Detached suppressor ?

Unfortunately not a new idea.

Here in Scotland there are a few ranges with problematic, pain in the arse, anti gun neighbours. A common method of lessening the 'boom' (other than using moderators) is to get two blue, plastic barrels. Cut off the tops and bottoms, stick both together to make a long tube and line the inside with the triangular pattern , noise cancelling foam.
It surprising how much an effect it has, when you lie behind the barrel tube and shoot through it. It won't seem so to you, but the others around you will notice .

5.56×250 said:

Just thinking out loud about a possible situation I might find myself in at some point in the foreseeable future.
Land around my area is getting sliced thinner and thinner these days when your in the market for 5 to 10 acres ie, deep, but narrow. That's a good thing for a long range , uh, range, but a long skinny property creates a possibility of making enemies of your neighbors from all the racket.
This brings up my question for the fine members of LRH. Has any of you built a sound trap for your single bench , home shooting range ? Or did I just give away a patentable way to make a million dollars , lol ?
Seriously, I'm thinking about something like a 3' x 3' open ended box , maybe 6' long, permanently mounted in front of your shooting bench. On the inside of the box I'm thinking of acoustic insulation of some kind ie. Egg crate or foam. Just something to take the edge off the sonic boom to either side of the muzzle brake to keep the neighbors friendly. I cant be the only one who has thought of this for load developement when you might shoot 20 - 30 shots a day for several days in close proximity to others that might not like all the racket.
Thoughts ?

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What you have described is likely in-fact a "suppressor" by definition. A good friend and hunting mate constructed just one such device some years back - a plastic culvert pipe lined with carpeting set up on his bench - it was quite effective in muffling shots. One of his mates - a sherrif's deputy alerted him to the possibility that he had constructed a suppressor and may be violating the law in so using it. I do not know if the NFA branch of BATFE was contacted about this. My inclination is that they would err on the conservative side of the definition. Now, if you were shooting from inside a van or a barn to a remote target that may be different. The construction with intent and portability I would suspect are tipping points. BTW - I do own suppressors and NFA items, so not talking out of my arse. 9 months to wait and $200 tax stamp is not that much for peace of mind and ultimate portability! Cheers.

Most horses can be desensitized to shooting noise over time and with patient training. Easing them into it with rim fire up. Remember, how long armies and cowboys shot from horseback... Had one cool horse who stood next to my dove hunting chair with me, and retrieved downed birds, albeit slowly, on his own, no kidding! Watch slow motion video of the escacaping muzzle blasts for a great visual on what your wanting to suppress. Helps visualize what you need to control. Whatever you decide, think of the design parameters for actual attached suppressors. VOLUME and DIRECTION DEFLECTION (Baffles). Ideas for tubes/chamber. If you hit it with a ball peen hammer and it resonates it won't be good to use. Should be a thud. French drain type poly tubing with vent holes already in place. Cinder block outer wall set upright in a pyramid shape with rows of inner blocks turned on sides so open holes act as baffles, don't have to mortar just stack and can be modified quickly, the porosity makes em less dense to absorb and not reflect pressure waves. Railroad ties stacked lengthways in pyramid shape, narrow by rifle and angled wider towards front, their mass will snuff concussion and angled wider at front will deflect noise forward away from shooter, easy n quick to build n take down. Landscaping logs or Telephone Poles stacked in an arch over half round supports or cinder blocks, cheap and free, mass absorbs concussion. An old small camper shell with holes in both ends to shoot through, mobile and may find for free. An old fuel or oil tank laid on its side, on a trailer for mobility, or on ground, holes in and out, space VOLUME. An old leaking POLY water tank a farmer is throwing away, a refrigerator/freezer on side with in n out holes. A bunch of cheap/used free 5 gallon buckets bolted together, may work on most cals maybe not Magnum cals. Your not going to SILENCE the noise but goal is to just MUFFLE and lower the Db of the report! With a Muzzle Brake you WILL want an immediate 45deg wall to reflect the latteral gas flow FORWARD and a relatively small narrow window for the muzzle entrance, make it tall for muzzle rise on shots, and pad the hole for accidental barrel contact to avoid scratching barrel/stock. Experimentation is expected lol

Do you have a brake on your rifles ? You can build a wall 12"or more back from the wall you shoot through and insulate both walls put doors in them that you can make adjustable openings in so you can fine tune for sound control . the sonic crack will always be there when shooting supersonic rounds but you can capture the sounds of the exploding powder fairly well as long as you keep the muzzle inside of the building . The shock waves inside a room hurt not only your ears but your internal organs after a few rounds your body will hurt inside for a couple of days if you can't get them dampened. I don't know what the size of your building is to start with but the side blast from your shot with a break on is going to be a problem out to 6 feet on either side also causing damage to whatever you use to absorb the sound waves . Just some thing to think about .

JTComfort said:

What you have described is likely in-fact a "suppressor" by definition. A good friend and hunting mate constructed just one such device some years back - a plastic culvert pipe lined with carpeting set up on his bench - it was quite effective in muffling shots. One of his mates - a sherrif's deputy alerted him to the possibility that he had constructed a suppressor and may be violating the law in so using it. I do not know if the NFA branch of BATFE was contacted about this. My inclination is that they would err on the conservative side of the definition. Now, if you were shooting from inside a van or a barn to a remote target that may be different. The construction with intent and portability I would suspect are tipping points. BTW - I do own suppressors and NFA items, so not talking out of my arse. 9 months to wait and $200 tax stamp is not that much for peace of mind and ultimate portability! Cheers.

