[Shytheed Dumas]

I was doing a little research into suppressor ownership, and while the ATF publishes the number of suppressors sold in recent years, and the number of registered machineguns seems to be known, I cannot find a number that would represent overall legal suppressor ownership by civilians. Does anyone know the approximate number of legally owned suppressors with a reference to back the number up? If not, any educated guesses?

[armoredman]

Since they were not stopped like the number of MGs on the National Registry, that number would change every year with new production.

[CoRoMo]

They should be able to produce a number from the registry, say, as of Jan 1 of this year, the registry contained ________ number of suppressors in the USA. No, it wouldn't be completely accurate, but I'd love to hear that number.

[Prince Yamato]

I know there's a website that lists the data. I remember reading last year that Texas was at the top of states with the largest amount of suppressor purchases.

[mp510]

You could send an FOI request to the ATF Disclosure Division. You would want to request something to the effect of "The number silencers, as defined by 18 USC 921(a)(3)(c) and 26 USC 5845(a)(5), registered on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) database, excluding such firearms registered to government entities."

I know there's a website that lists the data. I remember reading last year that Texas was at the top of states with the largest amount of suppressor purchases.

The releases which I have seen before do not differentiate between indiv./business registrations and government entity registrations. They only give an overall count (with state-by-state breakdowns).

[Shytheed Dumas]

I was able to find that 22,000 units were sold in 2010 - up 9% from 2009, but still interested in the overall number out there - not just new sales in a recent year.

I may go ahead and send an FOI request as you suggest, mp510 to get the total if I can't find it any other way. I appreciate the info.

[mp510]

See your PM Box :)

[AlexanderA]

I was able to find that 22,000 units were sold in 2010.

This explains why there's such a backlog at the NFA Branch. The suppressors are the problem, not the much smaller number of machine guns and other devices. Take suppressors out of the NFA, and you open up market liquidity for the rest of the stuff.

As far as I can tell, suppressors were not used in the "crime wave" of the 1930's, leading up to the NFA. The "evil silencer" was strictly a creature of the movies. Congress responded to a perception, fed by a popular mythology, and not to reality. (The truth is, "silencers" don't "silence," they merely reduce noise.) Thanks, Hollywood...

[zignal_zero]

This explains why there's such a backlog at the NFA Branch. The suppressors are the problem, not the much smaller number of machine guns and other devices. Take suppressors out of the NFA, and you open up market liquidity for the rest of the stuff.

As far as I can tell, suppressors were not used in the "crime wave" of the 1930's, leading up to the NFA. The "evil silencer" was strictly a creature of the movies. Congress responded to a perception, fed by a popular mythology, and not to reality. (The truth is, "silencers" don't "silence," they merely reduce noise.) Thanks, Hollywood...

this combined with the relative ease of making an improvised silencer (if someone truly wanted one for a criminal purpose) is most definitely reason enough to reclassify them as a title I firearm. there is absolutely no reason they should be subjected to the same registration process as SBR's and MG's. i completely agree that they are wrongfully bogging down the process. then again, i'm waiting on a form 4 for a MG, so i might be a little biased on this subject :D

[Orkan]

The government will never willingly give up the ability to steal money from us. If we want this to happen, we must FORCE it to happen.

I fully agree. Suppressors have no business being an NFA item, or even a firearm for that matter. Countries with hardcore gun laws in place, not only allow unregulated ownership of suppressors, but ENCOURAGE IT as a result of hearing safety.

Some things that go on in this country disgust me to the point of actual nausea. This is one of them.

[Carl N. Brown]

People who get their Form 4 transfer or Form 1 registration approved are advised to keep their original in a safe place, and have copies made, simply because over the years ATF has been very sloppy about safeguarding and maintaining their central National Firearms Registry records.

Odds are the ATF does not have a total number because they don't really know.