Muzzle weight, Air stripper, silencer.???

[native hunter]

G"day All
Just wondering what defines a silencer or moderator.
In Oz we can have a muzzle weight on our AR and if moved back and forth can have an effect on the muzzle report.
Although this is not a silencer it does have an effect on the noise that is created.
It basically is a cylindical tube attached the the end of the barrell but has no baffles.
Can you fit a cylindrical tube to your PCP to reduce the crack.?
If it does not have baffles it may well be defined as a muzzle weight or an air stripper (without baffles) which will in turn decrease the muzzle report.
If you were to fit a screw on air stripper/expansion chamber is it deemed illegal.
Regards

[gigitt]

Hey Native,

Anything that reduces the sound is and probably will be considered a Silencer or Moderator by the Law.

These Muzzle Weights/Tubes we have on our Rapid PCP's and the one I got on my HW80, are basically modifies silencer/moderators. The Baffles have been removed and the end cap crown has had the hole enlarged so as not to fully seal air inside the chamber - some air is still trapped as the pellet flies through the hole but normally this hole would be 4.53mm and 5.53mm for example for .177 and .22cal. The Exit hole on my crown on the Theoben TTR1 Rapid is 9.5mm diameter... a lot bigger than the 5mm .20cal pellet diameter!

Now the effect you hear when moving the muzzle weight back and forth is because you are changing the length of tube internal space which changes the air pressure sound harmonics you hear. It will only slightly change the crack you hear.

Now... an Air Stipper is something quite different.
It would in the class of a Muzzle Brake.... A device that redirects the air behind the pellet as it leaves the muzzle crown.

An Air Stripper on a Pellet gun is something that redirects the high pressure air away from the rear of the pellet so as it does not affect the pellet as it leave the muzzle. any slight pressure imbalance can throw the pellet.

Have a look here for what an Air Stripper looks like...
Info: http://www.pmcb.co.uk/sitefiles/Pages/A ... ppers.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Pics: http://www.pmcb.co.uk/sitefiles/Pages/A ... /main.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[flmath]

In Queensland the following regulation applies, dont know how the specify a silencer in NSW.
Catergory R weapon.
(h) a silencer or other device or contrivance made or used, or capable of being used, or intended to be used, for reducing the sound caused by discharging a firearm;

[ogre6br]

I thought Lewis had a shit load of trouble bringing SLR's in years ago because someone in customes deemed the muzzle weights to be silencers

not that they are- but deemed them to be

Customs seemed to be working on the principle of "if it looks like a duck"

memory is fuzzy here but Lewis got paperwork etc from the makers stating that they weren't silencers etc etc--the whole box and dice

customs didn't care
"sounds like a duck" they said

P

looking at air strippers in that link I cannot see customs coming to the party in our favor with them

[gigitt]

looking at air strippers in that link I cannot see customs coming to the party in our favor with them

Why... they are effectively a muzzle brake but don't do any braking!

They do not silence the sound, they just direct the air away from behind the pellet into the open - basically what a muzzle brake does in only one direction.

[native hunter]

Yeah but still decreases air blast.
Less noise.!!
Regards

[Hilly]

These items also need to be attatched to the rifle as standard equipment and not be capable of being removed. If it unscrews, it's a silencer under the regs in NSW. If it is fixed to the barrel by some permanent means by the manufacrurer then that's OK. Things loke "barrel tuners" that modify the harmonic resonance of a rimfire rifle and some centrefire rifles fall into a grey area that may have to be tested in court. Anschutz has a device that extends the sight radius on some of their match rifles which could also be considered just a little questionable under the NSW regs.
Shrouded barrels would seem to be legal because they are a factory item. If you can get them past HM Customs, that is.