Distinguishing Between a Suppressor & a Silencer

A shot from any firearm inevitably produces a loud bang, regardless of the size of the gun. This noise occurs due to the mechanism of how guns are fired. All guns, both old and new, use gunpowder in every shot they fire. A small amount of gunpowder is ignited within the gun barrel towards the end, and the expanding hot gas generated from the burning gunpowder propels the projectile forward through the gun barrel at high speed.

In modern firearms, the projectile and gunpowder are enclosed in a metal casing called the cartridge. A primer is placed at the bottom of the cartridge and ignites when hit by the firing pin, which in turn ignites the gunpowder. When a shot is fired, the expanding gas runs through the entire length of the barrel and is exposed to the cold atmospheric air when the projectile leaves the end of the barrel (muzzle). This impact between hot and cold gases is similar to the impact between two surfaces, due to the change in density and momentum in the two air layers. This event is known as the muzzle blast.

A firearm silencer is a perforated extension tube attached to the muzzle of the gun, which absorbs and dissipates the energy from the hot gases. A silencer has a series of baffles and sometimes an area covered with steel wool soaked in grease. When hot gases enter the tube, the larger diameter allows the gas to expand and the pressure and temperature of the gas drops. The energy of the gas is absorbed by the steel cotton, and the gases then enter the baffles where the gas is trapped. This further reduces the pressure of the gas, and the energy of the gas at the end of the tube is much lower than that of the muzzle tip. This operation is somewhat analogous to the mufflers of automobiles.

Key Takeaways

• A firearm silencer is a perforated extension tube attached to the muzzle of the gun, which absorbs and dissipates the energy from the hot gases.
• A silencer has a series of baffles and sometimes an area covered with steel wool soaked in grease, which absorbs the energy of the hot gases.
• Both the Silencer and the Suppressor are two terms for the same device.