Thread: Why have a suppressor?

Originally Posted by Tentman

Wouldn't have a suppressor on me nose for a wart - let alone one on a centre-fire hunting rifle for bigger game, they bugger up the balance (unless you cut the barrel short enough to hugely reduce velocity), they look stupid, you can't have a fore sight (unless you want to hunt with a AR), and they are not that effective at either reducing noise (to the shooter/bystander, I have participated in tests that demonstrated this) or to game as Sneeze and others point out.

Just another fashion accessory marketed on dodgy science to a gullible public (in this case gun owners) as the "new cool". However they have been a goldmine to gun plumbers who've been able to thread the hundreds of rifles and thereby improving the collector value of the unmolested ones - so its an ill wind that blows no good.

And as for your hearing, wear earmuffs on the range ( secondary effect, yes you will shoot better if the perceived noise/muzzleblast is moderated) and when hunting don't ever put yourself in a position where you might cop muzzle-blast. I spent 3 years in the artillery, don't think I saw that many gunners wearing ear-muffs (I never did) and I still have good hearing.

Even the most ineffective suppressor on the market will reduce the sound by 10-20db, that in itself reduces perceived sound by 1/2 - 3/4, far from "not that effective".