{"id":9809,"date":"2024-12-17T11:33:59","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T18:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/?p=9809"},"modified":"2024-12-17T11:45:21","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T18:45:21","slug":"forget-about-silencers-people-are-putting-loudeners-on-their-guns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/2024\/12\/17\/forget-about-silencers-people-are-putting-loudeners-on-their-guns\/","title":{"rendered":"Forget About Silencers, People Are Putting \u2018Loudeners\u2019 On Their Guns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(Headline article below) They say no purpose, but I once used my handgun to scare off an elk on the Lost Coast of California<\/a> which is a wonderful backpacking and hiking area (north of where Hwy 1 turns inland because of terrain). I was hiking out, but the terrain was such I could only backtrack when encountering the elk. And the elk (pictured below) just kept walking up the trail towards me while eating grass along the way. As he got to about 15 feet or so, I fired my Colt into the embankment. The elk ran up the hill and stopped to shake his head allowing me to pick up my pack and continue hiking out. Being a protected area where they can’t be hunted, they are not too afraid of humans or guns except for the noise. Consequently, I also saw Orcas, sea lions and many birds feeding off the coast which must of been a school of fish. It’s an exceptional area of California where the coast is undeveloped and still pretty wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/cowboystatedaily.com\/2024\/12\/14\/forget-about-silencers-people-are-putting-loudeners-on-their-guns\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cLoudeners,” or devices that increase a gun’s noise and concussion, have a fan base. But some Wyoming shooters say there’s no reason for them and loundeners are just stupid.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

By Mark Heinz<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A shooter wears ear protection as he demonstrates a pistol equipped with a “loudener,” in this case a funnel-like device attached to the end of the gun to amplify its sound. (Mountainside Outfitters via YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The first thing that the uninitiated who\u2019ve only seen guns in movies might notice about guns in real life is that they\u2019re loud \u2014 as in, incredibly loud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the concussive force coming from the muzzles of firearms, particularly the higher-powered calibers, is also something to behold. Or rather, something to be felt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for some, the usual ear-busting crack and concussive wallop that firearms produce on their own just isn\u2019t enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They amp things up with \u201cloudeners,\u201d which are basically the opposite of suppressors \u2014 commonly called silencers \u2014 which are designed to quiet guns down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018We\u2019d Never Stock Anything Like That\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Loudeners can be homemade, usually funnel-like devices attached to a gun\u2019s muzzle aimed to amplify the sound of a gun firing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a few commercially designed loudeners. Those are basically muzzle brakes on steroids, deliberately designed to maximize a firearm\u2019s noise, concussion and muzzle flash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Wyomingites told Cowboy State Daily that\u2019s just pointless and stupid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noted Wyoming outdoorsman Paul Ulrich said he\u2019s baffled as to why anybody would want a loudener for a gun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I cannot fathom the reason why. My initial thought is this has to be overcompensation for something,\u201d he said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art Huckfeldt, who works as Frontier Arms in Cheyenne, is also skeptical about the need for loudeners.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customers also don\u2019t seem eager to see them on the store\u2019s shelves either, he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019d never sell something like that,\u201d Huckfeldt said. \u201cIt\u2019s not something we would ever stock. Nobody would buy it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Powered-Up Muzzle Brakes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For firearms enthusiasts, YouTube offers a wealth of content, from the highly informative to the downright cringeworthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loudener gun videos probably belong in the latter category. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some show highly questionable antics, such as attaching an engine oil funnel on the end of a .22 in an attempt to make it sound like a high-powered rifle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A company hawking a commercial loundener in one video explains that expanding the size of a muzzle brake\u2019s port (the open gaps on the side) cranks up the noise, flash and concussion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Normal muzzle brakes have a legitimate purpose, said Scott Weber, owner of The Gunrunner Auctions in Cody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They reduce the recoil, making magnum-powered rifles easier to shoot and keep on target for follow up shots, said Weber, who has gone on numerous Safari hunts in Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In North America, muzzle brakes are popular with people who hunt with heftier calibers, such as the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brakes work by deflecting gasses coming from the gun\u2019s muzzle through the ports and out to the sides.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That cuts back on the amount of recoil going back into the shooter\u2019s shoulder, but it comes at the cost of making the gun louder, Weber said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also means that jets of muzzle blast gasses are pushed out to each side, he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With normal muzzle brakes, that\u2019s manageable he said, although \u201cyou never want somebody standing off to the side when you\u2019re using one,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A loudener muzzle brake, deliberately designed to push the noise and blast to the absolute max, is a bad idea, he added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it could become a liability issue, we\u2019re talking about hearing health here,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not to mention how the tremendous sideways concussion and muzzle gas blast slams into people on either side at a shooting range, Weber said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Snake Hound Machine makes a “loudener”; desinged to amplify the sound of a firearm firing. (Snake Hound Machine via YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

No Purpose<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ulrich said that while there is a purpose for making motorcycles louder \u2014 so it\u2019s easier for vehicle drivers to hear them \u2014 there\u2019s no sane reason for making guns louder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn motorcycles, loud pipes save lives. On a firearm, the only outcome I can see would be continued loss of hearing and annoying the hell out of anyone within earshot,\u201d he said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if hunters used loudeners, it would just be embarrassing, he added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do see a scenario when hunting,\u201d Ulrich said. \u201cYou can at least let the entire hunt area know you missed your shot and scared away every living thing within an entire mountain range.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weber doesn\u2019t think that loundeners will ever catch on with Wyoming hunters and shooters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe trend is the other way,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople are trending toward using suppressors to make their guns quieter and save their hearing. There are hunters and shooter who would never shoot a gun that isn\u2019t suppressed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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