When a firearm is discharged, the sound you hear mostly comes from rapidly expanding high-pressure gases exiting the muzzle. These gases move from extremely high pressure behind the bullet to atmospheric pressure in a fraction of a second, producing a shock wave that we perceive as the gunshot. A suppressor works by controlling and slowing that gas expansion before it enters the open air. Inside the suppressor is a series of expansion chambers and baffles. As the bullet passes through the device, the hot propellant gases follow behind it and are forced to: • Expand into multiple chambers • Change direction around baffles • Lose pressure and temperature • Spread their release over a longer time Because the gases exit the muzzle more slowly and at lower pressure, the intensity of the sound wave decreases. The result is a significant reduction in the peak sound level. However, several sound sources still remain: • Supersonic crack – If the bullet travels faster than the speed of sou...