Thread: Test fire: shooting through tape on a suppressor

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

Send mythbusters an email


Any one here have access to a high speed video camera ?

Been well proven on a bare barrel its a pure myth that tape affects a bare barrel due to the fact of the high pressures.As for a suppressor theres not as many examples around but all the ones that are confirms the same thing. Just because a suppressor reduces the pressure of the gases by quite a lot doesn't mean the tape is going to have a effect. The amount of pressure required to blow of even tough tape like duck tape isn't much and because the suppressor is only going to reduce the pressure to a certain degree its not going to be enough to stop it blowing off tape, no matter what tape you use. Crazyman test was questionable..no proof the tape didn't blow off (maybe poor shooting or other factor lol

Thanks! Nice post

Originally Posted by deer243

Crazyman test was questionable..no proof the tape didn't blow off (maybe poor shooting or other factor lol

LOL Clearly you haven't met Gavin

Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg

LOL Clearly you haven't met Gavin

Should I say it must of been other factors then than the shooting abililty or the tape Only because that be the only case anyone seen that suggests it was the tape and he stated he missed the target completely which I find hard to believe the cause was the tape with the projectile hitting it...plus was this a one off and what calbre and speed etc etc. Anyone show us the evidence out there that using a 223 or bigger with tape on a suppressor it reduces the pressure so much that it cant even break some tape and then causes it to shoot crap. Many have tried, all have failed as suppressors only reduce pressure so much and its not low enough not to break the tape and cause the projectile to hit it then end up not accurate ( Plus of cause the bigger the Cal the more pressure so even more unlikely as you move up Cals)

cite some of these 'many' things you keep going on about so I can read em would ya

Looking at the amount of air that would be pushed out of the barrel before the bullet arrives:

............barrel .........suppressor
d (mm)...7....... ......32
r..............3.5 .......... 16
r sq 12.3 256.0
pi 3.1 3.1
area 38.5 804.2
length.....600............100 (not counting the overbarrel part )
vol (ml) 23.1..........80.4

The volume of air from the bore is about 23 mL and the suppressor is about 80 mL so the most overpressure I'd expect is about 1/4 atmosphere. The suppressor is designed to absorb and retain extra gas too.
My hypothesis was that the tape could be partly pushed away, maybe still floating in the air in front of the muzzle and the bullet would cut it like say striking a small leaf in the way.
I should have looked for the 5 bits of blown off tape in front of the firing point but didn't think of it at the time. Perhaps they were incinerated by the muzzle blast !

We have to be a bit careful using logic stacked onto our imperfect understanding of the world to predict stuff. In this case, fortunately, it wasn't too hard to test n=5 shots. Perhaps if we tried 100 shots we might find a few that were affected. It would be interesting to see results of other peoples' tests.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

Looking at the amount of air that would be pushed out of the barrel before the bullet arrives:

............barrel .........suppressor
d (mm)...7....... ......32
r..............3.5 .......... 16
r sq 12.3 256.0
pi 3.1 3.1
area 38.5 804.2
length.....600............100 (not counting the overbarrel part )
vol (ml) 23.1..........80.4

The volume of air from the bore is about 23 mL and the suppressor is about 80 mL so the most overpressure I'd expect is about 1/4 atmosphere. The suppressor is designed to absorb and retain extra gas too.
My hypothesis was that the tape could be partly pushed away, maybe still floating in the air in front of the muzzle and the bullet would cut it like say striking a small leaf in the way.
I should have looked for the 5 bits of blown off tape in front of the firing point but didn't think of it at the time. Perhaps they were incinerated by the muzzle blast !

We have to be a bit careful using logic stacked onto our imperfect understanding of the world to predict stuff. In this case, fortunately, it wasn't too hard to test n=5 shots. Perhaps if we tried 100 shots we might find a few that were affected. It would be interesting to see results of other peoples' tests.

I cant really believe the pressure is just enough to do what you say and have bits of it in the way striking the projectile on the way out. Unless you have prove of that its a very questionable theory. I have seen slow motion pictures of a rifle with a suppressor(without tape ) showing the blast and gases out the muzzle with the projectile exiting the muzzle. Theres still plenty of air pressure forward of the projectile which any tape is going to be well clear of the barrel entance when the projectile exits the barrel. Don't you think if covering a suppressor if there was any issue it would be well out there in the gun world and the net as many people cover their barrel end to stop crap getting in. Its well known that taping a barrel theres no effect and it seems with the few reports out there with suppressors its the same and is grouped all under taping the end of your barrel.

Of interest is that your control group is larger than your taped group, hence we can conclude that homos that have suppressors on their hunting rifles have a fault induced by the world's most useless shooting accessery that is corrected with a bit of sellotape. You should put more sellotape on and see if the groups get progressively better. People will now start crying when their sellotape starts peeling off in the rain wrecking their accuracy. We will have threads about which sellotape is more stickier.

Originally Posted by Carlsen Highway

Of interest is that your control group is larger than your taped group, hence we can conclude that homos that have suppressors on their hunting rifles have a fault induced by the world's most useless shooting accessery that is corrected with a bit of sellotape. You should put more sellotape on and see if the groups get progressively better. People will now start crying when their sellotape starts peeling off in the rain wrecking their accuracy. We will have threads about which sellotape is more stickier.

check your heteronormative paradigm

Ah, that's not even a real word. I cant help it if suppressors are fashion accessories. You guys need to work it through and find your manhood as individuals.

It's a neologism.

Your giving me a headache. Stop with the words.

If suppressors were used purely for utility and practicality, then people would be fitting them onto old .303's regardless of cost. But they don't. Because its impossible for an old .303 to be modern and cool, ie - fashionable. Suppressors are fashion statements. I will accept their use if you shoot over a dog, or if you shoot on small properties in the UK. Otherwise your just a teenage girl. Yes that includes Crazyman. And you! You know who you are. All of you goddamit. No exceptions.

Ah you do come up with some good ones now and then CH

Originally Posted by Carlsen Highway

Your giving me a headache. Stop with the words.

If suppressors were used purely for utility and practicality, then people would be fitting them onto old .303's regardless of cost. But they don't. Because its impossible for an old .303 to be modern and cool, ie - fashionable. Suppressors are fashion statements. I will accept their use if you shoot over a dog, or if you shoot on small properties in the UK. Otherwise your just a teenage girl. Yes that includes Crazyman. And you! You know who you are. All of you goddamit. No exceptions.

I don't care about your opinions on suppressors, I'm talking about the homophobia