Noise of unsuppressed airguns

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Tainden

Member
Jan 2, 2021
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Vic, Australia
I’m fairly new to airguns, in that I’ve probably only put 300 or 400 shots through my .25 fx streamline. Coming from Australia where suppressors (and suppressing shrouds) are illegal for all but a select few, I’ve learnt the hard way that the volume of a higher powered pcp airgun rivals that of a subsonic 22lr. The noise carries a lot further than I was expecting, and target shooting, sighting in, etc, I need to do on a larger farm to avoid annoying neighbours a few hundred meters away.

I’m not sure how many people here on AGN would ever use non-supressed airguns, but I’ll try my luck and ask anyway.

What are the main contributors to airgun noise, and what (if anything) can I do to reduce it? Is it really just a case of higher velocity = more noise or is there other factors at play? Is there anything that a tuneable gun would offer over my stock streamline in the noise department?

I’m aware that I’ll never get it anywhere close to suppressor quiet, but some improvement over this would be great. Primary use is hunting rabbits, but I would like to do more target shooting if I can get the noise down because I could really use the practice.
 
I have 2 TKO Supressors on my handguns a Crosman 2300T and a Webley Nemisis, I'm not happy with either one, let me explain, easy to mount on barrel, silences the Sharpness of the shot, looks good but does not reduce the overall loudness to any significant degree, still sounds like a Airgun going off...

Just thought I would mention.....I would not recommend TKO AS A supressor or Silencer....
 
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Something I wanted to add…

It is possible to get a very subdued report if your shooting requirements can be met with a modest muzzle velocity of 600 - 700fps or so. I didn’t bring it up previously because of the context clue of wide, open spaces where a lower velocity presents some significant handicaps. However if you can keep your shots inside of 30 yards or so, it can be very quiet and effective.

For example, there’s a guy on the forum who produces scope cam videos where he’s anchoring skunks and such with a Leshiy .25 tuned to about 600fps. If there was ever any doubt, there won’t be after watching his videos.

One of my earliest experiences with suburban pest control involved taking a .22 tuned to 860fps with JSB 18.1gr (30fpe) and simply backing off the hammer spring tension until it was running a lighter JSB 13.4gr at about 720fps (15fpe…half power). It’s a crude strategy. It makes the system run at a state of partial valve lock. The hammer is hitting the valve barely hard enough to knock it open. As a result, the velocity tends to vary which would be totally unacceptable for longer distances but it is of no practical consequence at 25 – 30 yards. Super short valve dwell, very miserly air consumption, and a report that legitimately made me doubt the chronograph. Flicking them effortlessly at the target at a little over 700fps…the impact at 25 yards louder than the report 2 feet from my head. 

The next morning it went 6 for 6 on gray squirrels at my buddy’s house in the suburbs without attracting any unwanted attention.
 
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This forum...5 responses and no one directly answers the mans very direct questions.



What are the main contributors to airgun noise, and what (if anything) can I do to reduce it?

The peak differential between atmospheric air pressure and the residual air pressure leaving your muzzle. The amount of energy and diameter of the projectile/bore...



Is it really just a case of higher velocity = more noise or is there other factors at play?

See above.



Is there anything that a tuneable gun would offer over my stock streamline in the noise department?



Too open ended of a question.. a rifle that could be de-tuned to 12~ fpe or so would be vastly quieter than a streamline that cannot be tuned so low, although I am uncertain if your streamline can be or not as I am not familiar with that guns design.



I'd put every last dollar I have in my bank, and wager you could de-tune your streamline to achieve the desired reduction in noise..




 
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@kevin23 - according to state law - "silencer means any instrument or thing by means of which the sound caused by the discharge of a firearm (yes in australia airguns are classified as firearms) is rendered less audible, whether the instrument or thing forms part of the firearm or is or can be affixed or attached to the firearm."
Any imported gun goes through customs and removes/modifies them to meet our laws, so basically I can't add/modify anything after that to reduce sound. My gun came with a muzzle flip, not sure if that is the same thing but as an air stripper, didn't realise it would reduce report, it tends to make it louder for me though.

