Not sure I follow...?
Isn't that what I said?
Subsonic is actually in Arsenal (gives a -1 I think to perception and -2 if you use a silencer/sound suppressor, but I don't have a book so don't quote me on it). I think that is what he was referring to. I actually just realized that it has a range penalty (20%) so I guess that comment was completely pointless on my part.
The bullet does not get slowed at all, much less to subsonic. The silencing effect is slowing and cooling the expanding gases.
HOWEVER, it does effect the accuracy. Modern silencers, especially when designed for and fitted to specific weapons, make the impact minimal -- but the effect still exists. (1 to 2 moa seems to be unavoidable, 3 to 10 seems typical.)
Really old silencers used wipes, which the bullet actually hits on its way out. These would slow the bullet down (not to subsonic speeds really, but they were often used with subsonic rounds anyway). These had a horrible impact on the weapons accuracy, making it only effective at close range.
Modern silencers never touch the bullet. They use a series of baffles and chambers that allow the bullet to pass through unhindered, but trap the gas following it. The true barrel length has never changed and the accuracy should not be affected at all.
Now, a lot of people will feel like the accuracy has changed, because the feel of the weapon has changed and they have to adjust for it. For some reason we are a prideful race and its always the stupid machine's fault instead of ours. With the added weight and length, the entire way the weapon moves, looks, feels, and recoils is going to make it feel completely alien if you've only shot it without a silencer.
If Person A trains with a Colt 1911 and Person B trains with a Silenced Colt 1911, and they are true equals, they should have the same shot groups.
Sometimes, a barrel will be ported to allow some of the gasses to bleed off behind a bullet. This will cause the bullet to slow and reduce the power (and accuracy at a decent range), but its really not the silencer doing it as much as the barrel (since that's what is ported).
They are also starting to make silencers that work by venting the gas through chambers that puts higher than the human hearing range (like a dog whistle), but they likewise never touch the bullet.
With the tech at this level, I highly doubt things are going to get worse in this field over the next sixty years.
SnS in suppressive fire....Yikes.
Pfff...you use grenades for suppressive fire, doesn't everyone know that.
