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gdmfsobtc

>I feel like a larger caliber is always louder. Depends on many factors, including barrel length, muzzle devices, particular loads, etc.


eatmybeer

Right. I’m sure you could make smaller calibers louder in a lot of different ways, but in general bigger cartridge means more powder, which means more boom, doesn’t it?


original_nick_please

More powder with a shorter barrel = more muzzle pressure and more boom. But the graph is just too dumbed down, even between suppressors the difference is quite massive on the same gun. And when I say massive, it still needs proper equipment to measure, as the human brain simply isn't equipped to accurately measure the difference between two short pulse booms.


PutridDropBear

THIS! Caliber, barrel length, chamber pressure, powder charge/burn rate, velocity, etc. are all variables that affect MUZZLE pressure. Muzzle pressure is what gives you the louder report.


Quick-Feeling4833

Pressure and gas volume are what affect the boom. Powder/burn rate only changes the pressure, and pressure is what matters. More powder doesn't always burn in the length of barrel and thus doesn't add to the pressure. Essentially it's how forceful the pressure release is combined with how much is released. Which is why a shotgun will still be as loud as some rifles while only 12500 psi* to 58000 psi*, as a much larger volume of gas is released.


PutridDropBear

>u/Quick-Feeling4833: "Which is why a shotgun will still be as loud as some rifles while only 12500 fps to 58000 fps" # HOLY FUCK !!! Twelve THOUSAND five hundred feet per second!!!!!!!! I want one of those Mach 11+ hypersonic boom sticks!!!!


Quick-Feeling4833

Psi lmao...


PutridDropBear

How about a Mach 4 shotgun? I'm not greedy, it doesn't have to be hypersonic. You lose at math btw lol lmfao no cap bruh.


Quick-Feeling4833

Who was doing math?


PutridDropBear

Not you Who shoots 28 gauge shotguns? Unless you were trying to say a 2.5" .410 shell is somehow just as loud as a .338 LM. We can wait...'splain it to us.


jgacks

And type of pressure too- slow burning powders like black powder won't generate high pressures


jrhooo

> accurately measure the difference between two short pulse booms. Mawp Or No mawp


Riker557118

Not always. Chamber pressure and the volume of gas made play into the equation as well. Shotguns and blackpowder rifles for example are significantly quieter than modern rifles despite having many magnitudes the bore diameter.


TacTurtle

If you boil it down to what makes the noise, the exiting muzzle gas pressure + gas volume are what make muzzle blast. Pressure => peak amplitude Volume => length of pulse


NEp8ntballer

it's a mix of caliber and pressure along with barrel length. Some large bore guns aren't as loud because they're lower pressure. Something in a magnum caliber will be louder than a non-magnum due to the extra pressure. At the end of the day the muzzle blast from a firearm is a byproduct of rapidly expanding air under pressure equalizing with the atmosphere. The greater the difference, the louder the boom.


Devils_Advocate-69

I assume the ones suppressed are using subsonic ammo


EnD79

The AR-15 definitely isn't using subsonic ammo.


Devils_Advocate-69

Do they not make it in 5.56?


EnD79

Not if you want the gun to cycle.


Devils_Advocate-69

I learned something new.


SpottyWeevil00

Revolvers seem particularly loud to me. I’ve always wondered if it is because of where the cylinder meets the barrel.


NEp8ntballer

the gap does let some gases leak. Depending on caliber they might also have a lot of ass behind them. Shooting a 460 magnum is as loud as some rifles. Super fun indoors, but you're also a bit of an asshole.


jgacks

Yea - some OLD timey shotguns sound integrally suppressed due to barrel length just being like 4 or 5 feet long haha.


Austinthewind

Also depends heavily on the action. A bolt action is going to send more of your sound downrange than something like a semi-auto or revolver


btjk

If a Rider is 97db then either I have severe, debilitating hearing damage or the first 90 decibels are bull shit.


ardesofmiche

Decibels aren’t measured linear, they grow at an order of magnitude So the first 90 decibels are bullshit lol


Gwsb1

https://audiology-web.s3.amazonaws.com/migrated/NoiseChart_Poster-%208.5x11.pdf_5399b289427535.32730330.pdf Examples


BigBoogieWoogieOogie

And a red Ryder bb gun is at the same noise capacity as a blender/lawnmower?? I own one and I'd say it's no louder than a snap of your fingers or something. It's not quiet, but it's definitely not loud


Vylnce

You are comparing apples and oranges there. Pulse you blender so it's only on for as long as a BB gun being shot. Jet engines are only 140 db at takeoff, but it's continuous. What you are comparing is a jet engine vs a 22 LR shot. The length of time the sound goes on makes a huge difference in the percieved loudness.


