Friday, March 05, 2010

Suppressors

I was thinking about the polymers that are available now (plastics are the future) and why nobody had applied polymers to the construction of firearms suppressors (silencers) specifically the main tube.  Seems to me that this could/would eliminate machining of certain parts and would simplify assembly.  It would also make the suppressor producible anywhere a drill and the basic tubing could come together. 

I would have said that any PVC or schedule pipe could be used but perhaps the heat that builds up in suppressors (from the expanding combustion gasses) "challenge" these materials.  Still, they might work in the short term and would be inexpensive enough to use in limited situations. 

There are numerous expedient methods some of which have been depicted in popular entertainment venues such as movies and TV but seldom accurately so.  While it is highly unlikely that the legal restrictions on suppressors will change, such change would likely stimulate product development.  So will further military requirements. 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It don't take much to get hot when you're shooting bullets through it and PVC releases chlorine gas and other toxic nasties when it heats up or burns, so its not something you want smoking at the end of your gun...