I recently stopped by my friendly neighborhood silencer dealer to pick up a couple of T&E guns. Normally, Capitol Armory‘s lobby is packed tight. In the hour or so that I hung around, I saw one other customer. I asked Torrey, the owner, what was up with the low traffic. “The Hearing Protection Act has everyone hanging back,” he replied.

Given what Schoolhouse Rock had taught me about our labyrinthine legislative and executive branches, I found this confusing. Democrats will do their damnedest to derail the HPA, screaming about stealthy supremacists and hunters wandering into the path of fellow hunters. And while the incoming Administration will be stuffed with Second Amendment supporters, Trump is Trump, a man who’s deal-making prowess is based on the art of compromise (i.e. surrender).

No matter how you slice it, the HPA is not a done deal.

All of which makes the current silencer situation a terrific opportunity for a straddle — an options strategy where a savvy investor buys put and call options to profit off the rise or fall in an investment’s value. Think of it this way . . .

If you buy a can today, five weeks from now you’ll be five weeks into your 32-week wait. If Congress drags their collective feet on the HPA, if President Trump suddenly discovers other priorities (squirrel!), if something else sabotages the HPA, you’ll be deep into your regularly scheduled wait time. You win.

If the HPA passes sometime before 32 weeks from today and becomes active immediately upon passage, you can go out and buy a new silencer or wait a few weeks and take delivery of your tax-stamped silencer, or both. You still win. Perhaps more so . . .

Sensibly enough, the silencer industry isn’t making significant investments in new tooling, hiring or building space until the ink is dry on the HPA. When the inevitable post-HPA run on silencers begins, buyers will be looking at a limited selection and the possibility of increased prices (supply vs. demand and all that).

Buy a silencer now and you’ll get the exact model you want at the best possible price. And here’s the kicker: the HPA as currently written instructs Uncle Sam to refund the $200 tax paid on silencers purchased after October 22, 2015. Is not losing equal winning? In this case, yes.

The only real downside to buying a silencer now: the time and hassle of filling out the application. If that doesn’t put you off, there’s never been a better time to buy a silencer. What are you waiting for?

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91 COMMENTS

  1. They’re not that great. They’re a lot more expensive than a good brake but don’t reduce recoil nearly as much and they don’t keep the reticle on target as well either. I will pick one up when the HPA passes, which means probably never.

    • Have you ever used a sound suppressor, because it sounds like not. All of mine work as well as a brake, if not better. Plus, you seem to have missed nearly the entire point, they make the firearm quieter.

      • You have really crappy brakes then. Tests have been done, they’re not half as good as the top brakes at stopping recoil. Don’t get me wrong, I’d like one for the sound reduction on light recoiling rifles like and AR-15 but I’m just not willing to jump through the hoops.

        PRS blog did well designed tests on top brakes vs suppressors. They’re about half as good as top brakes at recoil reduction and sight picture retention. Which is also why competitive shooters prefer brakes for most applications.

        • That depends heavily on what they’re doing. Quality cans increase the accuracy of an already accurate rifle in ways no break can match.

          Virtually all serious distance shooters use a can for exactly this reason.

        • Competitive shooters do a lot of things that aren’t even remotely practical in the real world. Like run around with all manner of pillows and bags hanging off their slings and appendages for the one shot in a stage/match where they will be crouching, in an awkward improvise position like declined roof ledge. That wouldn’t necessarily be practical or necessary in the real world. Likewise, having a rifle that swings quickly and is not 5feet long are big priorities in any competition that involves moving about, and both are downsides of running a can (increased length and weight in the muzzle). So it isn’t surprising in a game won and lost by fractions of a percent that they will opt for the inconvenience of running plugs and earmuffs to get a shorter and lighter rifle. Being able to spot a shot and send another round if you miss before you time out is pretty important too, so every last ounce of recoil reduction matters more in competitions than in the real world. Also practically speaking, you can’t rely on everyone in a competition running a can anyways so hearing pro is already a given.

          There’s no single correct answer to the question.

