Are Suppressors Worth Buying--Your Opinions?

[1shot]

I started down the rabbit hole with a 30 cal. can, then promptly ordered a rimfire and another 30.cal. That was 15 years ago. Now I'm up to 7 with a 9mm, 2-45cal. and will be taking possession of a dedicated .223 can soon.....I hope. For me, it's all about protecting the little bit of hearing that I have left. Sure, they look cool, and several of my friends that have never seen, let alone shot a suppressed firearm get an education. It's a "feel good" for me to enlighten them to the difference between reality and movie quiet. As several have said, if you are on the fence, start with a RF can. You will either think, yeah this is cool, but not my cup of tea, or you will wonder why you waited so long.
I hope this helps,

Lloyd

 

[andym686]

I rarely shoot my rifles anymore without a suppressor on them.
No regrets.

 

[andym686]

I started down the rabbit hole with a 30 cal. can, then promptly ordered a rimfire and another 30.cal. That was 15 years ago. Now I'm up to 7 with a 9mm, 2-45cal. and will be taking possession of a dedicated .223 can soon.....I hope. For me, it's all about protecting the little bit of hearing that I have left. Sure, they look cool, and several of my friends that have never seen, let alone shot a suppressed firearm get an education. It's a "feel good" for me to enlighten them to the difference between reality and movie quiet. As several have said, if you are on the fence, start with a RF can. You will either think, yeah this is cool, but not my cup of tea, or you will wonder why you waited so long.
I hope this helps,

Lloyd

I agree with 1shot - start with a rimfire suppressor. It's the one I use the most.

 

[BravoSector1]

I don't hunt without one anymore.

 

[Bill Score]

What about cleaning them??

I have a Banish 22 and 30 cal cans. They are both user serviceable, meaning you can disassemble them. I have a cheap ultrasonic cleaner from harbor freight, drop the baffles in with water and CLR for 30 minutes and they come out very clean. I just wipe down the suppressor tubes and throw everything back together, no problems so far. I have them on a ruger 10/22 and a 24 inch 300 win mag and the cans get pretty dirty pretty quick, so I clean them fairly often.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

My PD hunting buddies all have them. They are still loud and I wear my ears around them. I would like one on my hunting guns where I don't shoot a lot of shots and may leap out the truck and smoke a varmint of opportunity and not have to worry about ears. For target shooting and prairie dogs, id still be wearing ears and that never bothers me at all. They are just so dang expensive.

 

[drover]

I do not own a suppressor equipped rifle but I have shot quite a few and liked them, although I do dislike the aesthetics of them.

My biggest reason for not owning a suppressor is the $200 tax that they require and the cost of the suppressor itself. The tax is a cash cow for the .gov, how can a suppressor background check be any different than the background check required for purchasing a firearm.

The cost of suppressors - $400 to $600 dollars is ridiculous. If they were sold across the counter I suspect that the cost would likely be in the $200 range which would entice me to purchase one.

As mentioned above rifles with them are still loud enough that some form of hearing protection should still be used, I choose to spend the $600 - $800 on shooting.

drover

 

[hpshooter]

I feel the same way.

Perhaps a contrarian view. Shooters and hunters tend to be myopic in their evaluation of firearms and firearms accessories and limit their views of need and wants to the activities that they themselves participate in. I own suppressors and have a specific use for them. IMHO, if you predator hunt at night around livestock or in close proximity to occupied dwellings a suppressor is mandatory.

 

[cotntop]

I have not purchased one under the new system where fingerprints are required. Just haven't cottoned to the idea, would make me feel like a criminal standing in a line. The one thing that is a deciding factor for a new suppressor would be weight.

 

[J_idaho]

I personally don’t use them. But I’ve been told it’s a game changer when letting kids shoot takes away allot of the fear of guns.

 

[slm9s]

+1 for "I wish I would have bought some years ago".

 

[C.E.Smith043]

My biggest reason for not owning a suppressor is the $200 tax that they require and the cost of the suppressor itself. The tax is a cash cow for the .gov, how can a suppressor background check be any different than the background check required for purchasing a firearm.