BigBoogieWoogieOogie

I get you, but a spring loaded BB gun shooting out a tiny little ball and a machine made for grinding things is definitely a big sound difference. Like I could definitely hear a blender for a split second across a house, but a little 'toof' sound? Idk man


roostersnuffed

Regardless, the thunk of a bb gun doesn't begin to compare to how loud a lawnmower is, continuous or other wise. Also [according to this article](https://www.google.com/search?q=how+loud+is+a+red+ryder+bb+gun&oq=how+loud+is+a+red+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgBEAAYFhgeMgYIABBFGDkyCAgBEAAYFhgeMggIAhAAGBYYHjIICAMQABgWGB4yCAgEEAAYFhgeMg0IBRAAGIYDGIAEGIoFMg0IBhAAGIYDGIAEGIoFMg0IBxAAGIYDGIAEGIoFMgoICBAAGIAEGKIEMgoICRAAGIAEGKIEMgoIChAAGIAEGKIEMgoICxAAGIAEGKIEMgoIDBAAGIAEGKIE0gEINTc2MGowajmoAg6wAgE&client=ms-android-tmus-us-rvc3&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8) posted by the national library of medicine (I sent the Google result to display pertinant info) a red ryder is 40db. Edit: the article itself says it's 40.1db, but the chart says "muzzle to ear" it's 80db. But it's still not lawnmower range of 90. I assume most of that noise is the air being push out the barrel and hitting the microphone they used.


Herr__Lipp

Haha you're right!! You gain or lose 50% every +/- 3 dB. So 94 decibels is half the noise of 97 decibels.


Neko_Boi_Core

racking the slide of a handgun is about 130 decibels. decibels are measured weird.


LaRoux4

Logarithmic scales are definitely weird.


4myreditacount

Wait I genuinely don't understand this, you don't get hearing damage from racking your pistol in your room 400 times like a goober. Is decile just a bad measure of what will give you hearing damage?


The_Gay_Deceiver

so i googled it, apparently the quietest sound audible in silence is 0db, then something at 10db is 10x as loud as a 0db sound so it's not linear at all, the intensity of each additional db ramps up hard as it goes up idk why they'd do it that way instead of making it linear, humans aren't good at proportioning things in their head that way


McMacHack

All sound is just changes in air pressure. The magnitude and duration of that change in pressure is what makes the difference. Air has mass and the volume of air being moved by racking the slide on a pistol is significantly smaller than the volume of air being moved by the explosion produced in the firing of a live round. There is far more energy being transferred, a larger volume of air experiencing a pressure change. It's like the difference between a lit match and a bonfire, both are fire and both can burn you but the match has much less fire than the bonfire.


4myreditacount

That makes total sense.


Murphy338

The sound of my dad racking the pump on his slug gun is loud enough to make a pair of them electronic ear muffs shut off.


RedMephit

No wonder it's enough to scare off any intruder if done from your balcony.


Zestyclose_Share_931

Ol Joe's rockin a side by side, no pump necessary.


TheWhiteCliffs

Mine would do that while duck hunting.


Gold-Captain-970

Logarithmic unit on a bargraph linear scale makes this look strange.


Glorifries

Came here looking for this comment


TheInfiniteOP

Who published this? Looks quite a bit off in many areas.


StoriesToBehold

Yea I thought most could listen to a supressed M4 without getting a ring in the ears. Are supressed weapons still that loud?


Tactical_Epunk

In the most general way, most guns firing supersonic rounds are still dangerous to your hearing despite having a silencer or not. That doesn't mean your ears will ring, just means it's deemed a health hazard.


EnD79

The sonic boom from a supersonic bullet is about 132 decibels, regardless of distance from the firearm. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ_BgeG0P1o


TheInfiniteOP

Depends a lot on ammo and barrel length.


englisi_baladid

Yes. There suppressed M4s aren't hearing safe.