        • From my AR, I fire mostly 300gr bullets (so probably more recoil impulse and free recoil energy than most ARs) through a suppressor and I never find myself thinking ‘gee, this barely noticeable recoil is annoying and I sure wish I had made this gun louder instead of quieter”. On my nightstand gun I consider the suppressor almost indispensible

  2. For me a silencer is a “neat to have” not a “need to have” therefore I’m not jumping through hoops to get my hands on one.

    Also, plenty of guys at the gun club have cans and I can’t say I’m impressed. The noise reduction wasn’t at all what Hollywood promised me. Shots are still LAF and even on super quiet rimfire the noise of the action becomes a much louder chalkboard scratching annoyance without the “bang” to hide it. Shattered expectations.

    • alot of people believe everything they see on tv. i guess you are one of them. if you want a movie quite suppressor, you just have to spend more money, on capture springs, subsonic bullets, etc.
      no you can not just throw a “can” on and be like your shooting a bb gun.
      there is A LOT of factors that go into suppressing fireamrs, effectively.

    • Lol. the ringing in my ears from years of unsuppressed shooting is more of an annoyance than the sound of the action. You aren’t even a good troll.

  3. Unfortunately I live in Illinois and our leftist overlords haven’t given us permission to own equipment that will stop damage to our hearing.

    • Give it a couple of weeks. I have it on good authority that the suppressor bill will pass. I know at least one SOT dealer who’s stocking up on cans specifically for this eventuality. He and I are already scheduled to have a conversation today about a can that would make my 10.3″ 5.56 SBR ear safe and a .308″ can for my G3 and AR-10s.

        • Absolutely, I have two and one more in tax stamp jail. You need to have a C&R FFL, but other than that, that’s the only requirement.

      • Really. Tell ya what. If it passes, I will buy another can just to celebrate. Maybe a lighter .300, maybe a 9mm, but *something*!!!

      • From watching and listening to the past sessions I wonder what makes you so sure that SB206 will even be brought up, let alone get enough votes. Not arguing with you just getting tired of our leaders showing up 2 hours late, calling a recess for 30 min which end up lasting an hour and wasting time wishing their grandmothers a happy birthday. I’ll be tuned in but not getting my hopes up.

  4. I’m in a different boat. I’m waiting on state legislators to make them legal in illinois. If it happens, it should be next month. Thinking about hitting up a dealer that works with law enforcement to see about putting a deposit on one should said legislation happen to pass. If the HPA also passes after I’ve filed the paperwork for the stamp, I’m out nothing, save the interest on the $200 (basically nothing). I’ve gained time, as well as avoiding the run on silencers sure to happen until manufacturers can tool up.

  5. I don’t feel like going through the hassle of revising my trust to remove all responsible persons other than myself, then adding them back later after the stamps are approved. I also don’t want to go through the hassle of getting all my responsible persons photographed and fingerprinted. I’ll wait. Nothing on the market right now that’s much better than what I currently have anyway.

    • +1. I’m right where you are with the trust deal. Also, I anticipated 41P and stocked up on cans and SBR’s prior to the new rules going into effect. I’m pretty much covered from .338 Lapua down to .22 LR. Suck on that Obama!

  6. no. if it becomes unregulated the SMART thing to do is wait till after the rush, then production will ramp up and prices will fall. THAT is what i am waiting for. besides, its not like anyone MUST have a suppressor for really anything so its fun anyways.

    • For real. Sounds like TTAG is just pushing an agenda, as usual.
      Nobody who is regulated NEEDS a suppressor, or any of the toys we love. I will wait. If I can wait 32 weeks now, and pay the stupid prices that cans are today, then I can wait who knows how long for all the additional options I’ll have after the HPA passes, if ever. Not in a hurry.

      • “… and pay the stupid prices that cans are today …”

        That is my biggest hold-up. I find it ridiculous that manufactures charge twice as much for a suppressor as it costs for the firearm upon which we will mount it.

        When basic suppressors cost about $150, I’ll buy two or three. Until then, I’ll use ear plugs and ear muffs.

  7. You people are ridiculous. Obviously you never expect to ever use a gun in a real-world defensive situation. Here’s an idea, go take an AR-15 and fire it at the indoor gun range without any hearing protection to simulate firing it inside your house and then let’s see if you still think there’s no value in adding a suppressor to it…

    • Good point, however moot. The supersonic crack is the worst part of indoor shooting (sound reflection). My airgun is supersonic and I tried firing it is the house once….ONCE….

