Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So, we've been watching the Dirty Harry movies and enjoying them lots, there was something that struck me as odd though: during the movie Magnum Force one of the baddies attaches a silencer to his Magnum revolver. Is that even possible? I know the Mosin Nagant revolver can be silenced, mainly due to its construction, but the Magnum?

Anything is possible if you have the money.

Silencers can be custom manufactured to fit any weapon of any cal. Though some are way more pratical then others.

The thing I'm wondering is, wouldn't you also need to build a new cylinder for the weapon? One that closes against the barrel?

BrookM wrote:So, we've been watching the Dirty Harry movies and enjoying them lots, there was something that struck me as odd though: during the movie Magnum Force one of the baddies attaches a silencer to his Magnum revolver. Is that even possible? I know the Mosin Nagant revolver can be silenced, mainly due to its construction, but the Magnum?

Yea its easy to do. The problem is the effectiveness. There is actually a small space between the cylinder and the barrel, which gass and noise leak out of. Should note, most silencers are that quiet, by a good bit.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

BrookM wrote:The thing I'm wondering is, wouldn't you also need to build a new cylinder for the weapon? One that closes against the barrel?

Yes. But it wouldn't work unless you had a special type of revolver which had that type of mechanism. The Rooskie revolver would but I don't think any others.

BrookM wrote:The thing I'm wondering is, wouldn't you also need to build a new cylinder for the weapon? One that closes against the barrel?

If you want the silencer to be 100% effective, yes. If not it will still work, just not near as well.

No silencer is going to be 100% effective, at least not and have the weapon portable. Most silencers only take you from REALLY LOUD to just Loud.

Tyyr wrote:No silencer is going to be 100% effective, at least not and have the weapon portable. Most silencers only take you from REALLY LOUD to just Loud.

And that's usually only for a limited time as well,most silencers (suppressors) lose the capability to muffle shots after a few rounds are fired due to the bafflers inside the suppressor warping.

Tyyr wrote:No silencer is going to be 100% effective, at least not and have the weapon portable. Most silencers only take you from REALLY LOUD to just Loud.

I think you may have mis-read what I typed. I was talking about the silcencer working 100% of ITS capacity. And I have to disagree, a quality silencer with supporting ammo can take a weapon from REALLY LOUD to a whisper.

jp400 wrote:

Tyyr wrote:No silencer is going to be 100% effective, at least not and have the weapon portable. Most silencers only take you from REALLY LOUD to just Loud.

I think you may have mis-read what I typed. I was talking about the silcencer working 100% of ITS capacity. And I have to disagree, a quality silencer with supporting ammo can take a weapon from REALLY LOUD to a whisper.

IIRC one would have to use sub-sonic ammo to achieve this.

Yup.

Basically all sub sonic ammo is, is a round with less powder in it.

I'm no expert, but wikipedia says one of the best results achieved with sound supressors was to lower the noise to 117 dB. That is still WAY above jackhammers, car horns and loud club music. Can someone support or refute that number?

Frazzled wrote:

BrookM wrote:So, we've been watching the Dirty Harry movies and enjoying them lots, there was something that struck me as odd though: during the movie Magnum Force one of the baddies attaches a silencer to his Magnum revolver. Is that even possible? I know the Mosin Nagant revolver can be silenced, mainly due to its construction, but the Magnum?

Yea its easy to do. The problem is the effectiveness. There is actually a small space between the cylinder and the barrel, which gass and noise leak out of. Should note, most silencers are that quiet, by a good bit.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

BrookM wrote:The thing I'm wondering is, wouldn't you also need to build a new cylinder for the weapon? One that closes against the barrel?

Yes. But it wouldn't work unless you had a special type of revolver which had that type of mechanism. The Rooskie revolver would but I don't think any others.

I learnt this from a Batman comic circa 1989!

Ah yeah... Don't believe everything you read on wiki.

jp400 wrote:Yup.

