ammunition, suppressorWhat difference does it make whether ammunition is subsonic or supersonic? I’m not sure why they bother to announce it on their packaging. Are there special circumstances when you’d want one or the other?
In calibers that may typically be supersonic (faster than the speed of sound) like 9mm, subsonic ammo is useful when shooting with a suppressor because the sound signature is greatly reduced.
A supersonic round fired through a suppressor will still make a sonic boom when leaving the suppressor, which limits the positive effects of using a suppressor in the first place.
It can be confusing if not labeled. For example: Winchester white box hollow point in 9mm is listed at muzzle velocity of 300 m/s (below the speed of sound) while Winchester white box full metal jacket in 9mm is listed at 350 m/s (above the speed of sound).
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