Suppressors

[plastic_window]

Be that as it may, stealth sections in games require you to be able to be stealthy.

I'm sure if a game was meant to be super-realistic, the devs would do the research and apply all this to the game. I doubt very many games these days are trying as hard to be realistic as you might think.

 

[Axeli]

The point is rather to make the sound harder to locate and not travel quite as far than to make the gun quiet. Pretty much a must-have for modern snipers.

However, silencers' inability to actually remove the noise is why many special ops are intrested in gauss gun technology.

 

[BonsaiK]

Did you know that suppressors (silencers), aren't quite as effective as the video games designers think they are?

According to an article I read, a suppressor lowers the sound of a conventional firearm using standard ammo to "only" 160 (give or take about 4-6) decibels, that's louder than a Marilyn Manson concert, I do believe.

How do you feel about this, do you even care about silencers on guns?

160dB, er... no. Whoever wrote that got it wrong, or maybe you're quoting it wrong - one of the two. If you fired a gun and the gunshot was 160dB, you'd be deaf after one shot.

Also silenced guns use special ammo, I think.

I always liked the Rainbow Six games (the early ones, not the crap they're churning out now like Lockdown and Vegas) because they made the effort to get things like the MP5SD right with the whole "click" thing. I admired the attention to detail. Although I must admit I don't really know shit because all my gun knowledge comes from playing computer games. I don't really care too much anyway because I'll never use a silencer in real life, so I won't ever have to experience that aching dissapointment when it doesn't make that cool "whoop" noise. As far as I'm concerned they do sound like Hollywood makes them sound, because movies and computer games are the only "realities" where I will experience them.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Yeah, but 160 dB is akin to standing next to a tank firing it's main cannon as far as I know. You would go deaf after one shot.

Just re-read the article, you're right... it's 140, which is still louder than a chainsaw or a rock concert.

 

[ThePoodonkis]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GbjXvH7xJA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvQUhzMHk98&feature=related
The first on is effective, this second one just seems to have an echo effect with the environment.

 

[SantoUno]

Ok even if silencers have been portrayed inaccurately in video games, who cares? They have become a tool in video games involving guns so might as well keep using them for their established purpose.

 

[Wyes]

Yeah, but 160 dB is akin to standing next to a tank firing it's main cannon as far as I know. You would go deaf after one shot.

Just re-read the article, you're right... it's 140, which is still louder than a chainsaw or a rock concert.

I knew that Hollywood and game devs had magical silencers, but damn, that's much louder than I thought, even factoring in the whole 'which side of the barrel you're on' thing (yay for the doppler effect, I suppose).

 

[Booze Zombie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GbjXvH7xJA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvQUhzMHk98&feature=related
The first on is effective, this second one just seems to have an echo effect with the environment.

I don't think a 22 would get through a Kevlar vest, let alone kill someone, to be honest.

And the second is loud, you can only hear it a bit in the video, but I bet you that guy's wearing ear protection.
Now I'm no expert, but it just seems like for the most part, without using seriously specialised gear for ranges where you might just be better off stabbing people, silencers are pretty pointless unless you're hunting game or trying not to annoy the neighbors with your hobby.

 

[Wadders]

Yep, game devs overplay how much moderators redice the sound of a gun.

It does depend on what ammunition is used too though. Subsonic ammo like .45 ACP silences better than supersonic. Also it depends what suppressor you use, but by and large, you are right.

See this vid for how different ammo affects it. Now compare that to the sounds made by the same suppressed rifle (M14 EBR) in COD MW2 in the spec ops level in the snow where you dodge the enemy patrols. A slight inconsistency, yes?

Also: 2nd vid = WTF, shooting water like a fucking 'tard!

 

[Wyes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GbjXvH7xJA

I don't think a 22 would get through a kevlar vest, let alone kill someone, to be honest.

.22s are pretty much only used by civilians for that reason, though.

 

[CuddlyCombine]

The thing here is that we're talking about the whole picture. Nobody would use a gun in close-range operations (I doubt even assassins do that - unless they're trying to alert everyone in the vicinity). Suppressors can eliminate flash and cancel sound energy; they won't make the gun silent, but they'll make someone a ghost in a night op. Get yourself a suppressed rifle and a target at half a click; you'll be effectively invisible.

Blame Hollywood making the whole "hitman" aspect of silencers popular.

