Suppressor How To

How to Buy a Suppressor

Purchasing a suppressor or silencer is similar to buying a handgun. Many of the steps are the same, with a few additional requirements—including a federal registration tax.

Is there a difference between a silencer and a suppressor?

Suppressor and silencer are interchangeable terms for the same device. Either word refers to an accessory attached to the barrel of a firearm that reduces noise and gas when the gun is fired. The term suppressor is more common in the industry because the devices do not fully silence a firearm, even though the ATF still refers to them as silencers.

How long does it take to get a suppressor? 

The wait time for a suppressor is always longer than it should be.   Youcan keep up to date on suppressor tax stamp wait times withhref="https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/current-processing-times"

Suppressors can be purchased online.

Buying a silencer is easy and can be done online.   Getting your gun suppressoris simple when working with us.   We are very knowledgeable with the product andwill make getting your next rifle suppressor, pistol suppressor, or rimfiresuppressor easier than ever.

Here are the steps for buying a suppressor:

1. Purchase a Silencer  The process starts with you purchasing a suppressor of your choice from our retail website>.    If you need a hand in deciding which silencer is the best for you, we have knowledgeable staff available to assist via, e-mail.   If you choose, you may use our Layaway option to pay monthly while you wait for the registration to be completed.   Just pay 25 percent down, and 25 percent a month for the next three months.
 
2. Decide how you would like to Register your Suppressor or other NFAitem.   The most common way customers file for suppressors is a Trust.   We have several trust options available inwhich you can easily add responsible parties/trustees.   (see blog post on registering an NFA item) A NFA tax stamp is required to own NFA firearms such as gun silencers.   This is a $200 federal tax for the purchase ofall items regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA).   You will need to purchase a tax stamp for each suppressor or other NFA item.  
 
3. Complete your Filing Profile.   We process our suppressor through ATF e-filing.   In about 15 minutes, you scan your fingerprints and enter registration information for your registration profile.   This is a one and done visit fingerprints and profile information.  We can usually get all the information collected and submitted to the ATF in a single one time vist.  
 
4. Now comes the hard part.   The Wait.  During the Certify and Submit stage you received an e-mail with the form 4 indraft mode.   When your suppressor is approved you will receive an e-mailagain with the form saying approved and will have a picture of the NFA Tax Stamp.   src="How%20to%20Buy%20a%20Suppressor_files/image002.jpg"   Once you have received this approval e-mail you can setup a time to pick up yoursuppressor.   During this time we can assist you with mounting your suppressoror help you with any accessories that may desire.  For a small shipping fee we can arrange to have your suppressor shipped to you.  Check the ATF wait time tracker.   You can find the most up-to-date informationon average approval times for your next NFA Item.

Ways To Register a Silencer or other NFA item.

• Individual:As an individual, your suppressor (NFA item) will be registered in your name, and only you.   This means you legally cannot share it with anyone if you're not physically present.  For all of the options, this one requires the least amount ofpaperwork, for getting your suppressor and typically has much less wait times.   On the flip side, registeringas an individual is the least flexible in terms of being able to "share" yoursilencer with friends or family.
 
• Traditional NFA Trust:Some customers choose the Traditional NFA trust because the Trust puts allserialized items into one document.   Thisis a great option for people whowant to list responsible parties and beneficiaries.   Traditional NFA Trustsare great for the customer who wants their trust to dictate who your silencercan be handled by during your life and after.
 
• Corporation:Filing under a corporation implies you have business.   This means that thesilencer belongs to the corporation.   Customers like this option when they wantto be able to allow their employees access to these products - remember, thecorporation owns it, like they would own a vehicle and employees drive that vehiclearound.   We do see some customers still go with other trust options solelybecause if that company were to liquidate, the silencer technically is an asset ofthat company.

Changing your filing mind:

Changing it to a different registration would entail re-filing your suppressor.  Re-filing requires paperwork, a $200 tax stamp, and waiting for approval.  

Use the table below to help decide which method is best for you.