      Not to take away from suppressors. I love them and own several. Subsonics are the way to go.

      • “The supersonic crack is the worst part of indoor shooting (sound reflection)”

        On an AR platform rifle? *cough* bullshit *cough* The comparison to an air rifle is laughable at best.

        • I believe I own the loudest AR on the planet. Shooting it indoors is really not much worse than outdoors. My muzzle brake has two small ports on top and one large port on each side. Basically all the sound comes right back at you. It is muzzle blast not super sonic crack that I’m hearing.
          Not sold on Suppressors though when they cost more than the gun. I would like a .22 suppressor for the SR22 and what would really be cool is a 12 gauge suppressor for the Mosberg 930 for backyard clay shooting.
          Don’t need one for the EDC gun and as for the AR, I keep E-muffs with the rifle. Not looking forward to adding 8″ to the end of my carbine.
          For the price of a decent optic or light, I might consider a suppressor, but at twice that price, I can’t reconcile that purchase.

          • In the past (didn’t check today) I’ve seen decent brand (SilencerCo, AAC, etc.) 5.56 suppressors on sale for around $500 or less. If you want short, check out Amtac (adds about 3.7″ to the end of the barrel) or Delta P Brevis (adds less than 3″, but more expensive).

      • I think your comment is ridiculous, but it’s easily tested. Go fire an AR at an indoor range with and without a suppressor wearing no hearing protection and get back to us with your findings.

        This “the supersonic crack is the loudest part” comment I’ve heard more than once must come from people who are judging based on YouTube videos… evidently they aren’t aware of something called Automatic Gain Control on every video camera which limits the audio volume regardless of how loud the original noise might be.

        I stand by my original opinion–the only people who have no need for a suppressor on their rifle are people who will only ever shoot for recreation with hearing protection. However, unfortunately there are probably millions of people across the country who have rifles and/or shotguns waiting to be used for home defense without a suppressor. In the low-probability yet high-stakes event that they ever need to actually use those weapons, they will greatly regret the absence of a suppressor for the rest of their lives.

        • Mike Smith,

          I split the proverbial baby in half: I have a pistol-caliber carbine for home defense. The 16 inch long barrel and subsonic rounds produce significantly less report than you would expect … and makes considerably less noise than popular handguns with 3 and 4 inch barrels.

          Of course a suppressor would improve them that much more. But I just cannot bring myself to spend $700 on a suppressor and another $200 for a tax stamp. So, I will go without until I can purchase something for less than $200 total. Meanwhile, I will keep electronic earmuffs at the ready.

          Interesting thought: the deafening blast of an unsuppressed firearm could actually be an advantage if you have electronic hearing protection and your home invaders do not … which is almost certain to be the case. In the event that your first shot does not strike the home invaders and they refuse to immediately vacate, they will be continuing their home invasion without the benefit of being able to hear anything. That is a significant disadvantage for them and a significant advantage for you!

  8. Capital Armory is usually packed tight with people buying silencers? Are silencers usually flying off the shelves as heavily taxed as they are? Seems like the overall relief with a Democrat not coming into office might have more to do with it.

  9. Would love to have a couple silencers but the last time I priced a good 308 can all said and done I would be out $1000 and I just can’t see it. Talk about a low tech or no tech product. The prices are ridiculous. The mfrs will either price themselves out of business, suppressors will become more of a boutique market than they already are, or more mfrs jumping into an open unregulated market will drive prices way down.

    • The manufacturers deny this until they’re blue in the face, but all you have to do is see the prices in New Zealand and Europe for suppressors. They’re a fraction of what they are here.

    • Price is a reflection of overhead and actual sales. Google “economies of scale” and reflect on US regulation of the market.

      “Talk about a low tech or no tech product.”

      Absolute balderdash. So many people say this and it simply ain’t true. Lot’s of people say it about flow meters too, there’s a reason my old company has 95% world wide market share and it’s because the people who say things like this are ignorant.

      Don’t believe me? Go make your own rifle can. Suppress a rifle with it. I’ll be happy to hear you talk about “low tech” and “no tech” when I visit you in the hospital after they pull a bunch of fragments of metal out of your face.

