Silencer Ownership at All Time Highs

[Ben]

The NSSF just put out a report that for the first half of 2024, 1.4 million cans were purchased. That's more than the entire rest of the 83 years the NFA has been in existence combined.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5SwjxikQQc

Now if we could only, in the next two years, kill off the tax stamp completely. Interestingly, another video I watched linked to a Smoking Gun article (antigun of course), which unironically included this little tidbit about what the US government is NOT supposed to do with laws:

As the ATF notes, the NFA application process was initially designed to “curtail, if not prohibit, transactions in NFA firearms,” and the $200 tax stamp, which has never been increased or adjusted for inflation, “was considered quite severe and adequate to carry out Congress’ purpose to discourage or eliminate transactions in these firearms” in 1934.

Also, the Smoking Gun article makes it sound like silencers are a commonly used item in gun crimes. 

https://smokinggun.org/nssf-americans-bought-1-4-million-silencers-in-first-six-months-of-2024/

[Kingcreek]

I live in a state that doesn’t like guns. Loud guns or quiet guns. Maybe someday we will be able to own a silencer.

[dogmush]

Meanwhile I'm over here like "It's been two weeks!!!  Why are my tax stamps not back!!!!  Elon!!  Loke in to this BS with DOGE!"

How quickly we forget....

[MechAg94]

Meanwhile I'm over here like "It's been two weeks!!!  Why are my tax stamps not back!!!!  Elon!!  Loke in to this BS with DOGE!"

How quickly we forget....

So much better than a year, but it should be immediate with no paperwork. 

[Bogie]

I am proud to have done my part. It is just a .22, and Sig's little can takes the edge off, but I wanna make one that will result in just the click...

[MechAg94]

I am proud to have done my part. It is just a .22, and Sig's little can takes the edge off, but I wanna make one that will result in just the click...

Rifle or pistol? 

With a bolt action or lever action rifle (closed action), all you should hear is the click of the firing pin.  I have a Gemtech integrally suppressed barrel that does very well, but you still hear the action cycle if it is really quiet.  I think there are bolt action 10/22 options, but I haven't looked in a while.

[HankB]

NO WONDER I don't hear many gunshots in my neighborhood any more . . . just the soft sound of flatulent mice.

[zahc]

That sounds like an almost unbelievable increase. What's the cause of something like that?

[cordex]

That sounds like an almost unbelievable increase. What's the cause of something like that?

Part of it is that ATF drastically improved the speed of approvals.  When people had to wait 8 months or a year to get approved it was a harder sell. 

If you've just got to wait a week or three ...

[dogmush]

That sounds like an almost unbelievable increase. What's the cause of something like that?

Cordex is right, the speed was a lot of it.

The other part is eForms and Electronic finger prints.  You used to have to go to the sheriff or whomever and get two cards per tax stamp.  Even if you were doing it yourself at home it was do form, get cover letter, fingerprint, picture, mail in to West Virgina certified mail...PITA.

With it all electronic, it's much simpler.  I have a picture, and my .eft prints file in my gmail account.  I can either e-mail them to my dealer and have them on the form 4 right there, or if doing a Form 1, I can literally do it from my phone.  Doing the paperwork all in one place, at the shop makes it seem like just an annoying 4473, as opposed to a trip to Walgreens for a photo, a trip to sheriff's office for prints, and a trip to the post office to mail everything, spread over a couple days.

The SilencerShop kiosks that made everything one stop shopping really started that.

[dogmush]

Also, my stamps came back today.  Two 4's and a 1.  13 days start to finish, including Veteran's Day weekend.  Not what it should be, but soooo much better than it was.

[MechAg94]

Cordex is right, the speed was a lot of it.

The other part is eForms and Electronic finger prints.  You used to have to go to the sheriff or whomever and get two cards per tax stamp.  Even if you were doing it yourself at home it was do form, get cover letter, fingerprint, picture, mail in to West Virgina certified mail...PITA.

With it all electronic, it's much simpler.  I have a picture, and my .eft prints file in my gmail account.  I can either e-mail them to my dealer and have them on the form 4 right there, or if doing a Form 1, I can literally do it from my phone.  Doing the paperwork all in one place, at the shop makes it seem like just an annoying 4473, as opposed to a trip to Walgreens for a photo, a trip to sheriff's office for prints, and a trip to the post office to mail everything, spread over a couple days.

The SilencerShop kiosks that made everything one stop shopping really started that.

I think companies like Silencer Shop did a lot of it.  They made it relatively easy to do all the paperwork, fingerprints, and passport photo for the first one, then even easier after that as the photo and fingerprints are already there.  They and competitors advertised a lot and got the idea into the heads of a lot of other people.  For me, Silencer Shop and Capitol Armory make it easy to browse and shop for suppressors when I am interested in getting another one. 

I think the speed of approvals has improved things in the last year.  This time last year, my dealer was complaining that sales were down.  He told me last time it had picked up quite a bit since everyone realized approvals were fast. 

[Ben]

I just got back from buying a FOR Monarch RECCE 5.56. 

[dogmush]

Word on the street is Dead Air is coming out with something fancy at SHOT. 

[Bogie]

Rifle or pistol? 

With a bolt action or lever action rifle (closed action), all you should hear is the click of the firing pin.  I have a Gemtech integrally suppressed barrel that does very well, but you still hear the action cycle if it is really quiet.  I think there are bolt action 10/22 options, but I haven't looked in a while.

I screwed it onto a Kel Tec P17, which was rather happy about the matchup, but the Sig can told me that it felt that it had been violated by at Trump supporter.
 
(tried the "hold the slide closed" thing, still far from just a "click.")
 
I have a friend who makes cans that just go "click," but they're bigger and cost more moneys...

[230RN]

That sounds like an almost unbelievable increase. What's the cause of something like that?

Snorted snot over that one.  The increase is the most predictable statistic ever predicted.

Did you know there are more automobiles now than in 1934?

But finally, people are catching on to how that $200 tax was prohibitive in those days, resulting in a... watchamacallit... "infringement."  $200 then (1934) is like over 4 grand now.  Would you pay a $4000+ tax for a silencer? 

Yet da goobermink claimed it was constitutionally OK as a "tax measure," which Congress was constitutionally authorized to create.  Bullshit.  You can't make a law you're "authorized" to make if it conflicts with the Bill Of Rights, which was created and adopted  specifically in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of the government's powers.

NFA34 is facially illegal in its entirety, word by word, jot and tittle.

Terry, 230RN

 

[Ben]

Paperwork submitted at 1130MST Monday. Approval email arrived at 0705MST Wednesday. Less than two days.

[MechAg94]

Paperwork submitted at 1130MST Monday. Approval email arrived at 0705MST Wednesday. Less than two days.

Nice to hear.  Might as well just drop it back to a NICS check at the point of sale.

[dogmush]

Nice to hear.  Might as well just drop it back to a NICS check at the point of sale.

They still want their 200 bucks tho....