takes to saw off a rifle or shotgun is a hacksaw, yet if it were made non-NFA legal it would probably mean that the same niche group is now doing it a bit easier while everyone else doesn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/35 "2015-06-22T19:47:08Z")
I always thought that it was interesting that many countries (NZ off the top of my head) actually _require_ the use of sound suppressors when hunting. They were made NFA weapons in '34 because of their association with organized crime, but I don’t know how much of that is fact and how much of that was hysteria. I should also add that if you wanted to make a suppressor for nefarious purposes, at least for a .22, it is trivial. I don’t think the fact that they aren’t used in crime very often has to do with the fact that they are NFA weapons and illegal in many states. FWIW, Rob ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/36 "2015-06-23T00:23:22Z")
> [@ufel](#): > > Why make the neighbors listen to all those blasts as we practice our hunting and combat skills? I don’t know about you, but most people make mistakes. Considering this, I’d like to know if combat practice was going on near my house, so my family can reduce our chances of being accidentally shot. Also, fear of a negative reaction from unarmed neighbors might discouraged our armed neighbors from engaging in said practice. Less shooting would be, to me, to the good. And I make mistakes too. Normally I don’t go into game lands, and parks where hunting is allowed, during long gun hunting seasons. But hearing gun shots is a good reminder. See: [http://www.motherjones.com/print/219146](http://www.motherjones.com/print/219146) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/37 "2015-06-23T00:35:14Z")
> [@ufel](#): > > actually, they ARE legal to possess in 30 odd states, IF you pay a $200 fed tax and get fingerprinted, background check run, wait 6 months on this process, etc. What are those 30 states? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/38 "2015-06-23T00:49:15Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > What are those 30 states? Probably the quietest ones. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/39 "2015-06-23T01:41:49Z")
> [@sweeteviljesus](#): > > I always thought that it was interesting that many countries (NZ off the top of my head) actually _require_ the use of sound suppressors when hunting. > > They were made NFA weapons in '34 because of their association with organized crime, but I don’t know how much of that is fact and how much of that was hysteria. > > I should also add that if you wanted to make a suppressor for nefarious purposes, at least for a .22, it is trivial. I don’t think the fact that they aren’t used in crime very often has to do with the fact that they are NFA weapons and illegal in many states. > > FWIW, > Rob They’ve been illegal in Australia for a while but there are quite a few floating around and it’s not unusual to find .22’s that have been threaded to take them. I did a bit of shooting with them on a .22 rifle (Brno Model 5 bolt-action), mainly hunting rabbits and foxes. With high velocity ammo a silencer would reduce the noise slightly but it was still very loud and unmistakably a gunshot. Using subsonic ammo was a very different result. It really was like dry-firing the rifle, a click, a slight ‘phutt’ sound and you could clearly hear the sound of the projectile hitting the target. The main effect on shooting was the difference in impact point - if your rifle is sighted in for a particular brand of HV ammo at 50m and you start shooting subsonics your bullets won’t be hitting where your crosshairs are pointed. From memory I think at 50m it was about around an inch lower with our setup so you either adjust your scope when you switch ammo or just compensate a bit by aiming higher. I do recall using a silencer on my dads semi-auto .22 that when using subsonic ammo the action wouldn’t cycle. Presumably that is also one of the reasons for why some manufactures quote high decibel levels - you need to use a higher velocity round to cycle the action on handguns and heavier calibre rifles. ---
**Author:** ![filmstar-en](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@filmstar-en](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmstar-en)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031/40 "2015-06-23T11:42:07Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Apparently, that is true in England, Wales, and Scotland, but in NI self defense (or defence) [is a valid reason](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_the_United_Kingdom#Northern_Ireland). An interesting exception applying to a very small number of licenses (4%). [https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/142227/response/348514/attach/html/2/F%202012%2005119%20FOI%20response.pdf.html](https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/142227/response/348514/attach/html/2/F%202012%2005119%20FOI%20response.pdf.html) I am guessing weapons for personal protection are for politicians and officials who may be targeted by paramilitary groups. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-silencers-be-illegal/723031.md?page=3)