We have Al Capone, John Dillinger and other bootlegging-era gangsters to thank for a federal gun law that also made it harder for shooters and hunters to protect our precious hearing.
That law is rapidly changing and could add a piece of equipment to our shooting bags and hunting rifles that will forever alter the ear-damaging gunshots heard at shooting ranges and deer woods.
The National Firearms Act of 1934 had good intentions but did little to keep sawed-off shotguns, short-barreled rifles, machine guns and silencers out of the hands of criminals. It did add a $200 tax to legally possess any of these items, and until Jan. 1, that tax remained for honest gun owners who wanted to own any of these devices.
Passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” on July 4 included a provision to eliminate the tax on silencers (also called suppressors or “cans” for short), short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and “any other firearms,” but not machine guns. A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Form 4 is still required to register that device to you, and that requires fingerprinting, a mug shot and a records check.
Gun shops selling silencers like Professional Firearm Services in Fond du Lac are seeing their customers buying the tube-shaped devices in droves and getting their applications ready for submission Jan. 1. This shop offers free fingerprinting and photo services, plus electronic submission of the form.
Shop owner Dominic Eatherton said that, prior to March 2024, it could take up to 14 months to get BATFE approval on a suppressor transfer form, but since then, electronic forms take from a few days to a month for approval. He expects that approval to take longer when the rush hits BATFE offices after Jan. 1. Eatherton’s shop has about 60 customers so far that will have their forms submitted at the new year.
There’s a good supply of silencers right now, too, but that could change when hunters and shooters rush to buy their cans.
There are lots of myths about silencers and the licensing process, he said. They generally aren’t as quiet as depicted in TV and movies, especially those bullets moving faster than the speed of sound, which will create a sonic crack.
For quietest results, shooters can use subsonic ammo (shooting below 1,125 feet per second), which is available in some calibers. Even without subsonic ammo, a hunting rifle will be much quieter with a silencer than without, Eatherton said. Some subsonic rounds also may not cycle in semi-automatic actions.
The other myth is that a trust was required to purchase a silencer, Eatherton said.
A trust can be set up and used to allow more than one person to possess the silencer (his shop charges $200 for a trust), but an individual can buy and possess one without a trust. If that person dies, the silencer becomes part of his or her estate and could be passed down to a spouse or other heir, but that person would then have to fill out another federal form to take possession of it, he said. About 15% of his customers set up a trust.
Choosing a silencer can be bewildering, but sales associate Bryce Vegter at Professional Firearm Services explained some of the options and recommendations.
In general, the larger the silencer, the quieter it will be. Baffles inside filter off the gasses from the fired cartridge, which muffles the sound. Some silencers are dedicated to specific guns or calibers (AR-15 rifles in .223, 5.56 and 300 Blackout have many options), while others, such as those made for .30-caliber guns, can be used for a variety of calibers.
Rimfire suppressors are made for .22- and .17-caliber rimfire firearms and are typically much lighter and smaller. The gun will require either a threaded barrel or an adaptor to attach the silencer.
Silencer prices vary greatly, depending on caliber, size and quality. Rimfire silencers start at about $500, while centerfire versions start around $600 and can go well over $1,200.
Professional Firearm Services prefers models that can be easily cleaned, especially for rimfire models, and include some models made in Wisconsin (Griffin Armament). They also offer a cerakote service to make your silencer any color you want (for blending in with the woods or matching your stock) and protect it from corrosion.
According to Guns and Ammo’s special “Suppressor” magazine, a 120-page guide chock full of silencer tests, facts and selection help, 42 states now allow silencer use and 41 allow them for hunting (including Wisconsin).
One of the nation’s biggest suppliers of silencers, Silencer Shop, is suing the BATFE on the grounds that without charging the $200 for the tax stamp, there is no longer a constitutional basis for silencer registration. It’s possible that the registration process will go away, but don’t bet on it.
One thing’s for sure: the nation’s shooting ranges and hunting forests are going to get much quieter in the next few years. That’s good news for your hearing.
Ross Bielema is a freelance writer from New London and owner of Wolf River Concealed Carry LLC. Contact him at Ross@wolfriverccw.com.
