Which silencer is the right one?
When it comes to the subject of silencers, many hunters are faced with a mountain of questions. How does a silencer actually work? Are there decisive differences between the numerous manufacturers? What should one look for when purchasing a silencer? And finally, the most important question: Which silencer is right for me? The following article will answer these and many other questions about silencers.
A silencer is a device that can be attached to the muzzle of a gun. Its purpose is to reduce as much as possible the sound emissions generated by firing a shot, especially the muzzle blast, and to reduce the risk of hearing damage to hunters, dogs and other participants in the hunt. Unlike hearing protection, three-dimensional hearing is not limited by the silencer. Putting on hearing protection is usually forgotten in the zeal of hunting - with silencers, protection is always active. The use of silencers reduces recoil, which contributes to better hitting performance. It also minimizes the tendency to tear. This is due to the principle of thrust reversal. The powder gases, which emerge from the muzzle, shortly thereafter hit the impact surfaces of the silencer, which form the expansion chambers of the silencer in a row. The impact of the powder gases on the baffles causes the gun to be pulled forward when fired. This leads to a significant reduction in the recoil of the gun. In addition, by reducing the muzzle flash, the drawing of the game in the twilight can be perceived much better.
After a shot is fired, the gases of the propellant charge spread rapidly inside the silencer, causing them to partially decompress without releasing sound energy to the surroundings. In order to dissipate this energy as effectively as possible before it escapes, there are various components inside silencers that inhibit the flow of the gases. These are usually inclined or spirally arranged walls. Their arrangement, as well as additional chambers, holes or slots, are critical to the design of an effective silencer. It also depends on the ammunition to achieve the best possible attenuation performance. However, the silencer only attenuates those sound emissions that emanate from the outflowing and explosively propagating gases when the shot is fired. Mechanical noise from any automatic reloading system is not taken into account.
In order to make use of the performance of the silencer for as long as possible, it is necessary to clean and maintain the silencer regularly. Careless handling could lead to undesirable damage to the silencer and the weapon. The silencer should be removed from the gun and dried after each use. Likewise, the silencer should be removed before each internal barrel cleaning to avoid internal damage. It should also be cleaned with suitable care products at intervals of approx. 50 - 100 shots.
Basically, a silencer is recommended for hunting, which has a high damping performance in conjunction with a low weight to avoid a top-heaviness of the weapon. Combining these components in each of their products is the goal of each manufacturer. Companies such as Roedale, A-TEC, and Hausken have an extensive product line and the knowledge necessary to produce high-quality silencers. Silencers are also divided into two main groups, over-barrel and on-barrel silencers. The difference is in the way they are mounted on the gun. The on-barrel silencer was developed by Blaser and is mounted on the front of the barrel in front of the front sight saddle, so that the open sights are retained in any case. It can also still be used due to its very slim design. The overall length of the rifle is increased by that of the silencer. One disadvantage of this design is the reduced stability of the silencer. This is contrasted by the over-barrel silencer. Here, part of the silencer is placed over the front of the barrel. The overall length of the rifle thus increases only slightly and the construction is more stable overall. The handling of the rifle is also only slightly impaired. However, the possibility of open sights is eliminated.
The question of the right silencer therefore depends on many different factors. Quality, price, type of mounting, all this plays a role. In the end, the decision must be made by each individual based on these factors. Here on Gunfinder you can find all the models from different manufacturers, which can be helpful in making a decision.
Silencers in test:
The best silencer test reports are available from our premium partner Geartester. In addition, Geartester provides high-quality video content on the topic on YouTube:
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