TOP 10 QUESTIONS ABOUT SILENCERS
- Is it legal to own a silencer?
- Under federal law, it has never been illegal to own a silencer. If it is legal for you to buy a handgun, and you live in a state that allows ownership, then it is probably legal for you to own a silencer. The basic requirements areas follows:
-You must be at least 21 years old
-You must live in a state that allows ownership
- You must not have any felony convictions
2. Which states allow silencer ownership?
- The following states allow private ownership of silencers: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MI, MS, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WV, WI, and WY.
3. Do I need a special license to own a silencer?
-No! There are some rumors that you need to have a "Class 3" license to own a silencer, but this is simply not true. Youdo have to pay for a "tax stamp" when you first buy the suppressor, but there are no ongoing fees or licenses required. This tax is similar to paying sales tax on a purchase, except that it goes to the federal instead of the state.
4. Do I give up any rights when I buy a silencer (will the ATF start showing up to search my house)?
-No. This question often comes up because of the mistaken belief that a "Class 3" license is required to purchase a suppressor. A "Class 3" license is a dealer license, and the ATF absolutely can show up to search a dealer's premises. Silencer buyers don't give up any rights at all.
5. Can I use one silencer for multiple firearms?
-Yes, if the firearms are threaded in a way that will accept the silencer, you shouldn't have any problems.
6. Can I use one silencer for multiple calibers?
-You can use a larger caliber suppressor to suppress a smaller caliber firearm, if you have the appropriate adapters. Using a larger caliber silencer is not as efficient as a silencer made for the specific caliber, but it will still be a significant sound reduction in most cases.
7. What is the difference between a suppressor and a silencer?
-There is no difference, these are just different words for the same thing. The word silencer is the legal term, but either sound suppressor or just suppressor is technically more accurate since they don't actually silence the firearm.
8. How quiet is a suppressed firearm?
-This depends on the firearm and the suppressor. In most cases, the suppressed firearm will be at least or more quiet as wearing a good pair of hearing protectors.
9. How will a silencer attach to my firearm(s)?
This again depends on the firearm and the suppressor. The most popular methods include the following:
-Some silencers will thread directly onto a threaded barrel.
-Some silencers require a quick-detach device.
-Some silencers are built into the firearm itself.
10. How long does it take to register a suppressor?
-This can vary widely depending on several factors, but typical wait times have been running 9 months, sometimes more. The good news here is that the ATF has recently (08/18/2017) approved the use of bar coded forms, which will greatly reduce the processing times.The ATF was able to process about 400 applications in a day with the old forms, and with the bar code process can now scan 400 forms in an hour. We expect that by the end of the year to see wait times reduced to 6 months or less, and possibly as little as 3 months sometime in 2019. GREAT NEWS!!!
Please feel free to call Saguaro Firearms Plus with any other questions that you may have. We can be reached at 623.255.5580.