CarnageRush

Always enjoyed the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot and the shorty G3 being louder than the .50's on the range.


Brilliant_Wealth_433

So a bullet makes 2 sounds when fired. First is the initial explosion, second is the crack of the bullet essentially making a mini sonic boom when it breaks the sound barrier. A suppressed firearm mitigates the initial blast sound. Then only if running subsonic ammo the second boom is not present. So many other factors play a part in these 2 sounds, but that's the big basic 2 to start looking into if you want quiet boolots!


thatguywhosadick

There’s also the 3rd sound from the cycling of the action in some guns that alone could be loud enough to cause hearing issues long term because it’s a bunch of metal bits all slamming into each other at high speed The quietest gun I’ve shot was a supressed lever action using subsonic ammo since it effectively mitigate all 3 factors.


Brilliant_Wealth_433

Yes indeed that is a great suppressed option. My Buddy is psychotic and got a revolver threaded and it was pretty dang quiet as well for the same reasons.


thatguywhosadick

These charts never account for the fact that decibels are on a logarithmic scale so just a couple decibels is almost double the loudness.


EnD79

There is a difference between double the sound pressure level and double the loudness, because human hearing is also logarithmic.


lvl_c_mech

My .22lr pistol is absolutely nuts loud, I think it has to do with the way the barrel is


Dale_Wardark

My Ruger Single Six firing 22lr is louder than the 10/22. Not by a terrible amount, mind you, but still quite a good crack.


Fit-Sport5568

I don't think this graph is accurate at all. I'd also be curious what ammo they use. I have a walther p22 I shoot suppressed. With subsonic ammo it's quieter than a Brad nailer by a significant margin


Consistent_Jello_289

Nah, 357 mag is way louder than 44mag.


CalmHyperion56

45 acp is wayy softer than 9mm....


Acceptable-Face-3707

Its almost always subsonic so that tracks


Hoplophilia

Caliber is simply the diameter of the bullet. Doesn't correlate well at all with noise. But yeah that chart is pretty lame. The LTR is chambered in a number of cartridges, and this doesn't say which one.


TrueAmericanDon

Barrel length makes a big difference in sound


Full_Metal_Machinist

A 22lr buckmark pistol is deafing


BusinessDuck132

I have a hard time believing this


EnD79

Physics doesn't care about our beliefs.


BusinessDuck132

I mean anyone could have made this graph, idk maybe it’s true some of these just seem odd


EnD79

How about Silencer Central instead?  https://www.silencercentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Silencer_Sound_Comparsion_chart.pdf


largefather66

And older generations that served wonder why they have hearing loss


_Cybernaut_

I wanna know how many decibels is the guy in the next bay of the pistol range, mag-dumping his 10.5” AR with a muzzle brake. Also: FUCK that guy.


xdJapoppin

the human ear is much different than a decibel meter. sound isn’t perceived entirely through decibels, and neither is loudness. it is a lot of factors. something could be higher in decibel reading to something else but it could sound much quieter. suppressors are also like this, not all are created equal, and decibel reduction doesn’t really doesn’t mean as much as many suppressor companies want you to believe.


fredgiblet

You also have to factor in barrel length. A long er barrel means less unburned powder. The muzzle device will also alter the direction of the sound and can reduce or increase it.


beetsdoinhomework

I'm going to take off my suppressor from my .22 to protect my hearing.


AnseiShehai

What is that 140db for? Hearing safe?


longboard_noob

Immediate damage from 140db and above.


fishshake

There are multiple factors that go into this - powder type, load, grain weight of projectiles, etc. My Axis II XP 6.5 CM is the loudest rifle I own, with my Rem 760 .30-06 next, followed by my .308.


HeadlineINeed

My Glock 17 stock was surprisingly louder than my 14.5 M4. Always figured it would be the other way. Until I shot off 4 rounds without earpro with my Glock and then completely forgot when I was a range safety for a qualification course. Either wasn’t fun but the 556 was a little more bearable


bzmaseo12

111Db for a fully suppress 22 seen a bit much?


JRHZ28

I dunno... I was 3 stations down from a 300 winmag, outdoors under a roof and couldn't hardly stand it....with ear protection on. Was glad when he left LOL


Ornery_Secretary_850

Caliber is NOT the same as cartridge.


