.45ACP barrel length?

[Bigfoot]

How long would a .45ACP barrel have to be to quiet it down?

I've found out that a 26" barrel(I have one on the way) will quiet down a 22LR. The 45ACP has almost the same bore-case capacity ratio as the 22LR so I've got a hunch that a 26" 45ACP would be similar.

I'm thinking a Marlin Camp 45 with a longer barrel or one of the 45ACP Mauser conversions would be a perfect backyard gun that won't upset the neighbors if I drop a yote after dark. I had one sitting under a tree shaking off the rain for a full 5 min maybe 50' away from me a while back, he didn't know I was pointing a SKS at him almost the whole time. If I had the gun that I'm thinking about I could have dropped him without worrying that the new subdivision they built almost next door would call the county on me.

[prebancolt]

I have one of the Marlin Camp 45s. I don't know what barrel length it is. First, let me say that I wear a pair of the Tac 6s religiously. I want to retain my hearing!

When I pulled the trigger on the Marlin for the first time, I thought that the bullet must have been a dud, so I started checking for a stuck round in the bore. Not so. Another shot, same result. It was quieter than my 10/22. I took my hearing protection off and it didn't hurt AT ALL. It was VERY comfortable and very entertaining. It seemed strange that this thing didn't make any more noise than it did.

I don't know what you have in mind, but this gun is fun to shoot. This barrel length works, too. Keep in mind that if you reload, you have some control over how much noise any length barrel would make.

Jerry

[Wrangler]

Could you measure the barrel? Just put a small wood dowel down the barrel and mark it to measure after you take it out. I have a dowell. I marked and labeled with a number of my barrels. It can sometimes be a real surprize to know the true length too.

[Bigfoot]

Those Marlins have 16 1/2" barrels, I almost bought one a couple of years ago. This link says a 24" barrel makes the 45ACP quiet, but that's a relative term. http://www.rhinelandarms.com/MAUSER/...onversions.htm

My intention is a backyard gun to compliment the 26" 10/22. I'd like to call that pack of yotes in one night and teach the survivors a lesson about my property. The gun doesn't have to be truly silent, just .....well.....polite.

Uh oh, I had to come back and edit this. Seems like the barrel on that Mauser conversion that was labled "quiet" by the manufacturer is 16 1/2" as well. I asked a guy with a 24" Mauser 45ACP conversion how loud his is yesterday and I'm still waiting for a response.

[Wrangler]

Hey! I like that idea. I am thinking of converting an old mauser I have here. Guess I had better make me a receiver wrench.

[Bigfoot]

I don't put much faith in that Mauser conversion manufacturers claims. First they claim that it's quiet, and Prebancolt tells us his sounds similar to a .22. More telling is the claim that it increases velocity by 300 fps. Nah, I don't buy that one a bit. Looking at the barrel nut on that Mauser gave me a DUH moment, I've got a Savage. I'm sure Pac-Nor would make me a barrel, not sure what I'd do about a magazine though.

I assume that the extra barrel length would slow down the velocity, and that would hurt trajectory of that short 230 gr hollowpoint. So, since I want the velocity as close to 1000 fps as possible I'd try +P or even 45 Super (in a Marlin using a 22# Wolfe spring) loads, hopefully that fast burning powder would still burn up. There's probably a compromise point between barrel length, loading, and noise and that's what I'm looking for.

So, the question stands, how long of a barrel? Anybody have a .45 muzzleloader with a long barrel thats willing to pull apart a ACP cartridge and front load it?

[Wrangler]

I think there should be some point that the powder/ power/ noise curves would be optimized. It wouod be noice to experiment with it. That punkin' ball coming at you would always get attention.

[prebancolt]

Guys,

I'll TRY to remember to measure the length on my barrel tonight. 16 1/2 seems about right, though.

Got some pesky beavers that need attending to this afternoon. I'm thinking about trying out my new 300 whisper with the Sierra 220gr RNSPs (subsonic, of course). Wouldn't want to scare them while I was, well, killing them.

Jerry

[Wrangler]

I love it when I can brag about having a new gun too.

[Quarterbore]

I really like the way you all think... The trick with a really long barrel will also be accuracy as the subsonic 45ACP will be in the tube a fairly long time so recoil and the like will affect the usefullness some... The same concept could be used for other small powder charge rounds... 300 whisper with a 26-inch barrel perhaps?

It does sound like a fun project and I wonder about the old "revolver" style rifles... what if you took something like a Ruger Blackhawk with the 45ACM/45Long Colt conversion and built it into a rifle like this... A stiffer 45LC would give better distance performance while the 45ACP would be quite with the obvious noise from around the cylinder.

I wonder if anybody does conversions like that? Regardless, a T/C Contender or Encore barrel might be one of the cheapest ways to try a project like this but I guess any rifle barrel could be shortened if you later decided you didn't like it...

Good luck and sure does sound like fun!