ARE SUPPRESSORs ALWAYS HEARING SAFE?
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Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy wanted to go over suppressors and whether or not they are truly hearing safe. Our objective today is to provide a brief overview of suppressors, how they relate to decibels, velocities, and other
ammunition traits and whether or not they can truly be considered hearing safe. Without further ado, let’s talk suppressors.
What is a Suppressor?
Suppressors are popular firearm accessories designed to suppress or reduce the signature of a firearm. While most people associate suppressors with sound reduction and suppression, these devices also work to reduce the overall signature of a firearm. Potential muzzle flash and directional auditory clues are also tamed by the addition of a suppressor, further reducing the shooter’s overall signature when fired. Suppressors will also aid in reducing muzzle rise and recoil.
Suppressors are produced for a variety of firearms such as pistols, rifles, subguns, and even shotguns. Many suppressors will cover multiple calibers, adding to the versatility of an individual unit. Many first-time suppressor purchasers will acquire a .30 caliber or .45 caliber suppressor to cover a wide variety of rounds they may shoot. For example, some .30 caliber suppressors, such as the Surefire 300 SPS, will accommodate calibers up to
.300 Winchester Magnum and will easily handle
.223 Remington,
.308 Winchester, and
.300 Blackout. Suppressors come many shapes and sizes, with shorter suppressors generally being louder than their longer counterparts. This is mainly due to the fact that there are more baffles in the baffle stack of longer suppressors. Simply put, more baffles equate to better sound reduction.
These units are also often referred to as “silencers” due to the public’s perception of them as being primarily used for sound suppression. While suppressors do in fact reduce the noise of gunshots, they do not completely eliminate them by any means. Their effectiveness in this regard has been greatly exaggerated in films and other media. Very rarely does a suppressor actually render a firearm “Hollywood quiet.” Typically, suppressors will experience something referred to as “first round pop,” a phenomenon where the first round fired tends to be louder than the subsequent shots. Things such as fouling and shooting a suppressor “wet” can also influence the sound and tone of a suppressor.
All in all, suppressors are becoming more and more common in use with shooters of all types. Everyone from professional hunters, armed personnel, and recreational shooters use these popular accessories. While they generally are not as quiet as they are on the silver screen, suppressors certainly have utility and will serve shooters well.
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Decibels – What Are They Why Do They Matter?
The term “decibel” refers to a unit of measure which is used to measure sound levels. The term is commonly denoted as “dB” for simplicity. Simply put, the higher the decibels, the louder and more intense the sound is.
When it comes to our hearing, humans can safely be exposed to decibel levels of 70 or below without risking hearing damage. Everything louder than this figure can potentially lead to irreparable hearing loss depending on the noise level and length of exposure. Discomfort typically occurs over the 100-110 decibel mark. The threshold for permanent hearing damage is said to be 140 decibels, for our context, it is important to know how this applies to shooting. Rimfire firearms can produce a report of 140 decibels while larger bore fire arms can generally produce reports of over 175 decibels. The exact level of noise produced by a firearm is dependent upon many factors such as the barrel length,
ammunition traits such as velocity and caliber, and by muzzle devices such as brakes.
As mentioned earlier, suppressors are intended to tame the report of a firearm and reduce things such as sound and flash signature. Suppressors are generally capable of reducing the noise of a gunshot by about 25-30 decibels. This may not seem like a huge number, but this reduction may get the decibel level to just under the point of severe and permanent potential hearing loss. This reduction can also be improved by the use of subsonic
ammunition.
At the end of the day, the frequency and intensity of a sound is going to be the deciding factor of whether or not something is hearing safe. If immediate discomfort or pain isn’t felt, it doesn’t necessarily mean that damage isn’t being done. Something can be “comfortable” for a limited amount of time before it becomes uncomfortable. To be safest, one should exercise caution and make efforts to preserve their hearing, ensuring that they don’t take risks and potentially damage their hearing needlessly.
