Maximally obnoxious noisy gun.

patrickg · Sep 19, 2001

I was wondering if anyone might help me determine or comment on what the most obnoxiously noisy but legal to own/shoot gun is. I don't mean for the shooter but for anyone downrange. I want maximum concussion. I want this thing to sound off like a howitzer or a cannon. Don't care about muzzle flash one way or other just noise. Don't really care about accuracy or jam free operation in a fire fight, just ability to deafen folks downrange, make their chests go ka-thumpa, rattle/fracture windows, fire the shot heard round the world (I'd settle for county). Pistol, rifle, shotgun, whatever, I don't care about the format one way or the other or if the most noise is from blanks (factory or handload) or war shots.

Just so it is legal to own/fire, uses available ammo (factory or handloads from easily obtainable components) and is louder than thunder. Not interested in carbide cannons, reproduction civil war cannons or mortars, or most black powder arms unless in a shoulder or hand held weapon. Just consider that the 4th of July isn't T H A T far away and I want to be prepared, really prepared to make it something really special.

Patrick

Von · Sep 19, 2001

Patrick,
10 gauge blanks that are used in starting cannons for boat races are great! they have powder all the way to the top and make quite a bit of noise! They will work in a gun as well as the small cannons. Wear your ear muffs and have fun!

Bird · Sep 19, 2001

So your obnoxious neighbor has finally done it; driven you completely off the deep end./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird

RPM · Sep 19, 2001

You have two major components to the sound coming from a firearm - muzzle blast (the whoomp) plus the supersonic shock-wave (the crack) - strictly scientific terms here.

The 10 gauge blanks will give you lots of whoomp - but the noise doesn't actually carry that far. Much more annoying is the crack from the preferrably large caliber bullet as it zips past you down-range.

Try a big .378 Weatherby magnum or a .375 Holland & Holland.

Sound effects from a suitable target can also add to the effect.

Patrick (the other one)

fishman · Sep 19, 2001

Patrickg,

I had the opportunity a while back to shoot a bolt action chambered for the .50 cal Browning Machine Gun round. A 750 grain bullet propelled by 200+ grains of powder to 2800 fps is impressive to say the least. The gun weighed 20+ lbs and had a huge muzzle brake on it. The noise it made was memorable, and I was glad that I had the forsight to put in ear plugs and earmuffs/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif.

Downside is cost. Gun is about $2000 for a single shot bolt action, and the ammo runs $2-4 per shot. Also, it can put a pretty big hole in an earthern berm, so it is quite destructive. Of course, repairing the berm requires the use of your tractor . . . /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

DaveNH · Sep 19, 2001

Although the large caliber rifles do make a bit more noise,
any high power centerfire SHORT barreled rifle will make about the same. Plus those magnums have a nasty kick! /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif
A 30-06 or 308 Winchester with a 18" barrel will make quite the noise.

I would look into firecrakers like M80's or quarter sticks.
Tie a couple of them puppies together, light, chuck and duck!
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

We're all in this together! (3)
Retired Yuppie Tractor Owner

cp1969 · Sep 19, 2001

How about a .220 Swift or a .17 Remington? Very fast(4000fps or so), so there should be plenty of downrange supersonic 'crack.' Little to no recoil, fairly cheap to shoot, plus not much danger of richochets.

edit: I must be tongue tied today. Still trying to get it right.Edited by cp1969 on 09/19/01 05:58 PM (server time).

treeboone · Sep 19, 2001

I like to fill large balloons or yard size garbage bags with oxygen and acetylene, set off with a couple feet of cannon fuse. this is all boom and no concern with where the projectile is pointed. This is basically a very large and inexpensive carbide cannon.