[tecolote]

In one shot from the trailer for the upcoming season of Boardwalk Empire, there is a scene of Richard Harrow(Jack Huston) holding a suppressed 1911 to someone's head. This season being set in 1925, were there any successfully suppressed 1911s around them?

Thanks in advance.

Tecolote

 

[Oyeboten]

Any Gunsmith of experience could have set one up, I am sure.

The Maxim Silencers were legal and available in Sporting Goods Stores and by Mail Order.

Obtaining a longer Barrel for having the outside Threads for the Silencer to screw on, may have been more difficult.

But, I suppose, one could have welded on a small extension to the Barrel, free-bored that, and, the Silencer could then screw on to the extension.

Some Silencers clamped on, but, that would have been no help for a Colt .45 Automatic.

 

[JohnnyP]

The first Maxim silencers were marketed approximately 110 years ago, and without a doubt there was a barrel to adapt it to the Model 1911/Government Model. The .45 ACP is one of the better cartridges to use with a silencer.

Originally they were not illegal, and you could even order your Winchester rifle with the barrel threaded for a silencer.

 

[kolchaka127]

As a former Class 3 Dealer for many years who liked suppressors, while I'm certain that with much work and a very lightweight can you can suppressor a 1911, it is not a good design to suppress since the barrel moves considerably. You can screw on a can by threaded extended barrel or barrel bushing, the problem is not the first shot, but the 2nd, etc. Very hard to get it to cycle reliably. Best bet is to use another fixed barrel pistol, though .45ACP is an excellent round to suppress since subsonic with a big punch. I had one of the H&K SOCOM pistols with Knight suppressor and it worked great. Especially quiet if you wet down the suppressor to cool the hot expanding gases even more. Or just whizzed in it.

 

[chaosrob]

I know three people with silenced Colt Governments and all three function just fine, only one required a change in the springs to get it to run correctly. They are not as quiet as some other suppressed pistols I have shot

 

[kolchaka127]

Yes, it can be done but may require lots of tweaking. The suppressor must be lightweight.

 

[dogface6]

Remember - this sort of thing is brought to you by the folks who also believe that you can screw silencers onto revolvers, and that they make close to zero noise.

'Artistic License' is alive and well on screens both large and small.

Today's suppressors are quiet - but the suppressors of days past, not so much.

 

[Shootsy]

While discussing Boardwalk Empire, I've noticed that 1911 is definitely their handgun of choice in the recent episodes, but it's amazing how frequently I see scenes where one is pointing the gun to another's head while the hammer is uncocked... It's one of those things that Really Grinds My Gears!

 

[kwill]

The first Maxim silencers were marketed approximately 110 years ago, and without a doubt there was a barrel to adapt it to the Model 1911/Government Model. The .45 ACP is one of the better cartridges to use with a silencer.

Originally they were not illegal, and you could even order your Winchester rifle with the barrel threaded for a silencer.

Johnny,

Would you happen to have any Maxim ads or catalog pages or a picture of a silenced GM from back in the day? I've collected some literature from back then but have never seen a Maxim (or any other silencer) that was sold for a GM in the 1910's - 1930's. I've assumed it was for the reasons mentioned above, i.e. it is not easy to get the barrel and slide moving properly. This is why Reed Knight developed a totally different design in the 1980's when he created the Snap-On for the Beretta platform.

Regards,
Kevin Williams

 

[tecolote]

Shootsy, I've noticed the preference for 1911s this season also. I suspect Harrow's "suppressor" screwed into the barrel in place of,or in addition to, the bore restricting blank fire adaptor. Of course the sound is dubbed in. The armorers do what the producers want them to do...
Thanks for the above answers.

Regards,

Tecolote

 

[Oyeboten]

While discussing Boardwalk Empire, I've noticed that 1911 is definitely their handgun of choice in the recent episodes, but it's amazing how frequently I see scenes where one is pointing the gun to another's head while the hammer is uncocked... It's one of those things that Really Grinds My Gears!

That way, if the person the Pistol is being pointed at is not complying eagerly enough, the perp then conspicuously Racks-the-Slide, cocking the Pistol, to show the victim he really means Business!

 

[kolchaka127]

I had a Knight suppressed 92F with snap on can and barrel lock for even less noise on first shot. It was cool and very quiet but it used neoprene wipes which distort accuracy since the rounds have to squeeze through. Still for close quiet shots it was great. Friend told me the USAF ordered a bunch for secNrio of having to recapture B52's on flight line taken by terrorists.