Hey guys, I’m looking at beginning to build my way towards a suppressor for my home defense handgun (pay tax stamp, save up and buy threaded barrel, save up until everything clears and get the suppressor). I have a few questions, though. I live in Louisiana by the way, which is probably the least strict state in the country with firearms.
Do I need an actual Class III license or whatever, or just apply for the tax stamp for the suppressor? Also, and more importantly - I’ve seen tests show that on a 9mm, the average suppression seems to be from around 160db to around 120+db…which is still enough to damage your hearing permanently, right? So what’s the point then, for my application (primarily home defense) if my hearing is going to be damaged either way if I ever have to use it? This is the biggest question in my mind right now and the only answer I can come up with is that it may help protect the hearing of my family if they are nearby. Opinions?
You don’t need a “license” to buy a suppressor, you apply for a $200 tax stamp which gets affixed to an ATF Form 4.
Locate a dealer and they will handle the paperwork for you. You provide passport quality photos (which will go on your form with your tax stamp) and finger prints, unless they also do that. Unless you get a trust you will have to take the Form 4 to your chief law enforcement officer to sign off. They were talking about doing away with the CLEO signoff but I’m not sure if they are doing that now. My county sheriff signed off on mine.
I feel like I can go either route. A sheriff’s signoff may not be too difficult since I know a few people around here with suppressors, but I also worked for a law firm for over 4 years and am close with that group of people as well.
Do you guys with suppressors think it would be a viable upgrade though? I almost get the feeling it is more for ‘cool factor’ than anything with a lot of what I’m reading, due to the fact that the gun will still be VERY loud even with the suppressor…and that’s a lot of extra weight to add, along with rendering the sights much less usable.
It still makes noise and isn’t anything like the soft whisper in the movies but isn’t that loud with subsonic ammo. You will be doing your ears a HUGE favor if you ever have to shoot rounds off in your home, god forbid that happens, but you will save your ears for sure.
That said, I don’t know what to think about using, and possibly losing, my can if I ever did have to shoot someone in self defense in my house. To have LE confiscate my pistol “as evidence” is bad enough, but taking my pistol AND my can would piss me off to no end. But it is only money, LOL.
Why don’t you try shooting some cans before you make the leap of buying? If you’re unsure that is what I would suggest before dropping any money. My dealer let me shoot a bunch of different cans on a bunch of different hosts with subsonic and supersonic ammo through centerfire and rimfire rifles and handguns.
I’ll have to see if I can find any, but I don’t know of any local gun stores that have suppressors in stock. And the people that I know well enough to shoot with all have suppressed .22’s (which seems really expensive for an already quiet toy to me but to each his own lol). I understand what you mean about if you ever had to lose the suppressor to police confiscation, but honestly that would be the least of my worries (behind the fact that I’d shot someone / shot at someone, and the fact that I now had no suppressed weapon to protect my hearing lol. I guess I see the suppressor as a tool, and it would have done its job at that point.
A suppressor is worth the money and effort. My neighbour made the same comment that a 22lr didn’t need to be suppressed. So I let him shoot my Walther P22 with no suppressor and he later told me his ears rang until the next morning.
Sorry if I missed it but, what gun do you want to suppress?
And for the most Bang (I mean lack of bang) for your buck I recommend an SWR Octane 45 HD. Excellent quality and customer service and less than $ 650.00. With the Oct45 you can shoot 45 ACP and sub cals ,40 S&W,9 MM, .357 Mag, 38 Spl, .380, 300 AAC blk (subs.) And since it is user serviceable you could shoot 22 lr out of it with no worries of lead build up.
In this NFA thread look at the topic Silencer comparison video by Fireman 1291. And if you go to his Y-tube channel he has a video about shooting un/suppressed indoors.
Thanks for the reply, Kevin. It’s a Glock 19 I’m wanting to suppress. I remember seeing the SWR Octane, isn’t it the one that is relatively small as well?
Aaron, just to be clear, you have to buy the suppressor before you start the paperwork. The Form 4 is specific to a particular suppressor with its serial number.
It is similar to other leading manufactures in respect to size and weight. But the shining point is the CAT SS baffles. They contain all the gunk. Go to Y-tube and watch how the Oct45/9 is disassembled cleaned/reassembled compared to an AAC Ti-Rant.
