Firearm Suppressors: Hollywood Hype Versus Hunter Help

Unfortunately, much of the general information American’s assume is correct is supplied by Hollywood movies and television shows. Which wouldn’t be so bad if that information was factually correct. But the Hollywood need for drama and hype far outweighs the realities of life. Case in point: suppressors. Movies and television repeatedly show suppressors making firearms all but silent, and  many a murder victim only hears a soft “pff-fft” before an assassin’s bullet ends their lives. Wrong on so many levels! Actually, suppressors are a great help to shooters of all kinds, including hunters. A suppressor not only helps preserve our hearing. They make hunting and shooting in general better and safer experiences for all of us. 

Plenty Loud 

First of all, while suppressors do reduce the noise of gun shots, those gun shots are  still quite loud. A quality suppressor reduces the muzzle blast of firearms under the 140-decibel (dB) threshold found to be damaging to the human ear. But, according to the American Suppressor Association (ASA) Hearing Protection, a suppressor that reduces muzzle blast to 130 dB is still much louder than a Jackhammer at 110 dB or ambulance siren at 120 dB.

Why Suppressed?

A single unsuppressed gunshot ranges from 140 to 185 decibels (dB), and exposure to just one shot can cause permanent hearing damage. According to the Centers for Disease Control 2017-02-vitalsigns.pdf, any noises over 120 dB that last for a minute or longer can lead to hearing loss. Meanwhile, a single gunshot can register at 140dB or louder! A quality suppressor uses a series of baffles to trap and dissipate blast pressure and gases at the muzzle. Suppressors reduce the noise of a gunshot by an average of 20 to35 dB—roughly the same amount as ear plugs or muffs—preserving the hearing of recreational shooters, hunters and even our hunting dogs.

Growing Popularity!

ASA found just under 800,000 suppressors were registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) in February 2016. That grew to 2.66 million suppressors by May 2021. At the close of 2023, ATF documented 3.6 million suppressors owned by Americans. “I'd estimate that we are probably above 4 million registered suppressors at this point,” said Owen Miller, ASA’s Vice President, as of June 2024. In the United States, purchasing a suppressor involves an application to ATF that includes fingerprints of the potential buyer, passport photos and paying a $200 transfer tax. The local chief law enforcement officer has to be notified, too. In the past, the ATF suppressor approval process took anywhere from six to 12 months. And six months was super-fast. But in 2024, ATF greatly streamlined the administrative process. Now, suppressor approvals often take only a week or two. With the long waits generally over, many, many hunters and other gun owners are making the move to suppressors.

Helping Hunters

Although suppressors are legal to own and use in 42 states, ASA notes that between 70 to 80 percent of American hunters do not use hearing protection of any kind when afield. That’s a terrible statistic. Not only do these hunters put their hearing at risk. They also miss out on the many benefits hunters can have by using a suppressor. These benefits include:

• Hunter Safety: Suppressors allow hunters to maintain full situational awareness because they can hear what is going on around them, something that can’t be done with traditional ear plugs or muffs. Full situational awareness means a safer hunt! 
• Less Recoil: A quality suppressor can reduce rifle recoil by up to 25-percent. Less recoil not only makes shooting more comfortable. It can also reduce the chances of a  flinch when hunters are anticipating a big thump into their shoulders. Less flinch equals more accurate shooting.
• Follow-Up Shots: Miss that deer while using an un-suppressed rifle or handgun, and that deer is running away as fast as it can away from the sound of the shot. They may still run with a shot from a suppressed firearm. But in my experience hunting suppressed, animals tend to hesitate and look around, unsure where the noise came from. I’ve had a good number trot right in my direction. All of which makes the follow-up shot much more successful. 
• Noise Complaints: Suppressors reduce noise complaints from neighbors, which are frequently used as an excuse to close properties to hunting and to shut down shooting ranges.
  

Many Options

I’ve used suppressors manufactured by AB Suppressor, Gemtech, Silencer Central, and Yankee Hill Machine, among others, and all were first rate. My most recent suppressor is the Switchback, a rimfire model manufactured by SilencerCo. of West Valley City, Utah. This suppressor directly threads onto my rimfire pistols and rifles and really reduces the sounds of rimfire gunshots. I am currently using the Switchback for a review of the WMR pistol made by Walther Arms and chambered in .22 WMR. And this fall, I’ll be small game hunting with this handy and impressive little suppressor attached to a rimfire rifle.