What are the options for a full power, hollywood suppressed rifle?

[teddy12b]

Please forgive my noob question.

I know you can screw a can on the end of just about any rifle, but most of them aren't going to be hollywood quiet.

I know you put subsonic ammo through most guns with a can and you're pretty close to hollywood quiet, but that just happened at the expense of loosing a lot of energy on target.

What I'm curious about is what are the options for any cartridge at it's full power that's still going to be hollywood quiet. This is more of a general question as having a can is still relatively new to me. I don't care if it's a single shot, bolt action, semi auto DI, or semi auto piston. I don't care if it's a full power 5.56, 45-70, 338 Lapua, 9mm, 45acp, or whatever the caliber is. I know there's next to no end to all the calibers and rifle configurations out there, but I also know I'm not the first guy to have this cross his mind.

Surely those of you who have dabbled in the NFA world longer than I have heard this type of question asked & debated about as much as the old 9mm vs 45acp that go on to no end. So simply put, what are my options?

 

[Beowulf]

I'm afraid there really is no such thing as Hollywood quiet, especially in supersonic rifle calibers.

The closest I've come to Hollywood quiet was in suppressing my Uzi SBR, but using 147 gr 9mm subsonic rounds or in suppressing my Nagant 7.62x38 revolver (but I believe that round is subsonic anyway).

Once you have that supersonic crack, it's going to be loud. That's an unvoidable fact.

If you want a larger caliber centerfire round that can be suppressed effectively, you might want to pick up a .300 BLK or .308 bolt action rifle. But you'll need to be shooting subsonic rounds to get even close to what you are looking for (and then keep in mind that you are basically firing the equivalent of a .45 ACP in terms of power).

If you don't mind a pistol caliber weapon, the ultimate might be a Delisle carbine in .45 ACP (bolt action rifle using an Enfield action and 1911 mags with an integral suppressor). They are exceedingly quiet if they were built properly.

 

[teddy12b]

Once you have that supersonic crack, it's going to be loud. That's an unvoidable fact.

(and then keep in mind that you are basically firing the equivalent of a .45 ACP in terms of power).

I was afraid that there wasn't really any options out there for a full power quiet load, but I kind of went through a similar process of elimination in my head. I was thinking about the 300 blackout types, but then you get into all the hassles of ammo either paying the big bucks for factory or reloading your own. I was thinking the 45acp or 9mm semi auto carbine might be what I'd end up with. If that's the case that's not all bad, I just want to make sure I don't pass up something better before settling.

 

[KLB]

Full power? How far are you wanting to shoot it? What are you wanting to shoot?

To be really quiet you will need subsonic rounds. That doesn't mean they aren't full power rounds, but it is going to keep your range down.

A pistol caliber carbine or a 300 Blackout are your best options.

 

[teddy12b]

Full power? How far are you wanting to shoot it? What are you wanting to shoot?

To be really quiet you will need subsonic rounds. That doesn't mean they aren't full power rounds, but it is going to keep your range down.

A pistol caliber carbine or a 300 Blackout are your best options.

For arguments sake, let's just say I'd like to hit steel targets at 200 yards. Ideally I like to think every gun I own could be used to hunt deer with if there were ever some mystical shtf situation.

So if the options are basically either 9mm, 45acp, or 300 BO. What's the most reliable platform for those? I know the AR guys are cranking out 300BO's in about every configuration there is. The 9mm & 45acp don't have the affordable options that I've seen with the 300BO's. I get that you can get an H&K mp5 clone, but those are well over $1k. I always liked the looks of the H&K UMP types, but those are just as much $$. Are there more affordable semi auto options? I know the H&R single shots can be had for $250 or less in 300 BO.

 

[OneBadV8]

You can build a 9mm AR, but the .300 BLK is going to be quieter and more powerful. And you can find factory loaded subsonic right around $0.50 a round. If you start reloading, that'll go down in price.

There are .45 ACP carbines also (UMP, Thompson, etc), but I'm not sure how quiet, range, etc.

 

[DaKruiser]

To stay subsonic and full power, go heavy, 147gr 9mm, 230gr 45acp, or 500+ grain 458 socom, now that's where it's at,

I'm not sure I would call anything Hollywood quiet though, they tend to really exaggerate,

 

[OneBadV8]

I'm not sure I would call anything Hollywood quiet though, they tend to really exaggerate,

I think .300 BLK is probably the closest to that with 9mm either being tied or a close second.

 

[curraheeguns]

If you want a ton of energy on target out to 250-300yds and Hollywood quiet look at the .510 Whisper and it's clones. Awesome round.

http://youtu.be/5Bhtr9F1cjk

 

[DarrenL]

In my suppressed 300BLK AR, with 220gr subsonic rounds, I hear the bolt close and the bullet flying. It is extremely quiet, as long as you can get away from any walls or roof which generate echoes.

Darren

 

[redwingshooter]

300BLK subsonic is the way to go.

 

[teddy12b]

So where does barrel length play a part in the 300 black outs?

