How to make a paintball silencer

###############################################################################
#############################DISCLAIMER########################################
####I am not responsible for any injuries deaths or felonies you cause with this device.#######
###############################################################################

Well, I basically took this idea and ran with it.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-silencer-for-MOST-paintball-gunsmarkers/
I updated it and fixed where he left off. It works well and its fairly light depending on what kind of PVC you use.

Step 1 THE GOODS

*1* Pocket knife

*2* PVC slightly larger than your barrel

*3* PVC 1" larger than your barrel

*4* 2 PVC reducers that fit your PVC

*5* Drill with a dremel bit

*6* Paintball marker

*7* Cotton balls

*8* Black plastic spray paint

*9* Sand paper

*10* Hammer

*11* PVC cutter

*12* Hacksaw

Comments

[rotinom]

Just as an FYI, if you live in the US, these are (generally) not permitted. You'll need to get a Class 3 tax stamp, pay $250 to register it, get permission from your local police department, etc.. This is because it is essentially no different from a silencer for a real firearm. Just something to be aware of, because it's a federal crime. Felony. Bad business all around. Otherwise, nice work. I'm assuming that the PVC pieces were not glued together, because otherwise splatter & everything would be a royal pain to get out. Also, you'll need to replace the cotton balls every so often. You may want to try very fine mesh steel or stainless steel wool, and check the performance. It'll be a bit more durable, but you will have the rust issue to contend with.

[rogerdemin]

Once again someone who has no understanding of the laws in the USA giving BAD/ WRONG advice. First as I have already stated there is no 250.00 dollar tax stamp! There are two denominations a 5 dollar and a 200 dollar. Suppressors require a 200 dollar stamp I have a pile of them. You do not need permission form your local pd they juts have to sign off your not a bad guy of course folks like me who have a NFA ( national Firearms Act ) trust do not need to get the local le to sign anything nor do we need fingerprint cards.

Almost EVERY state allows suppressors and Machine guns.

It is not a class three stamp!! It is a tax stamp. The person who sells NFA items much have a FFL ( Federal Firearms license) and to sell NFA items they also require a SOT ( Special Occupational Tax ) these like the FFL come with different numbers that determine what they can do IE sell make or import or combination of.

In short a suppressor without a tax stamp is ILLEGAL if it can be adapted to a firearm. IE the models of airguns with suppressors made onto them are not illegal and require no stamp.

IF you are at all unsure or are not dealing with a FFL SOT then go to ATF.GOV and submit your question to them. The majority of answers here are blatantly wrong. The fact is not doing it right can get get you a felony on your record Jail time and a major fine to boot. Make sure your doing it legal BEFORE you even think about building one. EVEN A PART of a suppressor is illegal to posses without a tax stamp in hand.

[OruKun]

I say i have a right to make stuff and do with it as a will as long as it does not hinder anyone else right to life, liberty , and pursuit of happiness. The pursuit of happiness from winning a round of paintball with me can and will be denied =}.

You just have to play the constitutional rights card and I didn't hurt nobody but myself when i was poking holes for my paint suppressor so don't tread on me Uncle Sam! And Come and take it ! (no don't actually...)

[cantrell8]

actually they are not illegal because you can buy barrels that silence

[The3rdPunch]

officially, they are called paintball "markers" not guns. They are used in a recreational sport which is about as illegal as baseball or football. Making a silencer is like drinking a gatorade meaning, it gives you the upper hand for about...12 seconds...

[xXxMattThePossumxXx]

i'd say that they give no upper hand at all

[The3rdPunch]

You know that was a joke xD

[xXxMattThePossumxXx]

if i didnt think it was a joke i'd have been more butthurt

[rogerdemin]

There is no such thing as a 250.00 dollar tax stamp! There are only two denominations 5 dollar and 200 dollar. Most states do allow suppressors and machineguns and other NFA firearms.

That said a possession of a suppressor OR suppressor parts without a form 1 or form 4 is illegal. That's right simply owning a single baffle is illegal. Even if you own a suppressor ( I own several in many calibers ) spare parts are illegal.

There is ONE way around going the tax stamp route ( form 1 make your own or form 4 buy one already made ) you can make the suppressor as part of the paintball gun or bb gun. If they are made as part of the gun this means they can not be removed then they do not require a tax stamp. Gamo and several other airgun makers now sell there pellet/ bb guns with integral suppressors that do not require tax stamps.

These apply to the USA only I know nothing about other countries laws nor do I care as I do not live there.

[120012]

 exactlly : FIREARM is considered anything that uses a primer and a flammable source to push a object out of a barrel like an air rifle they have silencers that work on them but no tax stamp. SO THERE FORE THIS IS LEGAL.

[iriyejm]

Sorry; It's the device not the "weapon" it's attached to.
possession of the silencer it's self is the element of the crime.

[Someguy44]

and Co2 isn't flammible? okay, go throw some cans in a fire and watch from a safe distance with barriers around the fire, co2 is very flammable in the form used in paintball, and its explosive as all heck

[carpe_noctem]

wow ok then....ummm i'm pretty sure your referring to an occasion where you put a paintbal CO2 cylinder in a campfire. If it blew then it wouldn't be because the co2 burned but where the gas molecules got all excited from the heat and the pressure became to much. immediately after the blast the fire probably died down, right?

