55 gallon silencer?

[Starter52]

Does anyone have first hand knowledge on how to make a fixed position silencer for the shooting range using a drum or trash barrel? I've seen a few on YouTube and I'm wondering if someone at THR might know some more about them. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Hardtarget]

Over the past few years I've seen a few in magazines but I've never seen plans. I'd like to see a "make it like this because it works" type info-article from a do it yourself writer.

Mark

 

[Fast Frank]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ9nd6p_9Y4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsZ8SzE8gKc

 

[jmorris]

put a hole in the top and bottom and lay it on its side. Muzzle inside one hole so blast is inside the barrel. Might want to use a plastic drum and cover the holes when not in use so you don't have critters and water in it when you want to use it.

I have also seen a row of tires used.

I will note that while it reduces the noise for the neighbors ears, it's not the same experience for the shooter.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

This does come up from time to time. I have read plans for a bench top silencer using a frame to hold a series of used golf cart tires in a row. To control noise, some folks have used a shooting shed with an opening toward the target line.

They do control noise for the sake of the neighbors and their livestock, but the shooter does need ear protection.

An NFA silencer is a muffler or sound suppressor attached to the gun. Bench top silencer does not meet the federal definition.

 

[MechAg94]

That is something I hadn't thought of doing. Sounds interesting.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

Easy to make and fairly effective when dealing with complaining neighbors. If you add home insulation inside and out, it becomes even better and does not "ring" when you fire a round off.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Two points with that drum silencer.

First of all, because the action is not locked, you can hear the action cycling. Second, he is firing supersonic ammo, and you can hear the sonic shockwave reflecting back off the ground.

 

[kBob]

Once used a row of car tires at a private range for this.

Fired a .223 in it. Lots of noise to me as the shooter , also sand and such fell from the first two tires onto my rifle's barrel and fore end.

When I commented on the debris, the owner responded, "Well, at least there were no paper wasps this time."

I understand Col Cooper had a plywood box affair at one point with fiberglass insulation for ceilings in it. Hey, the Pink Panther was always silent!

The West German Army had a giant tube affair they used to park M 109 155mm SP howitzers so the barrel extended into it for silencing at one of the training areas up north I believe.

-kBob

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Bales of hay can work also if you have them around.

I had hopes of building a shooting shed and lining it with hay and then a bit of a tunnel towards to target to keep the noise down. However, not going to happen for me in this lifetime.

 

[Snyper]

Bales of hay can work also if you have them around.

That could be a fire hazard, and tires could breed mosquitoes
A couple of pieces of plastic culvert pipe with fiberglass in between would work better

 

[lysanderxiii]

The West German Army had a giant tube affair they used to park M 109 155mm SP howitzers so the barrel extended into it for silencing at one of the training areas up north I believe.

-kBob

For testing, not so much for range firing...

 

[TRX]

The big knobs on the side are to handle the blast from the T-shaped muzzle brake.

 

[kBob]

Snyper,

The guy that owned the tires I shot through had bored a one inch hole in the bottom most section of every tire. They drained well.

Lots of Florida folk use tires that are holed for various things. Living in a wooded area it is sort of pointless to worry about though, whether I grow my own mosquitos or not countless millions will be hatched in every tree crook, knot hole or stump hollow.

I have oft wondered how man of the little bugs are reared up in the pipe filled culverts various counties require between ones property and road ways. Most are corrigated pipe and most hold a squajillion little pockets of water for days after a rain storm.

One of the things that tickled me was when some folks locally found out that a couple of breeds of 'skeeters actually get hatched into and grow to flight stage in side protected Pitcher Plants that actually catch other insects.

-kBob

 

[kBob]

Lead foil back in the old days was a good thing to line ballistic tunnels with, free hanging. Imagine trying to explain why you want a half mile of 18 inch wide lead foil for these days for your 25 yard hall way/ indoor range.

The hay actually sounds interesting......until you start thinking about primer residue and unburned powder......

-kBob

 

[kBob]

Lysander

That would be it.

The picture does worry me a bit. Looks like the muzzle of the gun is almost touching the bottom of the door on the back of that thing and that gun does recoil quite a bit, and violently. Got to wonder if the muzzle break was still spewing if it came out of the door way.

The other thing that worries me is those yellow wedges behind the track. Part of what the spades on the M109 do is make sure the tracks system does not take the recoil. That looks like that rear wheel shock takes all the recoil and the entire vehicle would rock.

-kBob

 

[Hardtarget]

I watched the You-Tube vid. Doesn't seem to reduce enough to bother making one.

Mark

 

[lysanderxiii]

The chocks ensure it is positioned properly, it order to set the spades you need to back up a few feet. It should be okay for a few rounds, the spades are mainly to make the vehicle more stable when you shoot off three or four rounds for effect, the suspension can take the recoil.

In a shoot and scoot drill they never set the spades. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPpM-f_zNPU)

 

[Carl N. Brown]

QUOTE: Doesn't seem to reduce enough to bother making one.

If it reduces enough for neighbors who otherwise might complain about gunshots from your property, it serves a purpose.

 

[yugorpk]

Why is this in NFA?

 

[jmorris]

Because a mod moved it here.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The big knobs on the side are to handle the blast from the T-shaped muzzle brake.

I thought they were for windage and parallax adjustment.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Because a mod moved it here.

But non-portable silencers are not covered under the NFA. They are Title 0

Mike

 

[jmorris]

But non-portable silencers are not covered under the NFA. They are Title 0

Yep, as I said, it came here by a mod's movement. It was in general, when I first posted.

 

[Gordon]

ah ha ! When I first moved to where I am 25 years ago there were no nieghbors closer than 1/4 mile, I sold off some of the parcel over the years chosing carefully to who , but now I have one neighbor about 600 feet away and down hill from the bed room side of my house. No problems but I have to watch blasting vermin in that direction ect. I don't pound away with larger caliber stuff on my little 75 foot range dug into the hillside on the other side of the house from that close neighbor anymore . When I got here I soon put up the shooting bench and had access to old airplane tire carcasses with about a 12" hole in the center. I screwed them onto a beam about 14 foot long that I supported about 48" center of tire to ground. I could shoot rifles or pistols standing thru the tire tunnel and everybody agreed it sure cut down the noise that would eccho across the canyon from a high power rifle , 12 ga. or magnum pistol. Standing next to it ended the side blast, that is for sure. I dismantled the tire rack years ago AFTER MORE THAN 10 YEARS USE. Today I shoot quiet calibers or a small varmit gun infrequently so as to be a "good" neighbor and it seems to work for me.