Even though many people use the name "silencer" when talking about a suppressor, it does not really make the gun silent. How much quieter it makes the gun depends both on the cartridges and the suppressor. A suppressed gun usually is between 120 to 135 decibels (dB). This is much quieter than without the suppressor, but is still loud enough to cause hearing loss without protection such as earplugs. An unsuppressed firearm usually produces 140 to 165 dB. For comparison, a typical jackhammer produces about 130 dB.