      Sorry, designing something that is as light as a modern can, increases accuracy, suppresses the rifle reasonably well AND can withstand an initial pressure spike from atmosphere to on the order of 60K+ psi in 0.005 seconds repeatedly isn’t “low tech or no tech” unless you fancy getting a face full of shrapnel. Just throwing down welds on that shit is expensive and you better know what the fuck you’re doing. X-ray quality all day or it’s going to fail and fail catastrophically. It’s not as serious as what I used to weld in terms of potential cost and lives lost but it’s still damn fine welding.

      • You’re not wrong about what goes into ensuring a can is safe. But as has been pointed out elsewhere, looking at NZ or Europe gives a pretty good idea of where potential suppressor prices could land once/if the HPA passes. My gut feeling is that if/when the market opens up, we’re going to see a variety of prices and quality akin to what we see with firearms: there will be exclusive, high-end, boutique suppressors, and then we’ll have stuff on par with Jennings/Jimenez/Bryco, and everything in between. I don’t mind waiting a while to see how it all shakes out. I don’t feel a compulsion to be the guinea pig for the consumer market.

        • So, $600 NZD is around $400 USD; that is the flagship model for a “good” brand, that works for “All standard and magnum calibres. 17 Hornet to 300 Win Mag etc.” Compare that to prices in the US; a silencer like that, here, right now, would be at least $1500; nearly 4 times as much. If they are ever deregulated, the scale of the US economy (compared to New Zealand) is so much bigger, especially when you’re talking about the scale of the gun owning consumer base, that we’re likely to see much, much better economies of scale than New Zealand gets.

          If the HPA passed, I would imagine within 3 years or less, we’ll see high quality, multi-caliber, well suppressed silencers for less than $250. If they are no harder to get than the gun they go on, and simpler/cheaper to make, then nearly everyone with a gun will own one; there’s just not that much reason not to.

          As for a strategy or straddling, that only makes sense if you need to have a silencer within the next year or so; if you can wait until economies of scale kick in, then it makes much, much more sense to invest that money now in something that will generate returns (or even just stuff it under your mattress) than to invest it in a silencer now to try to take advantage of the “win-win” being described.

      • 60,000 psi may be a typical chamber pressure for a rifle, but that doesn’t mean a suppressor is subjected to that much. Suppressors allow the pressurized gas to expand dramatically, and the pressure drops accordingly. That’s pretty much how they work.

        There are plenty of youtube videos out there demonstrating the usefulness (or lack thereof) of oil filters and fuel filters as suppressors.

    • R and D adds some cost but proven designs can be made cheaply once patents are done and for some cans that’s the case.
      A suppressor should not cost more than 100 dollars IMHO

  11. NFA wait times are creeping back up, but no one is buying? Yeah, I don’t believe that. Friends are buying, knowing that if HPA passes they’ll likely get their $200 back. They’re encouraging me to buy as well, seeing as that I’ve expressed an interest in getting one. But there’s no real indication other than your anecdotal evidence that silencer sales are falling off due to looming HPA action.

    In all honesty, I don’t have a pressing need for one. It’s one of those things that falls in the “would be nice to have for hunting” category, but so is having my own hunting land, nicer/better/more hunting equipment, etc., etc. I’d love to try my hand at building my own using a friend’s CNC machinery, but again, “would be nice.” It’s largely a luxury purchase at this point.

    If buying one to support the industry would have an impact on ensuring HPA passes, sure. I might be more motivated. But as it is, I’ll stick with bugging my legislators.

  14. Please. You guys who don’t mind registering with the feds already have your toys. Those of us without the man up our ass will wait.

  15. And add yet another mark next to my name with the ATF? Nah, I’ll wait to pick up another one.

    If the HPA does pass I’ll pick up a 6mm for the competition my buddy and I are doing this fall. If not, oh well I wouldn’t be approved in time anyway.

  16. I disagree.

    Currently silencers are super expensive given the engineering and machining involved. Mostly due to the same reason full auto weapons are excessively expensive, low purchase volume and they sell only to people with money to afford the loops.

