Hunting with Suppressors

Taming the Loud Boomers

- Patrick Meitin

Not so long ago, it was common to encounter even decided shoot-ers who believed suppressors were illegal. Today, more shooters are investing in suppressors and enjoying hearing-protection free shooting. First-time buyers soon discover intentional hurdles have been tossed in their paths. Large among these is a $200 “tax stamp” added atop the retail price of an already expensive suppressor.

Why $200? When the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA) was enacted by Democrats, this sum represented about $3,850 adjusted to 2020 inflation. This was devised to monetarily discourage ownership, ironically allowing only bootleggers and organized crime figures to afford them; characters the legislation was purportedly devised to thwart.

I’ll not waste space covering procedural details here, as your dealer will walk you through each step. In basic terms, you’ll first purchase your suppressor from a federally-licensed dealer, as its serial number is required on federal paperwork. The “can” remains in the dealer’s safe after submitting your application. Paperwork includes Form 4 filled out in triplicate, three passport photos, official fingerprint cards (produced by your county sheriff) and a check for $200, payable to Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF). You then await approval. By any reasonable metric in a computerized world, this would require a month to complete. In the universe of federal bureaucracy, nine to 14 months is required. Suppressors can also be placed in a trust, allowing transfer between assigned trustees, who must also pass background checks.