Ahh, actually... *puts on them nerd goggles* ...that depends on the calibre and powder load of the ammunition used in the firearm. A modern .45 calibre M1911 pistol equipped with a sound suppressor (a.k.a. silencer) has such a low noise level that you can fire it without any hearing protection whatsoever and you wouldn't even come close to risking messing up your hearing.Silencers don't actually silence guns that much
But it's true they don't do much for higher powered types of munitions, like a .308 hunting round or a .30-06 sniping round. Or well, at least not if they have a proper powder load. Generally speaking, any form of ammunition that travels at a speed higher than 343 meters per second (or 1,125 feet per second) when fired is bound to cause a noticeable (or even loud) degree of sound.
...I really like firearms and though I don't own or use any, I'm a bit of a self-proclaimed expert at them.
-Mal