Workbench Silencers: The Art Of Improvised Designs [Paperback]

George M. Hollenback (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Here is a slew of new and interesting improvised silencer designs featuring innovative couplings plus variations on aluminum cans, oil filters, PVC pipe, plumbing devices, water sprinkler pieces and other unique materials. Warning: It is illegal to possess or make firearm silencers without BATF registration. For academic study only.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873648951
• ISBN-13: 978-0873648950
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #55,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #17 in	Books > Home & Garden > Antiques & Collectibles > Firearms & Weapons
  #3 in	Books > Nonfiction > Current Events > Arms Control

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Improvised Designs, May 6, 2002

By	JB (Sydney Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Workbench Silencers: The Art Of Improvised Designs (Paperback)

This book is full of clear, simple but concise instructions on making working cans that McGuyver would be proud to put his name to.
It's the first time I've seen someone address the issue of securely attaching cans to various calibre firearms without having to cut a thread onto the end of the barrel. Plans cover .22 Ruger, 1911 style .45 (longer barrel required) & an SKS (7.62mm) power plinker , the information given should let anyone who knows their basic ballistics to apply the concepts given to all other calibres. All the parts required are clearly listed with lots of clear photographs of the parts, apart & assembled.
Parts are easily available at hardware stores &/or plumbing suppliers except for the "clog buster" no sign of it here in Oz (mail order a few from the US ,nothing illegal about them, bar applying the knowledge) No machining required in this book ,only simple hand tools & a battery/power drill are needed. Any good electrician ,plumber ,mechanic or similar handyperson should be able to make a lot of the designs from stock they already have.
Short but comprehensive section on why guns are so noisy & how to best shut them up ,an excellent book for beginners who want to visit a government re-education center for 5 years or quality info to fill in the gaps on the practicle side of things for people who have been studying the art of muzzle blast suppression for a while.
This book would let you easily figure out how to silence that 9mm SMG you built from PA Luty's , Expedient Homemade Firearms ;)
This book also stands head & shoulders above the drivel in "Silent but Deadly" by Hayduke.
I liked Workbench Silencers so much I bought the followup book More Workbench Silencers , review to follow......

See section 89/14.4 in the US patent office or try No.s 3776093 , 3367055 for some other designs & theory.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good choice, October 7, 2004

By	a reader (connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Workbench Silencers: The Art Of Improvised Designs (Paperback)

This book is a good choice for anyone who wants basic, easy to follow instructions on building a silencer. The pictures are good quality and the text is easy to follow. I much prefer this to Hayduke's silencer books. My one gripe is that some of the info is very similar, using a small change as a new design. So the book isn't perfect, but it's really close.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Concise and Well-Illustrated, August 5, 2008

By	CaligvlaXXI - See all my reviews

This review is from: Workbench Silencers: The Art Of Improvised Designs (Paperback)

I came across references to this work while researching improvised silencers and decided to check it out. The author writes a good introduction to the subject of silencers in general and then goes on to show how objects such as aluminum cans and oil filters can be used as components for improvised disposable silencers. Photos of all the components of the silencers are shown, followed by photos of the assembly process, leaving no doubt that the components can indeed be assembled and attached to the end of a gun barrel as demonstrated. This gives the book a plausibility not evident in works that show only drawings.

I also found no evidence of the supposed deficiencies cited by some of the other reviewers. Yes, the author does state that he didn't really make or test any of the silencers in the book (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), that the finished products are just plaster of paris-filled dummies stuck on the ends of guns (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). But I took this as a ruse by the author to keep his butt out of trouble with the ATF. What of the allegations that soda can silencers won't work on larger caliber weapons, that the author doesn't take into account the pressure generated by the larger caliber weapons, and that the author knows nothing about silencer maintenance? Well, the only soda can silencers in the book are for .22 caliber, not larger caliber. The author specifically discusses problems associated with the higer pressures generated by larger caliber weapons in a highlighted section on p. 47. And finally, disposable silencers require no maintenance because they are disposed of (duh!) after use.