Introduction
Without a doubt, owning a gun is a great privilege and a right. Many people own guns for a variety of reasons. They use them for hunting, sport and collecting. In fact, owning a gun can be considered an investment.
One of the advantages of owning a gun, is being able to add on accessories. These accessories include scopes, or other optics, and suppressors. All of these accessories have useful functions. To better understand how they work with your gun, it is helpful to understand how they are made.
What about a suppressor?
A suppressor is designed to help decrease the amount of sound that is heard when a gun is fired. This happens when the expanding gases that are released when a gun is fired are slowed. This action reduces the pressure wave that is released, and ultimately it reduces the amount of noise that is heard.
How is a suppressor designed?
The whole purpose of a suppressor is to be something that is placed over the muzzle of a gun and dampen the noise. Because you will be placing something over the end of your gun, it can affect aim and accuracy.
Because of this, designers try to make suppressors easy to use, convenient and to not affect accuracy. At the same time, they try to make them as good as possible for reducing noise.
Basic designs
There are two basic designs for suppressors. They are either sealed or user serviceable. Another term for them is baffle stack and monocore. We will talk about baffle stack designs here.
Baffle stack design
Baffle stack suppressors are built to be taken apart and cleaned by the user. This type of suppressor is a tube with a stack of baffles on the inside. The baffles are designed to have space between them. This gives the gas room to expand. This first space is actually called the expansion chamber.
How is it shaped?
Baffle stack suppressors can have baffles of any shape on the inside. They will also have tiny holes drilled in them to help create turbulence with the gas flow. This helps the reduction of noise.
The tube is sealed with front and rear caps. If you are using one on rimfire or pistol, these caps are threaded so you can remove them for cleaning.
Why do you need to clean them?
Suppressors need to be cleaned. If not, over time there will be a buildup of grime that will affect how well your gun shoots. If your suppressor is not cleaned regularly, the inside will collect powder residue, lube and gun material. Over time this will create a hardened layer. When this happens, there will only be minimal clearance for the bullet and no effective baffles left.
Final thoughts
A user-serviceable suppressor is another name for a baffle stack suppressor. This type of suppressor can be taken apart and cleaned and it should be done regularly.
A suppressor is a useful accessory for your gun. It helps to reduce the noise, which can make shooting more comfortable for the user. Be sure to visit your local gunsmith for help in deciding which suppressor is right for you.