The American Silencer Association announces that it has changed its name to the American Suppressor Association. The move was made by ASA in order to portray the industry in the most accurate light while advocating and educating the public on behalf of the suppressor industry.
The core mission of the ASA is to educate the public on the merits of suppressors. To do so, we must first dispel the widespread notion that firearm suppressors can silence their host gun. To those familiar with suppressors, the difference between the two terms is largely semantics. After all, Hiram Percy Maxim, the man who invented the first commercial suppressor, called his products silencers. However, to the millions of Americans whose only exposure to suppressors has been through Hollywood, the term 'silencer' takes on a literal meaning.
Anyone who has ever used a suppressor knows that although they do reduce the overall sound signature of the host firearm, they are incapable of 'silencing' anything. Even the most effective suppressors on the smallest and quietest calibers reduce the peak sound level of the gunshot to that of a chainsaw or a hammer drill (110-115 dB). For most centerfire rifle and pistol calibers, suppressors can only reduce the peak sound level to that of a snare drum at a rock concert, or a jet engine at takeoff (130-140 dB).
