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Which rifle to put a silencer on?

PleasantValley

PleasantValley

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41379d1392671505-nothing-write-home-about-but-fr-8s-accuracy-awesome-fr8-m43.jpg

OK, I have purchased two cans and am awaiting approval. One for a .22 and the other a thirty caliber.
In the mean time I am trying to decide which one of two 7.62 NATO / .308 caliber rifle to put the thirty caliber one on.

The top rifle is a shortened DSA version of the FAL, and the other is a bolt action Spanish FR-8.
Both were designed from the ground up to fire the 7.62 NATO round.
The Spanish modified their Mausers into this light and very cool version in the early 60's I believe, but used new CETME barrels.
I included the second picture to show everyone the morphing they did.

No matter which one I choose, I will have to keep the loads under 1100FPS for the silencer to be effective.

So, as i know there are lots and lots of more technical gun owners out there on this forum I pose to you my dilemma.

1. Reduce my loads to AK levels (130 grain bullet @ 2300FPS) and shoot both but put the silencer on the FAL. It will only make the blast less and a bit quieter. On the FR-8 it will lessen the recoil significantly and still be effective for any game in the area. No bears or elk here at all.

2. Reduce my loads to subsonic and put the can on the FR-8 and have a truly fun plinker and really good hunting rifle.

3. Reduce my loads to subsonic and put the can on the FAL and realize my hidden Rambo fantasies as i eliminate the heathen pine cones and tin cans on my property up in the woods.

4. Keep the FAL as is because it is tuned for full power 7.62 NATO ammo and keep it handy for when the bad guys come parachuting down on us in a RED Dawn scenario or Zombie Apocalypse.

I put my dilemma before you all, oh wise ones.
 
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PleasantValley said:
View attachment 67236190

View attachment 67236191

OK, I have purchased two cans and am awaiting approval. One for a .22 and the other a thirty caliber.
In the mean time I am trying to decide which one of two 7.62 NATO / .308 caliber rifle to put the thirty caliber one on.

The top rifle is a shortened DSA version of the FAL, and the other is a bolt action Spanish FR-8.
Both were designed from the ground up to fire the 7.62 NATO round.
The Spanish modified their Mausers into this light and very cool version in the early 60's I believe, but used new CETME barrels.
I included the second picture to show everyone the morphing they did.

No matter which one I choose, I will have to keep the loads under 1100FPS for the silencer to be effective.

So, as i know there are lots and lots of more technical gun owners out there on this forum I pose to you my dilemma.

1. Reduce my loads to AK levels (130 grain bullet @ 2300FPS) and shoot both but put the silencer on the FAL. It will only make the blast less and a bit quieter. On the FR-8 it will lessen the recoil significantly and still be effective for any game in the area. No bears or elk here at all.

2. Reduce my loads to subsonic and put the can on the FR-8 and have a truly fun plinker and really good hunting rifle.

3. Reduce my loads to subsonic and put the can on the FAL and realize my hidden Rambo fantasies as i eliminate the heathen pine cones and tin cans on my property up in the woods.

4. Keep the FAL as is because it is tuned for full power 7.62 NATO ammo and keep it handy for when the bad guys come parachuting down on us in a RED Dawn scenario or Zombie Apocalypse.

I put my dilemma before you all, oh wise ones.
Click to expand...

Neither as both are supersonic and other than a mild noise reduction to the shooter, would do nothing to keep it quiet.

There is still a sonic crack, only way around that is subsonic, which includes many 45acp and some 9mm rounds, some 22lr rounds etc, without being subsonic no matter how much you silence it the sonic crack will be heard long distances away. reducing either of those guns rounds to subsonic is unviable, handgun rounds are better ir even high energy high caliber rounds, but those rounds in both guns focus on high energy high velocity to function.
 
Put it on the Fr-8 and take up hog hunting.
 
beerftw said:
Neither as both are supersonic and other than a mild noise reduction to the shooter, would do nothing to keep it quiet.

There is still a sonic crack, only way around that is subsonic, which includes many 45acp and some 9mm rounds, some 22lr rounds etc, without being subsonic no matter how much you silence it the sonic crack will be heard long distances away.
Click to expand...

Please read again.
When i refered to "loads" I meant I will be reloading my ammo to whatever FPS I choose.
Generally below 1100FPS is subsonic.
I went back and edited it to make the point more clear.
My apologize if I did not before.

Now that i have made this clear, what do you think?
 
IMO one would likely desire to determine the application before the purchase of the can but that's just me .........
 
