More suppressors have been sold in the last decade than in the previous 70 years, so what has led to their booming popularity? We look at some of the possible reasons.
You may have noticed lately that there has been a huge boom in the popularity of NFA Class 3 weapons (aka silencers, short-barreled rifles, and the like). ATF approval wait times have gone up significantly compared to ten years ago, but for what reason? Well, first of all, 89% of all suppressor sales have taken place in that timeframe. We went from less than 300,000 registered suppressors a decade ago to more than 2.6 million in 2021. That certainly adds to it, but why such a boom between 2011 and 2021? It’s difficult to know the exact reasons, and they likely vary by region around the country. Here at FFL123.com, we decided to brainstorm and came up with our own list of why we think NFA weapons have taken off.
When the NFA (National Firearms Act) was drafted in 1934, the ATF wanted to deter people from purchasing weapons they considered to be associated with gang crime at that time. Thus, they imposed the $200 tax for every transfer of an item listed under the NFA. This amount of money was roughly equivalent to six months’ salary back then and was often as much or more than the cost of the item that required the tax stamp. Therefore, the tax made the items associated with them de-facto illegal.
However, the ATF has not changed the cost of the stamp since 1934, and $200 is now closer to being a few days’ worth of work rather than a few months. Thankfully, this is one thing that hasn’t kept up with inflation!
After silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and several other weapons were placed in the NFA, many people began assuming they were illegal. In fact, our other business, Silencer Central, gets that reaction from people pretty often. At gun shows, people will come up to the booth and exclaim that they didn’t even know it was legal to own a silencer! But, contrary to popular belief, silencers (and the other NFA weapons) have never been truly illegal. Like any other firearm, there can be illegal possession of such a weapon, but the weapons themselves, when obtained through the proper channels, are not illegal.
There are also advocacy groups, such as the American Suppressor Association, that has made it their mission to educate people about suppressors. (Coincidence that the ASA is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, and it coincides with the boom in numbers?) Additionally, several big silencer manufacturers have even begun their own campaigns to inform the public of the legality of NFA items.
And of course, social media has been a huge driving force in the education around suppressor and other NFA item legality.
As silencers gain more legal uses, the demographic for customers increases. Where once the appeal may have only been to target shooters, once a state allows silencers for hunting, the optimum audience in marketing now includes every hunter (over the age of 21, I might add). Currently, there are 40 states that allow hunting with a suppressor, so that’s a really big deal and a huge new boom in potential customers.
As technology has increased, silencers have continually become more effective. This means their benefits have increased. Silencers currently being manufactured are pretty well all below the OSHA hearing safe threshold for impulse noises, which is 140 dB. That said, some silencers in higher calibers from some manufacturers may still be pushing the 140 dB threshold; we don’t want to be overly inclusive.
Because silencers are now in the hearing safe range, shooters don’t need to wear hearing protection. Safety note: Prolonged exposure to loud noises is going to be damaging to your hearing. So although I say you don’t need hearing protection, if you’re going out for a full day of a lot of shooting, it’s advisable to still wear some form of hearing protection.
With all of those side notes out of the way, we can get to what the benefits really are. Target shooters can train more effectively. Without having to worry about taking off and putting back on hearing protection, shooters can have conversations during their training sessions. Instructors don’t have to worry about students missing something because someone left their earplugs in, and students don’t have to ask the instructor to repeat something because they missed it due to not removing their hearing protection.
Silencers make hunting more effective. In the Dakotas, for example, many hunters like to camp out by prairie dog towns to shoot them as they are considered pests in that area, much like feral hogs in the Texas area. Hunters can get off more shots with a silencer as the noise reduction confuses the animals, and they aren’t sure if they should run or not or in which direction to run. This is shown pretty well in videos of coyote hunts with suppressed rifles. Hunters can call in several coyotes and take them down back to back.
The final benefit I’ll mention is not disturbing the neighbors. For those who are fortunate enough to have space to shoot in their backyard, a suppressor is a great addition to the mix. The sound of an unsuppressed gunshot can carry across the countryside. By putting a silencer on your gun, you’ll be keeping things quieter for the neighbors.
Are NFA weapons popular in your area? Is it for some of the same reasons we’ve listed here, or do you have different driving forces behind the interest? Maybe you should consider getting your SOT (special occupational tax) and start selling silencers in your area! Join FFL123.com today!
Disclaimer: Only 42 states currently are in favor of reducing noise pollution. If you live in a state that doesn’t allow its resident to own NFA weapons and are peeved about it, contact your state government today! Often state law impacts non-dealers. If you have a Class 3 license, you are often exempt from state laws, so be sure to check with the local ATF office.
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