@ackuric - My question about whether tunability makes any difference was because I wasn't sure how much difference tuning the hammer spring and reg pressures would make. I can reduce the power wheel on my streamline down to medium which is a bit quieter, but it also dramatically affects trajectory. I could use it for plinking but I’d prefer to be practicing my intended ranges and speeds to get better at it. I haven’t tried low power because there wasn’t much point for my intended use, and lobbing pellets at those speeds out to 50-60metres would be some significant holdover and very range critical. Outside of that I haven’t found anything on being able to tune my gun without after market parts which I’m not willing to import, install or tinker with.

@nervoustrig - Yes I am dealing with mostly open spaces, well picked up. For target shooting I can deal with a little lower velocity, but I’m not wanting to reduce the ‘flat range’ of my trajectory too much since shooting rabbits at night without night vision is often hard to get close enough, and ranging at night I find challenging. I’m starting to think that I’m going to be better off with a tuneable .22 it would at least give me options to play around and see what compromise I can come up with.

I'm probably chasing a pipe dream with all this, but I’ve really started to love pcp’s and would like to try make it work for me as best I can. Clearly a suppressor would answer all my problems but sadly not an option. Appreciate people's advice and knowledge because I'm pretty new to all things shooting, and it's been a fairly steep learning curve without friends that are into it.


 
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For future reference the Daystate electronic guns seem to be naturally quietest mid to higher power PCPs even when unsurpressed compared to other brands in the same power levels. Even the Renegade seems naturally quieter than other brands of PCPs. So seem the Brocock Bantams and Snipers. Then of course the much lower powered Maximus Euro.

I also know which PCPs are THE LOUDEST UNSURPESSED too especially like the RAWs and Steyrs and most Korean guns for sure even the AA CZ S200 low power is pretty dang loud when unsurpressed.

Ideally if you can score an UNREGULATED 1550psi max fill MAC1 USFT in 22 that would likely be pretty quiet unsurpressed. 
 
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I'm not sure what a muzzle flip is, I'm sure that is just a different name for something that we don't use in the US. But an air stripper will pull air off the pellet and redirect it outwards vs behind the pellet. Basically same as a muzzle break on a firearm. This pulls some of the excess gasses off and stabilizes the projectile a bit better as it leaves the barrel. They make your gun louder to the shooter, but quieter downrange and the surrounding area as some of the sound is redirected back and to the side. It may not be quieter for you or a decibel meter by the gun (probably louder like I said), but it will be quieter downrange and for neighbors. Again dont know the laws for you but it may help a little bit if you can use one. 

Maybe you can find a way to fit this to your gun and see if it works? https://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Hatsan_Air_Stripper_For_Select_22_Cal_Hatsan_Air_Guns/4557
 
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@Odoyle - I appreciate your suggestions and experience on options etc. The challenge we have here is because we don't have moderators, airguns importers are few and far between because the market for them is pretty thin,. I will certainly keep these in mind if I end up looking for another though.

@JimD - I'd never considered about a longer barrel being quieter, but it certainly makes sense. Think I'm already on a 600mm barrel though and not sure much longer than that would be practical for hunting, perhaps on a bullpup or impact style gun it wouldn't be too bad?

@Kevin23 - https://fxairguns.com/accessories/muzzle-flip/ Sounds like its the same thing as an air stripper, just a bit more basic looking.
 
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"flip" being well know to airgun target shooter is used to reduce "flip" but you need a near motionless and fairly light rig to notice a benefit. The air blast can be the most movement generated. This will not apply to any hunting. Ask anyone who has ever squad-ed with someone shooting a USFT .177 with a Mac-1 "T-brake" stripper and all will say LOUD. Loud at the shooter, downrange and all across the Valley loud. Take that break off and it's the same as any other 20fpe FT rig.

You certainly can tune for quite 1st then find the pellet to suit.

When you figure it out please keep us posted.

John
 
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