Suppressor facts reading list

[AlanM]

Strange thoughts bubble up in my head all the time. Usually causing me to do a mini research project.
Today's thought of the day was, "How many times have "silencers" been documented as being used in crimes and what are the benefits of using them?"

Here's my list so far:
A Democrat's guide to why firearm sound suppressors ("silencers") should be made easier to obtain. Monday Nov 05, 2007
The author stresses that suppressors are hearing protection devices.

Why are gun silencers not used extensively among criminals?
Not really "silent", expensive, big, therefore can't be hidden. Require prior installation, this is, not a spur of the moment thing.

Benefits of Using Suppressors for Hunting and Shooting Sports
pdf from National Shooting Sports Foundation®

Criminal Use of Firearm Silencers Western Criminology Review 8(2), 44–57 (2007)
pdf of scholarly paper. Data covers 1995-2005. Verbose, but had some good information and stats.


THE OTHER SIDE:

Firearm Silencers Threaten Public Safety, New VPC Study Finds
And, of course, the other view point. Pick a desired outcome and do research to prove that point.
Six incidents 2011 through 2016.

Gunmakers and the NRA Bet Big on Silencers. What Could Go Wrong? Mother Jones MAR. 19, 2013

[WRW]

Of the six incidents, four involve firing a weapon. Two were posession/manufacture.

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[Mindflayer]

I recently educated a non-gunner on silencers. He was amazed by how big they were and was genuinely puzzled how Hollywood portrayed a pistol with a silencer as being something someone pulled from a holster. When presented with the reality he was genuinely concerned that most of what he heard about guns was bullshit.

I'm taking him shooting soon.

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[AlanM]

Lately I happened to watch the Dirty Harry movie "Magnum Force" on Dish and I noticed that a vigilante motorcycle cop used a "silencer" on a 357 magnum revolver with really quiet results.

The pointer on my BS meter bent.

They're rerunning old "Night Court" episodes right now on one of the Dish channels.
There was an episode where an old married couple were hired killers and the old woman pulled a silenced revolver out of her purse and waved it around.

SIGH!!!


On that note, I wonder what a gunsmith would do/say if you brought in a .357 to him and asked him to thread the barrel.

[WRW]

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009 ... -revolver/

The comments are worth reading.

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[bali]

If you know how, you can make an effective .22lr suppressor and 22 handgun into a 9" package. Start with a 3" barrel on a Berretta M21 Bobcat. the gun is then 5.5" long. If you know to sleeve the can, have an underchamber and run it "wet", it's plenty quiet enough. You'll also need to add a metal "cap" to the top rear of the slide. The M21's slide is too light, letting it "blow open" too soon. Then a lot of noise escapes the ejection port. The steel cap also gives you enough metal to cut a dovetail for a real rear sight.

A piece of "t" iron can be shaped into a ramped, serrated front sight, and silver brazed onto the front-top of the "can", and then you'll have something that will group 2" at 25 yds and is no louder than a very mild handclap.