Purchasing a suppressor can be as easy as purchasing a new firearm. The main drawbacks are paperwork and wait time. Many people are under the impression that suppressors are illegal to own. However, this could not be further from the truth. Generally the wait time varies, but it is running about 8-10 months currently.
Is it legal to own a suppressor?
Suppressors are currently regulated by the ATF under the National Firearms Act of 1934
In order to purchase a suppressor you may have to meet the requirements listed below
- Be a resident of the United States
- You can legally purchase a firearm
- You must be at least 21 years old
- Pay a Transfer tax of 200.00
- Keep the suppressor in a state where it is lawful to possess suppressors
If you live in these states you can purchase a suppressor*
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
*laws change, check the laws in your individual state
Some benefits of using a suppressor
No more complaints of noise
Shooting a firearm can obviously be loud. Your neighbors probably do not want to hear you shooting targets all day. Suppressors are a good option to reduce noise pollution. Furthermore, neighbors trying to sleep in may not appreciate a hunter’s daybreak shot fired from a 300 Win Mag.
Hearing
Most suppressors make the firearm you shoot “hearing safe”. A lot of firearms do not require hearing protection while shooting suppressed. In that case, you do not have to keep sweaty ear protection on your head on a hot day.
The process of buying a suppressor
If you purchase your suppressor with a trust
- Purchase a suppressor from your FFL/SOT (This is a dealer licensed to sell suppressors)
- Give the dealer a copy of your trust, 2 sets of fingerprints and 2 passport photos of yourself. You can choose to remove your co-trustees before submission of the paperwork or include them and submit their Form 23s, photos, and pictures. See your trust packet for a full set of instructions. Most dealers out your Form 4 and Form 23 paperwork and mail it in for you
- Give the dealer a $200 check made out to the ATF for the tax. A personal check is recommended, although credit card payment is possible
- Wait for the ATF to send an approved tax stamp to your dealer
- Go pick up your suppressor
As you can see, purchasing a suppressor is not complicated. A Gun Trust offers a variety of advantages over individual ownership when dealing with purchase and use of suppressors and short barrel rifles (SBR).
- Other individuals can posses the NFA weapon, provided that you list them as a co-trustee, they are at least 18 years old and lawfully able to possess firearms
- NFA weapons may be temporarily left with co-trustees if you move to a state where NFA weapons are not legal
- You can pass on NFA weapons to co-trustees when your health begins to fail
- Any property in your trust does not go through probate court upon your death. This prevents your firearms and NFA weapons from becoming public record
Our estimated turnaround time for a gun trust package is next business day. If you are interested in a gun trust, feel free to contact us. Our attorney, Dean Phillips, would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