    With the HPA possibly coming around, thousands of machine shops are gearing up and making their own as they get ready to jump into what will be an expanding market.
    If and when it does pass, the market will be flooded with thousands of vendors all chomping at the bit to get your dollar which will drive the price WAY down, gone will be the days of only “elite” companies making a can.

    So, spend $3000 now in hopes of getting one fast, or wait and get the same model for $300 or less…..

    I’ll wait. Firearm still functions without one.

    • Machine shops might be tinkering with the idea, but I sincerely doubt that anyone is “gearing up” to start production volumes this early. They may, MAY, start full production tooling if/when the bill hits the president’s desk. No one that likes staying in business would risk the capital expense any earlier than that.

      • There really isn’t a lot of investment, the biggest addition to a good machine shop would simply be drawings and some testing, not much overhead when comparing the sale of thousands of suppressors.

        The tools and machines are already in production, you don’t need dies with a 5 axis machine at your disposal.

        • No shop out there is going to order the raw materials just to sit around and collect dust in hopes of the bill passing.

  17. No denying I’d love to have a can or two, but strictly as a matter of principle, it’s not worth it to me for my name to be permanently placed in ANY Federal firearms database or to agree making my residence available for inspection if requested by an ATF Agent. If HPA ever passes I’ll reconsider if the law affords true 2nd amendment protection.

      • Waiving your 4th amendment rights is not the same as agreeing to make the premises where the registered device or firearm is kept available for inspection upon request of the ATF, which is exactly what you must consent to in order to obtain the tax stamp. You really need to pay attention to those bothersome fine print details like “consent to inspection” or “shall obtain written consent”, you’ll find them damn useful if you want to avoid Federal prosecution.

  18. That logic works for you.

    On a related topic, will the HPA cover those that want to build their own suppressor, the same as firearms?
    I probably have this wrong, after having read the bill, it sounds like you have to pass a background check to get one.

    I want to be crystal clear on those two points before getting my feet wet with anything currently under theNFA.

  19. You lost me when you said Trump is a surrenderer. He is nothing of the sort. Cutting deals is a whole separate animal from surrender. Cut the fake news bullshit.

    • That would very much depend on the deal. Just because someone calls a surrender a ‘deal’ doesn’t make it so.

  20. You guys are overlooking a huge issue – if silencers become as easy to buy as any firearm – then good luck finding one for a couple years. And due to that demand, prices will NOT go down for a couple years either.
    If you want a silencer within the next 2 1/2 years, go order one now. You will get your $200 tax stamp money back, you have nothing to lose – and a lot of time to shoot your silencer while the general public is scrambling to find one (99% they will be looking a long time, and a 99% chance they won’t get the one they truly want). It will be like trying to buy an AR-15 before the Assault Rifle Ban or after Newtown.
    Like I said, if you are fine with waiting a long time to get somethin kinda close to what you actually want, then by all means just sit back and wait for the Hearing Act to pass.
    So there!

    • You’re assuming more manufacturers won’t enter the market and increase supply. While I’m sure there will be some shortage, I doubt it’ll be to that level.

      BTW you’re not gonna get that $200 back…I work for the government, we never give anything back…

    • The difference is, it’s not particularly difficult to make a suppressor. Yes, you have to use the right materials and methods, but at the end of the day it’s a tube with baffles in it. Compare that with all the complex machining and specialized tooling needed to make an AR-15. If there really is the level of demand you’re predicting, it won’t take very long for new suppressor manufacturers to enter the market.

      Also, with suppressors being such a niche market right now, major firearms manufacturers have no incentive to get into the game. Take away the artificial constraints on the market, and you virtually guarantee that some gun companies with serious resources will jump in as fast as possible to carve themselves off as much of the market as they can. I’ll bet Ruger already has a plan to quintuple their silencer production line the day Trump signs the HPA.

  21. Like has been mentioned people aren’t holding back because of the $200 stamp, they are holding back because of the ridiculous markup that is justified due to the low volume and legal barriers to reach economies of scale in manufacturing.

    When the HPA passes (both ruger and sig seem to think it will) production will ramp up, the prices will fall in line with where they should be ~200 bucks. Sure some manufacturers will use fancy options like titanium and adding other lipstick to prop margins but eventually without the restrictions the supply/demand curves will level out and the price should come down.