Velocity Matters – Subsonic vs Supersonic
One will find loadings in both subsonic and supersonic velocities. These loadings come in rimfire, pistol, and rifle form and are available in many popular calibers such as
.22 Long Rifle,
9mm Luger, and
.300 Blackout. Most of the time, subsonic
ammunition is going to be clearly marked and denoted on the boxes of
ammunition. Generally speaking,
ammunition will be of the supersonic variety unless it is marked otherwise.
Generally, 1,100 feet per second (FPS) is the threshold by which one can determine whether a round is subsonic or supersonic. Everything below this velocity is considered subsonic while everything which meets or exceeds 1,100 FPS is going to be supersonic. Granted, this value can be influenced by things such as barrel length as well. Generally speaking, we don’t always know what firearm was used to chronograph boxed
ammunition unless it is explicitly stated. This is why velocities on
ammunition boxes may or may not be completely representative of the exact velocities you will actually achieve at the range.
As mentioned above, a firearm’s barrel length can influence the velocity of certain calibers and loadings. For example, firearms such as the Ruger Mk IV with a 4.4” barrel pair very well with standard velocity
.22 Long Rifle loadings. This is because standard velocity
.22 Long Rifle offerings will generally remain in subsonic velocity ranges when fired out of such a short barrel. This makes threaded Ruger pistols of this type a favorite among suppressed shooters.
Simply put, subsonic
ammunition is more conducive to suppressor use than supersonic
ammunition is. Supersonic
ammunition will certainly work and function when paired with a suppressor, but the
ammunition will not work with the suppressor to lower the total signature of the gunshot. Subsonic loadings however, do have the potential to be in the hearing safe range or below the threshold of permanent hearing damage. Many popular calibers, such as
9mm Luger and
5.56x45mm NATO, tend to be mainly available in supersonic loadings. This is not to say that subsonic loadings are unobtainable, just that they are more common in supersonic form. Many shooters will simply shoot standard
ammunition through their suppressors due to ease of access. This practice, however, does not yield hearing safe results.
Some Cartridges Suppress Better Than Others
Some cartridges are simply better suited to suppression than others. Cartridges such as the
.38 Special and
.45 ACP tend to be naturally subsonic and well-suited for suppressor use. With these cartridges, one will not need to go out of their way to find a subsonic loading to optimize their suppressed shooting experience. Naturally subsonic rounds will also have the potential of being hearing safe depending on the caliber.
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A Case for Still Wearing Ear Protection
The presence and use of a suppressor does not completely and effectively eliminate the need for ear protection. Obviously, a suppressor will only work on the gun that it is presently on. This will not account for other guns around the shooter which are not suppressed. If the shooter is using supersonic
ammunition, the report will still be loud and within the range of unsafe decibel levels.
A good set of ear protection is still worth keeping with you when shooting. Electronic ear protection allows shooters to retain both the ability to clearly hear while also protecting one’s hearing. These types of ear protection feature microphones and technologies that dampen loud sounds and make softer sounds more audible. Simply put, an end user wearing ear protection of this type will be able to conversate with others and hear range commands while also protecting their hearing.
Our sense of hearing is easily lost and can not be replenished once damage has been done. In many cases, it is still worth it to continue to use ear protection when shooting, especially when others are involved. As mentioned above, suppressors do not negate the need and utility of ear protection. Think of a good pair of ear protection as just another way to protect and preserve your hearing. There may be times you don’t have your suppressor and ear protection is necessary.
Conclusion
All in all, suppressors are effective tools that shooters can use to reduce the overall signature and report of their firearm. While the public’s perception of the effectiveness of these tools has been deluded by popular media, they are still effective and worthwhile investments. In the same way a quality suppressor will serve you well, you will also be well-served by a quality set of ear protection. While there are certainly times one can shoot suppressed firearms within a decibel range which will not cause immediate and permanent damage, it should ultimately be done in moderation. There are certainly more cases where a set of ear protection will serve you better than a suppressor. While the right suppressor with the right loadings can certainly be quiet, this is not always the case. Ear protection will always still have its place. As always, happy shooting.
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