Sage Creek Gus SASS #64320 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I have a 100 yard range at my home. My nearest neighbor, who is about 200 yards away has told me when I shoot my black powder Sharps the noise scares their dog. I told them I would look into building some kind of a stationary noise suppressor to fire through. They are being reasonable in this whole thing. I think I remember reading someplace that shooting through a row of old tires makes a good stationary suppressor but I'm not sure. Anyone out there know of designs for such an item. I've done some searching on the internet but only find plans for silencers that attach to the firearms. Thanks. Sage Creek Gus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex M Rugers #6621 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Sage Creek Gus , I also remember reading that , some years ago. I think it was Rick Jamison in either Shooting Times or Guns and Ammo , whichever mag he was with at the time. I'm thinking he added some kind of filler inside the tires , like mesh or metal shavings to help dampen the sound. Don't remember how long the thing was , but it seems like maybe ten feet or so. Good luck , Rex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack, SASS #20451 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 It is certainly doable, but will cost a bit of money. Probably about $200. The good part is the round is already subsonic, so the only part you need to muffle is the muzzle blast. For obvious reasons I won't post on a public forum how to do it, but two important things to remember: #1 the muzzle must be inside the suppression area to be effective (may cause some problems with seeing the front sight.) #2 the entrance and exit openings should be as small as possible. (probably about 4" in your case should be fine. Hint: As long as a sheet of plywood with about 8 baffles should be sufficient. Remember to put sound suppression material inside the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Flimshaw Sass# 73310 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 It is certainly doable, but will cost a bit of money. Probably about $200. The good part is the round is already subsonic, so the only part you need to muffle is the muzzle blast. For obvious reasons I won't post on a public forum how to do it, but two important things to remember: #1 the muzzle must be inside the suppression area to be effective (may cause some problems with seeing the front sight.) #2 the entrance and exit openings should be as small as possible. (probably about 4" in your case should be fine. Hint: As long as a sheet of plywood with about 8 baffles should be sufficient. Remember to put sound suppression material inside the box. Isn't a stationary sound suppressor legal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Smokepole #29248L Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 It is certainly doable, but will cost a bit of money. Probably about $200. The good part is the round is already subsonic, so the only part you need to muffle is the muzzle blast. For obvious reasons I won't post on a public forum how to do it, but two important things to remember: #1 the muzzle must be inside the suppression area to be effective (may cause some problems with seeing the front sight.) #2 the entrance and exit openings should be as small as possible. (probably about 4" in your case should be fine. Hint: As long as a sheet of plywood with about 8 baffles should be sufficient. Remember to put sound suppression material inside the box. Sorry, but the 45/70 is not subsonic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack, SASS #20451 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 45/70 BP loads are usually subsonic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 The "tube of tires" method is very effective for suppressing noise at an outdoor range. The interior hole is large which makes it easy to see the sights. Make sure it's in a frame that is close enough to your bench so that the muzzle is seated as far as possible into the tube. A stationary "suppressor" like this is perfectly legal. It's no different than building a room around your shooting table to keep the noise level low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sage Creek Gus SASS #64320 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 Sorry, but the 45/70 is not subsonic. Mine are. I make it a point to be sure that my 45 70 loads are subsonic all the way. I don't have to worry about turbulence when the bullet passes through the sound barrier, bullet drag is less when they are subsonic which means there is less wind drift. I'm shooting 1000 yards or better and all that is important to me. SCG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Fernando Slim, SASS #20521 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 A friend of mine used to have the tire setup that he covered with canvas. It really worked well, so well that he was using at a college. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Smokepole #29248L Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 45/70 BP loads are usually subsonic. How are you loading them? Mine are loaded with a full 70 grains and I am breaking 1350 with a 405 grain bullet. That's not sub sonic.