Regarding the letter about “silencers” for guns, I think some accurate information is needed (“Don’t be silent about silencers,” Oct. 4).
The typical decibel level of a gunshot is about 140-190 dB. The typical reduction provided by a sound suppressor, which is the correct term, is about 30 dB, which would equal a gunshot that has been suppressed, being about 110 dB or louder. For comparison, a chain saw is about 120 dB. A typical lawn mower is 100 dB. A blender is about 88 dB and a garbage disposal is about 80 dB.
A gun with a suppressor will still be plenty loud and certainly noticeable, unlike what movies and TV show us, and criminals probably won’t spend the money to buy one nor use one because it would make their gun less concealable.
