 RL difference between a silencer and a supressor? |
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 May 5 2006, 02:39 PM
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#1
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence  Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715  |
Oh mighty gun-nuts, I beg your wisdom.
Silencers are for SA weapons, supressors are for BF/FA, at least in SR. But what's the difference? I don't understand why there would be two different devices. Are they constructed differently? I'm sure this is a long answer to a simple question, but just for the record I'm not particularly interested in changing SR or anything, I'm just trying to learn a little about guns. And oh yeah, HOW DO FIREARMS REALISM!?!?!?!?!?1 :oops: |
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May 5 2006, 02:48 PM
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#2
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,353 Joined: 5-June 02 Member No.: 2,840 |
From what I know of the subject (which admittedly comes from other RPG sources), there isn't one, really. Suppressors are the proper name for silencers, from what I've heard, so they're one and the same.
My guess is that SR used two terms to differentiate between Pistol silencers and SMG or higher ones. |
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May 5 2006, 03:14 PM
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#3
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
Oh, so it's just so it's just an easy way to track the different prices/availability/etc. of the same basic device, but in a small size for pistols and a larger size for larger weapons? Hmmm, that almost makes sense. But what about machine pistols? If that's the only difference, then I'd think you'd use (in Shadowrun, now, not RL) a "silencer" for pistols/machine pistols, and a "supressor" for SMG's, MG's, AR's, etc.
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May 5 2006, 03:16 PM
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#4
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,889 Joined: 3-August 03 From: A CPI rank 1 country Member No.: 5,222 |
Right. Sound suppressor sounds more formal, but silencer means the same thing -- unlike magazine/clip. If you're using quality suppressors, the technology is the same regardless of whether you're suppressing a bolt-action, semi-automatic or fully automatic weapon. There isn't necessarily any difference in size, etc. either. For example, these machine gun suppressors are tiny, while this suppressor for a semi-auto is huge. Or compare this FN FAL suppressor to a suppressor of the same caliber for a bolt-action -- the latter is no doubt much more effective, but it's also far bigger than the one meant for the select-fire rifle. Increased heat retention is a problem for repeated shooting with suppressors. A machine gun with a hefty suppressors would overheat significantly faster than one without. Not that there's much point in suppressing an MG in combat in the first place. Sound Suppression at Raygun's site. |
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May 5 2006, 03:26 PM
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#5
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Old Man Jones Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,415 Joined: 26-February 02 From: New York Member No.: 1,699 |
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May 5 2006, 03:29 PM
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#6
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,889 Joined: 3-August 03 From: A CPI rank 1 country Member No.: 5,222 |
Ahh, good ole camo wang...
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May 5 2006, 03:34 PM
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#7
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
Well, Raygun's site pretty much answers any questions I could possibly have about supression.
Thanks. |
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May 5 2006, 05:00 PM
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#8
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,590 Joined: 11-September 04 Member No.: 6,650 |
You know I thought I could keep my GF satisfied But how can I compete with THAT |
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May 5 2006, 06:37 PM
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#9
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Target Group: Members Posts: 72 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Oak Ridge, TN, CAS Member No.: 407 |
Um...
What's the point of silencing an artillery cannon? If you're hitting your target from several kilometers away, does it *matter* if the poor bastards at G-0 wouldn't be able to hear the thing go off from that distance anyway? Besides, you've silenced the cannon, but what about the shell? |
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May 5 2006, 06:44 PM
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#10
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,013 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
So the neighbors don't complain.
~J |
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May 5 2006, 10:12 PM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 586 Joined: 22-November 02 From: Gordonsville, Virginia, U.S.A. (or C.A.S.) Member No.: 3,630 |
Fire Hawk:
I think that the main reason for silencing an artillery piece is to prevent the concussion caused by firing the weapon from stunning *your own* troops, rather than the enemy's. Kagetenshi: IIRC, Hiram Maxim, who invented the silencer sometime around the dawn of the 20th Century, made silencers for everything from .22 rimfire pistols all the way up to a silencer for a 4" artillery piece. The Maxim Silencer Company also made automotive mufflers (the technology is pretty much the same). An acquaintance of mine owned an antique (1930s-vintage, I think) diesel generator. The beastie's muffler had an attached bronze plate stamped "MAXIM SILENCER CO." . --Foreigner |
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May 5 2006, 10:46 PM
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#12
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,889 Joined: 3-August 03 From: A CPI rank 1 country Member No.: 5,222 |
The 155mm howitzer suppressor that was linked above was made precisely so that neighbors wouldn't complain. I have not heard of any modern attempts to sound suppress artillery for any other reason -- which doesn't mean no such attempt has been made.
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May 5 2006, 10:54 PM
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#13
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
that only makes sense, doesn't it? |
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May 6 2006, 01:22 AM
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#14
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Mostly Harmless Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 937 Joined: 26-February 02 From: 44.662,-63.469 Member No.: 176 |
Hiram Percy Maxim did not invent the silencer (his father, Hiram Stevens Maxim, did invent the machine gun, though). He was just the first person to come up with a design that sold reasonably well. In fact, Maxim Silencers, Inc. still exists today, though it doesn't make firearm sound suppressors anymore. There are a few European patents that outdate his first 1908 patent by a couple of decades, and there are probably older ones that I'm not aware of. People have been attempting to suppress firearms since at least the flintlock days. |
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