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakebite Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I made one for the exact same reason.... Neighbor across the road had a dog that would go bonkers. I made it out of a 50 gal drum. I cut about a 5 or 6" hole in one end (exit end). This drum had a removable top, so I removed it. I made a tube out of chicken wire that ran the length of the drum and placed it in line with the exit hole. Then I packed the drum with fiberglass insulation around the chicken wire. I cut a whole in the lid that lined up with the hole in the other end, and shot through the drum. Kinda like a Glass pak muffler. It worked out just fine. You can use a plastic drum or what ever you can find. I mounted it on a couple of saw horses. Just make sure the muzzle is well inside the drum, and blast away. This doesn't cost much to build, and IMO works better than the tires. Snakebite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Tombstone, SASS #49630 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Gus-You should swing by and see mine sometime, sounds a little like Snakebite's, I have a 3 drum setup, cut a 12 inch hole in the center of each, I put fibreglass insulation around inside the drum, then welded them together, then rolled up some hardware cloth or something similar in a tight roll, place inside and let it expand open. results in a 12 inch hole to shoot through, muffles well, you can actually hear the bullet break the sound barrier as it cracks downrange. I would like an alternative to the glass, the muzzle blast blows it around. One end sits on my shooting bench, the other is supported by a simpleframe. I have welded a spotting scope support on the table end, am planning to put some sort of support on the other end for my chronograph. Use up to .338 mag with no ill effects. Have been using this setup for 8 yrs now, started with 2 barrels and added one later. What could I use instead of fibreglass? I might not be able to get at the midle barrel to change that one. Doc PS hope to shoot with the buscaderos soon, when is your first shoot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iditarod Hammergun 24311 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I was once able to shoot at a Swiss range. They had tubes of tires set up at each station to fire through. Even with high velocity rounds it still made a huge difference and you were not bothered by the muzzle blast from the gal or guy in the next station. For my property I made a plywood box, 24in x24in and 8 feet long. A sort of square tube. I glued old shag carpet all over the inside. Which now smells,,,, Maybe AstroTurf would have been better for something that is left outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mustang Gregg Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Guess what? I have a do-it-yerself external rifle report suppressor for you for FREE!!! I have a ton or more of used semi trailer tires. Come pick 'em up. I ain't kiddin' neither!!. Mustang Gregg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolina Gunslinger Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Must you make an actual suppressor or could you get away away with firing through something that would just direct the noise away? Not knowing the layout of the offended's house to your firing line. Seems whatever could work for you with the least amount of change and induced awkwardness to the shooting position and sight picture. Almost easier to negotiate range hours, but that is truly silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sage Creek Gus SASS #64320 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Must you make an actual suppressor or could you get away away with firing through something that would just direct the noise away? Not knowing the layout of the offended's house to your firing line. Seems whatever could work for you with the least amount of change and induced awkwardness to the shooting position and sight picture. Almost easier to negotiate range hours, but that is truly silly. When my neighbor came down to talk to me about this we did a little experimenting. I have a 32 x 40 workshop with a garage door that opens so I can see my targets. His house is basically behind the other side of the shop, in other words, the opposite direction from what I am shooting. I fired three rounds from inside the shop while he as over at this house listening. The first shot, which was with the muzzle about 6 feet from the garage door he felt was muffled about 15%. The next shot was with the muzzle about 12 feet from the door and that was reduced even more. The third shot with the muzzle about 18 feet from the door the he felt the noise was reduced by about 40%. So even that made a significant difference. I suspect if I would reduce the size of the opening of this door with some kind of a temporary closure with a small hole to shoot through it might be enough. But I've got a pile of old tires out in the trees (I'm on 11 1/2 acres) so I'm going to build the tire thing and try it out. I'll shoot from this same location (inside my shop) anyway and just put this thing on wheels so it is easy to roll out of the way. I have a good portable shooting bench I can set up there anyway. My regular shooting bench is on the