 

[lazy_bum]

How do you feel about this, do you even care about silencers on guns?

To be honest, I refer you to Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

It's just a show, you should really just relax.

Everybody knows that game and movie silencers are complete bollocks. But that's not the point, they're a gameplay mechanic, they'd be no good if firing a silenced rifle attracted everyone in 300 metres.

Although to be fair some games have a reasonable take on it, like STALKER only gives you 'silent' fire if you're using subsonic ammunition and have quite some distance to the target, then they'll go apeshit when a bullets bounces off the wall next to them.

Besides, it's notlike operating a silencer is a practical skill you're ever going to need. If it was misleading first aid maybe it would be worth getting wound up over, but it's not.

What I'm trying to say in a long ramblimg way is my feeling on the subject is...

Meh.

you mean crouching next to them holding the F key works in real life. awesome. i'm never leaving my room without my keyboard again.just in case.

 

[JWAN]

For the best result with a SUPPRESSOR they use subsonic ammunition.

For instance an MP5 with a suppressor and regular ammunition you might get, at best 10% sound reduction, while if you use the special ammunition your going to have real results like over 25% (Best quality suppressor and best quality, small caliber, subsonic ammo on a good day in spring).

 

[Booze Zombie]

For the best result with a SUPPRESSOR they use subsonic ammunition.

For instance an MP5 with a suppressor and regular ammunition you might get, at best 10% sound reduction, while if you use the special ammunition your going to have real results like over 25% (Best quality suppressor and best quality, small caliber, subsonic ammo on a good day in spring).

That's still 75% of noise making it out of the gun.

It'd really only be useful for sniping with, what with the muzzleflash...

 

[fix-the-spade]

you mean crouching next to them holding the F key works in real life. awesome. i'm never leaving my room without my keyboard again.just in case.

Don't forget to take your knife and right click...

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

The only game I've seen that handles weapons, gear (including suppressors) and ballistics even reasonably well is the first STALKER game.

Many folks don't understand how many factors there are in the sound of a gunshot. Supersonic ammunition effectively creates its own tiny sonic boom in addition to the sound of the gunpowder igniting. The only way to get around this is to ensure that the bullet does not reach the speed of sound- but then you sacrifice accuracy and damage potential.

I will say, however, that it is entirely possible to make a handgun nearly silent (aside from bolt clatter and the like). In fact, the Russians developed special ammunition [http://world.guns.ru/ammo/sp-e.htm] specifically for this purpose, to overcome the need for a long and unwieldy suppressor on covert-intended handguns.

 

[Omikron009]

I knew this already. With a weapon that has an open firing mechanism like a revolver, suppressors have pretty much no effect at all. With a lever action gun, or another type that has a totally closed firing mechanism, all you would hear is a click.

 

[Danpascooch]

I agree. I find it stupid that game devs use them as a 'make more awesome' device.
They also reduce the velocity of the bullet significantly.

I completely agree, I remember the "silenced shotgun" in MF2, I laughed my ass off, isn't "Silent Shotgun" a total oxymoron?

If it's not, it is now.

 

[Xrysthos]

Silencers work quite well for hunting purposes at least. I don't know about in the US, but in Norway this is legal. Me and a friend once hunted deer not far from where I used to live, and one time we crept up to a field in the early afternoon, just before dark. My friend was maybe 100 meters ahead of me, so he reached the field before me, and before I could get into position, he'd already shot a deer with his silenced rifle, and I hadn't heard anything.

However, it seems that the noise made by the silencer is more intimidating to the deer than the noise made by an unsilenced shot. I guess the unsilenced shot is more confusing, and the echoes in the surrounding mountainsides make it hard to figure out where it comes from, as opposed to the silenced shot.

 

[Danpascooch]

I agree. I find it stupid that game devs use them as a 'make more awesome' device.
They also reduce the velocity of the bullet significantly.

I completely agree, I remember the "silenced shotgun" in MF2, I laughed my ass off, isn't "Silent Shotgun" a total oxymoron?

If it's not, it is now.

It's one of those things thats so awesome that you want to believe it.

Lol, that video has to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

1.) The shotgun sounds like a fucking energy weapon.
2.) The shotgun bullets would still make noise when they HIT SOMETHING despite the damn missile silo of freaking silencer.
3.) It kinda defeats the purpose to have a silenced weapon when everyone is screaming and/or firing their own non silenced weapons.

Good find.