    Since it’s a discretionary purchase for most, why not wait and see.

    • Other than living in a state that restricts them, the part that would hold me back is the wait time. If I have to drop several hundred bucks on something I want to be able to enjoy it now. Not 9 months later.

    • It’s not a suppressor. The oil can is just there to catch any extra solvent/oil during cleaning…..

      • In this case he’s using an adapter that is specifically machines to be a silencer and requires a tax stamp to buy. The oil filter is only a part of it that is replaceable without a stamp.

        • ” The oil filter is only a part of it that is replaceable without a stamp.”

          Yes, but *you* cannot be the one doing the replacing.

          ” The Econo Can Suppressor comes as a complete unit with the oil filter attached, serial numbered and registered with ATF/NFA.”

          From Cadiz -“If or when you need to change the filter out, the ATF/NFA rules says it needs to come back to the original manufacture, which Cadiz Gun Works is. The cost is $25.00.”

          https://cadizgunworks.com/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=20_26_69

          Here’s the whacky part – You can home-brew your own oil filter silencer on a form 1, but you cannot replace your own filter, even though you were the one who manufactured it. Well, you *could*, but that will cost you another $200 and a stamp.

          It makes no sense at all.

          If the HPA passes, I’ll planning on going the $25 thread adapter and $7 oil filter route, at least until things settle down…

  23. All very good points, the one downside I still see though is under the current rules, it is still beneficial to have a trust. For someone like me who is the market for their first can, that would mean getting a trust, which adds to the cost of entry, and wouldn’t be refunded upon passage of the HPA.

    I personally don’t have a lot of confidence that tthe HPA will pass. That alone should be good enough reason to buy as soon as I have funds available to do so.

  24. I have to agree with Ryan’s comment above.

    The advantage in waiting until after deregulation is the inevitable price drop throughout the industry. Even if there isn’t a significant price drop, however unlikely, they certainly won’t increase. As others noted, I don’t need one, but I want one. I bought a Ruger SR22 with the threaded barrel specifically to suppress plus I have my Kalashnikov Bulgarian variant which has a threaded barrel. Should the HPA get signed into law, a can for my SAM7R would certainly be a consideration.
    That thing looks so bad-ass now, a can sticking out the end would just be the ticket let alone being able to shoot it with reduced sound levels.

  25. I would love to get some cans…. sadly I live just out side chiraq limits and cans are not legal in any way here.

  26. Personally, I don’t care that my name has another checkmark next to it with the feds, because I’ve been background checked multiple times for security access, CMP, CCW, Global Entry, etc.. And have none of you ever purchased a firearm from an FFL? Bought ammo or accessories online with a credit card?

    Suppressors / silencers are great at lowering the noise to a level that can be managed with just earplugs or muffs even indoors. Not just for you, but the people (and dogs) around you.

    I’ve got all the cans I think I will ever need (yeah, right), so if the law passes I think I get $200 back (maybe $400, I’ll have to check), But if it doesn’t, no big deal.

    Right now people in the US buy quality cans to last, because of the tax. If the law passes, cheaper cans will come on the market, like you see overseas where they are an accessory you replace when it wears out.

    Life is short. Buy what you want, when you want it, and enjoy it.

    • You obviously are not aware that ID information submitted for a background check before transfer is not a firearms registry, any item requiring a tax stamp is.

      • And if you think that the feds have not maintained an illegal registry of everyone who has had a NICS check phoned in, despite the law, you are delusional. It could even be implemented without the knowledge of those answering the phones.

        • Any “list” of firearms owners comprised from ID info submitted for an FBI check would be a violation of federal law. Anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of the steps required for ATF to trace a firearm back to the initial transfer knows there is no database using data collected from the Form 4473 and there is no national registry of firearms owners. Put your tin foil hat back on RetroG and read your tattered copy of The Turner Diaries one more time.

        • ^This.

          Look at this way folks– how often do you use your credit card to buy anything firearms related? have you ever bought it online? Did you run a search for it using google? Then I would be willing to bet a very large sum of money that your name is on a federal firearms database somewhere maintained on some technicality. Sure it’s a bit of tin-foil hattery, but Google has been on the federal payroll for years. It’s not hard and several factions have already demonstrated a complete disregard for the rule of law. Hell, a large number of gun owners make their purchases publically available through facebook, blogs and google.

