A pistol is a type of short-barreled weapon that is intended for firing at small distances. The first such devices were single-shot. Modern rifled pistols have a voluminous magazine.
During an explosion in a cartridge of a powder charge, a loud sound is produced, caused by a muzzle wave, with powder gases exiting the barrel after the bullet. In addition, the flying charge is also far from silent. If the
speed of the bullet exceeds 330 m / s, then it also creates a shock ballistic wave. To all this, you can add sounds from moving parts of the weapon.
This feature of pistols when shooting is often undesirable. For example, in battle, the loud sound of a shot can unmask or scare away a game on a hunt. The first devices to suppress such noise appeared at the end of the nineteenth century. And in the last century, their serial production began.
However, soon in many states restrictions were imposed on the purchase of such devices, since they were often taken into service by
criminal groups.
A pistol with a silencer does not create strong noise by reducing the speed and temperature of the muzzle wave. The simplest device for reducing sound is a nozzle with one or two expansion chambers, which are separated by transverse diaphragms. Its action is based on the expansion of powder gases even before they enter the atmosphere, due to which the noise is suppressed. However, the disadvantage of this device is that some of the gases are ahead of the bullet.
A modern pistol with a silencer can not only be virtually silent, but also shoot without flame. Such weapons in the USSR began to be produced in the 50s for security officers. It could be conditionally divided into two groups: for the army and for the KGB. In the second case, special ammunition was required. Pistols with a silencer for the army were created on the basis of Stechkin or Makarov. They were made for parts of military intelligence and special forces. The basis for a silent PB was a Makarov pistol with a silencer. The device for eliminating the sound of a shot on this weapon was an integral, collapsible, consisting of two parts. This made it possible to remove the muffler nozzle, and to install it quickly before use. PB inherited the trigger mechanism from Makarov. The fuse was located on top of the shutter. When turned on, he pulled the trigger from the platoon automatically.
A pistol with a silencer is often used for military purposes. Especially during special operations, when shots should not produce noise or flame. These
types of weapons may be less effective than mini-machine guns or rifles, but they are suitable for hidden carrying. High Standard silenced pistol is often used by reconnaissance and special forces of many countries due to its high accuracy. The same can be said about the Ruger MK22 LR. They have high accuracy at a distance of up to 70 meters or more. Such pistols are in demand by many of the best special services in the world. In particular, they are used by Mossad agents and the Navy SEALs division.