So, in what seems like a never ending quest to expose my true ignorance, I am moved to ask: What's the deal with suppressors?

Do they really sound like a faint cough?
Do they change the POI when mounted / unmounted?
Do they need to be cleaned? Can they be cleaned?
How do they affect recoil?

I've ordered the ATF paperwork to apply for a C&R, but I'm trying to get a handle on whether they're worth the extra money.

I'd be grateful for any guidance or words of wisdom.

Cheers,
nacroswnd

This is my limited opinion after a lot of research and using a Gemtech Halo on an 18” AR for the last year or so in the field hunting predators and shooting varmints.

1. Any supersonic round is going to be loud because of the supersonic crack. A good suppressor knocks the muzzle blast down to a very tolerable level without the need for ear pro. Incidentally…if you rupture a primer in a gas gun, it’s still pretty loud! Subsonic centerfire and rimfire loadings can get stupid quiet. About like disconnecting an airhose from an air compressor.

2. All threaded and QD suppressors will change POI to some degree. Some of the newer mounting systems mitigate this to a degree. For the most part this POI change is fairly repeatable and consistent.

3a. As a general rule centerfire cans are not disassembleable and do not need to be cleaned.

3b. Rimfire cans get gunked up quick. Either they are disassembleable or you will need to send them back to the manufacturer to have them cleaned eventually. Sealed 22lr cans are going the way of the dodo bird.

4. A good rifle suppressor definitely cuts recoil. I have heard 50% tossed around. But I ain’t measured it. I know you can see the dust halo fly off a coyote at ~200yds with the scope set on 22x. I won’t get into centerfire pistol cans with recoil boosters as that is out of my scope of knowledge.

A few side notes:
The level of noise that the shooter hears “seems” much louder than if you are down range a ways. Semiautos only exacerbate this with ejection port noise.
I would not willingly hunt without a suppressor now that I have used one in the field (~150 days).
I see no valid reason to damage my hearing or the hearing of my dogs when a viable alternative is available. How long would you drive a luxury car with a hole in the muffler?
I have purchased a semitractor trailer full of shooting and hunting crap that wasn’t worth the box it came in. A good suppressor and $200 ATF tax stamp is some of the best money I have spent!
I can’t recommend a quality suppressor high enough.
If you live in a state where legal ownership isn’t legal…MOVE! I did.
If you can’t move then the least you can do is spend the money and get a GOOD set of electronic earmuffs. With Sordin’s being tier 1.

Just yesterday I ordered a 22Sparrow suppressor from Major Malfunction. It is a disassembleable 22lr can that will go on my MKII ruger and 10/22.

Hope this helps.

Strow,

Thanks for the comprehensive response.

It sounds like once you put a suppressor on and get it dialed in, there really isn't any reason to take it off.

Do you have one of S1's fancy anti-torque brakes installed under the can? It seems like even if the can cuts recoil substantially, having the anti-torque-ness would be helpful.

Did you have to change your load at all to accomodate the brake?

Thanks again,
nacroswnd.

The only reason I take the can off is to clean the barrel.

I don't have a can for the 6.5WSM that S1 built me with the anti-torque break. I have sure thought about it thought! What a LR hammer. Until I do, the 6.5 will collect dust. The OAL of a rig with a 29” barrel AND suppressor starts to become a hassle. Anyone who says it isn't hasn't had one in the field enough days.

The loads for the 18” AR were worked up with the suppressor attached. I have never fired a group with the suppressor off.

I think suppressors are a lot like quality glass, good triggers, BR quality reloading equipment, and rational women. Most people don't know that they don't know. Once you have used them it's REAL hard to see how you ever got along without them. You get spoiled quick...

Suppressors do affect the point of impact significantly because of their weight they have a dramatic affect on barrel harmonics. Put a CT Brake inside of a TacOps suppressor, and the recoil is gone, you can watch your 308 print holes in the paper at 100 yards. The flash is gone too, completely gone.