          No firearms data base? Ha, ha, ha…

  27. If HPA actually happens, you can bet the usual full retail plus dealers will milk any initial high demand for suppressors for every dollar they can extract from the gullible got to have it right now can’t wait suckers who impulsively pay well over full retail after falling for the line of bull$#it that it might be years before supply catches up with demand. It’s the same type of sucker who in the recent past eagerly paid a poker faced gun dealer with the gift of gab $600 for a Glock 43 or $1750 for a Ruger Precision Rifle.

    The folks who would benefit the most from encouraging the purchase of suppressors prior to HPA is obviously dealers who want to liquidate their inventory before any potential increase in supply drives prices down substantially.

  28. I understand the laws of supply and demand, and during initial stages of enactment, cans will go through the roof significantly. The problem with buying now, is for a lot of people (me included) cost of admission needs to be paid up front. A decent 308 can will run $800 plus NFA tax, and cost of prints and photos. Under enactment, eventually, I’ll be able to some some sort of payment program, layaway, to get that item without sacrificing my rent payment to get it.

  29. In my relatively extensive research into the HPA, I think getting your stamp refunded is going to be the sacrificial lamb. It’s going to be nixed from the bill before it goes to a vote.

    That being said, I do think if your can is in ATF jail when the HPA passes, it’ll be granted a pardon and you can pick it up right away.

  30. If HPA passes, anyone of us can get the plans and make our own silencers. I just saw plans on Pinterest to build a .22LR silencers from PVS pipe and using subsonic ammo all you could hear was the slide operating as the round fired.

  31. Lol, HPA potential is the “excuse” for low number of customers? Yeah, right. I’d bet most don’t even know what it is.

    I’m not buying another as I’m tired of the $200 plus the suppressor cost, let alone the wait. It’d be interesting to see if the HPA changes the wait time. I’m all in for a new .22 LR suppressor if it passes.

  32. I used to be in the “suppressors are expensive toys” group myself. And then I had an ND with a short barreled 45. Totally my fault of course, and I will fully accept the blame for it, but I’m now living with the more or less permanent consequences of it, and I’m only 26. I basically couldn’t hear out of my left ear for almost 2 weeks, and was starting to worry I may have become permanently deaf in that ear. While that cleared up, I do have moderate tinnitus in my left ear. Its hard to tell if my overall hearing level has changed, but I’m definitely more sensitive now to loud noises and in some cases, relatively normal sound level noises at certain frequencies. Since I shoot a lot I’ve been much more conscious of the potential affects on my remaining hearing, and I recently picked up my first suppressor to protect it, and I wish I had done so years ago! I’d love to suppress everything I own now. I think where silencers really shine is in indoor ranges where muzzle blast from large caliber rifles and SBR’s in particular can be pretty intense. I recently got rid of my M1A Scout because the compensator on it was just too loud in an enclosed shooting bay, even with doubled up hearing protection. If the HPA passes Id like to pick up a rifle can (just have a pistol one for now), but the taxes and wait time make it unfeasible so soon after buying a different one.

  33. Yeah, no. This article is full of logical inconsistencies.

    First, you’re willing to pay the government $200 just to get a jump on the waiting process, banking on the fact that you’ll get it refunded to you per the prose of the Hearing Protection Act which you acknowledge is not finalized in any way, shape or form. And you’re trusting that $200 to get back to you in some timely manner from the Government. This is me laughing at your naivety.

    Second, the article completely overlooks the far reaching impact the HPA will have on the silencer economy. My armchair assessment is that you’ll find competition crawling out of the woodwork the moment it passes, driving prices way down because, let’s face it, these things don’t cost $200-$800 to make these things.

    Is losing not winning? No. It’s gambling. Waiting for the Hearing Protection Act to drop in some finalized form is safer in every respect unless you’re doing the pee-pee dance and need a silencer now, now, NOW and just have $200 to throw away.

  34. Does anyone know if they will be protected as in federal preemption? If not, this will be yet one more item that will be outlawed in the PRK and other leftist states… And why does it have to be registered? Just another muzzle device afaik…

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