SSP Pistol and Noise

[Kennyb]

Can anyone tell me by how much the discharge noise of a PCP pistol can be reduced by turning down the power for home use? I want to buy a new quality air pistol and have been considering the FAS as it is quiet and accurate. It occurred to me though that if a PCP can be made as quiet by turning the power down then that may be an option to consider.

I realise that there is an optimal power setting that you may not want to go below for competition use but for home practice at 6 yards I wouldn't have thought it would matter.

As a matter of interest is there a minimum power setting that you can't adjust below, or can you just keep on adjusting it down? Also do all PCP pistols have the facility to adjust power?

[Rutty]

Kenny,

I would suggest that rather than adjust the velocity; even if you can alter it sufficiently to make a perceptible decrease in noise; you might be better off to concentrate on dry training. If done conscientiously this can be very valuable in improving technique. Alternatively, you might consider investing in an electronic trainer such as SCATT. Although secondhand USB SCATT systems tend to sell for around £4-500, it is possible to pick up a Rika trainer for under £200.

Rutty

[Kennyb]

Thanks Rutty, these would be good suggestions if I was shooting competitively. At the moment however I'm just shooting at home for enjoyment, so I actually do want to fire the pistol.

[AC99]

A far as I know power reduction is not a feature manufacturers incorporate in match quality PCP air pistols.
Power consistency is however the most desirable quality for obvious reasons. There may be DIY means of reducing power but if noise is an issue for you then I do not think a reduction in power will make a lot of difference to noise of discharge - it will still be obvious an air gun is being fired.

[mikehill]

As stated above, if you drop velocity you will drop in accuracy. Steyr are adjustable but work best around 530fps. To drop velocity so far as to make quiet you probably wouldn't reach the target. I actually enjoy dry fire practice though

[Edtwozeronine]

Apart from my Webley Alecto on 3 pumps, I don't think pump pneumatics make all that much noise really. The main noise from my HW75 is the pellet hitting the target. The shot noise is barely perceptible.

[Kennyb]

Thanks for the further replies.

I actually have a Daisy 747 SSP which is very quiet but I don't enjoy shooting it due to the poor grip and weight/balance. I've already got a quiet backstop and I wondered if a pre-charged pistol could be made acceptably quiet by turning down the power. Whilst it may well affect the accuracy, I though that it might have been good enough for indoor practice. If it's not an option I'll probably try and get a better SSP like a FAS 604.

[thirdwheel]

You may be worrying unnecessarily, best to suck it and see how much noise it causes. Best to shoot in a furnished room with soft furnishings rather than a hall with just a carpet. We have shoot a lot in the living room at 6yds in postal comps without really making much noise, using pcp's, ssp's, and springer's. Found the springer's the quietest as far as the pop goes but I'm using older quality recoilless ex 10m competition pistols (FWB, Pardini, Steyr etc). Although my wife does like her HW40 though and they are as cheap as chips and available.

Have a go.

[Aimstraight]

Thanks for the further replies.

I actually have a Daisy 747 SSP which is very quiet but I don't enjoy shooting it due to the poor grip and weight/balance. I've already got a quiet backstop and I wondered if a pre-charged pistol could be made acceptably quiet by turning down the power. Whilst it may well affect the accuracy, I though that it might have been good enough for indoor practice. If it's not an option I'll probably try and get a better SSP like a FAS 604.

If you like the 747 SSP with the exception of the grip/balance, why not consider the Alecto? The Mk3 has the ability to fit a silencer adapter, adding a lightweight Mod would make it quiet. No point going to the trouble of getting a PCP (and filling equipment) then turn the power down. The Alecto has an acceptable trigger (could be better), but be aware that spare internal seals are not listed (the entire main cylinder and valve is listed....at around £120 plus post ).

The FAS 604/6004 is fairly quiet...principally because it is fairly low power (struggles to get the claimed 400fps).

[Kennyb]

Thirdwheel's post got me thinking, so I asked my wife to listen downstairs to my unsilenced PCP rifle whilst I fired it and the noise actually wasn't that bad and didn't carry too far at all. Whilst it sounds a lot louder to the shooter, the sound quickly dissipates outside of the firing area. Although a pcp pistol might be slightly louder than a pcp rifle, I'm not so concerned now. The downside is my bank balance might take a hit if I now start to look at quality PCP pistols!