Silencer arrived

[davidkachel]

A couple of days ago I got a phone call from a the local gun shop telling me my tax stamp had arrived from BATF.
I scooted on over there (all they have is modern guns so this is no doubt the first and last thing I'll buy from them; nice people, but I just don't give a hoot about combat tupperware) and picked up my suppressor. I already had the Walther P22 and green laser sight.

As I've never owned a silencer and always wanted one (I grew up with James Bond movies in the 60's), I couldn't wait and tried it out in the basement (don't tell anyone, shhh!).

Even standing next to close walls on two sides it was no louder than a half-charged pellet gun, if that much.
Very cool!

Now all I need is some warmer weather so I can rent an Aston Martin and go jackrabbit hunting in a tuxedo with a flask of martinis (shaken, not stirred).

If any of you guys have been tempted to get a silencer (to hell with correct terminology, "silencer" is just so much cooler than "suppressor"), they are a kick. Indulge yourself and get it.

If any of you are passing through Utah and want to give one a try, give me a ring and tell Ms. Moneypenny you're here. We'll go out for a few hours and have some fun.

[var99]

HI David,

Did you use sub-sonic .22 ammo with the silencer?

Vince

[davidkachel]

Originally posted by var99
HI David,

Did you use sub-sonic .22 ammo with the silencer?

Vince

No. I was going to buy some while at the store, but was late picking up my oldest son, so I put it back.
I used some bulk ammo I had lying around and a few Stingers... no problem with either and no apparent supersonic effect.
I've read a few reports of problems with subsonic ammo in the P22 with regard to jamming, but intend to try it anyway. I also read somewhere that one fellow thought subsonic ammo was actually louder than standard 22 LR!?

[Steinar]

why not silence a Luger as well?
.22 can be great fun (and cheap)

My hearing is pretty bad at the .22 frequency from years of shooting witout hearing protection..
Here is a picture of my .22 silenced shooter. The spacer is now a little shorter and fits the silencer.

[Navy]

I have a Ruger 10/22 rifle that is completely suppressed. On firing, all one hears is the action cycling. A very cool gun, known in the family as "The Cat Whacker".

Tom A

[davidkachel]

Very cool Steinar!
I'm jealous.
You can come shooting with me, but you have to drink Schnapps if your silenced weapon is a Luger.

I want to find a Walther PP(K,S) in .22 with a threaded barrel to complete the JB ensemble.

[davidkachel]

Originally posted by Tom A
I have a Ruger 10/22 rifle that is completely suppressed. On firing, all one hears is the action cycling. A very cool gun, known in the family as "The Cat Whacker".

Tom A

Better look at Hugh's latest post regarding grip checkering. He has a picture of a cat there who quite obviously is more than capable of defending himself.

[Steinar]

David, sounds like great fun ..but I always open the bottle I after I'm done shooting/hunting, usually a nice malt whiskey, but a J�«germaister schnapps is my friend to
Actually.. this might sound kinda silly.. but in a three inside the forest on my property, I have a bird 'box'. That looks exactly like a man made home for birds. But getting closer, there is no hole just a knob to open it. Inside there is one bottle of J�«germaister and fours schnapps classes. It's great to walk by when returning from a hunting trip with some friends

I use Husken silencers on my .22 rifle and 30.06 rifle wich I use for hunting. The silencer for the 30.06 cost me twice the amount as the rifle, it's worth it.. I never use hearing protection when hunting, so it saves my hearing alot + it also reduces the recoil a bit.
On the downside, the 30.06 silencer is about 50cm long (about 20cm of it goes outside the barrel) and its quite heavy. The silencer on the .22 rifle is to be able to shoot more birds before they take of.. been years since I used that rifle, but like Tom's Ruger, the only thing to hear is the cycle mechanism

[thegundude]

I also have a .22 suppressor. It's the screw on type so that I can move if from weapon to weapon. I find that I have to use subsonic ammo to completely suppress the noise.

My favorite gun to shoot it with is a Ruger 10/22 that I had threaded. I can put my thumb against the bolt handle and eliminate the action noise as well. Now all I hear is the bullet impacting the target.

I've heard recently that one can make an over-caliber suppressor work with smaller calibers. Like using a 9mm can to suppress a .22. If I'd have known that prior to buying the one I currently have I'd have gotten a Bowers M-11 can and a thread adaptor. The M-11 makes a serious racket on FA...

[DCCUK]

Hello David

You say - tax stamp had arrived from BATF.
Do you have to pay the BATF for a Silencers in the US?
Moderators in the UK are FOC just add it onto you FAC when you buy a gun. Makes a change for us on this side of the pond to get something free!

The best .22 set-up I have (TomA would like it - but could get yourself into a truckload of trouble over here with the cat lovers) is a Berretta combined turn/bolt semi-auto. Use as a normal semi-auto or lock the cocking handle down and no noise from the action either! With sub-sonic it's an amazing bunny-basher........
Also, got a monster reflex moderator on a 243 Winchester - no sub-sonic here - but no need to wear ear defenders. It also has a damping effect on the barrel vibrations and makes the rifle very accurate off a bipod but not so good off-hand.

