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.)
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.
2026 Updates to Tax and Paperwork
Big Change #1 – Tax Removal
As of January due to Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ the $200 tax which has been around since the 1930’s has officially been removed – for now. A future president or congress may add it back or make it crazy expensive. Currently, most applications (individual, not a trust) are taking a few days.
Big Change #2 – Injunction
Some people in some states can buy silencers from some stores without the Form 4 –– just a 4473 (ATF gun transfer form). It’s an injection that only applies to the winning plaintiffs in the case. So IF you’re a member of one of the gun rights groups that were a part of the lawsuit, and/or you buy from one of the manufacturers in the lawsuit, and you live in the right state, you’re covered.
Many local gun stores aren’t doing this though, because they are not a plaintiff directly. They could though if you’re the right gun-rights-member, but that’s too murky right now as ATF seems to be telling them not to do it. Keep in mind, gun stores are controlled by the Feds (“F” in FFL is “Federal). Gun stores don’t want their licenses yanked and have to close down.
Eventually, there’ll be more lawsuits that will strike down these old 1930’s NFA gun control laws, but for now this induction is not nationwide for all Americans. It only applies to the winning plaintiffs.
Gun Talk interviewed the CEO of SilencerShop (one of the winning plaintiffs) so you can view that here and learn more.
Here’s a FAQ page by Second Amendment Foundation.
Join the Gun Rights Groups
Join now and support the fight against gun control, and get extra rights – be a part of injunctions and they come down.
- CCRKBA – Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (SAF’s sister group) was a plaintiff. Join SAF and CCRKBA both for only $25.
- GOA – Gun Owners of America was also a plaintiff. Join GOA for $25.
But I Want to Buy a Silencer as Part of the Injunction & My Gun Store Won’t Do It
If you want to buy a silencer as part of this injunction, try buying direct from the winning plaintiff, SilencerShop. Call them and see how it will work for you.
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!