Basically all sub sonic ammo is, is a round with less powder in it.

Which would be a problem for a .357 magnum...

Witzkatz wrote:I'm no expert, but wikipedia says one of the best results achieved with sound supressors was to lower the noise to 117 dB. That is still WAY above jackhammers, car horns and loud club music. Can someone support or refute that number?

http://www.sportscomet.com/Hunting/180793.htm

Seems certain caliber firearms have achieved under 50db with the proper suppressors.

Aye...while it's hard to determine from videos with a noise level reliant on the output device settings...the guns in some of those videos sound REALLY quiet. I'm impressed.

Unrelated slightly but I had to say it: Great chioce of movie. One of my favourite collections of films.

And the film where its revealed he's actually shooting 44 specials.

While on the subject of the movies' guns, the rookies say they shoot with "wadcutters", what kind of rounds are those and what are they designed to do?

BrookM wrote:While on the subject of the movies' guns, the rookies say they shoot with "wadcutters", what kind of rounds are those and what are they designed to do?

Wadcutters are flat, like little columns, not like bullets. They are more appropriate for paper targets and typically cheaper to reload. Semi wadcutters are half n half.

http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/jpeg2/FOR102.gif

Is there a difference between a silencer and a suppressor or are they one and the same thing?

Just curious.

Silenced Sterling SMG.




Not s silenced Sterling SMG.

Mr. Burning wrote:Is there a difference between a silencer and a suppressor or are they one and the same thing?

Just curious.

Same thing,the term "silencer" is a more commonly used term (by the general populace) for a suppressor.

It works, but not as well. Basically you'll get more noise to the side and less to the front IIRC.

Melissia wrote:It works, but not as well. Basically you'll get more noise to the side and less to the front IIRC.

So why again would you want one?

For coolness' sake?

I certainly wouldn't want to be on the business end of Callahan's Model 29 Highway Patrolman, I've got a Model 28 (same size pistol, but in .357) and it bucks like a melon-fether. I've got big, strong hands too.

Silencing a revolver is quite difficult (especially hot loaded ammo like .44 Mag), hence why that was in a movie, albeit a good one.

Stormrider wrote:I certainly wouldn't want to be on the business end of Callahan's Model 29 Highway Patrolman, I've got a Model 28 (same size pistol, but in .357) and it bucks like a melon-fether. I've got big, strong hands too.

Silencing a revolver is quite difficult (especially hot loaded ammo like .44 Mag), hence why that was in a movie, albeit a good one.

Wait you have those giant wood grips or something aftermarket and more appropriate. Mine has pachmayrs-my first set of grips. Ah the memories

Frazzled wrote:

Stormrider wrote:I certainly wouldn't want to be on the business end of Callahan's Model 29 Highway Patrolman, I've got a Model 28 (same size pistol, but in .357) and it bucks like a melon-fether. I've got big, strong hands too.

Silencing a revolver is quite difficult (especially hot loaded ammo like .44 Mag), hence why that was in a movie, albeit a good one.

Wait you have those giant wood grips or something aftermarket and more appropriate. Mine has pachmayrs-my first set of grips. Ah the memories

It does have larger than average grips on it, still factory wood ones though. Of course I could shoot it more, but I haven't been able to for quite a while.

My first pistol I ever shot was a 1944 Marked P.38, I had to breech load the bullets since they weren't coated. Got one bullseye with it! Still got the gun too.

The videos are fairly useless, as it's all sound coming out of speakers in the end.

In practice you can't make an autoloading weapon especially quiet, but certainly a lot quieter than a normal report.

Think about it this way: take an automatic pistol or rifle, pull back the slide, and let it slam closed. It's at LEAST that loud.

I own a suppressed Ruger 10/22. It's an integrated suppressor, doesn't "wear out," and it works fairly well, but basically all it does is turn a .22 sound into a pellet gun sound. It works pretty well, but again, it's not even remotely silent.