November 14th 2021
Map courtesy SilencerShop.com.You’d like to protect your hearing, and maybe you’re a little curious about how your rifle might shoot suppressed. You’re considering buying a suppressor (aka “can”, moderator, or “silencer”) You can’t buy one off the shelves at Walmart. To purchase a suppressor, you will need to fill out paperwork and pay a Federal $200 tax stamp. There is often a long wait. The good news is that suppressor ownership has been made legal in 42 of 50 American states. That’s 84%. Most Americans can legally get a suppressor provided they have passed the background checks. States where suppression ownership is allowed
The following 42 states allow private ownership: AL, AK. AZ. CO, CT. FL. GA, ID. IN, IA. KS. KY. LA, ME. MD, MI. MS, MO. MT. NE. OH. OK. OR. PA, SC. SD. TN. TX. UT. VT. VA. WA, WV. WI, WY. Not all states allow private ownership of suppressors. Some states may have restrictions based on the county or municipal level. States where suppression ownership is prohibited
Unfortunately, eight (8) states still prohibit private ownership of suppressors. California, Delaware, Hawaii and Illinois are the eight No-Go States. Private ownership of suppressors (or “silencers”) in these eight states is prohibited. We hope that some of the eight states remaining unconverted will change their laws over the coming months. A Suppressor in Action: Looking inside
A cool video was released by Smarter Every Day, a popular YouTube channel. It features rifle suppressors with transparent acrylic sleeves. The team shot shots through the suppressors with ultra-high speed (110,000 frames per second) cameras. You can see the flame move through the suppressor, and the bullet pass through each baffle before reaching the muzzle. The video below shows the results. It’s amazing. Suppressors reduce noise levels by about 30 decibels
Sam Hoober, a gunwriter, stated that the average suppressor can reduce noise by 30 decibels (dB). “SilencerCo has tested a variety of suppressors and found that they reduce the sound pressure of a 9mm shot to anywhere from 125.7 to 131.5 dB depending on the model. Advanced Armament Co, another popular supplier attests to a 23 dB-33 dB reduction, or down to 127. Another manufacturer, Liberty Suppressors, attests to a reduction of 24-38 dB depending on the model and other factors. As an average, we can assume that there is around 30 dB attenuation. You can quickly see that you will still need hearing protection when shooting any suppressed firearm, even a.22 LR. “Intense hearing damage can be caused by a spike of 130 dB or more.” Source: NRA Blog.
Similar Posts: Tags ATF Suppressor Class III, dB rating, Noise Suppressor Silencer Silencer State Law Sound Moderator, Tax Stamp