The Oct45 is slightly longer/heavier than the Oct9, but you may have a 45/40 planned in the future that you don’t know about yet.
I have an Silco Osprey and Sparrow in my possession, and an Oct45 transferring to my c3 dealer. Osprey is nice but, I’m working on a Ruger 77/357 SBR and need a can that will handle the 357 mag. After cleaning the Sparrow not having to force the baffles out of the tube because of gunk is awesome.
Yeah I didn’t realize that at the time of my original post so thanks for the reminder, I appreciate it! I’m hoping the gun shop I end up going with will let me put a down payment on it and pay it off over time (but I don’t know if they can deal with NFA items). Speaking of, I need to start calling around and try to find the closest NFA dealer. It doesn’t have to be bought in my city or parish right, just in my state?
A suppressor on a handgun intended for home/self defense will add weight and length to an item that is valued for its compactness and low weight.
I would be more inclined to put a suppressor on a short rifle for HD than a pistol.
My only rifle is a 16"er, and I unfortunately don’t have the money right now for a new SBR upper receiver (plus a Class III license and another tax stamp for the barrel length I think, right?). It is something I’d like to do some day though, especially when I get to the point of moving into a bigger home.
I have found it cheaper to buy the suppressor on line out of state and not pay state tax. However you will have to pay a NFA transfer fee with your local dealer. The fee is basically renting a space in the dealers safe while the approval process takes place. When I purchased my first can he had it in stock and I payed 6.5% state sales tax on a $ 750.00 suppressor + a $40 transfer fee. If I have a suppressor I purchased out of state with no state sales tax it is $ 75.00 transfer fee which is only $ 25.00 more than the $ 40.00 but, with out state tax.
Understood, though the wait times usually are pretty similar if submitted at the same time. Things do change, and I don’t work for the ATF, so I don’t necessarily think that you are wrong.
Two handed weapon (calling 911,opening/closing doors, gathering family.)
I don’t disagree that an SBR is more difficult to employ one-handed than a pistol, but it is certainly not impossible.
Still longer than his G17+suppressor.
Compare a firing stance with a pistol to a suppressed SBR and you will notice that they are very similar in length, with an edge toward the SBR. Stick a can on the pistol and muzzle projection goes to favor the SBR.
Grater sound with a suppressed rifle than hand gun.
Most of that sound will only be appreciable when forward of the muzzle, and really only comes into noticeable levels when using subsonic ammo, which greatly limits ammunition options and performance.
Over penetrating soft concealment( dry wall.)
Tests, studies, and actual application tends to disagree with that assertion. Pretty much anything that is suitable for use against a lethal humanoid threat is going to punch through a lot of interior walls. Even then, the higher velocity, lighter, more fragmentation prone rifle projectiles tends to penetrate fewer interior walls/furnishings than pistol caliber projectiles. I think that this point gets way overblown on both sides of the coin; either of them will go through several layers of drywall, which equates to several rooms, which means that unless you live in a sprawling estate you need to put the bullets into meat and let the threat be the backstop.
Further, most suppressor diameters will require the user to install taller sights, which is a cost driver.
The length of a suppressor will interfere with a pistol mounted light since the only usable mounting position on pistols is usually 6:00, which equates to more of the beam being blocked exactly where you want light. Of course, you can help overcome that by shifting the gun orientation to get light-spill where it is needed, but it’s a lot easier without a suppressor attached.
The point is moot really, since the OP stated that he isn’t interested in going the double stamp route with his carbine.
I still stand by my assertion that a suppressor for a HD handgun is a lot of expense with very little gain and several negatives. Frankly, I don’t care what anyone else does with their money, guns, or the defense of their family that isn’t within my sphere of influence/concern. Dude asked for advice, I shared my experience and opinion. I have zero emotional attachment to this.
There is a lot you can learn and understand before buying a suppressor… I will give you kudos for doing some searching and seeking to broading your understanding… but truly “knowing” what it is all about can only be achieved through ownership and use.
Once you buy your first one and use it a few times, only THEN will you be able to appreciate the tool and truly answer these kinds of questions for YOURSELF. I don’t think anyone else can do that for you, although clearly guys with experience during a purchase is key to getting the right recoil, springs, ammo, whatever.
I really do think it is the kind of hobby that you want to try and figure out your first purchase… and at some point just jump in. Once you get in the water things will become more and more clear to you… and your second purchase will be much sweeter.