Suppose you’ve watched any movie about an assassin, like “John Wick” or “Sicario,” you’ve likely seen a character twist a thick suppressor onto the barrel of a pistol before approaching an unwitting target and firing on them. Following the pull of the trigger, there’s usually a barely perceptible, ultra-unrealistic “pew pew” sound that lets you know that they’ve shot the gun.
In real life, gun suppressors are nowhere near as quiet and unassuming as its big-screen counterparts. Still, it does reduce the loud noise associated with firing a firearm. This beckons the question: How does a suppressor work?
Before we explore how a suppressor works, it’s helpful to understand what happens when you shoot a gun without any sound suppressors.
When you discharge an unsuppressed gun, the gunpowder explosion in the cartridge generates high-pressure, high-temperature gases that rapidly exit the gun barrel behind the bullet. These gases exit the barrel at supersonic speeds, creating a loud sonic boom similar to a thunderclap, commonly called a muzzle blast.
Let’s look at what happens when you fire a suppressed gun. When you pull the trigger and the bullet exits through the opening in the suppressor, high-pressure gases trailing the bullet enter the suppressor.
Within the suppressor, you’ll find expansion chambers, baffles, and ports designed to help expand and cool these high-pressure gases. This controlled process effectively reduces the speed of the gases as they exit the suppressor.
The suppressor plays a crucial role in suppressing the supersonic crack or sonic boom generated by a bullet, which travels faster than sound. The suppressor’s internal components disrupt the shockwave produced by the bullet’s high-speed flight, contributing significantly to the reduction in noise associated with the gunshot.
Although the shot remains quieter with a suppressor, it’s still pretty loud. The suppressor also helps reduce the visible muzzle flash, making it less conspicuous, particularly in low-light or nighttime shooting.
And finally, using a suppressor results in less recoil and muzzle rise than firing the same firearm without one. This improved control and reduced recoil enhance accuracy, especially during rapid-fire shooting.