[kutz]

dear jeezus lord CO2 ISNT FLAMMABLE xD

[tj the gnome]

lol Co2 is used in fire extinguishers. :\

[BowHunter4life]

Co2 it self is NOT flammable it has no oxegen in it wich fire needs to live so there for Co2 would put the fire out it is the fact that the canisters are pressurised ...and a FIRARM means anythin that uses a primer and a flammable source W/ Combution in the chamber. to expel a projectile

[snowluck2345]

Well, CO2 has oxygen in it, however a chemical reaction would have to take place to release the O from the C

[eldorf_dragonsbane]

Rotinom is correct, if this paintball suppressor can reduce the sound by even a decibel it is illegal to build in the US, if you do build this you are playing with some bad Mojo. Now its not illegal to have all the materials and plans for building a suppressor (depending on your local laws). You can even buy real firearm suppressor kits without having to pay the $250 tax stamp and getting your LEO to sign off, as long as you do not assemble the kit (or materials for a homemade suppressor). The moment you do you have committed a felony if you haven't went through the whole process of registering it with the ATF and getting the LEO permission. BoxHard further down from Rotinoms post you ask if this would actually work on a real firearm, the short answer is yes, i am not going to go into the long answer but lest just say it involves some modifications to the materials.

[minerug]

There are no laws against the ue of silencers in New Zealand..

[comander01]

What if you live in Canada?

[mathieulj]

I had quickly looked into this and it looks like were out of luck too. Apparently the mere fact that someone could adapt it to a gun make it illegal here. If anyone has a video of a 50 cal (near the right diameter) firing through this, please post it so i can see the silencer explode...

[pickford78]

Paintball guns are permitted in municipality and are not considered a firearm. I have had to deal with police and tell them that i am right and won the fight there. Silencers on these guns are perfectly fine and legal.

[Shut Up Now]

i believe it depends on county and state policies. just liek airsoft. here, people that wanna airsoft in public have to go to the next county lol. only a half hour drive tho

[pickford78]

Not in Canada :)

[carpe_noctem]

i live in chicago and paintball guns are VERY ILLEGAL not that it deters anyone that does it.

[iriyejm]

But can't you just use your tommy gun??

[madhops0620]

no, thats not true. These silencers are illegal. They were outlawed by the Bureau of ATF in the late 90s because they realized that these can be used on real firearms. look it up

[Viator77]

You're right on the legality issue, but unless a L.E. representative has it out for ya, common sense would tell him/her that this device is for paintball markers only. Just think of how absurd someone would have to be to use a PVC silencer on an actual firearm. Considering the size of this device, it wouldn't dampen the noise from anything less than a .50 cal. Can't wait for that video to pop up on youtube: a PVC silencer blowing to shreds when some Darwin-Award recipient places one at the end of a large-caliber rifle.

[ToolboxGuy]

Right up there with using plant fertilizers to build a bomb with.
Sounds downright silly, but it's been done with disatrous results.

Simply contact your local police department FIRST and find out a real answer.
Your mileage may vary.

[Kush_Slayer]

it could fit on a 12 gauge or 20 gauge shotgun(which also are the lowest pressure firearms besides old black powder ones) with slugs(if you dont know what they are a slug is large bullet for shotguns)

[rotinom]

See the link in my response to boxhard. It's enlightening to hear what the ATF has to say on them.

[pickford78]

hmm. odd as it worked with the cops. I live in Canada but the police may have thought of it as legal just because it was a air gun and did not use any bullets.

[Whaleman]

Yeah, you will technically need a license, because paintball guns are technically considered weapons, but then again, you can be accused of "attempting to harm others" if you so much as shoot a paintball gun (even at, say, an inanimate object). Stupid laws never stopped me before, and they ain't stopping me now.

I made one of these awhile back, but using a different method. Essentially the same, though. Nice job!

[BOXHARD]

Another thing to try would be stolen from auto muffler designs... fiberglass.... I really like the build though, nice idea. I may build one to play around with... I would think this would be considered more of a novelty though wouldn't it? I mean do ya really think ya need to register a pvc paint ball silencer? I don't know, just makes me wonder though...

[rotinom]

I like the fiberglass idea. I do know that commercial firearms silencers use a metal mesh, like steel wool. They also have "wet" silencers which use grease, mixed with the muffling material, and are typically smaller in size than the "dry" silencers. For those who may legally do so, check out traditional silencer design for ideas.

[rotinom]

Unfortunately no. Search the internet for "paintball silencer" and you'll find forums who forbid talking about it, and lots of discussion on the fact. Sad, but true. I believe the tippman (a paintball marker manufacturer) has banned mention of them in their forums, just for that reason.

Found this, which is further discussion on PB silencers: http://www.scribd.com/doc/357071/atf-ruling20054

Kids, don't go to jail :-)

[comander01]

From what I can understand of that statement, the 'object for diminishing the report' is not classified as a silencer so long as it is detachable from the marker without, per se, cutting off the barrel. Am I right? Also, what are the rules and regulations in BC, Canada?

[Dan Bailiff]

This looks cut and dry to me. As silly as it might sound to some, making a silencer that works on a paintball gun will also make it work on a real gun; therefore, it's illegal and you shouldn't do it. Once again, I think we have another instructable where the staff of this fine web site should use some good judgment and remove this one. It's one thing to have "free information" and another to condone information on how to commit a crime.

[comander01]

You should really check out the instructable on the anti-theft electric bike. Someone could easily up the amperage using a series of capacitors, making it potentially lethal.

[technodude92]

i would also have to disagree, this silencer would fail quickly if used on a firearm. the reason being the flash would not only melt the PVC but also ignite the cotton balls. Therefore, it will not work on a firearm.