First, why do you feel you need a silencer? If you're a good shot nothing you shoot at will ever hear it. Also they can throw off accuracy.
 
cuban smokes said:
IMO one would likely desire to determine the application before the purchase of the can but that's just me .........
Click to expand...

The "application" (if you want to call it that) is to just have fun and make less noise than i normally do when up in the woods.
 
PleasantValley said:
The "application" (if you want to call it that) is to just have fun and make less noise than i normally do when up in the woods.
Click to expand...

personally I would not bother with a can for long guns but I understand some do like them; what is your attraction to cans? Is it for hearing concerns, or?
 
PleasantValley said:
Please read again.
When i refered to "loads" I meant I will be reloading my ammo to whatever FPS I choose.
Generally below 1100FPS is subsonic.
I went back and edited it to make the point more clear.
My apologize if I did not before.

Now that i have made this clear, what do you think?
Click to expand...

Those rounds are not very effective subsonic though, most subsonic rounds are high energy low velocity, which usually requires a very heavy round. Those guns focus around .30 or similar, and are not suited for subsonic in any means, if you want it to reduce the sound for you yourself there are no issues, however if you wanted them suppressed and subsonic, you may find the ballistics to be undesirable, while heavier rounds like .454 and 45-70 may have closer to what you desire subsonic.
 
GDViking said:
First, why do you feel you need a silencer? If you're a good shot nothing you shoot at will ever hear it. Also they can throw off accuracy.
Click to expand...

I don't feel i need a silencer.
I just wanted one.
Then after i made the purchase, it turned out to be a 2 for 1 deal, so they wrapped up a .22 with the one i bought.
heck, it had a $500 price tag on it.

I probably only "need" about five of the guns I own.
NEED is not in the equation.
It is all about having fun up in the woods.

I told my wife I "needed" a 20-something red-head to have up in the woods too, but she said the guns would be a lot cheaper for me in the long run.
 
cuban smokes said:
personally I would not bother with a can for long guns but I understand some do like them; what is your attraction to cans? Is it for hearing concerns, or?
Click to expand...

Personally the only time I have ever thought they would be useful in a non combat situation would be on a .22 when I'm surrounded by squirrels.
 
GDViking said:
Personally the only time I have ever thought they would be useful in a non combat situation would be on a .22 when I'm surrounded by squirrels.
Click to expand...

when I was 6 years old I learned to shoot with a single shot/bolt action .22

we used to go squirrel hunting with 12 gauge :lol: ............. not much left after that :lamo .............
 
cuban smokes said:
personally I would not bother with a can for long guns but I understand some do like them; what is your attraction to cans? Is it for hearing concerns, or?
Click to expand...

I would not even call it an attraction. More of a curiosity. I am curious how they would work and curious as to how well they operate.
The subsonic FPS levels are a major drawback that I can see.

Still, the frustrated Rambo in me would love to sneak out at night with a .22 or .30 can, a night vision device and make a one shot kill on the evil Major Cucumber as he steps outside for a smoke in the still of the night.
 
beerftw said:
Those rounds are not very effective subsonic though, most subsonic rounds are high energy low velocity, which usually requires a very heavy round. Those guns focus around .30 or similar, and are not suited for subsonic in any means, if you want it to reduce the sound for you yourself there are no issues, however if you wanted them suppressed and subsonic, you may find the ballistics to be undesirable, while heavier rounds like .454 and 45-70 may have closer to what you desire subsonic.
Click to expand...

I am finding that out when looking for bullets to reload.
Midway has some designed for the .300 Blackout that are just copper coated lead bullets at 180 grains.
All of the other 180 grain bullets and up I have found are designed for much higher FPS.

Like you said, the tradeoff for velocity is weight and some shops have 200 grain subsonic 7.62 ammo, but i am not paying $35 a box for it.
That is why I love reloading.
 
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PleasantValley said:
I am finding that out when looking for bullets to reload.
Midway has some designed for the .300 Blackout that are just copper coated lead bullets at 180 grains.
All of the other 180 grain bullets and up I have found are designed for much higher FPS.
Click to expand...

.300 can actually run subsonic fairly well, other .30 cal can not, it depends on how the round was designed. Just get a reloading manual, many before you have already done the experimentation on which rounds are great subsonic and which ones are junk and can not hit the broad side of a barn.
 
cuban smokes said:
when I was 6 years old I learned to shoot with a single shot/bolt action .22

we used to go squirrel hunting with 12 gauge :lol: ............. not much left after that :lamo .............
Click to expand...