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Don't think this would be considered a suppressor in any form as it is NOT ATTACHED to the muzzle in any way. But who knows what the swamp agencies leaders ONE OPINION and agenda may be at any moment, but I think you'd be "safe". Agree on the $200 stamp, can use for hearing preservation while hunting also, if legal in your state. Develop load WITH a can on bench, same POI while hunting, both while quieter. Have tinnitus and loss from decades working around jet engines/age equip. Your hearing IS WORTH $200 + CAN MONEY! The "bench box" is needed for rifles that can't take a can though (30-30s, levers, unthreaded...) We NEED the suppressor law reform that was on the table not long ago. Heard (Pun intended) that in Europe some are REQUIRED to use cans for hearing protection AND to just be polite to neighbors (Environmental noise "pollution")

i highly doubt this would be considered one - here is the code w/ illustrations - https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firear...-firearms-gun-control-act-definition-silencer
Silencer
18 U.S.C., § 921(A)(24)

The term "Firearm Silencer" or "Firearm Muffler" means any device for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm, including any combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for the use in assembling or fabricating a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, any part intended only for use in such assembly or fabrication.

Your original concern you said was the sonic boom, these nor a suppressor will resolve the sonic boom from the bullet moving Mach speeds. The report from the muzzle is a different story these should diffinatly help with. The concrete culver is Especially good idea on either end but would think soft absorbing material in the middle would help. There was a range out side Dallas/Fort Woth I believe "Joshua" that used these to limit berm over shooting some might be able to speak to the efficiency of noise abatement, I never shot rifles there.

The length, I would think, would be helpful for any future litigation from neighbors claiming you over shot your berm. If you can't physically overshoot it you done your duedilgents.

The Texas DPS's out door shooting range was the middle of down town Austin and the sides are concrete block, but the overhead baffles make near imposssible for a stray bullet to escape the area from the firing lanes.

Safety and liability would be my first concern neighbor will always find something. Telling them they are wlcome to sight-in might be a good PR move.

Wow! Great responses! Just a heads up, there are no horses involved. In fact , there are no neighbors or even a narrow piece of property yet. This question comes because my living arrangement is subject to change soon and so far, the properties I've noticed that would be in my wheelhouse for purchase are narrow, leaving me to think that I cant have alot of distance between my shooting habit and new neighbors. I understand the sonic boom isn't going to go away, I just want to dampen and control the direction the majority of the blast goes to.
As of right now, I live in an area where there is enough shooting that mine is just normal daily noise. My land is 100s of yards away from other houses too. Perfect place to shoot and live if it weren't for my wife hinting at wanting a devorce after 22 yrs of marriage. SO.......I'm thinking out a possible new setup.

WildRose said:

Some people are just born asses and they are doubly bad when they move to the country.

Many years ago a friend had a small feedlot in Eastern NM. A family bought the place across the road knowing the feedlot was there.

They spent the next ten years bankrupting the poor guy suing him over the flies.

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And that **** flew? A judge sided with the family?!

tacsniper0888 said:

And that ---- flew? A judge sided with the family?!

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yah that sounds fishy. iirc its this - https://dictionary.thelaw.com/coming-to-the-nuisance/

5.56×250 said:

Just thinking out loud about a possible situation I might find myself in at some point in the foreseeable future.
Land around my area is getting sliced thinner and thinner these days when your in the market for 5 to 10 acres ie, deep, but narrow. That's a good thing for a long range , uh, range, but a long skinny property creates a possibility of making enemies of your neighbors from all the racket.
This brings up my question for the fine members of LRH. Has any of you built a sound trap for your single bench , home shooting range ? Or did I just give away a patentable way to make a million dollars , lol ?
Seriously, I'm thinking about something like a 3' x 3' open ended box , maybe 6' long, permanently mounted in front of your shooting bench. On the inside of the box I'm thinking of acoustic insulation of some kind ie. Egg crate or foam. Just something to take the edge off the sonic boom to either side of the muzzle brake to keep the neighbors friendly. I cant be the only one who has thought of this for load developement when you might shoot 20 - 30 shots a day for several days in close proximity to others that might not like all the racket.
Thoughts ?

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GREAT IDEA! You just gave away a partnerable million dollar idea! . I experience this every spring, summer and early fall. Police come by for a " Hi Guy...how long do you think you will be today"......and I always answer the same way ..
" Just until I'm done". Happens everytime someone new moves in or is driving by on road. Never thought about a sound box. Awesome idea.. thanks

5.56×250 said:

Wow! Great responses! Just a heads up, there are no horses involved. In fact , there are no neighbors or even a narrow piece of property yet. This question comes because my living arrangement is subject to change soon and so far, the properties I've noticed that would be in my wheelhouse for purchase are narrow, leaving me to think that I cant have alot of distance between my shooting habit and new neighbors. I understand the sonic boom isn't going to go away, I just want to dampen and control the direction the majority of the blast goes to.
As of right now, I live in an area where there is enough shooting that mine is just normal daily noise. My land is 100s of yards away from other houses too. Perfect place to shoot and live if it weren't for my wife hinting at wanting a devorce after 22 yrs of marriage. SO.......I'm thinking out a possible new setup.

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Sorry to hear! Women will get ya every time!

raider1v1 said:

yah that sounds fishy. iirc its this - https://dictionary.thelaw.com/coming-to-the-nuisance/

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Yep looks good to me. Any reasonable judge of sound mind and body should have dismissed it with prejudice and told the plaintiff not to be so stupid and sell the property!

tacsniper0888 said:

Yep looks good to me. Any reasonable judge of sound mind and body should have dismissed it with prejudice and told the plaintiff not to be so stupid and sell the property!

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Well that or we don't know the whole story.