Gun silencer sales are booming

[PamIsMe]

Civilian market soared 37 percent in 2013; total numbers up a half million
Author: By Aaron Smith
Published On: Apr 22 2014
www.channel3000.com/money/Gun-silencer-sales-are-booming/25598766

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -

Sales are booming for silencers, the cylindrical devices used to muffle gunfire.
The civilian market for silencers soared 37% in 2013, when the total number shot up to nearly a half a million, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives registry. That's compared to 360,000 in 2012 and 285,000 in 2011.

Silencers are so popular that there's a nine-month wait to have a registration approved by the ATF, according to Ben Shim, a certified firearms instructor and gun industry analyst with CRT Capital Group in Stamford, Conn.

"People have gone crazy buying guns, but they're done buying them for the time being, so they're buying accessories," Shim said.

Many gun owners rushed to buy assault rifles after the Newtown massacre, fearing that a weapons ban would be enacted. Now, Shim says, those owners are customizing their guns with "a dizzying array of accessories." Add-ons include silencers, flashlights, laser scopes, stocks, pistol grips and rail systems for attaching even more accessories.

"The AR-15 weapons platform is very modular," said Shim, referring to a type of rifle used by the U.S. military. "It's like Barbie for men."

Silencers attach to the end of a gun barrel and can be used with a variety of handguns and rifles. They are more accurately referred to as suppressors, since "the noise of a chambered round being fired is never silent, only suppressed or dampened," said gun industry analyst Brian Rafn of Morgan Dempsey Capital Management in Milwaukee.

The popularity of suppressors is driven in part by the value they offer to hunters, said Rafn, because they "give the hunter multiple shots without frightening the game."

ATF special agent Tim Graden said that silencers are categorized as firearms by the federal government, even though the silencer itself can't fire a bullet. The basic background check for most guns requires the purchaser to present a photo ID to the retailer and electronically submit a form to the ATF. Approval usually takes about 20 minutes. But purchasing a silencer requires the applicant to mail or Fax a photo and fingerprints to the ATF and to pay a $200 tax, with the approval process taking nine or 10 months.

That's because silencers are regulated by the National Firearms Act, which was passed in 1934 in response to gang violence, according to the ATF. But they're still legal in 39 states, including 29 states where they're permitted for hunting, according to the American Silencer Association.

"Most people just don't know you can buy one," said Jason Schauble, chief finance officer for SilencerCo in West Valley City, Utah. "We have a whole campaign called 'silencers are legal'."

Advanced Armament Corp. of Lawrenceville, Ga., uses the slogan "Silencing is not a crime."

Suppressors are so expensive that they can cost more than the guns they're attached to. SilencerCo sells its least expensive suppressor, the Harvester for hunting rifles, for $750. Its most expensive suppressor, the Saker, goes for $1,300.

[trappincoyotes39]

Pam one must check states laws for application of suppressor's never liked the term silencers as they are not silent at all in most center fire forms for civilian use. They do cut sound , but nothing like the movies show for division use anyhow. except for .22 now they are neat with sub sonic ammo. The process is not cheap and each time you purchase a suppressor you need a new permit for each one.

They do have uses for coyote control and are nice when wanting to do a depredation style hunt on deer and other critters, some states allow hunting with such and to help thin a deer heard they can be mighty handy. Again not near noise free but a sound far different that you generally do not spook game near as much as a standard rifle report.

A suppressor also has other great advantages as you get far less recoil with them on the end of a center fire firearm as well and can use higher magnification scopes and still see the hit on your target better than without one as well.

[PamIsMe]

I think this is the real point :-)

"People have gone crazy buying guns, but they're done buying them for the time being, so they're buying accessories," Shim said.

and this one too. lol "It's like Barbie for men."

Pam

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

I think this stuff is cool and I don't think it's any of the governments business whether I want a silencer or not.

Kind of like CCW permits, the 2nd amendment is my CCW permit if I choose to go that route.

[trappincoyotes39]

Pam that isn't a point but an opinion. Gone crazy? . If people decide to buy guns that is their legal right to do so as long as they pass the background check. State laws deal with suppressor's and what they can be used for as long as people are using them inside of he laws who cares? Since when should we worry about what add on things people buy for shooting as long as it is within the law?


here is an interesting thing from a little while back on the issue of carrying a firearm in a severely restricted state.


townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/02/13/second-amendment-victory-ninth-circuit-court-of-appeals-strikes-down-bans-on-carrying-in-public-n1794703

[trappnman]

apparently, the companies prefer the term "silencer"

Joel, I'd tend to agree with you on that

[trappincoyotes39]

No they really don't Tman as GemTech maker of very fine suppressor's clearly calls them such, not silencers. Assault that term is misleading and not available to the general public those are for our military forces. Again the suppressed 22 is very low Db level but if you shoot even a great suppressor on a center fire it will surprise you while you will not need hearing protection much louder than the movies portray. The reason being is the speed of which the billets Tavel and the power gases and how they are controlled.

www.gem-tech.com/store/pc/home.asp

Working for the state I had the opportunity to shoot these suppressed guns with night vision as well and was amazing how accurate you could be in the dark! We also got to play with thermal Imaging stuff too really amazing! In SD it is legal to hunt with a stressed rifle and I can tell you an eye opener seeing how deer react to a suppressed rifle even with standard loaded ammo, A good friend had a suppressed .17 rim fire and talk about death to prairie dogs and jack rabbits wow great fun.

