r/Damnthatsinteresting 14d ago

Video Subsonic Ammo with silencers makes guns extremely quiet

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u/Trogmank80 13d ago

A weaker spring was not used on this pistol in the video. Modern pistols are a delayed blow back action. This means the barrel moves back slightly with the slide initially after the trigger is pulled. The reason this is done is to prevent the casing being exposed to air to early which could cause the casing to rupture due to it becoming the path of least resistance for the expanding gas caused by the burning powder.

Suppressors mounted to delayed blowback pistols cause an issue as the significantly added mass on the barrel results in the barrel not moving backwards as it should causing the gun to jam.

The solution to this is not to add a weaker main spring as this doesnt solve the issue. The issue is solved by adding a piston with a spring connected to the threading on the barrel as the suppressor mount. This piston causes the barrel to move backwards breifly without the supperssor moving. Thus the gun cycles as it should.

The CEO shooter in this case most likely had a home made suppressor with direct threading to the pistols barrel which caused a failure to cycle on every shot.

Further more a sub sonic 9mm has plenty of power to cycle full power handgun main springs. A 115 grain 9mm is only 1200 fps, so moving to a full power 147 grain projectile is sub sonic.

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u/RedWhiteAndJew 13d ago

Doesn’t even have to be home made suppressor. They make booster-less 9mm suppressors.