The cost of suppressors - $400 to $600 dollars is ridiculous. If they were sold across the counter I suspect that the cost would likely be in the $200 range which would entice me to purchase one.

drover

I completely disagree with this. I waste $200 on toilet paper for my kids every month. $200 tax stamp to buy myself a suppressor is a no brainer.

I highly doubt the price of suppressors goes down. Heck I've seen some muzzle brakes cost over $200.

Your talking about an attachment made from titanium, with welds designed to withstand a lot of psi. There's no way I would gamble my rifle and self on a budget build center-fire suppressor to save a few bucks.

 

[GotRDid]

I have not purchased one under the new system where fingerprints are required. Just haven't cottoned to the idea, would make me feel like a criminal standing in a line. The one thing that is a deciding factor for a new suppressor would be weight.

It’s a fair bet that your prints are on file somewhere.
As for cost, about the same a a single month’s car/truck payment, but one and done.
Yes, the tax stamp is like trying to swallow sand for me, but perhaps that may change. The original intent was to make it an onerous price to pay long ago when most did not make $200 per month. Now Dinner out with my Wife, Daughter and her fiancé costs me about the same.
I have a few, with more planned in the future at the NRA Exhibits/Annual Meetings. As stated before, I should have acquired one in .22 Rimfire first.
In retrospect, if suppressors had been as mainstream 50 years ago through the following years of Military and Civilian LE, Competitive shooting and as a Departmental All-Skills Firearms Instructor, I wouldn’t likely require my Phonak hearing aids today.
Now for the Young ones who accompany us to the Ranges, I start out with Air Guns (most are unmoderated), and they are louder than the suppressed Ruger UltraLight MK4 with a Banish can. In fact, with the CCI 850 FPS 45 gr ammunition, the loudest sound is the bolt chambering another round and/or the bullet striking a target. Our Pistol Range has a myriad of steel targets and bells reminiscent of the Carnival Gallery shooting booths of long ago.
As always, Kids shoot for free, and lots of the Moms want to join in as well.
Cheers!

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Perhaps a contrarian view. Shooters and hunters tend to be myopic in their evaluation of firearms and firearms accessories and limit their views of need and wants to the activities that they themselves participate in. I own suppressors and have a specific use for them. IMHO, if you predator hunt at night around livestock or in close proximity to occupied dwellings a suppressor is mandatory.

Well I guess so. lol.

 

[ELR LVR]

if you have a Drivers License, they got your prints anyways

 

[LVLAaron]

Yes, the tax stamp is like trying to swallow sand for me, but perhaps that may change.

To add insult to injury, if you e-file, you don't even get the cool physical stamp.

 

[FNSafari]

Seeking opinions. Does anyone regret suppressing and why? Thanks, James

I have never gone the suppressor route. Any high power rifle I have been around at the range and is suppressed certainly exhibits less muzzle blast, but I would still wear muffs as its too loud for me to use without hearing protection. I live in a rural area in a rural (most of it anyway) state so full MB isn't an issue imo. I might someday change my mind but not now.

 

[BobT]

I have a couple of suppressors, a Banish 22 and a Banish 30, I love them both and any new hunting rifles or handguns I buy will be threaded.

 

[troupe]

No regrets at all. Ranks high and like my first thermal. A yes on both.

 

[DHD]

I had similar thoughts I see written: I don't want to be on another list, I don't want to pay the $200, I don't want to wait that long, I don't know which to buy, you still have to wear hearing protection, barrel harmonics, etc etc.

I waited 11 months on my first one, about 25ish days on #2, less than 2 days on #3, and they will keep coming. I now wish every rifle I have was threaded 5/8×24.

I don't love the $200 tax, but the only real issue for me buying the first was, what to get. A large percentage get a 30 caliber can and that is not a bad idea. I'm now in the multiple suppressors for bore size and greatly prefer to use one for everything. The only "movie quiet" thing out there is subsonic. A bolt action 300 BO can be entertaining.

Yeah, I'm hooked regardless of the rifle type.