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Thanks Tom, but that really did not answer my question on "why use them" I know they are legal to hunt with. If they do not rob performance then why do you need to turn up a gas block when using them ? I have never seen anyone, not , kill a deer because they did not have one. Or are they just the latest fad? And don't get me wrong, I have no problem with them, to each his own. I was just wondering why?
 
Thanks Tom, but that really did not answer my question on "why use them" I know they are legal to hunt with. If they do not rob performance then why do you need to turn up a gas block when using them ? I have never seen anyone, not , kill a deer because they did not have one. Or are they just the latest fad? And don't get me wrong, I have no problem with them, to each his own. I was just wondering why?
The biggest advantage of a suppressor is simply reducing or possibly (in some cases) eliminating the need for hearing protection in most sporting situations. In tactical situations there are a few other benefits, but the average shooter is not going to need them for those reasons (except in a home defense situation), suppressors do not contribute to better accuracy (but they can certainly hurt make it worse), in order the make the most of them the gun, the ammo, and the suppressor need to be a "system" and tuned to work together.
 
I have several suppressors. When shooting supersonic ammo it is a little quieter. Not so much with 5.56. But with my 30.06 it is noticeably quieter. Mostly because it knocks down the muzzle blast. What I find the best ammo and caliber combo is subsonic .22 LR. I can shoot pistols in my garage and no one, even in the house hears it. In my 10/22 all you hear is the hammer fall. It is quieter than my PCP air gun. The pigeons never hear it coming. And incase you are wondering it is very rural here.
 
Thanks Tom, but that really did not answer my question on "why use them" I know they are legal to hunt with. If they do not rob performance then why do you need to turn up a gas block when using them ? I have never seen anyone, not , kill a deer because they did not have one. Or are they just the latest fad? And don't get me wrong, I have no problem with them, to each his own. I was just wondering why?

Don't mistake needing to tune the machine with loss of performance. Gas guns have several issues when changing ANY part of the system. Think of it like this.....ever hear one of those Fast and Furious Wanna B cars downshift and pop-pop-pop? That's because they changed something in a finely tuned and balanced system and didn't recalibrate. Same thing with altering a gas gun......can't change one thing in the gas system without re-balancing the operation of the machine! Bolt actions, lever guns, break actions, etc. have none of those issues. Autoloading pistols have their own issues adapting to using a can.....but it's nothing that hasn't been figured out already, cheaply, and readily available. Heck, we even suppress shotguns!

Like anything else that you put on the muzzle of a gun, it will (likely) alter the POA/POI relationship....but you re-zero the sights/scope to compensate. And/or you change the ammo. WHY you're using a suppressor defines the parameters of WHAT you do to get the performance result you're looking for.

I've got 30+ years owning suppressors, on all sorts of platforms from cheap to exclusively expensive, I have YET to legitimately see a can 'rob' performance short of poor installation, non-concentric threads causing off axis bores, or baffle strikes.

But you're right, it won't turn a hit into a miss, or a miss into a hit.

And if by 'latest fad' you mean readily available over the last 30 years, increasing exponentially in ownership over the last 20-ish, and ESPECIALLY the last 10 years as technology and mass production has made them cheaper, more robust, better engineered, and faster to produce........then yes. :)

As to recoil and muzzle blast, you're feeling it and hearing it, but your body takes precautions for momentary issues......but the damage IS being done. Over time, it adds up.

For those of us who shoot orders of magnitude more than 'average', suppressors are another tool to mitigating long term hearing damage. Appropriate for some, not so for others.

Also, I use my suppressors when introducing new shooters to firearms. The reduced recoil and muzzle blast often allows many folks to 'ease' into shooting with greater confidence, which often allows for an environment of better safety.
 
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Hi Tom, thanks for your reply. I have never seen a silencer in the woods nor even at the range. I just put a new brake on an AR and it shifted POI to about 11 o clock. Re zero and all was good.
As far as fad goes, I did not even know they were available 30 years ago. Guess I have been in the woods way up north for far to long. But you know, I kind of think that's a good thing :)
 
When in South Africa the PH had a couple rifles with suppressors. The ones that are made there are big and heavy but are not expensive. When we were hunting the suppressor was left in the truck because it’s heavy and drags on overhead branches.
If you have permits to own a gun a suppressor is pretty much walk in and buy it.
 
I have used my suppressed .22 pistol to help teach new shooters. No loud noise or sharp recoil to scare them. They learn marksmanship before the big scary part of a center fire pistol.

And then you turn them loose with my Contender with a 10" .445 SuperMag barrel. People that shoot it, seldom shoot it more than once. We;ve run people off from near us at an *outdoor* range. It's one of the loudest, highest recoil calibers I've ever had the misfortune to touch off. And that's with a *mid* range load. No way am I going to push the limit!
 
Bought a model 1894 made in 1900 in .30WCF. 26” octagon barrel. Making payment arrangements then anxiously awaiting delivery to FFL. Pics will come after hands are laid upon said item…
So for those not knowledgeable of old cartridge names....you got a .30-30 Winchester lever action. I do like some of the old names of cartridges though, they sound like they fit that era. The 1894 is probably the most produced lever gun of all time, a few million were made.
 
Yup. Always wanted a 1894 in .30-30. Back years ago a fellow was gonna sell me a brand new 94 for a hundred dollars, because he was sure it misfired. Showed up with cash in hand and he bails on the sale, saying his son wants the gun… :questions:
So at least this one is much more interesting.
 
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