9mm or 45?

[trook]

I am debating between a 9mm/45 can and would like to know your thoughts. Do most of you prefer a 9mm or 45 can? This will be used for plinking and home defense (hope to never use it). Is the correct rule of thumb that a suppressed 9mm will generally make less noise than a suppressed 45? Is one generally preferred more than the other on this board?

Also, I realize that I can use a 45 suppressor on my 9mm and have a "dual purpose" can. However, will there be a noticeable difference in noise when using a 45 can on a 9mm vs using a 9mm can on a 9mm? Or would it be best to simply stick with using the proper can for a specific caliber?

Like many of us, I have too many hosts to choose from, but I will most likely use either a Glock 19 or Glock 21.

I currently have cans for a .22 and .308.

Thanks in advance.

[T-Rex]

Check out the video section on Silencershop's website here
Your ears and their mics might answer some questions for you.

[trook]

Those videos were very helpful. I wonder if the human ear can even distinguish a 3db difference?

[T-Rex]

Those videos were very helpful. I wonder if the human ear can even distinguish a 3db difference?

Absolutely, but it depends on a variety of things.
Freq, type of sound being sampled, delivery method, etc.

2 gunshots, having the same pitch and loudness, may sound different (or have different Timbre than one another) even though they meter the same.

[eastern_hunter]

In comparing an Octane 9 with an Octane 45 mounted on a 9mm pistol, the Octane 45 seems to have a lower pitch. Not significantly louder.

[doubloon]

Those videos were very helpful. I wonder if the human ear can even distinguish a 3db difference?

Absolutely, but it depends on a variety of things.
Freq, type of sound being sampled, delivery method, etc.

2 gunshots, having the same pitch and loudness, may sound different (or have different Timbre than one another) even though they meter the same.

+1 but it may vary for old ears abused with too much rock and roll or loud pipes

Test it for yourself with the link below

1dB is on the fringe of perception for old farts like me but you young bucks can probably hear the difference. Good ears can pick up on a 1/2 dB change.

Try some of the sound files at this site, there are blind tests for detecting different dB increases/decreases in the sound files.

You can change the tests/samples between 1dB, 3dB etc ... this link is to the 3dB samples and the difference when it changes should be very obvious.

http://www.audiocheck.net/blindtests_level.php?lvl=3

[Artful]

having just gotten a new 45 can (AAC TiRant) and comparing to my older 9mm can - I would just get the 45 can and shoot on both glocks.

[rimshaker]

45 can for sure. Why buy 2 when all you practically need is 1.
The tube size and sound difference when shooting subcaliber is negligible. Unless you bring sound meter equipment on every range trip.

[savagetactical]

I have a Tirant 9 and Octane 45 that I shoot on my M&P9 and Kimber 1911 with a storm lake barrel. There definitely is a difference between subsonic 9mm and 45 ACP suppressed with the subsonic 9mm being noticeable quieter than the 45 ACP. Shooting supersonic 9mm is probably about the same.

When comparing the same 9mm subsonic load on my M&P9 I can't tell a difference between two cans. I know from watching several meter tests from silencerco, silencer forum, and silencer shop the tirant should several decibels quieter but I can't tell. Granted, I have flow on KC-135s for most of the past 10 years so my hearing may be bad in the high 120 to low 130 decibel range.

[MJF1911]

Shooting dry, the 9mm will be quieter than 45. A little water and the 45 is quieter, water doesn't seem to quiet a 9mm much on my Osprey.

9mm through a 45 can is still plenty quiet.

[dtom29]

9mm is quieter than 45 but if you have both host pistols I would start with a 45 suppressor. I want the lightest/quietest suppressor I can get for a given caliber on a pistol so I tend to get caliber specific silencers. You will have another one anyway so when you buy the second one you can get your 9mm silencer then.

[TROOPER]

Shooting dry, the 9mm will be quieter than 45. A little water and the 45 is quieter, water doesn't seem to quiet a 9mm much on my Osprey.

I don't disagree with this, but why do you suppose this is so?

[MJF1911]

Robert will be able to answer that a lot better than I will. My WAG would be the slower bullet gives the water more time to cool the expanding gases.

[TROOPER]

Robert will be able to answer that a lot better than I will. My WAG would be the slower bullet gives the water more time to cool the expanding gases.

Aren't subsonic 9mm and subsonic 45 give-or-take the same velocity?

If I have to speculate, I'd guess that there's simply more gas to cool combined with a larger interior surface area. Are there pressure differences between sub 45 and sub 9mm? Could that account for the difference?

[MJF1911]

Most sub 9 147s are right at 1000-1050 FPS, and 45 ACP 230 is right at 800 FPS.

[RJT]

Maybe it is the different powders used?

[doubloon]

Maybe it is the different powders used?

And I'm sure the muzzle pressures are a tad different plus a little extra gas escaping around the 9mm pill a little faster than around the .45" pill in the baffle apertures. ... just a guess.