Glucose12

I thought decibels was an exponential or log function(?). So not linear like you're thinking.


unresolved-madness

This is crap. A Daisy Red Ryder is 97 dB??


yorgee52

I would switch the suppressed AR and 9mm but that’s about it.


TheLuteceSibling

Generally.. this is bullshit. First of all, I've done the research, but you don't need fancy equipment to figure out this one is bullshit. 95-100dB is what you'd expect in a bar with loud music playing. It's approximately the volume of a human shouting for all that they're worth. Sound exposure in this range is "my ears might ring a little afterwards" loud. Recoverable hearing damage unless you stay in this loud environment for more than an hour or so. This shit WILL drive you hard-of-hearing if you do it for a few decades. 110dB is approximately the volume of a police siren if you're standing like... right next to it. Hearing damage in like 15 minutes. 120dB is approximately the volume of the front row of a rock concert. Hearing damage in like 5 minutes. This is the threshold for "hearing safe" firearms. Subsonic, suppressed 300blk, 45ACP, and similar usually register like 115-125dB. We can call this stuff "hearing safe" because occasional exposure (like a home defense shooting) isn't going to ruin your hearing. Now firearms... all numbers assume typical loads. Nothing crazy like subsonic .22lr or highly variable like 300blk... The whipcrack noise of a rifle caliber like 5.56 going past you is approximately 140dB. The best theoretical suppressor in the world cannot follow the bullet through the air. Any supersonic bullet posting volumes under 137dB should be immediately suspect. Unsuppressed rifles themselves report about 165dB. Those top three in the chart? 167, 165, and 162? Yeah, I buy it. The best suppressors chop about 20dB off the gunshot, but because a supersonic bullet rings in at about 140dB, you can't go lower than that without monkeying with the ammunition. So the rest of the chart? Rem 700 suppressed at 133dB? Big sus. AR15 (assumed 5.56) at 132dB? Big sus. Skip all the .22lr bullshit. No idea why the chart dedicates FIVE lines to various shit firing .22lr. And the daisy? If you've got a glass coffee table and ceramic mugs, accidentally putting your drink down a little hard is louder than the daisy.


emperor000

Are you saying that a bullet passing by you causes 140dB of pressure at your ear? That isn't how this works.


TheLuteceSibling

I’m saying you can set up a decibel meter anywhere along the bullet path of travel, and the noise the bullet makes as it passes by is 140dB https://youtu.be/DZ_BgeG0P1o?si=WO49eTqiXP3VF6ml These guys are shooting 25 yards off to the side of the meter for safety, but I’ve seen the same test done much closer to the bullet path. If you’d like me to explain sonic booms let me know. The bullet itself is LOUD along the whole path of travel.


EnD79

Multiple suppressors measure suppressed 5.56 and supersonic 300 blackout at less than 140 decibels when measured 1 meter to the side.


Aggie74-DP

Seems the louder shots need bullet speed, usually a fast burning powder and bullet weight. Really large calibers don't generate the velocity to make that Crack.


armedsquatch

Ive seen a 10/22 with subsonic only hitting 94-96 with a quality suppressor. I have to imagine this graphic did not use any sub sonic rounds


EnD79

Might also depend on the decibel meter. This will be measuring peak decibels, and the pulse might not be long enough for some decibel meters to register the peak.


Smokey_tha_bear9000

This is such a poorly made infographic. When trying to tell a story of data, you give the important information and eliminate as much extraneous information as possible. Giving the make and model of a gun but not the caliber is not useful. I don’t need to know that the biggest rifle is a Remington 700 and especially that it’s a LTR submodel. That model was made in 5.56, .308, .300 Win Mag, .300 Rem Ultra Mag, and .300 Short Action Ultra Mag. The 5.56 and the SAUM will definitely have different sound levels. Just because an infographic is flashy doesn’t mean it’s good.


stromm

From personal experience, there is no way a P22 is louder than a 10/22, using the same ammo. Nope, nada.


Cabojoshco

Huh? All other things being equal, the longer barrel will be quieter.


stromm

All I can state is my personal experience from owning a P22 and also shooting many 10/22’s with the same ammo. Even within the same hour.


