Will Suppressors ever become legal and popular in the US?

[usmarine0352_2005]

.

In the most recent Outdoor Life magazine they talk about what will happen in the future. One of the things was that suppressors would become legal and popular in the US for hunting.


I guess someone said in Europe the majority of people at gun ranges use suppressors and that it's almost rude to not use a suppressor at the range because of the noise.


I know that for hunting animals like deer, bear, or moose (big game), suppressors might not be useful, but for animals like prairie dogs and ground squirrels where there are many targets and you don't want to alarm the others it could be very useful.


They said that suppressor use around the world is very popular and only in the United States are suppressors really frowned upon. Apparently in the US when people hear suppressors it conjures images of hitmen and assassins wherein outside the US suppressors are common and not thought of in a negative light.






Will Suppressors ever become legal and popular in the US?



.

 

[Zane]

They are already legal in most states. Popular? Not so long as there is a $200 tax for each one, extra paperwork and a 6+ month wait.

 

[Robert]

Will Suppressors ever become legal

As Zane said they are perfectly legal in most states. But most people are either ignorant of that fact or they do not want to jump through all the hoops. Though that was the point of the tax stamp, make it such a PITA that it will be defaco illegal...

 

[hso]

Yep, legal to own and hunt with in many states already.

 

[ball3006]

Ditto what Zane says...............................chris3

 

[wheelgunslinger]

I consulted my ouija board and the spirits say it will happen at 1422 hours on April 3rd, 2014.

Now you know. And knowing is half the battle.

 

[12gaugeTim]

I think when OP said legal he meant no tax stamp or NFA business, which is what turns off most people from suppression.

 

[Strykervet]

Not when they (you know who "they" are) can close the ranges and ban the weapons that the suppressors attach to instead.

I heard the same thing though --but nearly twenty years ago.

 

[hso]

no tax stamp

Never gonna happen.

 

[Sport45]

Not so long as there is a $200 tax for each one, extra paperwork and a 6+ month wait.

And the added cost of buying a threaded barrel or having yours threaded.

 

[NavyLCDR]

I consulted my ouija board and the spirits say it will happen at 1422 hours on April 3rd, 2014.

Except that the end of the world is in 2012...

 

[RangerHAAF]

They're about to become legal for hunting here in Georgia.

 

[x_wrench]

the expense + the govt. will keep them from being popular. if our government was not so paranoid, and factories could offer them as part of the gun, they might. but with the govt. sticking its hand out, and investigating you, and the expense, not likely.

 

[breeze010]

As everyone has pointed out already they are legal in many (most?) states with the appropriate stamp. If the NFA, 6+ month wait, etc was lifted and a suppressor was the same as buying any other gun accessory (or even if you had to complete a 4473 & NICS check) I believe the popularity would increase. How much is hard to say but I can think of several instances where a suppressor would be very useful. I know I would love to have one for my rimfires plinking in the backyard and imagine every shooter at an indoor range using a suppressor would have to be a more enjoyable experience.

So I guess the real question is, will the NFA restrictions ever be lifted? I'm inclined to go with hso's "never going to happen" response. Like the OP said so much of the public has negative connotations attached to suppressors I do not see it happening any time soon. Can you imagine the resulting hysteria after the media announced how "silencers could now be bought at every gas station" or "criminals could now use weapons completely silent and undetected"?

I would be happy with settling on just streamlining the tax stamp process. The $200 tax isn't really that much today in the firearms industry but the real killer is the extended wait. Give the ATF a week or two--maybe even a month--and it becomes more reasonable. I mean come on, a NICS check takes minutes and would you rather have a prohibited person with a (useless without a gun) suppressor or a firearm? The 6+month wait has been the primary factor deterring me from starting the process and I would imagine it's the same for lots of others. Of course if I had just started when I first became interested a yr ago I would already have one (or more)

 

[AEA]

The current suppressor dealers would not be too happy if NFA restrictions were lifted, suppressor prices come down (to something realistic) and every gun shop sold them over the counter just like ammo.

Of course the suppressor mfgr's would be thrilled to have the increased customer base and sales would go thru the roof!

 

[baylorattorney]

I understand your question to mean will we be able to get a suppressor off the shelf like we do other gun products or accessories? I believe yes. The more the public can be educated on the issue the quicker legislation will be passed or repealed making it possible. One look at England is a good case in point. To hunt the estates there, it is expected of you to use a suppressor to not disturb or annoy the neighbors and game. It is civilized. Also, it is error to believe suppressors arent used in hunting. In many instances they have been proven to increase bullet performance even. Lets do this. Save our hearing, make follow up shots a possibility, hear the report of the bullet, and not scare off the game << all benefits to me a hunter. without having to pay a tax and get a stamp on it - I'm for it.

One only need remember that criminals do not follow the laws of society and get silencers any time they choose.

 

[A-FIXER]

I guess you got the answer, and once you have one you'll not want to shoot without it ever.

 

[rjrivero]

There are currently 23 states that have no restrictions on hunting with suppressors. Georgia will become the 24th it seems. There are many who are working on adding Michigan to that list as well.

This is a link to a PDF that Gemtech put together as far as hunting with suppressors are concerned.

Silencers are gaining popularity if you look at the raw numbers. www.nfatracker.com

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

.


I meant without the stamp. Basically so you can just buy one and put it on like a scope and so they would be popular and common. And so you could use it for it for hunting too.

.

 

[jmr40]

They're about to become legal for hunting here in Georgia.

There has been a proposal to change the law to make them legal. We will have to wait and see if this actually comes about.

 

[Midwest]

Hypothetically speaking, does the BATF need an act of congress to drop the cost for a silencer to a $5.00 stamp, same as AOW and fast track the applications to a waiting time much like that of an C & R ?

I'm in favor of lifting the restrictions entirely, but until then would could be done in the meantime to ease the restrictions like I suggested above?

I mean these things are common in Europe, seems strange that the our country restricts them. They don't shoot anything, it just a muffler for a gun it is not firearm by itself.

 

[FuzzyBunny]

Seems like OSHA or the EPA (via noise polution) would demand them.

How many of us here would have better hearing if suppressors were $35 and over the counter like a can of pepsi.

I see it as a hearing safety device and nothing more.

I have shot many .45s with suppressors (legal) and it is a real joy not to have to wear "ears".

Suppressor Shoot ( Woods Walk )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncR3QmxPUk0

 

[JustinJ]

Hypothetically speaking, does the BATF need an act of congress to drop the cost for a silencer to a $5.00 stamp, same as AOW and fast track the applications to a waiting time much like that of an C & R ?

Yes, the cost was part of the law. AOWs were originally $200 also but was changed to $5 by congress in 1960. There was one firearm that was specifically changed to $1 as well.

I would love to see silencers, full autos, SBRs sold as regular firearms however my fear is that a few bad incidents and they then become completely unatainable. One idiot uses one to take out a McDonalds, a bunch of "i told you so's" and then nobody gets one.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

They are already legal (I know a few folks who have gone the Form 4 route).

They just are not popular due to the $200 tax and "gangster weapon" stigma in the USA, which is seen as a joke in UK, France and Finland where silencers (mufflers or suppressors) are seen a legitimate accessories for legal firearms.

 

[Justin]

With suppressors now being bought in record numbers, and more and more companies jumping into the game with new products, it is my hope that the industry hits a critical mass point where they are able to engage in effective lobbying on capital hill.

While I doubt we'll ever be able to buy a suppressor cash and carry, I would be pleased if they were only subject to the same restrictions as handguns, plus the $200 stamp.



Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk