A properly designed and manufactured pistol silencer can offer significant benefits to any gun, and you might be surprised just how much more enjoyable your shooting can be when one is installed. While setting up the firearm to accept the silencer may mean some custom work, once it is in place, the difference in the firearm's performance is noticeable in several areas.
Understanding Silencers
One of the first things people think of when looking at a pistol silencer is a whisper-quiet firearm that is not heard when fired. A properly made silencer is designed to drop the noise level coming out of the gun to a safe range for people without hearing protection. Still, the length of the silencer, the number of baffles inside it, and the design all affect the level of noise coming from the firearm.
Often the pistol silencer you choose will have a significant impact on the noise reduction, and there are manufactures making 9mm silencers and ones for other pistols that use modular designs so you can add or remove baffles to change the effect or noise level coming from the firearm when you fire it. These modular designs allow you to add baffles when you are at the range around many people or remove them when you are in an open area that noise is not an issue.
The entire design of the pistol silencer is made to capture the gases coming from the gun barrel, slow them down, and allow them to leave the gun at a reduced speed which will reduce the noise level. Most silencers screw onto a barrel extension installed on the firearm, allowing them to be put on or taken off as the situation dictates.
Recoil Reduction
While the primary job of any pistol silencer is to reduce the noise coming from the barrel when the gun is fired, they can also provide some level of recoil reduction for the shooter. Because the gases are slowed in the silencer, they often produce less back force on the firearm, making it easier to control.
Anytime you reduce the pistol's recoil, getting back on target after each shot is more manageable, and maintaining accuracy will be a side effect.
Legality Of Silencers
A properly made pistol silencer is legal in most US states, but many states require them to be registered in the same way a pistol or handgun is. Manufacturers making silencers will stamp them with a serial number, and the gun shop selling them will record the numbers and submit a form with your information and the silencer information to the regulating authority in the state.
Check with the gun shop or dealer in your area to determine if you can purchase a silencer in your state and the requirements. The dealer can often help ensure that all the requirements are met and set you up with a suitable pistol silencer for your firearm.
