It’s important to know how a suppressor works first. A big part of this project involves cutting or drilling the right components to ensure your homemade suppressor provides adequate noise reduction without exploding or failing.
The inside of a suppressor. The baffles and chambers attenuate noise by reducing the velocity of the expanding gasses produced at the muzzle of the firearm.
A suppressor’s job is relatively simple: Capture the gasses exiting the muzzle of your gun, and contain them long enough to slow them down, reducing energy and sound. The suppressor does this by creating turbulence in the gas flow. That turbulence is made by forcing the gas into small pockets, cones, and cavities. These are created with baffles. The longer all that gas has to expand and slow down before exiting the suppressor, the quieter the gunshot will be.
Now you know the basics. It really is that simple. Onto the construction part. A suppressor’s made with three components:
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The tube or “can”, which contains the baffles.
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The baffles, which slow down the gas inside the tube.
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The end caps, which contain pressure and secure the suppressor to the muzzle.
The baffles slow the gas down, creating all that turbulence and reducing velocity. The tube and end caps contain the gas, preventing the explosion and sound inside from escaping. The energy your suppressor’s working to contain is incredibly high. That means your suppressor’s converting a lot of energy into a lot of heat. That means you need quality alloys like stainless steel, high-grade aluminum, and titanium.