BR DCCUK

[davidkachel]

Originally posted by DCCUK
Hello David

You say - tax stamp had arrived from BATF.
Do you have to pay the BATF for a Silencers in the US? BR DCCUK

We have to pay a federal tax to own a silencer, sawed-off shotgun, machine gun and a few other things.
It's legal to own them, but the tax and background check are a nuisance.
This is a holdover from the 1920's and 30's when "the mob" was very fond of these types of weapons, so logically, the government decided to pass laws making it difficult for honest citizens to own them. (The mob wasn't bothered in the slightest.)

At the time, the $200 stamp for a silencer or machine gun was prohibitive to say the least. Now it is more at the nuisance level.
It takes about 6-8 weeks to get your tax stamp back and no one with a clean criminal record gets turned down. Of course, it wouldn't take so long, but all those mobsters waiting in line to comply with the law tend to slow things a bit. <grin>

[Crotalus]

A friend of mine decided to make his own suppressor for his AK-47. I'm sure some of you know where this is going. He took an empty 2 Liter bottle of Coke, stuffed it full of rags and paper towels, fit the opening of the bottle over the end of the barrel and attached it with multiple layers of duct tape then covered the entire bottle with several layers of duct tape to give it "increased strength".

Well, what my friend didn't think to do is put a hole in the bottle to allow for the pressure to be released. He fired the rifle, the chamber pressure increased as it had nowhere to go, and the rags and paper inside the soda bottle caught fire as the bottle exploded sending flames a good 15 feet out of the barrel. Somehow the barrel did not get destroyed and the worst injury he suffered was a loss of arm hair and a bit of embarassment because another friend video taped it.

By the way, is the $200 a one-time fee or is it a yearly hassle?

[thegundude]

LMAO!! That's funny!!

It's a one time stamp. No real big deal but a little cash.

I finally took some pictures of my own "Bunny Basher".

[Steinar]

Nice one Steve! Would love to have a .22 like that in my backpack when hunting birds in the mountains around here! (sorry.. always in hunting modus when I see a rifle ) Mine is a rather beaten up Marlin mod.60, unmodified except for the silencer and longer stock. And is not worth the effort of taking picture..
Does your tripod affect the precision when installed on the barrel?
I always put some work into making clearance between barrel and stock on my rifles.. but perhaps that's not so important on a .22?

[DCCUK]

Boy, you guys are quick.....
$200!
and seem to have similar tastes in .22s..
tac... yup...got one of those pre-war Walthers too but didn't want to thread the barrel - which is why I bought the Berretta c/w variable scope/ moderator/10 rnd mag. BTW - does anyone have a spare mag for the Walther as mine has been fitted with a 10 rnd mag - which is not correct - I'd pay USD and if you're worried about BATF etc I have a Tn "forwarding address.
Also, got the inevitable 10-22 folding stock job etc - no problem with mags there - got more than enough for any comp I might do in the UK. But I have found that standard 10-22 fore-end/barrel setup is prone to deflection - have yet to get around to fitting an after market job - yet something more to put on my FAC wish-list....

Good dit - Crotalus - never proof tested a Coke bottle but have blown up a Webley Mk VI due to a defective cylinder - top strap and latch pinged all around the range - found all the bits - keep them as reminder not to buy anymore pistols off that son of a b........

BR DCCUK

[Navy]

The $200 is a transfer tax; it is required whenever the ownership is changed except in cases of inheritance.

Tom A

[thegundude]

Steinar, I've never noticed any difference in impact points with the bipod attached as it is. Then again, I'm not such a proficient shot that I would notice...

I'm probably going ot get one of the new stocks from TAPCO for it soon. They have a rail mounted to the bottom of the forend that should take care of the problem handily.

TAPCO 10/22 stock

[Crotalus]

So how much are supressors going for now a days in the US. Last I checked in VA they were $700-$900. Aside from my five WWI/WWII pistols I have a Sig P220 (.45), a ruger 10/22 and an M4 rifle (.223).

[thegundude]

The price of suppressor depends on caliber and manufacturer. My .22 can cost me $150 but usually retails for about $250. 9mm cans run from $350 to around $650 but can be found on sale sometimes. The rifle caliber cans often run around five bills and up. I saw a .50BMG can for about $2,000 at the SHOT Show.

[Ron Wood]

Tacfoley asked that I post these neat photos and text for him:

The carbine is a Southern Gun Company custom long-throat match carbine .223 with lots of doo-dads, an 8-32x50 Schmidt & Bender illuminated mil-dot scope on Piccatiny rails. The ammunition is the new [to us] 80gr Hornady Match, and at 100m it is a 1/4MOA shooter. Total cost over here of what you see was a shade under $6000, but the ammunition was only to try the waters, we roll our own, of course. Sadly, what you cannot see is the hand-crank on the left side of the carbine - it is, of course, manually-operated to conform to the firearms law after 1988.


This also does the job - an unwanted Anschutz Model 1412 [$50], and a GA special offer x16 Tasco Target scope [$250}


These two also do the job - left - custom-stock BSA Mk II [$75] with another $250 Tasco target scope, this time x20 and right, left-handed BSA Mk II with a will-gift Unertl x18 Super Varmint - the rifle cost $25.


You don't have to be a millionaire to shoot over here.
Best wishes
tac