Silencers (aka suppressors) usually receive some goosing up in the physics department when they’re used in fiction. But what about the old pillow-as-silencer trope? Is there any truth to that?
Short answer: no. Pillows do a bad job of containing the explosive gases released by a gunshot. Hell, they can barely contain snoring.
Here’s an excellent video demonstrating this with live ammo, different types of pillows and a decibel meter.
For some perspective, here’s a decibel scale from OSHA. Even with the pillows, the gunshots in the video surpassed the noise made from an airplane taking off.
Also, despite what the movie Postal might suggest, cats don’t make for effective silencers/suppressors, either. Not even the fluffy ones.
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That video is a poor test. (Also, the pillow “should” capture back-splattered blood/goore.)
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Disagree. What does capturing gore have to do with sound?
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“What does capturing gore have to do with sound?”
Nothing. The word “Also” and the parentheses *should* have indicated the secondary usage. Maybe that’s why I’m not a writer…
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You are a moron. You were doing it wrong. The proper way to do it, is to fold the pillow in half and stuff the handgun into the folded pillow.
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