User blog:MVP EdwardJ/Suppressor, not Silencer!

I've seen alot of people say silencer. Others say suppressor. It's been a big debate, on and off this wiki. But I, personally think the term suppressor is more appropriate.

While suppressors are also referred to as "silencers", the latter is misleading because no firearm can be made completely silent, as the term "silencer" implies. This is because a suppressor is meant to diminish the report of a discharged round, or make its sound unrecognizable, not completely silence it.

Other sounds such as the cycle of bullets in Semi-automatic or fully automatic firearms, including the ejection of the spent shell casing. Even subsonic bullets make distinct sounds by their passage through the air and striking targets, and supersonic bullets produce a small sonic boom, resulting in a "ballistic crack". Despite being misleading, the term "silencer" is still widespread.

A test has shown, on a .22 bolt-action rimfire rifle, that an unsuppressed gunshot was measured at 163 dB, which surpasses the human limit that an eardrum can withstand (150dB) before going clinically deaf. With a suppressor, it is reduced to 133 dB. Whilst this may not seem to be a huge difference, it may be the difference between going clinically deaf, and retaining your hearing.

So to speak, this is my argument that it should be called a suppressor, not a silencer. You may not be aware, but someone might not have the knowledge that you/I have about firearms (if you do, that is) and wrongly assume that a 'silencer' will make a gun completely silent.

Therefore, it is more appropriate to use the right term. Remember, it is a Suppressor, not a Silencer.

Thank you.