In the US, buying a suppressor, typically known as a silencer, entails a authorized course of that features submitting an software to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and paying a $200 switch tax. This tax fee is commonly referred to colloquially as buying a “tax stamp,” which serves as proof of registration and authorized possession. The method additionally requires a background verify and fingerprints.
This necessary registration course of serves to manage the possession and switch of these things, primarily attributable to their potential misuse in prison actions. Traditionally, rules surrounding suppressors had been enacted as a part of the Nationwide Firearms Act of 1934. Whereas the fee may appear substantial, authorized possession permits accountable residents to make the most of suppressors for listening to safety throughout capturing actions, lowering noise air pollution, and enhancing accuracy via decreased recoil.
