Silencers are devices that attach to the barrel of a firearm for the purpose of muffling the sound of gunshots. They are also used on paintball markers for the purpose of confusing opponents and making it more difficult to understand your position. There are several ways to make a silencer for a paintball marker, including with tools and materials readily available in your home or hardware store.
Note. It is illegal to manufacture a silencer for any firearm owned without a regular carry-on. This article is for demonstration purposes only, and it is important to check the applicable laws as a silencer manufactured for a paintball marker could also be used on a firearm and could therefore be considered illegal.
Steps
Step 1. Measure the diameter of your marker barrel
To do this, place a tape measure or ruler on the end of the barrel (the bullet exit hole) and, keeping it straight, note the distance between the bottom and top edges - this will be the exact measurement of the diameter of your marker barrel..
Step 2. Measure the entire length of the barrel
Use a flexible tape measure or ruler (don't just measure the circumference of the bullet exit hole).
Step 3. Purchase two pieces of PVC tubing, one 2.5cm (1 inch) and one 5cm (2 inch)
The measurement refers to the diameter of the pipe, not the length. These pipes will form the structure of the silencer.
Step 4. Cut a piece about 25 cm long and 5 cm in diameter from the tube
To do this you can use a saracco, a hacksaw, a pipe cutter for plastic pipes or a table saw. Measure 25 cm from the end of the tube, make a mark with a pencil and make the cut at that point. Remember that, no matter how many measurements can be made, the cut will then be only one.
Step 5. Cut a piece about 30cm long from the 2.5cm diameter tube
Measure the tube from the end until you find the point 30 cm away and make a mark with the pencil. This will be the muffler barrel.
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Note: Measurements can be readjusted for different sized markers. A longer silencer will certainly be bulkier and more uncomfortable, but the noise damping effect will likely be greater. In any case, the PVC pipe for the silencer barrel must always be 5 cm longer than the second pipe, regardless of the measurements.
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Step 6. Using a permanent marker, draw a straight line of dots 6mm apart along the longest PVC pipe (the muffler barrel)
Use a flexible measuring tape to measure the distance between the dots, and make sure they form a straight line between them.
Step 7. Draw another line of dots on the muffler barrel, turning the pipe on itself a quarter turn (90 °)
Use the same technique used previously for the first line of dots.
Step 8. With a drill and a 4mm bit, drill a hole for each previously marked dot
Do not stop after drilling the upper part of the tube but continue until you also drill the lower part, so that you can see through it. At the end of the operation, the pipe must have four parallel rows of holes.
- You can use a hand drill, but a pillar drill is the most suitable tool.
- Use a drill bit suitable for the size of the bullets used. The holes must be smaller than the bullets. Consult an authorized dealer to make sure the drill bit is the right size.
Step 9. Using sandpaper, or a suitable rotary tool, smooth the inside of both pipes (the muffler barrel and the second 5cm diameter pipe) smoothing out any imperfections and irregularities
Step 10. Prepare the end caps
If you have a jigsaw or band saw you can make these by cutting a piece of wood. If you don't have one, you can always use very thick cardboard or any other sufficiently strong material. This is the method to make them:
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Place the 5 cm diameter tube on the piece of wood or cardboard and draw a circle with a pencil around the inside of the tube.
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Within this circle, draw another around the smaller pipe (the muffler barrel), thus creating a "donut" shape.
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Cut the caps following the traced marks. The caps should stay firmly in place when inserted on the muffler barrel, and allow the second 5 cm pipe to be pushed out and held in place.
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Step 11. Insert the muffler barrel inside the larger pipe
The longer barrel should protrude from the opposite end of the larger tube.
Step 12. Place the cap around the end of the muffler barrel, and then inside the 5 cm wide tube
If the measurements are correct, it must fit snugly and stand firmly.
Step 13. Secure the cap in place with quick-setting glue or sealing adhesive
Do not touch it until it is well dried.
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The muffler barrel should extend 5cm beyond the end of the larger pipe, and the cap should be on the opposite end.
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Step 14. Fill the gap between the two tubes with steel wool, cotton, thermal insulation or mattress foam
This will allow you to keep the two pipes that make up the structure of your silencer firmly in place.
Step 15. Insert the second cap
Secure it firmly in place with quick-setting glue or adhesive sealant.
Step 16. Carefully insert the silencer onto the barrel of your paintball marker
This is why the silencer must be wider than the marker barrel: in order to fit over the latter.
Step 17. Secure the silencer to the marker barrel with a metal clamp between 1, 5 and 5 cm wide
Use the zip tie to hold the muffler in place, and tighten the screw with a screwdriver. Done! Again, remember what was said at the beginning of the article regarding the need to verify the laws regarding the possession and use of a silencer.
Advice
- Carefully sand the silencer barrel: imperfections can cause irregularities in the functioning of the marker when firing - and even cause damage to the silencer itself.
- Have the muffler inspected by a professional manufacturer before using it on your paintball marker.
- These instructions are exclusively applicable to the manufacture of a silencer for use on a paintball marker.
Warnings
- Make sure the paintball field allows the use of "do-it-yourself" silencers.
- It is important to check the laws in force, as a silencer made for a paintball marker could also be used on a firearm and could therefore be considered illegal.
- Never aim a paintball marker (as well as, in general, any gun that fires bullets) at a person, animal, or flammable or fragile object, outside the context of a paintball event.
