I'm sure I'm going to come off as arm-chair commando due to my low post count, but... Oh well!

I've always been under the impression that the best caliber to suppress (without losing its effectiveness) is one that derives the bulk of its energy from its mass (.45) as opposed to one that relies on its speed (9mm). I imagine this still pretty much stays true due to the "sonic crack" and whatnot...

But...

If you were to select a pistol for self defense (I know, I know... no supressed pistol is worth a damn for self defense for legal, concealability, and handling reasons...) and a rifle for, say, ~200 yard "interdiction" of the non-varmint variety, what would your choices be if you were interested in balancing the "quiet", "accurate", and "energy delivered to target".

Ammunition doesn't have to be stock: It can be loaded light to bring it back within whatever the speed of sound is for the conditions...

Curiosity (after much reading) has gotten the best of me.

Discuss. :-)

And/or, clear up my misconceptions.

(Planning several AR builds around <evil> features while maintaining usability)

Smaller diameter rounds are easier to supress due to the smaller hole in the can.  Basically, more gas flows out of a bigger hole.  So as long as it is subsonic, a 9MM will supress better.  In the real world, it usually doesn't matter, all the good cans are quiet enough as long as the round is subsonic.

9MM 158 grains are subsonic.

Quoted: Smaller diameter rounds are easier to supress due to the smaller hole in the can.  Basically, more gas flows out of a bigger hole.  So as long as it is subsonic, a 9MM will supress better.  In the real world, it usually doesn't matter, all the good cans are quiet enough as long as the round is subsonic. 9MM 158 grains are subsonic.

As are 147 grain.  .380 suppresses nicely.  .45 requires a wet can in order to achieve the desired suppression.  

for long range: a .308 bolt action, with subsonic ammo.

short range: 9mm. .45 is bigger, but louder.

wetwork: .22

I think a 22lr can is the quietest with out a doubt. It is cheap and easily available. A 45 ACP is subsonic 99% of the time so you dont have to worry about a sonic crack. SWR HEMS 45 acp can  is as quiet as a Talon on a 9mm handgun however you have to worry about coolant, that can be a pain in the butt as well as being messy.  If you were looking to do a happy medium a 9mm would be the way to go, expecially if you were considering a multi use can like the Gemtech Talon or SWR Trident 9.  It could fit a pistol or SBR/ Subgun role. I know I am being redundant, the nice thing about a 9mm can over a 45acp one is that you do not have to use a coolant.  The downside is that you have to worry about supersonic bullets.  Hope this helps.

My understanding is they are doing a great job suppressing 223 over in Iraq!
Saw something about Sure-fire making a suppresser for our guys.
Something about the Terrorist could not see the flash or know were the sound came from. The sound was reduced why down. No report to lock onto!hichhootHope this helps!!!hug.gifhippie.gif
WHY WALTZ WHEN YOU CAN ROCK & ROLL