Suppressor Approval and Delivery Times?

[Riesel]

I have purchased suppressors from Capital Armory in the past. After doing all the initial paperwork, fingerprints, and mug shot the wait time was pushing ten months even if ordering anew. UPDATE, I have heard were some are getting their suppressors in just a few days but I'm skeptical. You might get approval in a few days but there are still hurdles to jump. Capital Armory had one of my favorite suppressors on sale and I bought two on August 25, 2024. I received the two suppressors via UPS on Sept. 26, 2024.
Went from being 10 months in jail to 30 days.
If you have considered purchasing a suppressor but were hesitant because of the wait time, that may be over. I only mentioned CA because I use them but it is my understanding they have stores in almost every state. It is my understanding that most suppressor suppliers are having the same speed experience. Get you one for yourself for Christmas, you'll love it.

 

[ebb]

If you apply online and use the online fingerprint/ ID system. Forgotten weapons explains it fairly well. I have a friend that has also done an SBR in a very short time. You can get approval fast but to have actual paper work will take a week or over.

 

[Knotwild]

It seems trusts take a little longer than an individual stamp.

 

[Riesel]

It seems trusts take a little longer than an individual stamp.

Yes, should have mentioned this was a Trust transaction

 

[dsandfort]

Here is some real-time data.
Ordered suppressor on 9/17 through SilencerShop.
Certified e-form on 9/25 with local FFL.
E-form submitted that date.
Approved and ready to pick up 9/27 around noon.
No Trust involved.
Forgot to mention I had already registered, fingerprinted and mug-shot with SilencerShop via one of their kiosks as well as taking my own photo.

 

[Tangent]

Just curious, what's the difference between using a trust and not? Obviously we have a licence system in the UK so we just request one be added and then go and buy one.

 

[ronsatspokane]

A trust allows for multiple owners. As in those who are named in the trust. It requires that all members of the trust be vetted. An individual is just that. It is owned by one person and cannot be shared. Only that individual can use it. The trust makes passing it along easier as long as it is passed to someone in the trust. The individual can only be passed to someone who is vetted and that person has to pay the tax stamp again. Trust approvals are still in terms of months. Individual approvals happen in a matter of days these days.

 

[JB10]

My first one took 14 months, this was back in 2022. March of this year i got another one. Took 3 days to get approved. Way better than before. This was for an individual also.

 

[spclark]

Trusts will take longer than Indies. Count on it.

 

[6BRA]

Who is responsible when you are dead?..

 

[Gundog]

A trust allows for multiple owners. As in those who are named in the trust. It requires that all members of the trust be vetted. An individual is just that. It is owned by one person and cannot be shared. Only that individual can use it. The trust makes passing it along easier as long as it is passed to someone in the trust. The individual can only be passed to someone who is vetted and that person has to pay the tax stamp again. Trust approvals are still in terms of months. Individual approvals happen in a matter of days these days.

As the owner of several suppressors, I've had discussions with ATF agents about the do's and don'ts.
If you own a suppressor, you can let someone in your direct control, use the suppressor while you are with them. They cannot "Posses it." In other words, the suppressor leaves with you but they can use it, let's say while shooting Prairie Dogs. At the end of the day, you take the "can" off their gun and you keep it.

Instead of carrying the required paperwork with you while using the suppressor, you can either take a picture of the license or create a PDF of it and put it on your phone. The info must be readable. If stopped and questioned the officials can ask that you provide them with copy of the phone data or paper copies at a later date, even though they can call and check in minutes.

From the ATF website reference the distribution of a suppressor upon death. No $200 tax for the heir.

"9.5.3 Distribution of estate firearms. A decedent’s registered NFA firearms may be conveyed taxexempt to lawful heirs. These distributions are not treated as voluntary “transfers” under the NFA. Rather, they are considered to be involuntary “transfers by operation of law.” Under this concept, ATF will honor State court decisions relative to the ownership and right to possess NFA firearms. So, when State courts authorize the distribution of estate firearms to decedents’ lawful heirs, ATF will approve the distribution and registration to the heirs if the transactions are otherwise lawful. A lawful heir is anyone named in the decedent’s will or, in the absence of a will, anyone entitled to inherit under the laws of the State in which the decedent last resided."

Gundog

 

[Minshooter]

Approval time:
A friend did an efile with one of the major companies kiosks, using their one-time Trust.
Hit "send" late Thursday afternoon.
Received email of Approved form 4 -Sunday Morning!.
Suppressor in hand at 9:00am today.
2-1/2 days total, for a Trust!

 

[ronsatspokane]

As the owner of several suppressors, I've had discussions with ATF agents about the do's and don'ts.
If you own a suppressor, you can let someone in your direct control, use the suppressor while you are with them. They cannot "Posses it." In other words, the suppressor leaves with you but they can use it, let's say while shooting Prairie Dogs. At the end of the day, you take the "can" off their gun and you keep it.

Instead of carrying the required paperwork with you while using the suppressor, you can either take a picture of the license or create a PDF of it and put it on your phone. The info must be readable. If stopped and questioned the officials can ask that you provide them with copy of the phone data or paper copies at a later date, even though they can call and check in minutes.

From the ATF website reference the distribution of a suppressor upon death. No $200 tax for the heir.

