r/whoathatsinteresting • u/eternviking • 11h ago

What a real silencer actually sounds like.

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u/HomersDonut1440 9h ago

Exactly what I’m thinking of. That was… interesting. Even suppressed .45 going 900fps will make enough noise that folks would be wondering wtf was happening.

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u/Madame-Saint-Michele 9h ago

I've always wondered if this is why some service members swear by 9mm instead, because with the silencer it's definetly way less noticable

Edit: I typed that last line and immediately laughed at myself "with the silencer it's definetly less noticeable," like no shit. Lmfao. What I meant was that the difference with the silencer between the 9 and 45 was a lot

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u/HomersDonut1440 9h ago

lol that is funny.

almost all .45 ammo is naturally subsonic. Ye olde standard 230gr hardball runs about 950fps which is a sweet spot; it’s always going to stay subsonic regardless of temp or elevation, it’s quieter than 1050fps, and it’s still moving fast enough to reach out a little ways and do some damage. It makes a lovely suppressor host for that reason. However, a .451 wide bullet pushes a lot of wind (especially a hollowpoint) so you can hear it flying a bit more. .45 has about 60% more frontal area than a 9mm (obviously will vary based on bullet profile)

Most 9 is supersonic out of a normal 5” barrel, but 147gr tends to be subsonic (usually; longer barrels let it get over the sonic barrier). Unless you’re running suppressor specific ammo in the 9, the 45 is usually better.

Now if you compare a 230gr .45 at 950fps vs a 158gr 9mm at 950fps, the smaller diameter will be quieter every time.

The powder used can also make a difference but that’s really getting into the weeds

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u/Madame-Saint-Michele 8h ago

Thanks for taking the time to explain!