We have all seen movies and action sitcoms where suppressors are used and it pretty much makes the firearm completely quiet. Even politicians, especially these days, beat that same drum, claiming that suppressors are unnecessary for the general public and are used by criminals to commit crimes. How much of this, though, is fact and how much of it is fiction. What are suppressors really good for, and why should you get one… because you definitely should. These are all questions that need answering and myths that need debunked.

Suppressors have been around since the First World War, but not necessarily in the way most people would think today. Back in WWI, once the back and forth pushing for one punch knockouts slowed to an excruciatingly sluggish tug-of-war paced trench fight, the World was faced with a choice to either continue mass casualty assaults, or change tactics. Out of this, technology and the thought of how war should be fought, would be forced to change. In addition, this forced change in the battlefield tactics and leadership mindset, would lead to the birth of modern tactics we still use on the battlefield today.

One such technology was the advent and implantation of a barrel mounted muzzle device, the suppressor. You see, a common issue faced by both sides on the battlefield, once the conflict turned to trench fighting, was death by muzzle flash. Seemingly random gun fire letting the enemy know you were still there and to keep their heads down, was a common occurrence between the trenches. These pop shots, and shots from snipers from trench to wrench, were major factors that increased the lethality in every soldier's day to day life on the front. In fact, this sniper fire was arguably even more of a threat than the drum fire from enemy artillery.

Now, snipers have been considered a prize for every military around the world even as far back as the early 1700’s, and were actually a bread and butter for the colonies in the American Revolutionary War! Snipers are, and always have been, considered a force multiplier on the battlefield. A force multiplier, in simple terms, is when a military unit can flex over a larger opposing force with an equal or greater power factor. For example, a sniper team is typically a 2-6 man team of 2 or more qualified long range shooters and additional supporting members. This small unit can, if positioned correctly, halt a battalion's advance, or take out key leaders, by a means of combining surprise, concealment, and positional superiority. That is what a force multiplier is, and it is for that reason that snipers and their teams are high value targets when in a conflict.

Suppressors are just another tool in the shed for these skilled shooters, but not in the manner the media or politicians would have you think. You see, while they are saying suppressors are assassins and criminals tools to make the firearm silent so they can get away with crimes, this is just not the case. A suppressor's primary function is to suppress the flash of a firearm, not to silence it. Yet, a lot of people have continued to call suppressors, silencers, and while the manufactures have kinda caved on this misnomer, it is still a suppressor.

While suppressors are designed for flash suppression, they do naturally suppress the sound of the firearm as well. With that, it is not hard to piece together what every gun enthusiast has done already. If you find yourself asking, “what if you slowed the projectile down to the cusp, or below the cusp of the sound barrier, and paired that with a suppressor, what would you get?” The answer is something that would get you addicted to shooting suppressed a lot more often, and a great home defense option for those with families.

So what makes suppressors so necessary? The answer is simple and two fold, when paired with sup-sonic ammunition. First, is the realm of defense. Imagine a situation where you would have to use your firearm in the defense of your life and that of your family. Next I want you all to think about the family you are looking to protect. Think about how familiar they are with the sound of loud shots ringing out in their home. It is not an easy thing to swallow, especially for those not used to guns in general. Once that firearm goes off, not only are the occupants potentially suffering from ringing in their ears, but now they are in fight or flight mode and might not be able to follow your commands to get them to safety. A suppressor could change that and not trigger the ear ringing concert with a side of fight or flight. Instead, you can safely give commands to your family and get them to safety.

Please do not be that guy or girl that says “I want the bad guy to hear the noise and be scared.” If you are in a self defense shooting, shoot with efficiency and purpose and survive to protect those you love.

Second, we can join the rest of the world and use the accessory as a means to hunt and harvest game politely! Dang near everyone else in the world can purchase a suppressor from gun shops, hardware stores, gas stations, or whatever, and walk out the same day with no background check completed, because they see the accessory for what it is… and accessory, as one would a stock, or optic. Seriously, okay maybe not that exaggerated that you can buy it at a gas station, but you get my point. It is just an add on for firearms like certain purses are for an outfit. But I digress, hunting with a suppressor is just a polite means to harvest food for your family. It tames the firearm to a hearing safe level and does not disturb the game as much as an unsuppressed firearm would.

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Needless to say, I will not beat this topic until I am blue in the face, but do not believe everything you hear in the media. Suppressors are just accessories for your firearm that give other hunters a chance to harvest game for their family, safely and effectively protect your family in your home, and do not need the umteenth degree of restrictions forced on us by the NFA (National Firearms Act) in order to own one. Though, I will say that at the time of writing this, the wait times are about a week or so, so get out there, buy a can (suppressor), get proper training to defend your loved ones, and exercise your 2A freedom! 

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