Silencers are growing in popularity. Once you shoot a buddies, you realize how great it makes your shooting experience. And so my biggest question lately is what silencer to get and what’s the process?
Here are some brands to look at. I prefer sticking with the major brands, and checking out their videos, stats, and reading what the silencer can do and what it can handle. Keep in mind pressure and caliber. Also, many of the newer cans can handle various calibers so starting with a can that can go on a few different guns is a good way to get started.
Make sure you check out the newest and lightest technology, called “flow-through” or “low toxicity.” They’re lighter and have less gas blowback, so you get less toxic gas to the face.
- Dead Air Silencers – The newest flow-through designs with Dead air are the Sandman X (30 cal), Lazarus (6mm), Mojave 45 & 9, and the Ruger cans called RXD (for Ruger and Dead Air collaboration) in rimfire and 30 caliber.
- Sig Sauer Silencers
- Banish Silencers (Used to only be available through SilencerCentral.com, but now can be ordered through your favorite gun store.)
2026 Update: The $200 tax removal is official. The paperwork process (NFA registration) is the same, but you’ll save that extra $200 government tax. Just note that as of the first part of January 2026, the ATF is getting about 150,000 applications a day (when they used to get about 2,000 a day). So the submission process may be a bit delayed.
Paperwork Process
To start the e-file paperwork process with a gun store, you’ll need a login with the ATF, special encrypted fingerprints, and a passport photo.
- ATF eFile Login Page – Create your own account with the ATF. When doing your paperwork at the gun store, you’ll need to know these three things:
- Your Login
- Your Password
- Your PIN
- Electronic Encrypted Fingerprints – Some gun stores have the right equipment to do this for you as part of the process, but if not, here’s a great place where you can get your Electronic Fingerprints done (and own them too), and perhaps a passport photo while you’re at it. YUP (Your Unique Prints)
- Passport Photo – You’ll need an electronic passport photo. It can be as easy as an iPhone photo with flash against a white wall. Your gun store should be able to do this too, but again, you can get it at YUP if you live in Utah.
Install and Align Silencer Muzzle Attachments
If you don’t put your muzzle breaks and flash hiders on correctly, you could destroy your can with a baffle strike. Here’s Mike from Dead Air explaining the do’s and don’ts. One big tip – Never use a crush washer!