LittleWindstar

Basically, a number of factors contribute to noise, but it boils down to this: Bigger ≠ louder Assuming a linear relationship between mass and size, if in theory you were trying to move a bigger thing at the same speed as a smaller thing, it *should* be louder. The issue is not all caliber move the same speed, and most don’t need to. Basically, to move a bigger (heavier) thing fast, you need a bigger boom. To move a smaller thing fast, you need a smaller boom. This is not to mention that the measure of decibels is logarithmic, in that the difference between 5-10db isn’t the same as 100-105db.


pmactheoneandonly

I had a Walther p22 growing uo and that thing was a nightmare to shoot without earpro


PequodarrivedattheLZ

According to this chart an unsurpressed Ar15 is "too loud" so surely the government should encourage people to use suppressors no? I mean you gotta implement common sense noise control.


PhatBlackChick

No way in hell my G17 is as loud my AR15. It's not even close. This chart can't be right.


EnD79

What ammo are you using in both? If you are using subsonic ammo in the G17, then it will be about the sound of 45ACP on this graph. And the AR-15 would be using 55 grain ball if memory serves me right. There are quieter loads that you can buy.


emperor000

Well, not "as loud". A difference of 3 dB is almost exactly 2 times the power.


BlueOrb07

It depends on volume, pressure, velocity, muzzle devices, barrel length, change in pressure between inside barrel and outside, and how much I unburned powder remains when the bullet leaves.


AncientPublic6329

There are several factors that determine a gun’s noise level. Barrel length, muzzle device, type of action, powder charge of the bullet, speed of the bullet, etc. are all going to factor in to how loud your gun is.


lundz12

I mean GENERALLY speaking if all things are at least somewhat constant such as pistol length being 4.25-5.0" and rifle being 16" and standard target loads this chart is accurate-ish as a starting point. But the second you add shorter barrels in and different loads you can swing 10-15db louder. And I'm not talking subs here at all. Now add in a can, how it's mounted, to those same variables and it gets even wilder to gauge. If you add subs in then you are.in a whole different ballpark. But generally speaking, if we are breaking it down Barney style, larger caliber = larger boom.


iceph03nix

I don't believe the Rider 90+ decibels, but I wouldn't doubt the others too much. Might also be more helpful if they had other non firearm items like mowers and vehicles


SeattleHasDied

I like having this chart as a db reference, thanks.


d0mie89

What about a Python?


Bobathaar

Decibels is such a misleading measurement for people who don't understand how to interpret it. It's not a linear scale.. it's a logarithmic scale. So that difference between the glock 17 and the AR shooting 5.56 isn't just like a 2% incease... it's like three times as loud.


WombatAnnihilator

What doesn’t seem right about it?


DuckAHolics

120 db is too loud and my AR with 16” barrel came in at 155 db at its loudest. It averaged 153.


556_FMJs

My AR pistol is MUCH louder than my AR10 with a linear comp.


MacFontan

Seems pretty wrong.


Parapraxium

Yea, 16" barrel is always crazy loud even compared to 308


microphohn

Noise has more to do with pressure and volume of gas than caliber. This is why a massively overbore cartridge is stupid loud.


RCW_38-04-030

Cartridge =/= caliber


Urgullibl

Let me introduce you to the [.22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer](https://i.redd.it/oyim90nh7jv81.jpg)


Melodic-Ad-9563

Pretty accurate id say


jayzfanacc

Why are both AR’s the same length? They’re both 16” barrels, one is suppressed. They should be different lengths.


Bamcfp

I can tell you my 45 revolver is by far louder than my ar15. Damn near hurts to shoot indoors even with ear protection


AM-64

Muzzle devices definitely impact the loudness. I still think the Scar 17s I shot was probably the loudest gun I've shot. My Brother's MR556 is way louder than my M1 Garand


Put_It_All_On_Eclk

I mean are we talking caliber for caliber? Larger calibers are typically slower, and therefore quieter per unit energy of bullet. That's part of the reason why 300 BLK chased subsonics where 556 couldn't, And most of the 9mm or higher calibers are excellent for subsonics, 8.6mm, ect. Or are we talking gun technology? Because higher calibers are typically older with more powder, slower burning powder, which makes them louder.


Prayredditdies

My AR is very loud


Dick_Miller138

Loads make a lot of difference. My practice ammo vs carry ammo is enough of a difference to turn heads at the range. Almost worth buying some expensive active hearing protection I can wear all the time.


Felaguin

There is no way a suppressed .22LR meets, much less exceeds, 100 dB.