This may explain why, contrary to popular belief, silencers are rarely used in criminal acts. One study looked at federal court cases involving silencers reported in the Lexis/Westlaw database between 1995 and 2005. Of the 153 reported cases, only two cases involved the use of a silencer in a murder case, and a total of only 12 cases involved the use of a silencer to commit a crime. However, gun control advocates point out that silencers have been used in some high-profile crimes. As presented to Congress, the NFA also covered handguns, sparking a huge debate. After handguns were removed from the law, the NFA passed with little resistance. There are a few nuances to each of the ways you can record your new muffler. An NFA trust is the most common way to register, as it facilitates estate planning. (Bonus: 100% of mufflers purchased through Silencer Central are eligible for free weapon trust!) If the muffler is used for commercial purposes and your business is a business, you can register it this way. However, the company must remain active to keep this method legal. You can always choose to record the silencer for yourself as an individual.

There is less paperwork than with a trust, but it sets many stressful limits to the use of the silencer by others. Since Silencer Central offers free and simple trusts, it makes more sense for you to go in that direction, but the decision is up to you. In the history of legislation, there has been no discussion of “silencers”. We simply have no idea what (if any) Congress thought it was doing against them. See Stephen P. Halbrook, Firearm Sound Moderators: Issues of Criminalization and the Second Amendment, 46 Cumberland Law Rev. 33 (2016). As decades of Hollywood action movies have taught us, a silencer slowly screwed to the end of a gun is short for “someone about to be murdered.” But as the Washington Post recently reported, the gun industry is trying to clean up the image of the muffler by arguing that mufflers are a health problem. Hunters can suffer from noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) as a result of repeated exposure, and none other than President Donald Trump`s eldest son, Donald Trump, Jr., has joined the case for #fightthenoise. Laws of the State. As long as a person complies with the NFA and GCA, the ownership of suppressors is legal in almost every state. The exceptions are Hawaii, California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

In the 42 states where oppressors are legal, they are allowed to hunt in all but two states (Connecticut and Vermont). (See this map from the American Suppressor Association.) The number of states that allow the possession of oppressors, including for hunting, has increased in recent years, thanks in part to lobbying by the NFA Freedom Alliance, a group focused on items covered by the NFA. Just as there are legal requirements for possession of a firearm in the United States, there are also legal requirements for possession of an oppressor. Fortunately, they are very similar and in general, if you are able to legally own a firearm, then you will be able to legally possess an oppressor. The civilian market for gun suppressors grew by 37% in 2013 with nearly 500,000 sales compared to 360,000 in 2012 and 285,000 in 2011. Ever-changing legislation and the growing popularity of oppressors give us the opportunity to educate game wardens about shooters, how they work, and how to buy them legally. Curiously, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) categorizes oppressors with handguns. This means that when it comes to federal law, the vast majority of gun laws also apply to oppressors. Congress is considering the “Hearing Protection Act,” which would change federal regulations on firearms “silencers.” Here is a guide to some of the basic facts and relevant laws on the subject. A SilencerCo shotgun silencer costs $1,440 and even its smallest products, like the 6.5-ounce Rimfire, sell for more than $500. For this price, you can see why some gun enthusiasts prefer to make their own silencers from ordinary household items such as oil filters and flashlights.