[trappincoyotes39]

Actually try and conceal Cary without a permit and use the 2nd amendment to keep you out of jail, it will not work. As it cover the right to carry does not state in a concealed mode. So states decided to limit conceal which they can do by the law but must allow people to carry open without a permit that is protected by the 2nd amendment. Staes can make conceal carry easy or harder to obtain that is on them, but to conceal and carry one needs a permit from their state.

[trappnman]

hunting, according to the American Silencer Association.

"Most people just don't know you can buy one," said Jason Schauble, chief finance officer for SilencerCo in West Valley City, Utah. "We have a whole campaign called 'silencers are legal'."
[/v]

seems clear enough

[trappincoyotes39]

Tman a difference in silencer and suppressor all comes down to how many decibel reduction takes place with the "can" on the end of the barrel. They can call their org what ever but to be correct there is a difference in the two. Both wipe off gases some more efficantcy than others hence the difference between silencer and suppressed. Hard to silence a round going above 3.000 Fps easier to do with slowed down ammo and a more efficant "can".

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

May 1, 2014 18:50:08 GMT -6 trappincoyotes39 said:

Actually try and conceal Cary without a permit and use the 2nd amendment to keep you out of jail, it will not work. As it cover the right to carry does not state in a concealed mode. So states decided to limit conceal which they can do by the law but must allow people to carry open without a permit that is protected by the 2nd amendment. Staes can make conceal carry easy or harder to obtain that is on them, but to conceal and carry one needs a permit from their state.

I just don't agree with the law. lol Not the only law that I don't agree with but I didn't read in the constitution where it says anything about CCW.

I took the class and was ready to go get one until the local newspaper forced a public records request to out the Governor who refused to tell them whether he had one.

The newspaper then published the "list" of everybody that had one. I decided not to participate in that government list because of that.

I figure if I'm in a situation where I feel that insecure I'll just do what I need to, I mean it's not concealed once you start shooting now is it?

[trappnman]

TC- lets stay on track-

you stated that the preferred term is "suppressor" rather than silencer

I pointed out that the industry, uses the term silencer

therefore, I don't agree that the preferred term, among those making and promoting the use, is as you stated

[trappincoyotes39]

Look up each manufacture and see wha term you see used the most then....................

Hard to use them term silencer when you only partially reducing the Db level of the firearm blast. Most are not even close to what I would call silenced except for the very high end stuff with the right loads and the suppressed .22 using sub sonic ammo.

All on wordage for sure, but technically correct one would break them up to use the term that best fits the suppressor being used and application of such, can have a bigf difference in outcome for sure when talking military applications.

[trappnman]

what could be more clearer?

"That's because silencers are regulated by the National Firearms Act, which was passed in 1934 in response to gang violence, according to the ATF. But they're still legal in 39 states, including 29 states where they're permitted for hunting, according to the American Silencer Association.

"Most people just don't know you can buy one," said Jason Schauble, chief finance officer for SilencerCo in West Valley City, Utah. "We have a whole campaign called 'silencers are legal'."

Advanced Armament Corp. of Lawrenceville, Ga., uses the slogan "Silencing is not a crime."

[trappincoyotes39]

No silencing is not a crime, but using such to make that claim could get you sued due to the FACT that it is not silent to begin with Most not even close to silent in FACT. hey call it what you will but most companies I look at call them suppressor's unless they can get to a certain Db reduction with their cans then that is a different groups all together. They suppress sound and recoil but they do not make them silent, meaning not to hear. Either way they are a good deal and have a realurpsoe in hunting that I will agree with and darn fun to shoot with as well.

Hitting a steel gong in pitch black with high end night vision and a suppressor so you can see it out of a 308 over and over is really a lot of fun at 200 yrds.

[FWS]

they are a good deal and have a realurpsoe in hunting

They're commonly used in most Euro countries and the govts' encourage the use of suppresors for hunting ('shooting', stalking, lamping......)

But for most of the hunting I do they'd be a hindrance. I could find a use for a suppressed shotgun, for hunting geese in some areas, the Brits make them.

The National Firearms Act of 1935 should be amended to seriously ease restrictions on suppressors.