second floor of this same building. That is where I do my reloading and gunsmithing work etc. Up there I have a bench rest built right into the room and just slide a window open and shoot out the window. This is ok with my neighbor for 22 rimfire, which is what a mostly shoot at home, so this suppression system is just for the larger, louder stuff. I have no problem taking my guns and ammo downstairs to shoot when they are loud. I'm going to build a rack out of some extra 2 x 4's I have on hand and stack about 8 tires on it. Line the tires with fiberglass insulation and then take some stiff piece of carpet I have on hand, cut it a little oversize, roll it up a little smaller than the opening of the tires, slide it in and let it expand to fill the hole through the tires. If necessary figure out how to hold it in place. SCG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sage Creek Gus SASS #64320 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Gus-You should swing by and see mine sometime, sounds a little like Snakebite's, I have a 3 drum setup, cut a 12 inch hole in the center of each, I put fibreglass insulation around inside the drum, then welded them together, then rolled up some hardware cloth or something similar in a tight roll, place inside and let it expand open. results in a 12 inch hole to shoot through, muffles well, you can actually hear the bullet break the sound barrier as it cracks downrange. I would like an alternative to the glass, the muzzle blast blows it around. One end sits on my shooting bench, the other is supported by a simpleframe. I have welded a spotting scope support on the table end, am planning to put some sort of support on the other end for my chronograph. Use up to .338 mag with no ill effects. Have been using this setup for 8 yrs now, started with 2 barrels and added one later. What could I use instead of fibreglass? I might not be able to get at the midle barrel to change that one. Doc PS hope to shoot with the buscaderos soon, when is your first shoot? Hi Doc I didn't realize you had a noise suppressor. I'd like to see it the next time I'm over for a shoot. Our first match is April 28th. SCG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I was once able to shoot at a Swiss range. They had tubes of tires set up at each station to fire through. Even with high velocity rounds it still made a huge difference and you were not bothered by the muzzle blast from the gal or guy in the next station. For my property I made a plywood box, 24in x24in and 8 feet long. A sort of square tube. I glued old shag carpet all over the inside. Which now smells,,,, Maybe AstroTurf would have been better for something that is left outside. Just a word of caution.... I was once involved in a case involving S&W; they had an indoor test range - a steel cylinder about 8' in diameter. It was noisy, so they lined it with open cell polyurethane foam to quiet it down; problem was, unburned powder is deposited everytime you fire a round, and eventually, there was enough built up in the foam to ignite a huge fireball down the tube. If you line your box/tube/enclosure with a material that can catch and hold powder, you may want to take precautions, including frequent cleaning. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sage Creek Gus SASS #64320 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Just a word of caution.... I was once involved in a case involving S&W; they had an indoor test range - a steel cylinder about 8' in diameter. It was noisy, so they lined it with open cell polyurethane foam to quiet it down; problem was, unburned powder is deposited everytime you fire a round, and eventually, there was enough built up in the foam to ignite a huge fireball down the tube. If you line your box/tube/enclosure with a material that can catch and hold powder, you may want to take precautions, including frequent cleaning. LL A good point. My idea was to make the roll if carpet easy to remove and clean. SCG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Smokepole #29248L Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Any type of baffling in the muzzle area will do the trick. One other way is to build a frame along both sides with 2x4's and cover them with ceiling tiles. That's fairly cheap and doesn't provide a breeding ground for skeeters like tires that hjold water... Just a suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Any type of baffling in the muzzle area will do the trick. One other way is to build a frame along both sides with 2x4's and cover them with ceiling tiles. That's fairly cheap and doesn't provide a breeding ground for skeeters like tires that hjold water... Just a suggestion. Hmmm...noise is essentially vibration. If you put a wall between you and the noise source, noise will be transmitted if the wall vibrates. If you want to build a stud wall, you should consider a "double" wall, where you use two sets of seperated studs, such that the inside wall components do not touch the outside wall components, with a dead air space in the middle - leaving no solid pathway for transmission of vibration. Builders use this method for party walls in condos and apartments. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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