"9.5.3 Distribution of estate firearms. A decedent’s registered NFA firearms may be conveyed taxexempt to lawful heirs. These distributions are not treated as voluntary “transfers” under the NFA. Rather, they are considered to be involuntary “transfers by operation of law.” Under this concept, ATF will honor State court decisions relative to the ownership and right to possess NFA firearms. So, when State courts authorize the distribution of estate firearms to decedents’ lawful heirs, ATF will approve the distribution and registration to the heirs if the transactions are otherwise lawful. A lawful heir is anyone named in the decedent’s will or, in the absence of a will, anyone entitled to inherit under the laws of the State in which the decedent last resided."

Gundog

Yeah, I knew that you could let others use it under your supervision but I did not know about decedent's tax exempt transfer. I wonder how many actually carry paper work with them when they travel with the suppressor. I also wonder about frequency of inspection while suppressors are in use let alone household inspections. At this point there has to be millions of legally registered suppressors out there. The volume alone would seem to be problematic from an enforcement perspective and the volume seems to be increasing by the day.

 

[John11-87]

Yeah, I knew that you could let others use it under your supervision but I did not know about decedent's tax exempt transfer. I wonder how many actually carry paper work with them when they travel with the suppressor. I also wonder about frequency of inspection while suppressors are in use let alone household inspections. At this point there has to be millions of legally registered suppressors out there. The volume alone would seem to be problematic from an enforcement perspective and the volume seems to be increasing by the day.

I have always wondered this aswell, who has the authority to check or inspect your supressor in the field? Does a local Game Warden or local law enforcement have access to the database to match the serial number to the owner or trust? Maybe varies by state?

John

 

[jxb]

Who is responsible when you are dead?..

With a trust supposedly if there is nobody on it except yourself, when you pass it automatically transfers to the executor of your estate. I presume still have to do their paperwork to complete the process. I found this in writing when doing mine, but I didn't find it when looking today. It was the main reason I did a trust, didn't want my NFA items just in limbo and who knows what happening to them. All sorts of Q/A here on trusts and other NFA items on the ATF site. If you have or will get an NFA item you're on their radar so might as well go right to the source, it's your tax $ at work, use them.

National Firearms Act (NFA) | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Answers to some common questions related to what is the Nation Firearms Act (NFA) including the definition, clarification and application of the Act, as well as which form(s) to use in order to apply for a tax stamp.

www.atf.gov

 

[6BRA]

With a trust supposedly if there is nobody on it except yourself, when you pass it automatically transfers to the executor of your estate. I presume still have to do their paperwork to complete the process. I found this in writing when doing mine, but I didn't find it when looking today. It was the main reason I did a trust, didn't want my NFA items just in limbo and who knows what happening to them. All sorts of Q/A here on trusts and other NFA items on the ATF site. If you have or will get an NFA item you're on their radar so might as well go right to the source, it's your tax $ at work, use them.

National Firearms Act (NFA) | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Answers to some common questions related to what is the Nation Firearms Act (NFA) including the definition, clarification and application of the Act, as well as which form(s) to use in order to apply for a tax stamp.

www.atf.gov

what if...the estate is planned properly and there is no Executor?

 

[jxb]

what if...the estate is planned properly and there is no Executor?

No idea, in Oregon I'm pretty sure there's always an executor but maybe not. When I did mine I planned to live forever so I didn't really give it much thought. Now with health issues and possibly serious ones at that, I'm kinda thinking maybe I need to work on that stuff cause once I'm dead it's no longer my problem.

It seems this month approval times have gone down and doing a trust is only a few days longer.
'www.silencershop.com/atf-wait-times'
vs ATF Sept 1st wait times: 'www.atf.gov/resource-center/current-processing-times'

might want to review this before settling on one or the other

A Buyer’s Guide: Individual vs. Trust for Your Silencer & SBR

Comparing individual vs. trust registration for your silencer or short-barreled rifle? This post covers 5 options to choose the best fit for your needs.

www.silencershop.com

be patient, takes a while to come up...

and not to be biased, I've heard good things about using silencercentral as well.

 

[lal357]

Yeah, I knew that you could let others use it under your supervision but I did not know about decedent's tax exempt transfer. I wonder how many actually carry paper work with them when they travel with the suppressor. I also wonder about frequency of inspection while suppressors are in use let alone household inspections. At this point there has to be millions of legally registered suppressors out there. The volume alone would seem to be problematic from an enforcement perspective and the volume seems to be increasing by the day.

I keep one in both vehicles and in the gun cases so if my wife or son take either its with them(trust with them on it). I also asked the atf for duplicate copies of my stamp and they sent them

 

[Lance21]

I have always wondered this aswell, who has the authority to check or inspect your supressor in the field? Does a local Game Warden or local law enforcement have access to the database to match the serial number to the owner or trust? Maybe varies by state?

John

Only the ATF can ask about your tax stamp paperwork. Anybody else, tell em to hit the bricks.

 

[Gundog]

Only the ATF can ask about your tax stamp paperwork. Anybody else, tell em to hit the bricks.

Actually, if you are shooting with a suppressor attached to rifle, pistol or shotgun, and are approached by
law enforcement, (Police, Tribal Police, Sheriff's, Game Warden etc.), they can ask to see your license.

Shooting ranges can demand to see your license before use on their range. If you don't want to, then you can't use the suppressor on the range. (They are covering their assets.)

A suppressor, by itself, does not have to be declared to an officer during a traffic stop, unlike a handgun.
If you declare a firearm during the stop and the officer sees that it has a suppressor, he can ask to see the license.

If you tell any of the above that they don't need to see the license, expect a call or visit from your
"Friendly Neighborhood" ATF agent.

Gundog