I see a lot of the pistol uppers and I always assumed people bought those to be tacticool, or skirt the law so they could hunt with it in IN. I'm not sure if it's legal to hunt with in IN, but that would be a plus to a 300. Is there a sweet spot for barrel length like a 12"?

 

[rvb]

For arguments sake, let's just say I'd like to hit steel targets at 200 yards. Ideally I like to think every gun I own could be used to hunt deer with .

Have you tried/heard a rifle w/ a good can? yes, you still have the crack of the bullet, but it's very cool to be shooting high-power rifle w/o the need for ear-pro. Then you can certainly do what you want to ring steel @ 200 (and well beyond!) and take deer.

Personally, I dont' consider subsonic .300blk to be a "full power" rifle round... it's basically a low-BC .45 ACP (ie 230gr just under sound barrier).

I have a 9mm silencer and 9mm AR that I use my 147gr reloads in. It fills that awesomely-quiet roll.
I have a .308 silencer and .308 and .223 ARs that I use regular full-power rifle ammo in.
Trying to merge the two rolls doesn't make much sense, IMO. You basically end up w/ pistol-caliber ballistics if you do (even w/ .300blk).
If the goal is as you describe, to shoot @ 200 and take deer, go w/ the rifle & rifle can, IMO.

W/ good planning, you can fill a lot of rolls w/ the right silencer. that's why I went .308... I can use it on numerous rifles. If I ever did decide to go .300blk, I could (though that's pretty unlikely).

ps. if you want "hollywood" quiet, go .22. (although I've yet to hear a real can that makes that "zing" sound hollywood likes to add....)

-rvb

 

[teddy12b]

I was lucky that when I got my kestral 5.56 I apparently got a good one. I can say that because it hasn't blown up on me yet. I do routinely use that can on a precision AR for long shots. That can is married to that rifle for now, but there was a time when I slapped that can on every 22 cal rifle & pistol I had with a threaded barrel. I agree that only real hollywood quiet I've seen/heard is a 22lr subsonic.

Having said that, I'm not looking to pop a deer at 200 yards with a hollywood quiet gun. That'd be a nice option to have, but I get that physics doesn't want us to have our cake and eat it to. I like the idea of the 300 blackout because of the ease of putting one together, but I wouldn't be opposed to a subgun either. The general principle being the heaviest bullet possible right under the sound barrier and we're open for business.

So what are the actual guns people would recommend for the specific calibers. What's a reliable and accurate 9mm carbine, or 45 acp carbine? I think I could piece together a 300 blackout from PSA very easily, but I don't know where I'd start looking for the 9mm or 45acp. What's got a 20rd or larger mag? How much do the mags cost? Is it reliable? I'm trying to do my homework on having the whole package put together before I jump in with both feet and find out I'm wrong. It's just easier to start piecing together the package that way.

 

[romad7]

So where does barrel length play a part in the 300 black outs?

I see a lot of the pistol uppers and I always assumed people bought those to be tacticool, or skirt the law so they could hunt with it in IN. I'm not sure if it's legal to hunt with in IN, but that would be a plus to a 300. Is there a sweet spot for barrel length like a 12"?

Short barrels are where the 300 shines, I have an 8.2" but I think the ideal is 9" for the most powder burn. If it didn't have that advantage, I prob wouldn't have built one and stuck with 5.56. Here's a good video about it.

[video=youtube_share;dxxVCWHE1Xs]http://youtu.be/dxxVCWHE1Xs[/video]

 

[OneBadV8]

I see a lot of the pistol uppers and I always assumed people bought those to be tacticool, or skirt the law so they could hunt with it in IN. I'm not sure if it's legal to hunt with in IN, but that would be a plus to a 300.

I think you can hunt with .300 BLK in a Pistol, not sure about as a rifle though. Hopefully that changes, but you'd have to look up the laws specifically. And I assume when you say legal to hunt, you're talking about deer.

 

[rvb]

So what are the actual guns people would recommend for the specific calibers. What's a reliable and accurate 9mm carbine, or 45 acp carbine? I think I could piece together a 300 blackout from PSA very easily, but I don't know where I'd start looking for the 9mm or 45acp. What's got a 20rd or larger mag? How much do the mags cost? Is it reliable? I'm trying to do my homework on having the whole package put together before I jump in with both feet and find out I'm wrong. It's just easier to start piecing together the package that way.

my colt-pattern 9mm AR has been a hoot and 100% reliable. My reloads are inexpensive (147jhp @~$140/k). I use the same silencer on a 9mm pistol, also. Cost is only slightly more than for a regular AR. Mags are expensive compared to regular AR mags, but still not bad @~$50 for 32 rounders.

if I didnt have the 9mm, i -might- be interested in .300blk... but doubtful...

since you already hve a rifle can, something like that would get you into quiet pistols also...

-rvb

 

[avboiler11]

Phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range?

 

[Beowulf]

Phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range?

Hey, just what you see, pal.

 

[redwingshooter]

Hey, just what you see, pal.

And this is why I love INGO. It always brings a smile to my day!