Reminds me of a Navy buddy from Tennessee who said the "barked" squirrels with his 30/06.
Shooting near them so the flying bark killed them rather than hitting them directly.
The theory sounds legit.
 
PleasantValley said:
I don't feel i need a silencer.
I just wanted one.
Then after i made the purchase, it turned out to be a 2 for 1 deal, so they wrapped up a .22 with the one i bought.
heck, it had a $500 price tag on it.

I probably only "need" about five of the guns I own.
NEED is not in the equation.
It is all about having fun up in the woods.

I told my wife I "needed" a 20-something red-head to have up in the woods too, but she said the guns would be a lot cheaper for me in the long run.
Click to expand...

Yah I get it, my late girlfriend used to ask me why I would buy guns and especially fly rods and never sell any. I would have to explain how those things are to be bought and not sold.

When is the last time you used that?
Oh I don't remember but I know it's there if I want too...
 
beerftw said:
.300 can actually run subsonic fairly well, other .30 cal can not, it depends on how the round was designed. Just get a reloading manual, many before you have already done the experimentation on which rounds are great subsonic and which ones are junk and can not hit the broad side of a barn.
Click to expand...

You know, a .300 upper might just be the ticket.
I have about 8 reloading manuals.
Maybe time to rethink the complete cartridge altogether.
So far, i have only been looking at the .308.
( I use .308 & 7.62 interchangeably though i know there are differences)
 
PleasantValley said:
Reminds me of a Navy buddy from Tennessee who said the "barked" squirrels with his 30/06.
Shooting near them so the flying bark killed them rather than hitting them directly.
The theory sounds legit.
Click to expand...

That started with Daniel Boone stories.
 
beerftw said:
.300 can actually run subsonic fairly well, other .30 cal can not, it depends on how the round was designed. Just get a reloading manual, many before you have already done the experimentation on which rounds are great subsonic and which ones are junk and can not hit the broad side of a barn.
Click to expand...

And remember... Some powders don't like being reduced and can lead to dangerous situations.
 
IMO cans are like guitars, cigars, European cars; they are basically a 'luxury item' as they used to say back in the day.

We don't really need all that stuff but it's nice to have around, if you like it.

I used to go to an outdoor range (Winchester) in Irving, Texas just outside of Las Colinas many years ago when I lived in Dallas.
I was into revolvers then & my main iron was a .357 loaded with 158 grain Plus P SJHP. It's a cannon; hold on.
So, I'm at Winchester one after noon with my little hand cannon & this guy walks up with an aluminum case; reminded me of a 'flight case' for a guitar by it's construction but it wasn't that big.
The guy plops down at the station just to my left & he pulls four weapons from the case.
* Desert Eagle .357
* HK MP5
* Colt .45 Gold Match
* S&W 686
I was waiting for some cans to pop out of the case but never saw any but man, talk about 'firearm envy' :lol: ........
 
GDViking said:
Yah I get it, my late girlfriend used to ask me why I would buy guns and especially fly rods and never sell any. I would have to explain how those things are to be bought and not sold.

When is the last time you used that?
Oh I don't remember but I know it's there if I want too...
Click to expand...

Used what?....the 20-something red-head?
They are like a very good carpenter.
No amount of wood is wasted.
 
cuban smokes said:
IMO cans are like guitars, cigars, European cars; they are basically a 'luxury item' as they used to say back in the day.

We don't really need all that stuff but it's nice to have around, if you like it.

I used to go to an outdoor range (Winchester) in Irving, Texas just outside of Las Colinas many years ago when I lived in Dallas.
I was into revolvers then & my main iron was a .357 loaded with 158 grain Plus P SJHP. It's a cannon; hold on.
So, I'm at Winchester one after noon with my little hand cannon & this guy walks up with an aluminum case; reminded me of a 'flight case' for a guitar by it's construction but it wasn't that big.
The guy plops down at the station just to my left & he pulls four weapons from the case.
* Desert Eagle .357
* HK MP5
* Colt .45 Gold Match
* S&W 686
I was waiting for some cans to pop out of the case but never saw any but man, talk about 'firearm envy' :lol: ........
Click to expand...

but you know....I bet you were a much better shot with your very familiar gun than he was with all of his.

I had an old 03A3 Springfield once and was shooting next to a guy with a weatherby and scope.
We were both shooting at 100 yard swinging boiler plates and he missed all of his shots and i hit 4 out of 5 with my 03A3.

I was also humbled when some old geezer cleaned all of our clocks with his Ruger .22 single six at a silhouette match.
 
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